JET 1240 Lathe

Hi Brian,

I bought one of these in late 2003. It came with a 6" faceplate, handwheel, safety shield for the face, and toolrest. This is the only lathe I've ever used so I cannot make comparisons to other brands. Cons:

• Off center turning is iffy at best with the materials supplied. I have read the reports here about the less-than-ideal quality of the extension for the tool rest. I tried off center a couple times and didn't feel all that conmfortable doing it.

• It's low speed is around 550. This means if you wish to turn largish bowls you would be better served by using a bandsaw to rough out the blanks. The high speed may also impair to some degree, sanding.

• There is no reverse on this lathe motor. It might be added in some way but my electrical skills are not up to it.

• The motor is ideally situated to catch all the dust from your work.

Inspite of the shortcomings I find it to be well worth the money I paid ( Anyone have any info on this? There one for sale locally . Any know

Brian.. I don't know about that Jet, but I'm happy with the Jet mini and 1442 that I have...

I'd advise checking with Amazon and anywhere else that sells the lathe and has reviews available... the reviews are what pushed me away from Delta and to the Jet... Mac