Purchasing my first lathe- need help

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GRAM

Member
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Dallas
Hi everyone,
I know this topic has popped up here many times What lathe should I purchase?
-I am a novice
-I love turning pens
-I have been turning on a WEN lathe at my school
- I want a lathe for my home garage
-I don't have a lot of space
-I retire from teaching in four years and I want to have a hobby. I love pen turning.
I have been doing a lot of research and I have narrowed it down to these lathes that fit my price range.
These are the lathes I have been interested in

Laguna Revo 12|16 Midi Lathe
Rikon 12" x 16" VSR Midi Lathe
NOVA Comet II DR Midi Bench Wood Lathe
Turncrafter Commander 12 in. Variable Speed Midi Lathe
Jet 1221 lathe

The Jet 1221 is on the high end.
The guy at woodcraft told me that Rikon is going to be discontinued and that is why it is on sale right now for $649.
I am confused to say the least. I know I am going to receive a lot opinions. What I am interested in is to hear what you all think about my choices, what are the pros and cons, or if I should turn and run in the other direction.
I need help from the best.
Thank you in advance
Graham
 
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I have the Jet 1221 and a Jet 1015. The 1015 is a recent acquisition (used) so I haven't used it much, however if you are just looking to make pens it would be perfect and runs around $750. Jets are quiet which is super nice. The 1221 has variable speed. The Jet 1015 gets up to the same speed as the 1221 I believe, but no variable speed. We have been very happy with our Jet lathes we have no complaints, the 1221 is over a year old now, and has been running practically everyday and is a veritable work horse.
 
Hippie3180 said:
I have the Jet 1221 and a Jet 1015. The 1015 is a recent acquisition (used) so I haven't used it much, however if you are just looking to make pens it would be perfect and runs around $750. Jets are quiet which is super nice. The 1221 has variable speed. The Jet 1015 gets up to the same speed as the 1221 I believe, but no variable speed. We have been very happy with our Jet lathes we have no complaints, the 1221 is over a year old now, and has been running practically everyday and is a veritable work horse.
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Thank you so much for the information. My friend at woodcraft said the jet 1221 will be on sale again on Black Friday.
 
GRAM said:
Thank you so much for the information. My friend at woodcraft said the jet 1221 will be on sale again on Black Friday.
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Jet does put them on sale from time to time, we bought ours on sale, I believe it was 10% off. The Jet 1221 is very popular among turners.
 
I have had five Jet 1015 and 1221 lathes over 20 years. Only the oldest one is no longer working--needs a new motor.
I turned every day for many years, 5 to 6 hours a day. They all performed well.

Do get variable speed.

I also had a delta midi--happy with it as well. But Delta parts are often not available. Jet seems to be available.

Limited experience, but once I found a lathe I liked (Jet 1015 VS) I did not see a reason to "branch out".

FWIW,
Ed
 
Hippie3180 said:
I have the Jet 1221 and a Jet 1015. The 1015 is a recent acquisition (used) so I haven't used it much, however if you are just looking to make pens it would be perfect and runs around $750. Jets are quiet which is super nice. The 1221 has variable speed. The Jet 1015 gets up to the same speed as the 1221 I believe, but no variable speed. We have been very happy with our Jet lathes we have no complaints, the 1221 is over a year old now, and has been running practically everyday and is a veritable work horse.
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I have both... zero complaints, problems or regrets. Both variable.
 
ed4copies said:
I have had five Jet 1015 and 1221 lathes over 20 years. Only the oldest one is no longer working--needs a new motor.
I turned every day for many years, 5 to 6 hours a day. They all performed well.

Do get variable speed.

I also had a delta midi--happy with it as well. But Delta parts are often not available. Jet seems to be available.

Limited experience, but once I found a lathe I liked (Jet 1015 VS) I did not see a reason to "branch out".

FWIW,
Ed
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I stand corrected, the Jet 1015 does have variable speed, but no display. My bad.
 
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I've owned the Jet 1221 & the Laguna 12/16. Both excellent machines. Hard to choose between them. I only turn pens so no experience with turning any heavier on them.
 
I have an older Jet 1014 and a Jet 1221 both VS. Neither has digital display but I leave my lathe on one speed all the time anyway for what I do and vary it within that range. The lathe is actually the cheapest part of this hobby. Good luck.
 
So... I feel like I should chime in on this. I upgraded from my Rockler Excelsior lathe this spring to the Jet 1221. I actually thought my Rockler lathe was quiet until I used my Jet. I think I could run it in a library. I have my shop in our basement and my family doesn't complain about the noise

I did a TON of research across different lathes and manufacturers. What put me into the 1221 were a few things. (in no particular order)
- the 1221 will do a 12 inch diameter or 21 inch long turning, for the price range that it's in I don't think there is another lathe that can do anything that size
- The 1221 is variable speed but also variable gear, meaning if you want to adjust the speed range to gear it differently because you'll be turning a heavy out of round something then you can set it to run from 100 RPM to 750 RPM or you can go to high speed that is like freakishly fast. Sorry, not in the mood to look it up.
- I know several people who have the 1221 and I've not heard of anyone who's had an issue with it
- the motor on the 1221 is heavy and should run for a very long time. Some of the other lathes have much smaller HP ratings on their motor
- it weighs 120 pounds, that will help hold itself down to your bench even if you don't have it bolted in
- I almost exclusively turn spindle based items; pens, bottle stoppers, Christmas ornaments, etc. BUT I have every intention of learning bowls and other larger turnings. This lathe will let me grow the most in turning size before stepping up to a true full size lathe
- I caught mine on sale for 20% off at Woodcraft and only spent $800, they run that sale 2-3 times a year and I think Rockler does too if you don't have a nearby Woodcraft but it sounds like you do.
- After using my Rockler lathe for 18 months I was really tired, I mean really tired, of changing the belt around to change speeds for drilling, turning, sanding, finishing etc. The ability to do that via a dial is worth whatever it costs. I would not advise you to buy your retirement lathe without it. Lots of people do all their pen making at one speed, lots of people change speeds to match the work, lots of people think it's cool to slap lions around, you do you. I'll use my variable speed dial
- I agree with jttheclockman, the lathe is probably the cheapest part of the hobby. I was brand new to this two years ago and have been woodworking most of my life. Using a lathe is the largest rabbit hole in woodworking, I dearly love it and am fortunate my wife has not raised her eyebrows too many times
- get what you're comfortable with. Honestly, you have a nice selection to choose from.
 
Pick one and come back here for chucks and accessories. You will have a major outlay of $$$$$ with chucks, accessories and basic tools, etc. Sometimes that is more than the lathe.
Good turning. Ask questions as the members are most willing to help.
 
Woodchipper said:
Pick one and come back here for chucks and accessories. You will have a major outlay of $$$$$ with chucks, accessories and basic tools, etc. Sometimes that is more than the lathe.
Good turning. Ask questions as the members are most willing to help.
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This is sage advice, but the only change i would make is the eliminating the word sometimes. I don't have a Jet but hear nothing but good things about them. I was researching the Nova lathes for when I get a bigger lathe from my Grizzly.
 
Gregory, one can get by with a "bare bones" setup at first. For pen turning that will work but as/if one decides to branch out in woodturning, then it gets into some big bucks. I started turning custom cork grips for fishing rods. All I needed was sandpaper.
 
Woodchipper said:
Gregory, one can get by with a "bare bones" setup at first. For pen turning that will work but as/if one decides to branch out in woodturning, then it gets into some big bucks. I started turning custom cork grips for fishing rods. All I needed was sandpaper.
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I agree it's possible, not probable but possible. That's all I was saying.
 
GRAM said:
Hi everyone,
I know this topic has popped up here many times What lathe should I purchase?
-I am a novice
-I love turning pens
-I have been turning on a WEN lathe at my school
- I want a lathe for my home garage
-I don't have a lot of space
-I retire from teaching in four years and I want to have a hobby. I love pen turning.
I have been doing a lot of research and I have narrowed it down to these lathes that fit my price range.
These are the lathes I have been interested in

Laguna Revo 12|16 Midi Lathe
Rikon 12" x 16" VSR Midi Lathe
NOVA Comet II DR Midi Bench Wood Lathe
Turncrafter Commander 12 in. Variable Speed Midi Lathe
Jet 1221 lathe

The Jet 1221 is on the high end.
The guy at woodcraft told me that Rikon is going to be discontinued and that is why it is on sale right now for $649.
I am confused to say the least. I know I am going to receive a lot opinions. What I am interested in is to hear what you all think about my choices, what are the pros and cons, or if I should turn and run in the other direction.
I need help from the best.
Thank you in advance
Graham
Click to expand...
I went through quite a lot with different lathes. I started with a small Axminster lathe, which I found unsuitable when beginning my kitless journey. Then I went with a small Sherline metal lathe, which was little too small and underpowered even just for pens. Currently I own a Proxxon PD400 lathe, which I found quite suitable for me.

So, (in my case) a brand new small to medium sized metal lathe (there are cheaper Chinese options like Vevor and such) with a bunch of off-the shelf accessories available was the best option. However, if you're not going to do any custom \ kitless work and just turning kit pens, a small wooden lathe like the Axminster I've owned may be the best option.
 
Amihai said:
I went through quite a lot with different lathes. I started with a small Axminster lathe, which I found unsuitable when beginning my kitless journey. Then I went with a small Sherline metal lathe, which was little too small and underpowered even just for pens. Currently I own a Proxxon PD400 lathe, which I found quite suitable for me.

So, (in my case) a brand new small to medium sized metal lathe (there are cheaper Chinese options like Vevor and such) with a bunch of off-the shelf accessories available was the best option. However, if you're not going to do any custom \ kitless work and just turning kit pens, a small wooden lathe like the Axminster I've owned may be the best option.
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I hate to hijack this thread but please share your experience with proxxon metal lathe. I feel that a subforum should be created under the title: what lathe you are using. Cheers, mike
 
MedWoodWorx said:
I hate to hijack this thread but please share your experience with proxxon metal lathe. I feel that a subforum should be created under the title: what lathe you are using. Cheers, mike
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It's great, except for my poor wallet... Both the lathe itself and the accessories are expensive. honestly, I might have done better with a much cheaper, little bit bigger Chinese lathe like the 1kw 550mm, or maybe even the 1.5kw 700mm.
 
You'll have as many opinions about this as if you had asked about what car to buy. It depends on a billion things, including budget, what you hope to do with it, and what fits in your shop. Remember, you can turn small things on a bigger lathe, but not the other way around. I don't have a ton of space either, but my lathe fits against the wall, and it doesn't need any room beside it (unlike a mitre saw, for example).

For me, I bought a Harbour Freight when I started my turning journey..and it's still the only lathe I have.
https://www.penturners.org/threads/harbor-freight-34706-lathe.42750/

Would I have gotten a fancier one had I been able to afford it? Probably not...I'd rather put the money into buying other toys! For the price of a 'better' lathe, I was able to buy this lathe, and also chisels, drill press, etc.

That being said, I also drive a 2005 f150, and my wife has a 2002 Sentra,, so that's likely a good insight into my mindset!
 
Your profile says Dallas.
I'd buy a good looking lathe on Craigslist.
You could get one of these today and be on your way.
I'd be inclined to the first one below.

dallas.craigslist.org

Closing my Woodworking Shop - Table Saw / Band Saw / Lathe + More - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

**Lots of Quality Power Tools** All tools have seen only light hobbyist use and are in excellent condition --- Harvey Woodworking 10ā€ 2HP Cabinet Style Table Saw ā€“ HW110LC-36P (110V) $2400.00...
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org

dallas.craigslist.org

Wood Lathe & Pen Kit - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

Unused Shop Fox bench top wood lathe. Model W1704. Includes pen making kit and several blanks. Also includes unused pen turning turning tool set. I had grand aspirations but never the time. Four six...
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org

dallas.craigslist.org

Jet Wood Lathe + 5 Pc Tool Set Like New - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

JET JML-1014 Electric Mini Wood Lathe Benchtop with Operator's Manual. Length 27", Height 13". Plus rare vintage 5 piece Woodcraft H.S.S British Made boxed woodturning tool set. Made in Sheffield,...
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org

dallas.craigslist.org

Jet Lathe - 16 X 42 - JWL-1642EVS - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

Jet 16 X 42 Electronic Variable Speed Lathe (110V)(Model JWL-1642EVS) - $1450.00 Large heavy duty lathe for the serious woodworker. Includes chuck, multiple faceplates, spindles, etc. see photo....
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org

dallas.craigslist.org

Wood lathe - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

This is a never-used Nova Comet 14 DR wood lathe with an unused set of chisels. New goes for $750, so this is a fair price. Call or text if you want it.
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org
 
No love for the turncrafter? Mine has been awesome, thousand's of hours no issues. My second small lathe. Would buy again. Right now, I have it modified to do metalworking, just need to remember to cover the holes in the electronics box, it does not like metal chips.
 
I cringe whenever I see or hear someone asking 'which is best' - - - 'best' is a very subjective concept, and it all depends on what you want. What criteria will you use to determine 'best'? (Had a friend who always responded to that kind of question with 'the plaid one'.)

In my opinion, all of the lathes you list are fine and will provide many years of use (and fun). But you need to determine which most closely matches your requirements. And your requirements are going to be different from mine. In my case, the limiting factor in my selection was that I have a small shop and needed to use an existing lathe bench. That placed a maximum limit on the spacing between the feet supporting the headstock and tailstock ends of the lathe. I chose a Turncrafter 12" and have been very happy with it. Have had it for 12 years - last used about 15 minutes ago.
 
I know you didn't ask about this one specifically but here's my +1 vote for Turncrafter. Mine has been solid. My only two issues are it's slowest speed is about 400 rpm and when putting a CA finish on I would like to to be slower; and it's not fully variable speed throughout it's range. I do have one belt swap from the lower speed range (400 to 1800ish) to the higher (1500 to 4000'ish.)

If I ever 'upgrade' (I also fight extremely limited space) I'll not regret starting with the Turncrafter as I'll set it up to be a buffing or drilling station just to cut down on the number of gear swap outs on my primary lathe that I need to do.
 
GaryMGg said:
Your profile says Dallas.
I'd buy a good looking lathe on Craigslist.
You could get one of these today and be on your way.
I'd be inclined to the first one below.

dallas.craigslist.org

Closing my Woodworking Shop - Table Saw / Band Saw / Lathe + More - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

**Lots of Quality Power Tools** All tools have seen only light hobbyist use and are in excellent condition --- Harvey Woodworking 10ā€ 2HP Cabinet Style Table Saw ā€“ HW110LC-36P (110V) $2400.00...
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org

dallas.craigslist.org

Wood Lathe & Pen Kit - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

Unused Shop Fox bench top wood lathe. Model W1704. Includes pen making kit and several blanks. Also includes unused pen turning turning tool set. I had grand aspirations but never the time. Four six...
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org

dallas.craigslist.org

Jet Wood Lathe + 5 Pc Tool Set Like New - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

JET JML-1014 Electric Mini Wood Lathe Benchtop with Operator's Manual. Length 27", Height 13". Plus rare vintage 5 piece Woodcraft H.S.S British Made boxed woodturning tool set. Made in Sheffield,...
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org

dallas.craigslist.org

Jet Lathe - 16 X 42 - JWL-1642EVS - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

Jet 16 X 42 Electronic Variable Speed Lathe (110V)(Model JWL-1642EVS) - $1450.00 Large heavy duty lathe for the serious woodworker. Includes chuck, multiple faceplates, spindles, etc. see photo....
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org

dallas.craigslist.org

Wood lathe - tools - by owner - sale - craigslist

This is a never-used Nova Comet 14 DR wood lathe with an unused set of chisels. New goes for $750, so this is a fair price. Call or text if you want it.
dallas.craigslist.org dallas.craigslist.org
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This is an excellent and well researched answer. I for one applaud you for a fine post. Secondary market tools can be a very good jumping off point.
 
I have had a Jet 1014VS, Several Nova Comets and a Nova 14 DVR, and I now have a Laguna 12|16. I love this lathe. I have had it almost exactly 3 years, and don't think I will ever need a different lathe.
 
I started out with a Harbor Freight. After a year or so I upgraded it with a variable speed motor.
Then a few years ago I bought the Jet 1221VS with an upgraded banjo clamp nut from Rick Herrell.
It's been very good to me. - Dave
 
One difference between the Laguna and other midi lathes is the Laguna has the ability to do outboard turning albeit you have to purchase a couple more accessories to fully enable it.
 
KenB259 said:
One difference between the Laguna and other midi lathes is the Laguna has the ability to do outboard turning albeit you have to purchase a couple more accessories to fully enable it.
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That is what I liked about the idea of the Nova Neptune. The ability to outboard turn seemed appealing, and might be in the future. Only time will tell, i still like the features of that lathe. I would probably buy a metal lathe before a different wood lathe as it stands know.
 
There's no right or wrong answer, and there's many more choices. Everybody has their own preference and budget. The only thing I will 100% recommend is that you get something with variable speed. As for me...

I started with a small WEN lathe, but the lack of MT1 accessories and the fact that the built in fuse tripped repeatedly whenever I tried a small bowl made me look for another. My second was a Jet 1014 (non VS) that I bought used, very used. For $150, I've been happy with it. I still have it, and it still works fine, but I just leave a buffing wheel setup on it now. It's still a solid lathe, but I upgraded to the Jet 1221 VS and have been completely happy with it. It was down to that or the Laguna 1216, but I bought the Jet because it went on sale for 15% off. Also, Jet has the best warranty at 5 years.

I have used the Nova Comet II and had no problems with it, but it was not mine, so I don't have long term experience with it. In fact, that's what I turned my first pen on. It was a solid lathe, but the owner told me that there was a known issue with the switches overheating. I should hope that is a problem of the past, though. The 14" swing could be handy if you ever want to do some larger bowls or plates. That's really the only advantage it h as over the others.

Just save plenty of room in the budget for the accessories. I distinctly remember the guy at the wood shop telling me that the lathe is just the down payment. He was right.
 
sorcerertd said:
For $150, I've been happy with it. I still have it, and it still works fine, but I just leave a buffing wheel setup on it now.
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I've thought that this makes a ton of sense. It could be a primary buffing station and a backup lathe, for that just in case moment. It might be worth looking online for a good deal on a manual speed switching lathe for this.
 
Darios said:
I know you didn't ask about this one specifically but here's my +1 vote for Turncrafter. Mine has been solid. My only two issues are it's slowest speed is about 400 rpm and when putting a CA finish on I would like to to be slower; and it's not fully variable speed throughout it's range. I do have one belt swap from the lower speed range (400 to 1800ish) to the higher (1500 to 4000'ish.)
Click to expand...
The belt arrangement on a Turncrafter determines that the speed range on one pulley will always be twice the range on the other pulley - that's a function of the relative diameters of the pulleys.

But it is possible to adjust a couple of potentiometers inside the speed control box to fine tune the actual range of speeds that you get. I've got mine set to give me a range of about 100 - 2000 r/min on the slow pulley. And slower speeds are possible if you are careful about the adjustment. To my knowledge, PSI has never formally published a discussion of this adjustment; it was described to me over the phone by a PSI tech several years ago, and it is the subject of several posts on this forum for those who wish to pursue the matter further.
 
What ^ He (Louie) ^ said above. I followed his steps word for word and have a range of around 120rpm to 2500rpm without having to change the belt on the pulley. What a help! Oh, forgot to mention that I have a Rikon 12" with the PSI motor and controller. I bought the Rikon in the spring of 2006 and purchased the PSI Motor and controller back in 2008 and switched motors. I haven't looked back! One noticeable difference is that the PSI motor is not as powerful as the stock Rikon motor but since I have a larger Grizzly lathe (16") I don't need to turn bowls on the Rikon lathe.
 
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Contact the local woodturning clubs in your area. They often know of lathes that are for sale for one reason or another.

The advice to look at your needs is crucial. Are you only interested in small objects? Lathes are judged by two major criteria, Swing and Length. Swing is how wide a piece can be and clear the bed ways while mounted on a chuck. Length is how long of a piece of material can be mounted on the lathe.
 
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I've loved my Rikon, but I know the model I got has been discontinued. I'm curious re: your original post whether you meant that the model you were looking at is being discontinued or Rikon is getting out of the lathe game. If the latter, I'd choose something else. If It's just the current model, then I'd take a serious look.
 
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