Excelsior Mini Lathe, for bigger turner?

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Sammy-2016

Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2016
Messages
53
Location
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Hello all,
I signed up here a couple of years ago but haven't done much.
Now that I retired I really want to get into wood turning.
My question today is about the Excelsior Lathe from Rockler.
They have it on sale in Texas, US for $279 for the Holidays.
Would you pros recommend this Lathe?
I will have many more questions once I get the lathe :)
Happy Holiday to all
Thank you
Sammy
 
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The Excelsior looks to be a pretty solid lathe. The only think that it's missing that I would really want is Variable speed, so you can vary your speed without having to change belt pulleys. It's not a deal breaker, but once you get a Variable Speed lathe, you will likely never go back.
 
KMCloonan said:
The Excelsior looks to be a pretty solid lathe. The only think that it's missing that I would really want is Variable speed, so you can vary your speed without having to change belt pulleys. It's not a deal breaker, but once you get a Variable Speed lathe, you will likely never go back.
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Plus 1 on the variable speed
 
What Morris tape does it have? #2 taper has many more items available than the #1 taper. Just curious as not familiar with the Excelsior lathe. Will Google it.
 
I owed one for a few years. It was a good starter lathe. Changing speeds sux as you come in from the back side to get to the belts. But over all It worked
 
I will suggest you contact the Woodturners of North Texas club. In my opinion the lathe is a beginner's lathe. Some limitations that I think will soon cause you to start looking for a "bigger is better" lathe.
 
Sammy-2016 said:
Thank you all for the replies.
Do turners change lathe speed often? :)
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Oh yes. It is something that you really should consider hen buying any lathe. Spend a little more up front but it will serve you well and if you ever decide to sell you will get your money back because it has VS.
 
That was my first lathe that I bought in 2013 & it's still going strong. The exact same lathe is available from Harbor Freight in a green color and from other suppliers as well. I've been very happy with it for

I have since upgraded to a NOVA DVS lathe, but I still use my Excelsior for sanding the ends of blanks and other occasional use.

It's a very good lathe for the price. My only complaint about it is the fact that you have to move the belt to change speeds. However, I generally just leave it at the highest setting, so that hasn't been a real problem for me. The only time I changed speeds was for turning bowls & such.
 
Sammy-2016 said:
Thank you all for the replies.
Do turners change lathe speed often? :)
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Some do, but I don't. I turn pens & stoppers around 2500 & sand at the same speed. Drilling should be done at slow speed, but I do most of my drilling on a drill press. Large blanks (bowls, etc) should be started at a slow to medium speed, then ramped up once everything is in good balance.
 
I was given an Excelsior as a Christmas gift eight years ago and its's still running strong, I added the bed extension, and agree that changing speeds could be better. My suggestion is to keep a spare drive belt on the shelf. They don't stock them in the store, and in the middle of Christmas rush a few years ago when I needed one it was back ordered!
 
Woodchipper said:
What Morris tape does it have? #2 taper has many more items available than the #1 taper. Just curious as not familiar with the Excelsior lathe. Will Google it.
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I have a Shop Fox with an MT1. I've got around the accessory issue by picking up threaded accessories - and they make a 1" 8tpi (and other adaptors) so thus far I haven't found the MT1 to be too limiting.
 
All Your replies are very much appreciated.
I understand that i would be better off going with a VS but I feel once I get a little experience I will upgrade and in the mean time I will put up with the speed change manually :)
Please keep the advices coming.
Thank you
Happy Holidays to all and their loved ones.
Sammy
 
When you upgrade {and you will} keep the little lathe. They make a great buffing set up. I 100% regret selling mine now, to the point that I'm looking for a used one.
 
For another $150 ($429), you can get something like the Penn State Ind 10" lathe that has variable speed or a 12" lathe for $489. There could be other VS tools in the same price range, but that was the first that came to mind.
 
Roy Nielsen said:
For another $150 ($429), you can get something like the Penn State Ind 10" lathe that has variable speed or a 12" lathe for $489. There could be other VS tools in the same price range, but that was the first that came to mind.
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The Shop Fox 1740 can be had for about $350 if you look around, it's variable speed, and it comes with a two year warranty.
 
I agree with the others that I would not buy a lathe without an electronic variable speed knob built-in. Please read the top of my post here:

The Minimum Basics You Need to Get Started with Penturning

THE MINIMUM BASICS YOU NEED TO GET STARTED WITH PENTURNING Pen turning is a fun, addictive hobby. This article describes the MINIMUM basic tools and supplies that you will need to turn your own pens. GENERAL WOODTURNING TOOLS: Lathe - Any woodturning lathe is good for making pens. To choose a...
www.penturners.org

I have used Excelsior lathes many times, including penturning classes and demos. They work fine for turning pens and small bowls, but the ability to adjust speeds on the fly is something I miss a lot when I use them.

There are several brands of lathes that all seem to come from the same factory in China. They all have the same characteristics, other than color. I do not like the "flap" cover for the pulleys on them, but they work fine. The Excelsior lathe is one of those - look at other brands and you will see the "same" lathe with the same shapes, pulley "flap" cover, and other common characteristics.

Conclusion: It is a good lathe for turning pens, etc. and it should last a long time, but it is missing features and conveniences that I would want, even for a beginner. If you continue with your interest, you will wish you had a different lathe. Some people have very tight budgets, so it'll work.
 
Thanks again to everyone.
In the topic for my question I wrote "bigger turner", I meant BEGINNER turner. :)
I am on a tight budget and I thought I would get this lathe plus a good turning tool set and a chuck for that lathe.
I have a couple more days to make a decision :)
Thanks again
 
Sammy-2016 said:
Thanks again to everyone.
In the topic for my question I wrote "bigger turner", I meant BEGINNER turner. :)
I am on a tight budget and I thought I would get this lathe plus a good turning tool set and a chuck for that lathe.
I have a couple more days to make a decision :)
Thanks again
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Since you say your on a tight budget and a beginner, I feel I should warn you that the purchase of a lathe is probably the lesser amount of what you'll end up spending to get into woodturning.
 
I bought the Excelsior on a Black Friday sale last year for a similar price. Figured it would be a cheap into lathe to use and decide if I really liked turning or not. I'm happy with it, but as I progress in my turning I would like to eventually upgrade to a VS. only issue I e had a year in is the tailstock slipping. That was fixed with a tailstock clamp from Rick Herrell for a very reasonable price.
 
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