What is best lathe manufacturer?

If by "best manufacturer" you mean "which lathe do people drool over the most?" the answer is usually Oneway. There are other vendors that produce better specialty lathes, but the Oneways seem to have cornered the drool market for general purpose consumer lathes.

My drooler is the PM 3520 with over/off the bed opportunity. Though I might due with a Stubby if I ran across one.

Rob

Poolewood!!

You should really be asking what you want to turn and which lathe fits your requirements. For example what swing are you looking for? Do you want to turn inboard and outboard or would a swivel headstock be more suitable? Once you have your lathe spec. then see which lathe fits it best.

MY OPINION

True. Very True. I know that I need to know what I want to do before I buy a lathe.

At this point, I am "relatively" new to woodturning. I have made somewhere between 50 & 75 pens and have just started with bowls and boxes.

In addition, I would like to do closed forms (such as vases and the like). Also I find the precision of the segmented bowl to be amazing.

Currently, I have a shopsmith 10ER that I work on and it likes to do all kinds of vibration things. Somedays, it likes to dance. Some days, it likes to bounce up and down. And everyday it is just plain LOUD.

Later this week, I am planning on ordering my Jet JML-1014VS to do pen work and small bowls. As my shop will be closing soon and I may be without it (the shop) for 6-8 months.

What I am looking at now is my parents are moving to a new house that they are building and will be building a new shop out at the new place. Because we are moving the shop, it is a fine time to upgrade some of the equipment in there. And through "sweat equity", my dad has agreed to purchase a new lathe for the new shop (mainly because the SS sucks).

So, I am trying to get some ideas. I am a big believer in "buy the last one you are going to buy first". With this in mind, I am trying to get some reasonable ideas for lathes. Because I am intersted in bowls, I think that variable speed and reversible would be requirements. With an interest in larger bowls, a larger swing would be desired. With an interest in turning pool cues, a longer bed would be nice.

So, as you can see, I am now looking for suggestions on a 1. high quality,

1. large swing, 3. long bed, 4. variable speed, 5. reversible lathe. That I do not have to pay for.

But, it has to be reasonably priced. My current leader of the pack is the Powermatic 3250a for $1899.

Rob

Where?

Vicmarc

That's precisely what I was going to ask. Best I've found is $2400.

Max

ROB, I have a Nova 3000 with a 1 1/2 hp motor, and an outboard capacity. I wanted something larger. I also now own the Euro 2000 Poolewood. The Nova spoiled me with the swivel head, and variable speed. The Poolewood has this, plus a 20 inch swing, and the outboard capacity. I have turned a 30 inch bowl with it, and can turn even larger bowls. I also turn bottle stoppers and tops on the Poolewood. The direct drive of the Poolewood insures that I never have to mess with belts. You have a tough choice. Poolewood was the right one for me. Nashville, Georgia

Kind of like asking what is the best car.

Depends on how much more you want to spend. Lathes seem to go up in price in amounts that double from one level to another.

If you were considering the Nova 3000 which runs under $1000 then look at the DVR for $1800 or the variable speed Delta for $1900. If you have twice the money to spend than a DVR then the others come into the picture like the Oneway, vic, stubby etc for around $4K....shoot I saw a really nice laguna for $8500 at the woodworking show if you have the money.

I got the DVR partly because of the price and partly because I needed to keep a certain amount of portability because of a non existant shop (I have to drag everything outside onto the driveway to make sawdust)....PS some dislike the computer control on the DVR but I really like it but then I'm a geek at heart.

Rob McC>I know this looks like a troll. But, I have come to a point where I may be

Rob I just purchased a 1640 Oneway lathe, and for my money it is the best all around. It is about $1500 less than the top of the line Oneway (2436), comes with a two horse motor, excellent controls and sturdy bed/frame. Optional short bed extension available (about $250) which turns it into a 24" swing over the bed on the outboard side. I can't imagine ever needing more than this. Having had deltas before, this is a significant leap forward. I had been considering the powermatic because of cost until I ran into the new 1640 (just released a few months back) - for about $500 more I felt it was the best. Just one man's opinion. Robert

I was seriously considering the DVR as a good MOR lathe. But, being a "geek at heart" and a "geek in real life", I became concerned about the electronics. If the electronics fail, the lathe is toasted. I think that is kind of a problem (at least in my opinion).

Another consideration I was looking at was the Vicmarc VL300 bench only lathe and then "Acquiring" the additional parts required to finish it.

It really makes my brain hurt - the longer I look, the more expensive they become.

However, I have still not dismissed the idea of building my own. not because i am trying to save money but rather because i want to.

Rob

Rob

"So, as you can see, I am now looking for suggestions on a 1. high quality,

1. large swing, 3. long bed, 4. variable speed, 5. reversible lathe."

Most of the lathes mentioned already probably fulfil the above spec. You're next step I would suggest is to try out the lathes. My decision was between a VB36 and a Poolewood Euro 3000 and I tried both before getting the 3000. Ask at you local club whose got what and see if you can get some hands on. It's only when you do this that you find the peculiarities of the lathe - those things that will drive you up the wall! In my case it was having to change belts with a variable speed lathe, a fiddly way of mounting on the headstock, not enough distance between centers and a few other points. I didn't consider any of the other fixed headstock lathes because of outboard turning and space involved. Having said that the big Oneway looked interesting but I could never get the swinging control arm in a place that was always convenient for me. It things like that to look out for. If as you say you "buy the last one you are going to buy first" it's worth taking your time and doing the research.

Good luck

Thanks Mark.

Some of these things are what I was looking for.

Recently, I went to woodcraft

I think that I have enough time to do plenty of research on this and therefore am looking for all the help that i can get. Unless something unbelieveable falls into my lap.

Rob

The drowning feeling from excess saliva and the drool on your chin will stop if you buy the Oneway 2436 with a 3 hp motor!

Regards, Lewis

I can't believe that with all these posts, nobody mentioned the General

It's that off the end part that I like about the 3520, for instance, though you are right in stating that the General, with its long-proven design is a great item. That's one of my difficulties - I'm turning on an old clone of same with less capacity, a Delta 46-204. It's too good a lathe to give up, and less the risers, as big as the General!

no, it was a nova 3000. I have heard that nova is coming out with an updated model this spring (of 2004).

however, i did not get a chance to turn them all on.

Rob