# Trying to decide on a lathe



## BackyardSmokin (Dec 27, 2015)

Long story short, after my wife realized that she got me nothing on my Christmas wish list and what she did get me I will neither use or wear, she has decided to let me get a new lathe.  

I am currently borrowing my mother in law's Rikon 70-100, and would like to give it back.  I am trying to stay with low on the price as possible while maintaining quality which is hard as I do not want to spend a lot if I do not continue with turning down the road.  Since craigslist listings in my area are slim on lathe listings, I am looking at new bench top models.  

Here is what I am looking at:
HF 10x18 - $200 (I have a stack of 20% off coupons to get it down to $160)
Rikon 70-100 12x16 - $400
Nova Comet II reversible & variable - $500 (On sale at Rockler with G3 chuck starting on 01/02/16)
Delta 46-460 12x16 reversible & variable - $530 (On sale at HD until 01/04/16)

I know that quality on the HF can be hit and miss but still half the price of the others.

What is the thoughts of everyone else?

Thanks in advanced.


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## Charlie_W (Dec 27, 2015)

Also, Woodcraft has the Rikon 70-105 for $299.99.
It is a 10" X 18" with a 1/2 HP motor and has #2 morse tapers.
 Rikon lathes have a 5 year warranty while Harbor Freight has only a 90 day warranty.
This model is not variable speed but might be within your budget.


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## Dalecamino (Dec 27, 2015)

Take a look at this one. I bought the smaller one in 2006 and, I like it.

https://www.pennstateind.com/store/TCLC10.html


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## KenV (Dec 27, 2015)

A rule of thumb is to get as much capability as you can afford.  

I include quality of experience in that.

I always as the giver how much attitude I have and use it all.  

I like variable speed and tend away from HF for high use.  Had enough issues and distance to not make the experience good.

Rikon, Nova, etc are good experience for me.


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## Edgar (Dec 27, 2015)

Nothing wrong with that HF lathe if it's all that you need. I have the Excelsior from Rockler which is the exact same lathe, just with a different color & name. I've used it for 3 years now & have had no problems at all. It's fine for pens, stoppers & other small projects and bowls up to 6" or so in diameter. If you want to do larger things though, you should definitely look for a lathe with a little larger motor than 1/2 HP.


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## JD Combs Sr (Dec 27, 2015)

You may also want to take a look at one of these Grizzlys.  I have and older version of the 12x18 3/4hp EVS and have been using it for going on 6 years now with no problems.  The smaller 10x18 1/2hp is belt change variable speed but It looks as robust as the larger one.

12x18 3/4hp EVS
10x18 1/2hp Belt Position VS

Lots of folks on another forum of mine love their Grizzlys including me.  No affiliation just like the lathe.


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## JimB (Dec 27, 2015)

It realLy depends on what you plan to use it for. You list a wide range of lathes both in price and features. If you are doing only pens and other small items then you can go with a basic lathe. Variable speed is a nice option if it is within your budget. If you plan on doing bowls or end grain hollowing then you will want one with larger motor, larger swing and more distance between centers. 

Get as much lathe as you can afford. If you go small and decide later you want to do larger items you will regret getting the smallest lathe.


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## plantman (Dec 27, 2015)

Long story short !! You are going to spend more money on tooling and materials than you will on the lathe, no matter which one you choose. If you aren't sure that you are going to like turning after trying it, I would go for the Harbor Freight VS lathe that you should be able to get for just over $100. Don't buy expensive turning tools to start, just make sure the ones you buy are sharpened properly. Buy only the bare tooling you need to start turning pens. As you progress, you will find out what you need to do better quality work. I have had the HF as one of my 3 lathes for several years with no problems. I use it for drilling blanks and turning small/mid size objects. Down the road you will figure out what type of lathe you need to do the projects that you want to do. At that time buy the best you can afford. It never hurts to have a second or third lathe around if you have the room and money. I use the Harbor Freight lathe as an example because I own one, but there are many other lathes made by the same manufacture and sold under different names and colors that are the same exact lathe. And don't overlook a metal lathe. Micro or Mini. I make 99% of my pens on a  micro mini metal lathe !!  Jim  S


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## stonepecker (Dec 27, 2015)

Turncrafter at PennState is on sale right now.  This is a very good lathe.


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## bally15 (Dec 27, 2015)

I bought a Rikon 70-100 for me and the boys to play with,  been making mostly pens, cedar trees etc from small stock, personally I think its awesome,I had 1 small issue but after emailing C/S it was resolved within hrs. yes I have to manually change speeds but wow not even a minute to do that. it was up and running very quiet and true 20 mins from arriving in the garage.  Yiou won't be disappointed


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## thewishman (Dec 27, 2015)

The Delta would be my choice, I love mine!


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## Dalecamino (Dec 27, 2015)

LMAO! :biggrin: See what happens when you ask a question like that? 

Have you made up your mind yet? :wink::biggrin: Good luck!


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## BackyardSmokin (Dec 27, 2015)

Thank you everyone.

I have turned about 60 pens and a few other items as gifts.  

To give a little more background, I work 4 days a week from home and trying to find a hobby to keep me busy when I am done for the day.  Though I have been looking at doing some bowls, ornaments, candle holders and a few other things, I am indecisive on whether or not I will continue with turning down the road.  

I will say that I have tried scrollsaw/fret work,hand carving and power carving I keep going back to the lathe.


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## plantman (Dec 27, 2015)

BackyardSmokin said:


> Thank you everyone.
> 
> I have turned about 60 pens and a few other items as gifts.
> 
> ...



With the background that you have in woodworking, you will  find that all these skills will tend to combine and work together in projects. Having many interests also keeps you from burning out on any one item and combining several crafts into one project, such as a scroll sawn or carved case for your pens. A mini metal lathe would allow you to make both wooden and metal parts for future projects.   Jim  S


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## Notscottish (Dec 27, 2015)

I had the HF lathe that was identical to the Rockler Excelsior lathe.  I used it for three years and I celebrate the day that I replaced it with a quality Jet lathe.

First off, the tail stock moves, does not have enough gripping power to heep in position when you need it to.  This had ruined many projects that I have worked on and is a potential safety hazard.  It also vibrates and is loud.  The set screws/handles  that hold the tool rest and pint he tail stock in place both stripped the threads and the internal threads that extend the tailstock stripped as well.

It seems cheap, but is not worth it at all.




edohmann said:


> Nothing wrong with that HF lathe if it's all that you need. I have the Excelsior from Rockler which is the exact same lathe, just with a different color & name. I've used it for 3 years now & have had no problems at all. It's fine for pens, stoppers & other small projects and bowls up to 6" or so in diameter. If you want to do larger things though, you should definitely look for a lathe with a little larger motor than 1/2 HP.


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## EastmansWoodturning (Dec 27, 2015)

*Lathe Choice*

The Delta would also be my choice. Mine has treated me well.


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## kevrob (Dec 28, 2015)

Love my Delta, too.  Don't have anything negative to say about it.


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## TonyL (Dec 28, 2015)

Many things to consider and these may have already been mentioned, so please pardon me:

The resale value of the non-HF lathes _may_ be higher and therefore you _may_ get more of your money back (on a percentage basis) if decide to sell it. Although, shipping a lathe can be a PITN and limit your market.

You may enjoy the hobby more if you have more success with the better quality lathes. Therefore, you will be able to make a decision as to whether or not you want to continue the hobby.


Having said that, I do own the smallest HF VS lathe (under $100) which I use just for CA finishing. 

However, while showing a fellow hobbyist how to use a skew, I used the HF lathe because that is what she had at home and she wanted to learn on the equipment that she had. I turned one slim line pen and it came out fine. I did make sure that I rotated the bushings several times to minimize the chances of turning a non-concentric barrel. I have also turned out more than my fair share of non-concentric barrels on my Jet lathes, but the poor results had nothing or little to do with the lathes.

I hope this helps. At the HF price points it is hard not to give them a try especially if undecided about your interest in the hobby.

Enjoy the hobby and the journey!


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## fastgast (Dec 28, 2015)

I turned literally a couple thousand pens on the HF and was using it for my buffing lathe before I had to downsize, The only issue was the power switch needing cleaning on occasion. It had plenty of power, I used it for 7 years with no issues. I used a Jet toward the end and found it no better then the HF. I do like the VS speed feature I have on my current lathe but for the money the HF is hard to beat, just my opinion.


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