Which One?

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jimm1

jimm1

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Went to Woodcraft today to purchase the Rikon Midi Lathe 70-220VSR. What's next to it? The new Nova Comet II midi lathe. The Rikon is $549.99 the Nova is $499.99 and comes with a $159.99 Nova chuck.
I would appreciate opinions here. (I already have a Nova chuck)




 
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The Rikon has a 1 hp motor, compared to the 3/4 hp on the Nova...
The Rikon has a 2 1/2 quill travel compared to the 1.6 on the Nova
The Rikon is 20 between centers, the Nova is 16
The Nova has the accessory setup on the outboard side of the headstock

hmmm I guess not having actually touched either.. I would tend to think the Rikon was a better choice for me, but maybe your wants are not the same as mine
 
I have a nova comet and like it very much. For pen turning its all I'll ever need. The only issue I have is the tail stock. I don't really like the lock, it's not a cam lock, and mine has just a touch of slop that makes drilling on the lathe a bit more of a challenge to get perfect. It's not enough that can't be compensated for just have to be cautious.
If I were in market for a pen turning lathe a comet would certainly have my consideration.

I have seen the new Rikon while at woodcraft in Knoxville the other day. It looks very nice. It is a little bigger and that would be a draw if you turn anything besides pens.

If I had the choice of either of these I would probably go ahead and purchase the Rikon. Just because of the tail stock issues I have with my nova.
 
wyone said:
The Rikon has a 1 hp motor, compared to the 3/4 hp on the Nova...
The Rikon has a 2 1/2 quill travel compared to the 1.6 on the Nova
The Rikon is 20 between centers, the Nova is 16
The Nova has the accessory setup on the outboard side of the headstock

hmmm I guess not having actually touched either.. I would tend to think the Rikon was a better choice for me, but maybe your wants are not the same as mine
Click to expand...

I have never thought very highly of Rikon, so I would lean toward Nova.
HOWEVER, the quill travel would be a BIG deal, if you plan on drilling on your lathe!!

FWIW
 
I don't have experience with either lathe. I have been reading a lot of reviews on the Nova and there are a lot of bad reviews. Check out some of the vendors that sell them and read the reviews. LOOKED like a lot of bearing and vibration problems.
 
Ya know ... the last post in this thread before yours is 2 years old, right? I think he got himself his lathe, by now. :)
 
preacherman said:
I have a nova comet and like it very much. For pen turning its all I'll ever need. The only issue I have is the tail stock. I don't really like the lock, it's not a cam lock, and mine has just a touch of slop that makes drilling on the lathe a bit more of a challenge to get perfect. It's not enough that can't be compensated for just have to be cautious.
If I were in market for a pen turning lathe a comet would certainly have my consideration.

I have seen the new Rikon while at woodcraft in Knoxville the other day. It looks very nice. It is a little bigger and that would be a draw if you turn anything besides pens.

If I had the choice of either of these I would probably go ahead and purchase the Rikon. Just because of the tail stock issues I have with my nova.
Click to expand...

I also have the Nova and I like it just fine except: The tail stock lock as you described above. ( The lock issue is minor and it would not keep me from buying the Nova).
 
I was interested in the Comet. Went to Rockler's to check it out in person. Asked if they had one. Salesman said yes, we have been using it all morning. I noticed that the quill would not advance out of the tail stock. It was jammed or seemed to be. The salesman tried to get it loose but couldn't. So he told me it is a great lathe & walked off. I lost interest at that point & left.
 



Just to let you know, I bought the Rikon. I have since bought the Laguna.[/QUOTE]


And which was the better purchase? Now that you have experience with both.



Sent from my iPhone using Penturners.org mobile app[/QUOTE]


I truly liked the Rikon. Absolute enjoyed it. Still have it. Still use it. I also bought the Laguna 1216. Love it too. Starting to use it more though. Much quieter than the Rikon.
 
I love my Nova comet. If anything goes wrong, call Tecknatool and they sort it right away. Best customer service ever!
 
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