I would like to get feedback from any users of this lathe. It appears to be the most compact lathe that will spin pieces over 24" with tailstock support. I am currently turning on a General 2060-20.
I would like to get feedback from any users of this lathe. It appears to be the most compact lathe that will spin pieces over 24" with tailstock support. I am currently turning on a General 2060-20.
Not a user (yet), but it's on my radar for my big-boy lathe. I like it because it has 4 bearings in the headstock, or so I've read. However the motorized bed gives me a little pause as possibly being one of those things that could fail and be an annoyance. At least with Rikon, I would expect there to be parts available for quite a while.
Like everything else, the price just jumped recently.
Brian
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher
The sliding bed motor can be disconnected if it fails. Seems like an unnecessary feature.
Robust Sweet 16 is a 16” swing, but has a bed insert that can be removed for a 32” swing. Insert can be attached to the tail for longer spindle if desired. I’ve not gone past 16” so can’t comment on the ease to change, but seems easy.
earl
The Sweet 16 is a nice design. I would be more interested if the basic swing was more than 16" and/or the bed gap was more than 12.4". The Rikon will swing up to 23" x 40" or 31" x 20" with the bed extended.
The Rikon is a good way to save floor space, but I don't think the headstock moves, which means you can't turn off the end. That would be a deal breaker for me.
It does have a fixed headstock, which I prefer. For some reason, probably to ease belt changes, the motor is not in the base but sticks out on the left end as if it did have a sliding headstock. That and the lack of a spindle lock seem like poor design choices, but otherwise it looks good on paper. More capacity than a Stubby 750 though not built quite as heavy.
The 70-3040 has a spindle lock, or at least the documentation says it does. Unfortunately, I've not been able to see one of these beasts in person.
https://www.manualslib.com/manual/18...page=14#manual
Last edited by Brian Tymchak; 04-17-2022 at 10:51 PM.
Brian
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger or more complicated...it takes a touch of genius and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction." - E.F. Schumacher