Nw Cheapo vs Used or even older Lathes - What to buy

[Allen Seidman]

I am considering buying and learning to use a wood lathe.

My max budget is $300. options include:
- Lots of relatively bargain brand lathes (Harbour freight, etc..)
- some 3-5 yr old used lathes from brands like Grizzly (tabletop models)
- Some real antiques that can do big pieces and are typically cast iron - brands like Rockwell Delta, Craftsman, Warner Turner, Mongomery Ward, etc...

what do the wise, experienced members of Sawmillcreek's Turner's frum say ? where is the value ?

I kinda like the idea of an oldie but not if its gonna cost me in the quality of the work it can produce or its reliability.

What say you ?

Thanks,
Allen

[Thomas Canfield]

There are lots of posts and threads on this subject, and suggest you search them in addition to any replies you get. The cost of the lathe is not the final cost of turning and the needed tools, sharpening equipment, finishing, sanding, etc.... go on and on. It definitely is a vortex when you get hooked. The type of turning should dictate the selection of lathe to a large degree. Pen turning and small boxes, small bowls, etc can easily be done on a 10" mini lathe like Jet, Rikon, Grizzly and even the Harbor Freight. You will probably be looking at a belt change speed or reeves drive and not electric variable speed. I do favor trying to get a solid lathe that you can possibly even keep should you upgrade to a larger/better lathe in the future and would suggest a Jet or Rikon that has service available if needed. I had a Nova Comet II that is 12" EVS that you might find used and it would make a good starter lathe in the $300 or under for used. Check out a turning club in you area and make contact both to learn and possible find a club member wanting to upgrade. Hope you can also find some turning tools and equipment with a used lathe that you will not find with a new lathe.

[Allen Seidman]

I would love me to be able to do bowls and vases. To go large seems appealing but I'm not sure what large items I would make. Don't know how the old cast iron units will perform next to the newer ones. Any advise is appreciated. Will look for other threads.

[Wes Mitchell]

At $300 all-in I'd probably be looking for something older that comes with some tools. I started on an old Delta lathe that didn't have any of the modern luxuries. Later I bought the cheapest HF lathe (I believe it was $100,) that they don't offer anymore. The new, green one ($260) they have now is a couple steps up from the one I bought. I believe the WEN lathe is similar to what I had with different colors. The benefit of that lathe for learning was that any catches I had just stalled the lathe instantly, which was good considering the pathetic tools I had at the time.

The trouble I had with the old Delta lathe was that it wasn't compatible with any of the modern chucks, and was basically limited to the spur drive and it's original dead-center on the tailstock. Had I been part of this forum at the time, I'm sure someone could have pointed me in a direction for adapters, but the folks at Rockler had no idea.

[Richard Coers]

A $300 budget won't get you much for a lathe. What do you mean by going large? Old cast iron machines were primarily made for spindle work. Bowl turning is pretty much a recent hobby endeavor. 50 years ago a hobby turner might make a segmented nut bowl, or a flat candy dish, but decorative bowls are recent and the new bigger lathes have a distinct advantage for bowl turning over old gap bed lathes. You do realize you will need to spend at least another $600+ for a chuck, sharpening system, and tools?

[Reed Gray]

Find the nearest woodturning club. There are always lathes for sale. You may even be able to borrow or at least test drive some of them. Best bet for getting every thing you need to start is an estate sale. There are some community centers that have wood shops and you may be able to get access to a lathe that way. This gets you started, and if you really like it, then step up. I would go for one of the old heavy metal lathes rather than some thing like the Harbor Freight or Shop Smith lathe set ups. Just much higher quality tools. They all do work though... Check out my You Tube channel, most of which is aimed at bowl turning.

robo hippy

[Kyle Iwamoto]

+1 on Robo's vids! They are great to watch.
I'll have to agree that 300 bucks is a bit light for a budget, but I managed to buy a mini Jet lathe with tools and a chuck for $250, so every once in a long while, a good deal comes up. The lathe and tools was pretty rough looking, which was good for me, because no one else seemed to want to buy it...... It cleaned up real nice.

[Frederick Skelly]

Buy a new or used HF lathe and some HF tools. The lathe is enough to do real work on. The tools are sufficient and they are cheap enough that if you grind too much off of them as you learn to sharpen, it wont make you want to puke. (DAMHIKT) Finally, if you decide not to get deeply into turning, you wont have much invested. I say that with all due respect the the amazing turners on this site. I just didnt catch the but for $300 total it's well worth it to keep that HF lathe and tools.

YMMV.
Fred

[roger wiegand]

I'd be cruising CL for a used machine that comes with a bucket full of tools, a live center, and maybe a chuck. Even at HF $300 doesn't go very far for new tools.

Our AAW chapter has well-equipped loaner lathes that new turners can borrow for up to a year. You might check whether yours does.

[Allen Seidman]

Thanks to you all for the advice. Pls see my new ask on the Nova Comet II.