Best power wood lathes according to redditors

We found 60 Reddit comments discussing the best power wood lathes. We ranked the 30 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.

Next page

Top Reddit comments about Power Wood Lathes:

u/maxstier · 4 pointsr/3Dprinting

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HKZPDDD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1


Calling it a lathe is charitable, but in the right application its serviceable (its perfect for my use). But it works as advertised (the included tools are crap though!) and for the price its worth picking up to try.

u/Nenotriple · 4 pointsr/turning

Solid No.

It's basically junk. This same design has been rebranded a billion times as the entry model lathe from just about every single company.

Besides that, it's not a great design either. The two steel square tubes are not great for rigidity. They have a tendency to increase vibration. The head stock / tail stock does not have any morse taper at all. Without the morse taper, you can't use accessories like pen mandrels, and drill chucks. You can still use a regular scroll chuck though. It's also not as accurate as a cast iron lathe would ever be.

The general design of the headstock and tailstock is not nearly as good/strong as other lathes. The tool rest, and tailstock do not have a cam lock, this makes tightening them incredibly annoying. Both the locks have to be turned from below, and there isn't much room for your hands. Sometimes they can't be tightened in the position you want because there's interference, when this happens you have to unscrew the handle and rotate the nut to change where the handle will end up when it's tight. This is very frustrating.

Besides all of this, it's overpriced at $300. Grizzly sold this same model for $160.

This is another rebranded model, but it's a solid design.

https://www.harborfreight.com/5-speed-bench-top-wood-lathe-65345.html

Or from Amazon, but it's more expensive. It's the exact same lathe, just different stickers. You can use a coupon and get the Harbor Freight lathe even cheaper.

https://www.amazon.com/Excelsior-Mini-Lathe/dp/B001DT1MR2/ref=lp_9022386011_1_10?s=power-hand-tools&ie=UTF8&qid=1511150657&sr=1-10

Or you can get a larger lathe from Harbor Freight at basically the same price as what you were looking at. Even cheaper with a coupon.
https://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-x-33-3-8-eighth-inch-wood-lathe-with-reversible-head-34706.html

Both of those Harbor Freight lathes are well regarded around here, perfect for a newbie.

I use a Nova Comet II, it's basically the same as the benchtop model, but with an electric variable speed motor.

u/drivenlegend · 4 pointsr/Wetshaving

I'm by no means an expert but I'll see if I can help a little.

Rockler has a very simple photo for basic lathe terminology questions. WTR has a visual glossary you might peruse as well.

As for specifics, what sort of turning is he looking to do? If it's just pens and little stuff a good mini lathe is a great place to begin. Rikon has a nice small lathe, actually the one I learned on. It is variable speed, but you have to move the belt which is a bummer. Getting one with electronically variable speeds has been wonderful. Oh and a reverse function is really nice as well. A lot of these features can be added if you are handy.

My current lathe is a Delta Midi. It's a very reliable mid range / mid size lathe with good features. I have the stand (meh) and the extended bed as well for doing longer stuff. Midi's generally run $450-$650ish. I would suggest mounting most midi lathes to a really sturdy bench or something versus most of their stands. They are ok, but aren't heavy enough to minimize movement imo. I weighed mine down with sandbags but it still moves if I have something off round turning. From there you move up to the bigger lathes, the ones with the nice heavy cast iron bases. Here you'll also find swing out heads for doing turning that is really big, you just swing it out to the side so you don't have to worry about the distance to the bed.

My current drool inducing machine is the Laguna Revo. Lots of power, 220, plenty of weight, great controls... But damn if it's not pricey. My brother just bough a Grizzly and he's been very pleased.

u/badwhiskey63 · 3 pointsr/turning

I don't see any specs on the site such as HP, speed range, etc, but for not much more you can get a real quality lathe. The Rikons are also a better choice, IMHO, and the lowest one is cheaper than the Turncrafter. I just don't have a lot of faith in Penn State Industries.

u/DavidPx · 3 pointsr/turning

I wouldn't get too hung up on the width. Ergonomically you'll find that it's best to be able to stand as close as possible to the machine - it reduces how far you have to lean over when working on the inside of bowls. So even with a wider table you'll eventually position the lathe at the front edge.

Adding extension feet seems reasonable, that's what commercial midi lathe stands have. Just be sure to build in a shelf for sandbags, sheer mass it what reduces vibrations. Your chunk of butcher block seems like a good start to that!

u/ryanlc · 3 pointsr/turning

If you can go a little higher, I'd recommend the Nova Comet II (NOVA 46300 Comet II Variable Speed Mini Lathe 12-Inch x 16 1/2-Inch https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C2ASVNY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_itR3AbTP1GG2G). It's what use (and what I got started on), and is a pretty nice workhorse for a bench lathe that's still reasonable in cost.

u/KalenTheGreat · 3 pointsr/turning

I researched forever for my first lathe, and finally decided on the Nova Comet II. It only $549 on Amazon AND it comes with a free Chuck (which is an absolute must). It's variable speed and reversible. It's super durable and you won't grow out of it. I absolutely love mine. I got free 6-mo financing with an Amazon Store Card and paid it off over a few months.

https://www.amazon.com/NOVA-46300-Variable-12-Inch-2-Inch/dp/B00C2ASVNY

u/ronthebugeater · 3 pointsr/woodworking

Are you set on a mini-lathe? If so, my father in law has this jet mini-lathe, and it works very well for small bowls.

We both prefer larger lathes for most bowls, however, in large part because most of our wood is black walnut or maple. My old Delta Homecraft is much heavier, and therefor doesn't wobble nearly as much when turning uneven stock, and it's got nothing on an old (Late 1800's, as far as we can tell)Hall and Brown we found in an old barn and restored.

My point is that if you're turning anything larger in diameter than about 4", you will want a full-sized lathe, the bigger and heavier the better. You may also want to post a wanted ad on craigslist, I've spoken to many, many people who have lathes "just sitting around" that they are willing to offload for less money than a new mini-lathe.

u/YepThatsNice · 3 pointsr/turning

Hey Guys! I’m so glad I came across this sub-reddit. I’m amazed at the stuff you guys make, such beautiful creations. I want to join in on the fun and start making my own pieces. I’ve always loved finely crafted wooden items. I have an art background so this might be up my alley.
What I’m aiming to create are wooden plugs that are worn as jewelry in stretched lobes. They usually run around $50+ a pair, and I figured I would be able to make them for a lot cheaper, while having the satisfaction that I made them myself. Plugs it would be nice to make other small pieces, chess sets, rings etc.
I’m seeking some advice, I came across this lathe on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/SHOP-W1704-3-Horsepower-Benchtop-Lathe/dp/B001R23SWW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1367632267&sr=8-1&keywords=mini+wood+lathe

Would this be able to do the job for my needs? Also any and all advice is appreciated. Complete noob!
Thanks!

u/ynososiduts · 3 pointsr/Tools

The harbor freight one is $225. It's literally identical. Probably comes out of the same factory. lathe That's not factoring any coupons. 20% off you'd be under $200. My father has the grizzly one and was a little ticked because it's practically the same thing.

What I have. Father gave it to me for free when he upgraded to the grizzly one. It's gutless but I turned a mallet and some pens on it and it works. Would definitely work for rings.

u/tipsytaco_ · 3 pointsr/turning

Black Friday is 12 days away. Every year on black Friday for the past couple of years, woodcraft has had the rikon mini on sale for $200. I know that's above your budget, but it's a good deal.

If not, there's always this:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B072JBP61N/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1510414097&sr=8-3&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_FMwebp_QL65&keywords=Lathe&dpPl=1&dpID=41X9Jb1OUUL&ref=plSrch

Seems to be better than some out there,


One last option... https://m.harborfreight.com/5-speed-bench-top-wood-lathe-65345.html

You can buy that with the 20% off coupon, and if they don't have it in stock, they will ship it

u/gfixler · 3 pointsr/woodworking

I wouldn't say it's too small for bowls. It's just hard to make full-size bowls on a lathe like that. I have a Jet 12x20 with the same swing as OP's, but OP's motor is 1HP, and mine is only 3/4HP. I've done things like this.

It's hard to make anything all the way out to the 12" diameter, both because you have to start with perfectly round stock and not move in much from there, and because it does slow down a lot under tool pressure out at that radius, but it's possible. It's not ideal, of course, but if you're only doing 8"-10", it's fine. Vibration can be handled by mounting it to a solid workbench.

I'm not saying OP shouldn't go for a bigger lathe, but the Jet was already around $700 (~$560 on Amazon currently), and I bought a floor model with some dings in it which dropped the price quite a bit, but that was the limit for me. I couldn't spend any more than that. I'll upgrade one day, but for now it's been great to learn on.

Of OP's choices, I'd go with Delta, but neither really look as beefy as my Jet.

u/antiqueballscratcher · 3 pointsr/turning

I have been turning since I was about ten and these are my two cents. There are a ton of midi lathes out there using the same mold and all are pretty darn fantastic. I have a 1014vsi Jet that I picked up from craigslist for 50 bucks, granted it was a mess and took another 75 in replacement parts but rebuilding a lathe will give you a really good understanding how it works and what it feels like when it doesnt.
Jet Midi
http://www.amazon.com/1014VSI-10-Inch-14-Inch-Variable-Indexing/dp/B000MIWG6Q/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Excelsior
http://www.rockler.com/excelsior-mini-lathe

Central Machinery
http://www.harborfreight.com/5-speed-bench-top-wood-lathe-65345.html

Buy pen kits in bulk when they go on sale, they always do just be patient. Plan on not really making money but having a steady supply of presents to give away. Problem is everyone with a lathe makes pens so selling them is pretty hard. Not saying that it is not one of my sons favorite projects to do but you will be lucky to break even. If you want nice pens throw away the ink that comes with it and buy good ones, there's nothing worse than having a pretty pen that writes like crap. If you sell at vendor street fairs make sure to put them in plastic holders. When selling to women presentation is everything, selling to men its more of how they write. You can pick up plastic tubes on the cheap.
Take the time to learn to sharpen by hand and use high speed steel tools or if you got the cash some tungston carbide cutters.
You will get bored making pens, it happens. So just plan on getting a four jaw chuck (woodriver has a pretty good one that isnt super expensive) so you can make bowls and cups.
**If you dont have someone there to teach you on proper lathe safety wear a face shield. I wont let my kids touch the lathe without a face shield unless they have had a few years on the lathe and then they still have to wear safety glasses. My father lost his cornea from a lathe accident so accidents happen, seriously don't skimp out on the safety stuff. Out of all the tools in my shop the lathe still makes me nervous and ive been turning for about 20 years.
Make your own friction compound, every fancy bottle of super old english secret formula is made of three things. Here is our family recipe.
1/3 Boiled Linseed Oil
1/3 Denatured Alchol
1/3 Blonde Shellac
Look at the ingredients when buying as sometimes the label can be deceptive i.e. tung oil finish from home depot has no tung oil in it.
Pick up a big bottle and mix it up I use the kind with the flip top lid. I then buy a bulk pack of little bottles of hand sanitizer and empty them out (the kind women keep in their purse) fill them up and use those on the lathe.
Find an local hardwood dealer, they will usually have free scraps or give you a really good deal on a bunch of scraps. Ask around too, my local guy is in a super rural town and they have no website or advertising of any kind so it helps to ask around at a farm or tractor supply store since farmers usually know where to get the best hardwoods or better yet a local woodworking club.
You can get a bed extension that fits those lathes i posted here
http://www.rockler.com/bed-extension-for-excelsior-mini-lathe-mc-1018
But you may want to look at getting a big boy lathe if you want to make larger spindles. PM me if you have any specific questions

u/joelav · 2 pointsr/woodworking

Just be aware that unless you are getting something like a big Powermatic, Oneway, Robust, etc, the lathe is the cheapest part of wood turning. If your total budget is 500.00, look on facebook marketplace or Craigslist for a 150.00 lathe.

If you already budgeted for chucks, live centers, dead centers, tool rests, tools, sharpening jigs, grinder, consumables, and pen stuff (if you want to turn pens) and want to spend 500.00 on a lathe, I like the Nova Comet ii

There are a lot of other lathes that are decent though

Things you must have

  • MT2 tapers in the headstock and tail stock

  • 3/4 hp motor minimum

  • flat or dovetailed cast iron bed (ways). Tube lathes suck

  • Enough swing for what you want to turn (distance between the drive center and the bed). For a 3/4hp motor, hollowing an 8" bowl can stall it out if you get aggressive. 8 "to 12" swing is plenty

    Things you definitely want

  • Reversable. This is nice for sanding

  • Indexed head.

  • VARIABLE SPEED. This is the only reason I upgraded from my first lathe. Yes, changing belts IS annoying enough to shell out another 200.00. Be smart and just do it upfront so you don't take a depreciation hit on the used one you are selling when you become frustrated enough to sell it
u/tarasoga · 2 pointsr/woodworking

I was wondering how you made yours. I forget where I spotted his blog now, but it was shortly after following this subreddit, so I probably found it from here. I bought a very cheap lathe:

https://www.amazon.com/WEN-3420-Variable-Speed-Benchtop/dp/B072JBP61N/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1535841209&sr=8-3&keywords=lathe

Christmas isn't far away.

u/benadamx · 2 pointsr/turning

looks like that's actually the proper position for it on that lathe:

https://www.amazon.com/Shop-Fox-W1836-Bench-Lathe/dp/B0160YGHZ6

weird design choice, but grizzly's known to make some weird choices when re-using parts off other models etc

u/boanergesbarbell · 2 pointsr/turning

If you decide to go with the Nova, it's on Amazon available for $499.99 and still with the chuck. Choose the first option (CPO Outlets). They are a certified seller of Nova products and it's free shipping still, and it was also tax free, at least for me. It also arrived two days earlier than they said.

u/fancyligature · 2 pointsr/woodworking

A couple of deals on quality smaller lathes on amazon in case you don't have a Woodcraft around for the Rikon deal:

Jet JWL-1015 for $277

Nova Comet II $400

SOLD OUT

u/bobbybass · 2 pointsr/turning

do you think this would be a good lathe?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BGBVJCU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_S_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=2PX8C6ZHDVBGX&coliid=I1GROV368BI2LF

there is also and extender i could add later to turn larger pieces.

I need to make a bunch of legs on the pieces ive been making (furniture maker) and will be dammed if im going to pay 120$ for a set of legs. Thats why i got into making furniture in the first place.

thanks for the help

u/supafly208 · 2 pointsr/Calligraphy

Thanks. I am using this. It's a decent entry level lathe. The biggest pain is changing the speed; you have to manually move the belt to a different sized wheel. Better lathes have a knob to adjust the speed. I can't complain though, I got this for 100 bucks at a garage sale.

If you want a lathe, I'd try to buy a used one. They're very sturdy and not much can be damaged on it.

For the kind of pen you linked, you'll have to carve it. The lathe is mainly for symmetrical pieces

u/Wooden_Starbuck · 2 pointsr/turning

I'm loving my Delta midi lathe, but there's also a selection of recommended lathes in the turning wiki. I'm sure someone will link the page, before I can figure out how, though this mobile mess.

I think this lathe is the updated version of mine

Here's the Wiki page There's a breakdown of lathes based on a price range

u/jfoobar · 2 pointsr/turning

For less than $100 more, you can get a proven performer and 1/2" of additional swing as well:

http://www.amazon.com/Delta-Industrial-46-460-2-Inch-Variable-Speed/dp/B00309ZZRQ

u/PenPenGuin · 2 pointsr/woodworking

Well according to Amazon that lathe (or one that's very similar) is about $600. Just happened to look it up because a friend was thinking about getting into this too. Looks like an impressive start-up cost.

u/usarmy973 · 1 pointr/wicked_edge

Nope....this one I guess it was on sale when I bought it because it was only $200, so far as I remembered. Meh...maybe my memory is off a little.

u/Intravert · 1 pointr/vaporents

thanks. i just picked up this and now i am trying to figure out how to turn a new body for my dynavap

u/bcduck516 · 1 pointr/turning

Under 400 would be ideal I’m talk about beginner level for turning. I found one for $200 on amazon. WEN 3420T 8 in. x 12 in. Variable Speed Benchtop Wood Lathe https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KKXQVPP/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_StICCbGQ42TNN

u/muklan · 1 pointr/turning

I bought this and Im fairly happy with it.

u/djjoshuad · 1 pointr/woodworking

There isn't much difference between the HF and the grizzly. I'm pretty sure they are in fact the same machine. Some parts may be cheaper on the HF (motor, belt, etc) but even those might be identical. Neither is made by their respective brands, they all come from the same factory in china. The same goes for all benchtop lathes that look like that one. The factory might use higher quality components for some brands... really, you need to jump up quite a bit in price to get a better benchtop. The Nova Comet II comes to mind. I actually bought one of those for my dad for fathers day this year. street price is around $500 on that one but you won't find many better benchtop models.

u/ShopDogTurnery · 1 pointr/turning

The Peachtree set has Ron Brown’s Quad Setting Jig, the Amazon set does not. The jig on Amazon is $19.99 plus shipping. If you want the jig the Peachtree is the best deal, if not the Amazon is. Link to the quad jig on Amazon.

u/DarkJrock · 1 pointr/turning

I purchased this Bench Top Wood Lathe 8in x 12in https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006ZBCOWU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_rz7Oyb799B7EG

(On mobile sorry for terrible format.)

u/dad0ughb0y · 1 pointr/turning

Nova Comet II Midi lathe with G3 chuck is currently on sale (backorder) for 479

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ZF8Y6ZM/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

u/mashlautertun · 1 pointr/turning

Here's the link, but as /u/jfoobar said the sale is over - hopefully it will be back again soon because it is a hell of a deal.

https://www.amazon.com/Delta-Industrial-46-460-2-Inch-Variable-Speed/dp/B00309ZZRQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1479496196&sr=8-1&keywords=46-460

u/Altomckee · 1 pointr/turning

I really like this. The one thing that is making me hesitant is there is no variable speeds. Thoughts on this? NOVA 46301 Comet II Variable Speed Midi Lathe with Free G3 Chuck, 12" x 16.5", NOVA Silver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ZF8Y6ZM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_-cZlybK370HD5

u/tigermaple · 1 pointr/woodworking

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

u/Quirky_Ralph · 1 pointr/BeginnerWoodWorking

I have a new Delta Industrial 46-460 12-1/2-Inch Variable-Speed Midi Lathe https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B00309ZZRQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_5OjWCbAWFPESN

I've currently only have a Nova bowl chuck and am probably going to end up getting a drill chuck. Looking to do tool handles, maybe pens, table legs, and bowls.

u/Any2suited · 0 pointsr/turning

Agreed. Harbor freight sells a decent lathe for the same price or cheaper.

www.amazon.com/dp/B006ZBCOWU/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_fpVEybHN4PWZN