What lathe do you recommend?

[Mark Gibney]

I want to get an upgrade on the 1950's Delta lathe I use.

Most of the lathe work I do is legs for stool, chairs and table, but now and then I turn a bowl.

What lathe might suit my fairly basic needs? - I posted a question about a Jet 1442 a couple of days back and some guys said it has a cheesy Reeves drive. I don't know what that is - so now you know you're dealing with a newbie here.

I tend towards buying used machines, and I'd be comfortable spending up to $1,200 for an appropriate machine. If I was educated as to why a more expensive option is worth it I would consider it.

So there you have it - what's your recommendation?

Mark

[Reed Gray]

Well, if you are considering turning bowls, my preference would be for 220 volt, a 2 hp motor, variable speed, and 16 inch for max diameter. There are a bunch of lathes out there in that size range. Most are over $1200 though, unless you can find one used. There is a Jet model with a 1 1/2 hp motor that is wired for 110, but i find it under powered, but I did production work for a number of years. It will work though. Possibly another consideration would be bed length, which depends on how long you want to turn. Bed extensions are available for most lathes.

robo hippy

[John K Jordan]

Hi, Mark.

Variable speed in a lathe is a big plus, although you can get along without it.
A Reeves drive is a "clunky" mechanical way to get variable speed. It uses a belt between two v-shaped pulleys. As one is widened or narrowed by moving a crank/dial on the lathe, the belt rides up or drops down in the pulley to change the speed. This has been used on many lathes in the past but lots of people have had problems and plenty are happy to not be using them anymore. Today, many lathes use a much better method.

A VFD (variable frequency drive) is a better way. It uses some electronics which convert single phase power to drive a 3-phase motor with smoothly varying speed. This will give you extremely smooth and trouble-free speed adjustment AND you get reverse as well. Most of the better woodturning lathes sold today use a VFD. Most run on single phase 230v but some are built for 115v.

As to what lathe to get, there are many, many to chose from, new and used. Much depends on your budget, of course. Another consideration is whether you have 230v power in your shop or if you need a lathe that will run on 115v. Like most people, I can comment on those lathes I have.

If you want to turn spindles such as legs (good for you!) you definitely want a lathe with a long enough bed. Since many turners limit their turning to bowls, a lathe with a shorter bed will suit them. I turn spindles as well, along with many other mostly small things. The lathes I have are perfect for me, good for tiny things (fit on a penny), larger things (19.5" platter), and long things (shovel and hoe handles).

tiny_things.jpg platter_PC012780_e_comp_small.jpg handle_shuffle_hoe_comp.jpg

My primary lathe is a Powermatic 3520B which runs on 230v. Discontinued with an upgraded model but available used. Pros: Plenty of power, cast iron, massive in weight. Will turn a spindle a little less than the 35" which should be enough for most chair legs. A bed extension option will add 18" to this. The headstock will slide all the way to the end. Fine for bowls up to a little less than 20", larger if turned outboard. The mass of the lathe allows turning significantly out-of-balance blanks. The tailstock, banjo, and headstock are also heavy cast iron and feel like quality. Available used at a "reasonable" price. Cons: price for a used lathe may exceed $3000. The older model 3520A is very similar and might be found cheaper - it has mostly the same features except for no digital readout on the speed (not a real problem). The bed extension is expensive. It is very heavy if you need to move it often.

My secondary lathes: I have two Jet 1642s. I've had a 1642 about 15 years and more recently bought a spare, used, primarily to set up for students. I consider it an excellent lathe as do many others. These are basically the same design as the Powermatic but scaled down a bit. Also discontinued now, often available used. Pros: it will turn a longer spindle than the PM, 42" minus a bit. Lighter in weight than the PM. The headstock will slide all the way down to the end of the bed. A number of turning clubs use this model for their monthly demonstrations. Expect to pay $1600 or more. Can be had in both 230v and 115v models, but the 115v versions are much more common. Controls and speed are almost identical to the PM. Cons: lighter weight than the PM but still plenty heavy enough to be stable when turning bowls - I've turned bowls about 15" in diameter. The headstock, tailstock, and banjo are also cast iron but not as massive as the PM.

For me, I think the extra money for a decent lathe with a VFD is well worth it.

As mentioned, there are many other options. Some people swear by Grizzly products as a good value but I've stayed away.

JKJ

I want to get an upgrade on the 1950's Delta lathe I use.

Most of the lathe work I do is legs for stool, chairs and table, but now and then I turn a bowl.

What lathe might suit my fairly basic needs? - I posted a question about a Jet 1442 a couple of days back and some guys said it has a cheesy Reeves drive. I don't know what that is - so now you know you're dealing with a newbie here.

I tend towards buying used machines, and I'd be comfortable spending up to $1,200 for an appropriate machine. If I was educated as to why a more expensive option is worth it I would consider it.

So there you have it - what's your recommendation?

Mark

[Mark Gibney]

Reed, John - thanks for the replies. I'll do some online research on lathes in the class you suggest and then look at craigslist and so on. I once used a lathe with variable speed and it was a luxury I could get used to very quickly.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Mark,

Since it sounds like you want to do mostly spindle turning be sure to look at that specification for the lathe. I have a PM-3520B with an 18" extension so I can turn up to 53" long which came in handy for turning a turned pedestal for a cherry candle stand I turned a few years ago.

[Michael Mills]

If you don't mind moving the belt you may want to consider the Nova 1624. The belt is easy to relocate; I never move it for spindle work and twice at the most for bowls; takes about a minute to move the belt. I find the 1.5 hp very sufficient for my needs. Speeds from about 200 - 3600.
Link is to ToolsPlus because they have free shipping. Bed extension is another $200 which makes it about the max range you asked about. It may be less from other vendors but not sure once shipping and sales tax is included.
I've had mine about 10+ years with no problems.
If, down the road, you really want DVR you can upgrade the motor for about $600.
https://www.tools-plus.com/nova-lathes-24221.html

[Ian Gifford]

Hi Mark,

>I tend towards buying used machines, and I'd be comfortable spending up to $1,200 for an appropriate machine.

I recommend used. I paid $1,000 for my vintage 1956 Oliver 159-A Wood Motor Drive Speed Lathe in November 2013. The 159-A swings 12" diameter, 36" between centers with a bed 60" long. Unfortunately the spindle thread is right hand 1-1/8"-8tpi RH inboard, and will accept face plates and chucks w/ adapters with 1-1/8"-8tpi. There is a 1-1/8"-8tpi LH outboard option for >12". The drive center is a Morse Taper MT2. Great lathe! More:
http://www.vintagemachinery.org/phot....aspx?id=18378

-Ian

[Rick McQuay]

I've owned 5 lathes I think, nothing special, a few vintage and a couple newer models. If it were my money, in the $1200-ish I'd look at Jet and Nova. Jets are simpler but bulletproof, it seems. I've also converted old lathes to variable speed which is another option. It's not that hard if you have a lathe you like.

[Mark Gibney]

Well now since Ken also recommends a Powermatic 3520 I read a lot on turning forums and blogs, and it is consistently rated very highly. I'm going to dwell on this, I'm going to picture my wife, and beyond her a large pile of money on the table, and I have to talk my way around her to get to the table.

Thanks for all your replies including the older Oliver. Those old machines have soul.

[Dick Strauss]

Mark, if you decide to upgrade a lathe to VFD power, let me know. I upgraded a Delta 1440 by adding a VFD and replacing the Reeves drive with step pulleys to get more life out of my older lathe.

[Jim Barkelew]

I bought a Rockwell lathe 40 years ago and after 3 motor swaps it now has a VFD set-up, new spindle bearings, and a metal lathe tailstock. I have also built a lathe that worked well but needed an upgrade. I have spent time on a friends 3520A and it is OK but it doesn't fee right to me for some reason. I love my Robust Sweet 16 but that's not in this budget.

[David Hill]

I have owned probably 10 lathes in my journey of woodturning.Lots of Rev Drive units--they do have their drawbacks.
Currently I have 3--a Nova 1624, Laguna 18/47, and a Robust AB.
For what you describe--The Nova is well within your range and is a pleasure to use.

[Mark Gibney]

Dick, Jim - I don't want to wade into complex upgrades to a simpler lathe, I don't have the experience doing this to feel confident about it. My neighbor a couple of shops over is a metal worker who has that kind of brain, he'll solve a problem before I even know there's a problem.