# Jet 1221 VS lathe problems



## yorkie (Nov 25, 2013)

Started clicking in reverse.  

Tried calling Jet warranty.  So far I'm on my third round of hold averaging 20 minutes each time.  I have yet to get anyone in warranty department to answer the phone.

Which company have you found is good with customer service?


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## Dan Masshardt (Nov 25, 2013)

yorkie said:


> Started clicking in reverse.  Tried calling Jet warranty.  So far I'm on my third round of hold averaging 20 minutes each time.  I have yet to get anyone in warranty department to answer the phone.  Which company have you found is good with customer service?



Mine always did that a little bit from new.  

Doesn't bother me.  Did you try turning the speed up and down Etc.


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## yorkie (Nov 25, 2013)

Been using it a lot since I bought it earlier this year.  It only just started, and only in reverse.  Is yours only in reverse too?  Maybe I just haven't been paying attention.  I usually only run it in reverse on the fly and at full speed it sounds normal.




Dan Masshardt said:


> yorkie said:
> 
> 
> > Started clicking in reverse.  Tried calling Jet warranty.  So far I'm on my third round of hold averaging 20 minutes each time.  I have yet to get anyone in warranty department to answer the phone.  Which company have you found is good with customer service?
> ...


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## Justturnin (Nov 25, 2013)

Where is the clicking coming from?  My Rikon does that but its the belt, I can see a flaw and am sure when it breaks it will be there.  Could it be something simple causing it or is it from the motor?


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## kovalcik (Nov 25, 2013)

This may not be relevant, but my 1220 had a clicking sound that was a piece of PR shaving that got cought between the spindle and the housing. You could only hear it at slower speeds. This model does not have reverse. Had to dig it out with a dental probe. After that it was fine. As I said, may not apply, but it is easy to check.


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## Dan Masshardt (Nov 25, 2013)

Reverse def sounds a sounded a bit different than forward.  I'll have to check again.  I have been using reverse to sand but don't notice if it still does or not.  

And maybe clicking isn't the right word.


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## Robert Sherlock (Nov 25, 2013)

I have a 1642 and I have a clicking sound that is coming from the belt...It looks like there is a very small nick in the belt that is rubbing against one of the pulleys.


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## yorkie (Nov 25, 2013)

I took off the belt and turned the motor pulley by hand forward and reverse.  The clicking sound only occurs in reverse.


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## randyrls (Nov 25, 2013)

Your VS lathe has a DC motor.  The motor has carbon brushes.  They may be worn down but are easy to replace.  If you decide to do this, a few words are in order.  The brushes are spring loaded.  Have a sharpie marker handy and out.  As you remove the brush, mark the top with the sharpie marker.  The brush wears into the motor fitting and must be replaced in the same orientation.

Added later:  If the brushes get so worn that they score the motor's commutator, it ruins the motor.


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## FidemScit (Dec 4, 2015)

*Jet 1221vs clicking noise is a simple fix (usually.)*

Hopefully this will help somebody.  I called Jet tech service at 800-274-6846 and then pressed 1 and was connected with a tech in about 5 seconds both times I called.  

I have I have had a clicking noise that has bugged me for about a year.  After the phone call, I ran out to the shop and fixed this noise in less than 3 minutes.

Here's what I did.  At the headstock spindle knob, there are 2 set screws 180 degrees apart where the knob attaches to the shaft.  first I loosen both of them a couple of turns, then locked the  headstock and turn the knob counter clockwise until snug.  Then I re-tighten those two set screws.  Thats all.  The clicking went away.  It took me about 3 minutes.

That bearing by the spindle knob is pre-loaded and it may not have been adjusted right or has loosened up just a bit.  By tightening it, you are preloading the bearing I was told.  Anyway, it is as quiet as the first day out of the box.



yorkie said:


> Started clicking in reverse.
> 
> Tried calling Jet warranty.  So far I'm on my third round of hold averaging 20 minutes each time.  I have yet to get anyone in warranty department to answer the phone.
> 
> Which company have you found is good with customer service?


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## Old Codger (Dec 6, 2015)

This forum is ALWAYS a great source of information!!!  I too have a Jet 1221VS and love it...  I really don't have any major problems with it but am always on the look out for any that others may incur.  Great comment and solution!  Thanks for sharing with me and other Jet 1221VS users!  Safe turning to you always!


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## Tom T (Dec 6, 2015)

Small note. It may not apply here.  I had a clicking noise on my powermatic.  I was told to listen the two Allen nuts on the shaft also.  However they added that it was extremely important that one of them was tightened first.  I wish I could remember which one they told me. Sorry.


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## Notscottish (Dec 6, 2015)

I had a clicking in my Harbor Freight lathe.  It was hard to hear over the normal bucking shaking and vibrating though.  I bought a Jet lathe and have not heard it since.


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## dthayer (Dec 7, 2015)

Hmmm.... I've had something similar on my VS1221 since I first turned it on new a few months ago.  It's not loud and could sort of be described as a clicking and only happens in reverse.  In forward it's very quiet.  Since it wasn't real pronounced and tends to only be noticeable at the lowest speeds, I didn't really worry about it.

After reading FidemScit's response I thought, cool, I can get rid of it!  But, alas, that didn't change anything for me.

So I started poking around a bit and discovered that if I remove the belt and hand turn the lower pulley (attached to the motor) in the reverse direction, I can duplicate the noise.

Does anyone think this is something I should be concerned with?


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