Reddit reviews Jet JWL-1440VS 1 hp Benchtop Lathe
We found 1 Reddit comments about Jet JWL-1440VS 1 hp Benchtop Lathe. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Sliding headstock pivots 360 degrees with 7 positive locking positions for maximum variability and optimal user comfortVariable speed from 400-3000 RPMPositive locking tool rest with redesigned clampingOptional extension bed takes the capacity to 60 between centers"Acme thread in tailstock
When I look at it, it says "comp at $1299.99" which is either got to be a typo or just extreme wishful thinking/marketing on the part of Harbor Freight, and I think the "sale" price is always the price at Harbor Freight.
Come to think of it, they probably are "comparing" it to one of the only other lathes with a 14" swing and 40" between centers, the Jet 1440VS, which is indeed $1299 for the benchtop model, but the similarities between those lathes end right there at the 14" swing and 40" between centers.
The 1440 currently sold as Harbor Freight is actually one of the most poorly designed lathes ever built and it baffles me that it keeps coming back again and again in different paint/brands. It features a solid spindle with a nonstandard thread to keep you from using commonly available lathe accessories like Morse taper drive centers and jacobs chucks, a tool rest base prone to snapping, flimsy sheet metal square tube ways, and a low speed of 930 RPM- waaaay too fast to turn anything approaching 14" diameter, especially as a beginner.
In short, I would not buy this lathe at any price, and especially when for someone looking for a beginner lathe, there is a much more solid budget choice available right there at Harbor Freight in the form of their benchtop five speed