Full Review Harbor Freight 34706 lathe

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I figured out a way to get the chuck off...the problem was that I couldn't get enough torque by hand to spin it loose. I inserted a strip of wood into the jaws lengthwise wand that gave me the leverage to get it off.

So for those who know this lathe....has enough replaced the banjo? I can't seem to find a smaller tool rest that fits in the banjo. I went to Penn Star Industries store. They measured, sold me a small tool rest with a longer support pole but it didn't fit. I caught a discussion online saying that the tool rest is nonstandard and I don't much like the banjo it came wi. Any thoughts?
 
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tool rest is standard - it's 25mm - which is JUST slightly different from 1 inch....so you'll have to look for 25mm tool rests, not 1"! (and the difference is VERY slight)

Look in the classified sections, and you'll find an IAP member who custom makes tool rests as well - any length you like - much better option than replacing the banjo...
 
maxwell_smart007 said:
tool rest is standard - it's 25mm - which is JUST slightly different from 1 inch....so you'll have to look for 25mm tool rests, not 1"! (and the difference is VERY slight)

Look in the classified sections, and you'll find an IAP member who custom makes tool rests as well - any length you like - much better option than replacing the banjo...
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I bought my tool rests from Rick Herrel. His are two piece. You have one post and different cross pieces that fit on it. I have a 2", 3", and 4". LOVE them. be sure to specify the 25mm.
 
bobo383 said:
The third issue is that larger logs won't clear the motor unless I space them way out away from the faceplate. Not a show stopper, but still a pain.
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This is my problem with the lathe! I love mine, but when I want to turn some bowl blanks I have to do a bunch of cutting on the log section just to get it to spin without hitting the motor housing.

I have been looking at how I can turn the motor around to move it out of the way and reverse the direction of the motor's spin. Any ideas?

Jason R.
 
Just got this lathe in a trade

I just got this lathe. Previous owner made a few banjo parts. He gave me $100 and this lathe plus free delivery, for my 2nd jet 1014 with cheap shopfox 4 jaw chuck. I feel like I got the better deal here. Anyway.

1. What greace and where should I be lubing this lathe?
2. What things should I be going over or double checking before starting to use this lathe heavily?

What belts should I purchase to have on hand incase of a break?
 
I had one of those lathes for over 3 years! I actually just decided to upgrade to the Jet 1221.
It served me very well for those first 3 years of turning and I am very glad I decided to go with it. The motor was finally starting to go out so I decided to upgrade.

I would definitely recommend the HF lathe to a beginning turner!
 
endacoz said:
If / when my motor dies, is it something that can easily be replaced? Any idea how much ?
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If your motor died and you actually needed a new motor instead of the old one repaired, you could buy a new one from Jet for $235. You could probably source it cheaper somewhere else.
 
I realize that this is a very old thread but there are a few items that some might still find useful. First, the Harbor Freight #34706 lathe has a 25mm tool rest post instead of the 1" post of the jet JWL-1236. To solve this problem I initially had Rick Herrell make me some custom tool rests with 25mm posts. The tool rests that Rick made are excellent and I intend to purchase more from him. However, I was afraid that as I became more skilled that the 25mm post was going to be a problem so I purchased a replacement banjo from the Jet company so that I would have a 1" post. That way I could purchase bowl turning tool rests since I now have a banjo with a more standard post size. The Jet tool rest banjo has a 3/4 inch bolt with 10 threads per inch which is slightly larger than the bolt and nut on the Harbor Freight. The T-handle that is used to tighten the tool rest to the banjo is a 5/16 inch with 18 threads per inch handle where the Harbor Freight 34706 lathe has a much larger T-handle thread. You can buy all of the pieces from Jet but they are very pricey. The Banjo, the eccentric rod, the bolt, and the clamp can be purchased from Jet or e-replacements.com, but the snap rings, the T-handle, and the nut can be purchased locally for significantly less money. For example; the snap rings are $2.95 each (you need two) and I purchased them at a local hardware store for a few cents a piece. The nut was around 35 cents at the hardware store and $3.35 at e-replacements.com. The T-handle was around $5.00 at Woodcraft and $19.99 at Jet. Once you get all of the parts then the Jet Banjo fits and works just fine on the Harbor Freight #34706 lathe. I have really enjoyed the Harbor Freight lathe and feel like it was a very good purchase for a beginner like me. With the money I saved I was able to purchase turning tools and all of the other pieces that you need for less then what the Jet JWL-1236 costs alone. So far I haven't had a moments trouble out of the 34706 lathe and I have put a lot of hours on it already.
 
Andrew, thanks for the write up. It's very informative, and from an actual user. I have been looking at this lathe also, and am so glad to hear from someone with experience on it. I also like the way you pointed out the weak points, and measures to take to correct them. Again thank you sir.
 
HF 33 3/8 lathe #34706

maxwell_smart007 said:
Not sure...either marketing, or some other difference...I don't see how the same guts can provide two different sets of speeds, unless it's just how they measure the speed, or some marketing device?

Although I WOULD think that the motor would likely be one of the things that would be different...
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I have a question, Have you had any problems with the motor overheating of getting clogged with saw dust?
I have read some of the reviews on the HF web site and Motor overheating seems to be a common problem.
Thanks
Jim Bell
 
Hey, Michael. I just bought in May, believe, as a new turner and after a lot of varied research. I like it just fine.

I have had no motor heating or clogging issues, but I do have dust collection at the cutting area.

It does take the 25mm post for the tool test which can be ordered online from a few different websites, but when I upgrade my rest I will reach out to Rick Herrell. Not sure about 2014 but looks like Rick can make you about any rest you could think up without going through the banjo replacement.

You do have to occasionally tighten the bolt under the mount for the tool rest assembly and the tail stick if they get a little loose, but this is likely fixable when I take the time to look at it.

I spent 1-2 months turning anything I could get in the lathe getting used to it and turning before finally starting to turn pens.

The only weakness I have discovered are handle/bolt combo used to position the toll rest. They are nice in the fact you can position the handles out of the way after tightening. But, too much force strips the plastic handle on the bolts. I learned this by over tightening the back one but moved the one off the height adjustment for the rest back there and replaced that one with a bolt. Have not had any issues with the other two now that I know you don't have to crank down on them.

I added a plywood shelf to the bottom between the legs to hold a few items. I am very happy with it, especially for the price as you can use either the 20% or 25% coupons on the lather. I don't see myself replacing it for quite some time.


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Question- does Harbor Freight still honor the 20% coupons on top of their sale price? That would make some purchases from HF better than a good deal if they do!
 
gdog25 said:
Question- does Harbor Freight still honor the 20% coupons on top of their sale price? That would make some purchases from HF better than a good deal if they do!
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I've had them honor the 20% (and the 25%) coupons so long as the sale price was not based on another coupon.

I don't know whether that's standard or just the stores I've shopped at.
 
Rarely, you have to read the print. Most of the regular 20% or 25% off coupons exclude sales prices. Sometimes you may get a direct mail coupon or one from a publication that does not have the language and they have been honored for me.


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I know this is an old post but thought I take the chance somebody might catch this. How easy is it to change the drive belt. I had two grizzlys and had to buy a new lathe because could not get the belt lined up. It just would not track true. Looking to pick one up like you have on Friday.

Thanks
Terry
 
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