Grizzly G0632 16" x 42" Lathe

Bart Leetch · May 10, 2011

Does anyone have this lathe & how does it perform turning larger than 16" say between 16" & 24".

I realize I'll be turning mostly 14" & smaller with an occasional larger piece so 1 1/2 HP would do fine for them but what about the larger sizes?

Claude · May 11, 2011

Bart, I read you are contemplating, too, the VL 300 from Vicmarc. If I may, I advise you to do such a purchase. It is a fantastic lathe.

Joe Landon · May 11, 2011

Bart,
I owned the Grizzly G0462 Wood Lathe. I would not recommend it. In one year I replaced the belt 10 times, replaced all bearings, replaced the tool rest, and replaced the tail stock hand wheel twice. The tail stock and head stock do not align, it vibrates, and is noisy.

I purchased a used Jet 1642vs a couple of years ago and have had NO issues.

Joe

Roger Chandler · May 11, 2011

Bart Leetch said:
Does anyone have this lathe & how does it perform turning larger than 16" say between 16" & 24".

I realize I'll be turning mostly 14" & smaller with an occasional larger piece so 1 1/2 HP would do fine for them but what about the larger sizes?

Bart,

There are a couple of turners in the Grizzly Green Monster Group on SMC that have the G0632. As you are probably aware, this lathe is a basic clone of the Jet 16/42. I know in particular that David Christopher has used one for several years, and has said he is happy with it.

One feature of the G0632 which I like is the fact that the headstock also swivels as well as slides, so you can not only take the headstock to the end of the bed, and turn off the end, but you can also swivel it 90 degrees to the ways and turn there as well.

You should be able to turn larger bowls with an outboard rest. If I remember correctly the motor is a 1.5 hp which runs on 220V current.

My G0698 is still running without a hitch and is giving me superb service.......I heard that it will be back some time in June and the tech folks at Grizzly told me that it's discontinuance was only temporary.

I think they are getting the inverter issue worked out..........Toshiba had some circuit boards with issues, and Grizzly is working its way through a solution. I am personally glad they are doing this, rather than allowing units to get on the market that have not had the issue addressed.

the G0698 is a super lathe for the money, and I have no regrets.........if you get the G0632, I think you will like it as well.

Thomas Stegall · May 11, 2011

Grizzly 16x42

Bart,

I have had this lathe a little over 2 years ago and had virtually the same experience as Joe Landon mentioned above, ie

Just like Joe's experience, the headstock and tailstock centers were out of alignment by 4 milimeters, tailstock replacement did not help. The bearings had to be replaced. Which was a HUGE pain to do. (They would not do it, and simply mailed me a new set and said "good luck") The speed controller would not go down to the lowest speed or up to the highest speed which meant I had to rough turn large/unbalanced items at over 800 rpms. It has a dynamic start, so when you flip the switch it is instantly at the set speed which is dangerous with rough turning because minimum speed is 600 rpm's. It also makes alot of noise when it runs. I shipped the whole thing back for repairs (they would not replace, exchange or even let me purchase a higher end model) they fixed the speed controller but not the tail stock alignment and they damaged the bed and sent it back and claimed there was no problem with the tailstock alignment. I then sent them a photograph of the alignment issue and they recanted their claim and sent me a new tailstock that was out of alignment by about 3 milimeters.

It also has no hand wheel and they do not offer one as an accessory. Which is a huge pain because it also lacks a spindle lock. I had to replace the soft metal handle that tightens the tool post 3 times in the first three months.

Due to the various problems, I got 4 months of use out of it in my first 2 years. The service hotline people are very polite, but completely unhelpful because of the company policies. If you use a face plate, it is probably useful as disk sander or a paper weight, but little else. Mine is being scrapped for the metal. For your own sanity please avoid this lathe.

Bart Leetch · May 11, 2011

Thomas

I probably have one advantage over a lot of people I live about 50 minutes from Grizzly headquarters & know Bill Crofutt the quality rep for Grizzly If I ever have a problem I call him.

Roger Chandler · May 11, 2011

There is definitely a difference in the 0462 and 0632 models! The 0632 model is the good one..........even though both are 16/42 inches. The G0632 is the clone of the Jet 16/42, and it has a hand wheel and inverter and has a decent reputation from what I have heard from the owners.

Good luck in your search Bart!

steve bellinger · May 15, 2011

Bart I belive that Frank Fusco has that lathe.As you might remember i also have the go698 and think it's a great lathe for the money. I also had the go462 and it served me till i learned to turn.

Was it a good lathe? not really but at the time i didn't know any better. Turned it into a buffing lathe, then i ended up giving it to a guy i meet at the turning club meeting. So what all that means is yes i do think they are a decent lathe.
Steve