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Advice Needed, New Lathe - 120V

Jeramiah Crosier

Jeramiah Crosier

Joined
Mar 27, 2025
Messages
6
Likes
4
Location
Seattle, WA
Hi Everyone,

New poster here on the forum. I have a Nova Neptune that has been dead since mid-January with limited assistance from Teknatool despite numerous calls and emails. I am confident that I will eventually receive the part that I need to get the lathe functional, but I am no longer willing to be a Teknatool customer and will be selling the lathe. I would like advice on a replacement lathe. I have looked through various forum posts, Reddit, Facebook woodturning groups, etc.

Requirements: New, Available in the USA,120V (renter, can't go to 220V), variable speed (down to 50 rpm), and have a 1-1/4" x 8TPI headstock. The company must have a proven track record of good customer service. Budget: $3000 (could stretch a little bit). I mostly turn bowls but want to start turning spindle work as well.

Options:
Rikon Model 70-1824VSR - Reviews look good, Rikon customer service is well-regarded. This is my current favorite option.

Laguna Revo 18/36 - Considering my issues with Teknatool, I am hesitant to go with Laguna and their poor reputation for customer service and electrical issues
Jet JWL-1640EVS - good reviews, good customer service, less capable than the rest
Harvey T40 - good company, good customer service, more expensive
Powermatic 2014 - too expensive?
Grizzly is only a couple of hours from me, so I could not pay for shipping, but all of their lathes at this size are 220V (as far as I can tell)

Anything that I am not considering?
 
Too bad. The Nebula looks like a good lathe. What went wrong with it?
I haven't used many of the other ones(doubt I'll ever see a jet lathe up here in canada). I think I'd lean towards the rikon. Seems to be getting more popular with good reviews and their mini lathes have always been good quality
 
I'll personally and highly recommend the Jet (personal experience) (Oh yeah, also, it is pretty much a Grizzly with less bells & whistles - Note the company's name - JPM - Jet Powermatic Wilton , so unless the Powermatic has specific feature you're looking for the Jet doesn't have, I'd save some money and buy Jet...) Laguna is a mixed bag, most especially insofar as their customer service (Which judging by your post you're probably gun-shy on) Grizzly I don't especially trust their cheaper machines (much of them are just re-labelled china clones you can get same thing far cheaper in Harbor Freight, etc models) Harvey, so far I have heard nothing much but good things about (and the T40 was my 2nd choice except it is only 14 inch swing, and needs bed extension to get the between centers size I wanted plus the legs are extra...) and so far as Rikon, only experience I have with it is my grinder, but I hear others love theirs...
 
I have an idea that would allow you to use 230 volt lathe if you have the necessary outlets available.
What type of rental is this that you have?
Does the rental have an electric clothes dryer, if so then an adapter could be made that would plug into the dryer outlet and have a 2 pole 20 amp circuit breaker mounted and a 230 volt receptacle to match the cord on the lathe.
If this is a possibility then the necessary components could be purchased on Amazon or in a local big box store.
Let me know and I could provide a sketch and a list of parts required.
 
I had a Jet 1640 evs, although an earlier model that had a rotating headstock. Now they are just a sliding headstock. It was a good lathe and I found customer service to be responsive. The other lathe you might want to add to your list is a Reord Power Coronet Envoy or Coronet Regent.
 
I currently have a Laguna 1836. At $3000, it’s a capable machine. There’s notable difference in quality when compared to options at 2-3x the price point, but it has been a good next step after I decided to upgrade from my Jet 1221.

Ultimately, go for the best lathe you can afford, even if you have to stretch your budget. If the Powermatic has the specs/features you’re looking for, might be worth the splurge.
 
The PM 2014 is a lot of money for its swing and bed length. I've used that lathe for a number of demos and classes. If you're going to buy something that size, get a Jet 1221. A little smaller, but the PM isn't worth that much more. I would look at your other larger ones and get more for your money. I've used the Laguna 1836 in demos; it seemed capable. A former turning teaching colleague has one and loves it. I haven't used any of your other options.
 
Jeramiah Crosier said:
Hi Everyone,

New poster here on the forum. I have a Nova Neptune that has been dead since mid-January with limited assistance from Teknatool despite numerous calls and emails. I am confident that I will eventually receive the part that I need to get the lathe functional, but I am no longer willing to be a Teknatool customer and will be selling the lathe. I would like advice on a replacement lathe. I have looked through various forum posts, Reddit, Facebook woodturning groups, etc.

Requirements: New, Available in the USA,120V (renter, can't go to 220V), variable speed (down to 50 rpm), and have a 1-1/4" x 8TPI headstock. The company must have a proven track record of good customer service. Budget: $3000 (could stretch a little bit). I mostly turn bowls but want to start turning spindle work as well.

Options:
Rikon Model 70-1824VSR - Reviews look good, Rikon customer service is well-regarded. This is my current favorite option.

Laguna Revo 18/36 - Considering my issues with Teknatool, I am hesitant to go with Laguna and their poor reputation for customer service and electrical issues
Jet JWL-1640EVS - good reviews, good customer service, less capable than the rest
Harvey T40 - good company, good customer service, more expensive
Powermatic 2014 - too expensive?
Grizzly is only a couple of hours from me, so I could not pay for shipping, but all of their lathes at this size are 220V (as far as I can tell)

Anything that I am not considering?
Click to expand...
I just had a minor issue with my Nova lathe - contacted Technatool via the Technatool Support (customer support page) had to fill out a form & submit for an email response and got a timely reply from them (service@technatool.com) --- I found that Technatool has an online parts webstore set up on www.aliexpress --- I just plugged in the part number in the search field (I had the part # from the parts diagram in my instructions booklet) and it popped right up - so I ordered & I should have it this week. Hope this helps....
 
Without knowing how much swing capacity you want, nor how willing you might be to change spindle thread sizing to 1"x8tpi, I wanted to at least mention the Oneway 1224. It has factory choice of 120v or 240v. You'll be in the $3000-4000 range to get it into your shop, including shipping.

The three Record Power lathe offerings may be useful to you. See Highland Woodworking's site.

But there is now going to be the added cost on all of these lathes with the new import tariffs, it will add substantially to the cost of this hobby in nearly every way.
 
Jerry Bochenek said:
I had a Jet 1640 evs, although an earlier model that had a rotating headstock. Now they are just a sliding headstock. It was a good lathe and I found customer service to be responsive. The other lathe you might want to add to your list is a Reord Power Coronet Envoy or Coronet Regent.
Click to expand...
I'm in the same process , looking after a lathe. The Power record Regent, the lowest RPM is 250, a bit too high to start an out balance blank of wood !
 
Don Wattenhofer said:
I have an idea that would allow you to use 230 volt lathe if you have the necessary outlets available.
What type of rental is this that you have?
Does the rental have an electric clothes dryer, if so then an adapter could be made that would plug into the dryer outlet and have a 2 pole 20 amp circuit breaker mounted and a 230 volt receptacle to match the cord on the lathe.
If this is a possibility then the necessary components could be purchased on Amazon or in a local big box store.
Let me know and I could provide a sketch and a list of parts required.
Click to expand...
Hi Don - I use a detached garage that only has 120V. A 220V circuit would likely require a new trench.
 
David Croxton said:
I just had a minor issue with my Nova lathe - contacted Technatool via the Technatool Support (customer support page) had to fill out a form & submit for an email response and got a timely reply from them (service@technatool.com) --- I found that Technatool has an online parts webstore set up on www.aliexpress --- I just plugged in the part number in the search field (I had the part # from the parts diagram in my instructions booklet) and it popped right up - so I ordered & I should have it this week. Hope this helps....
Click to expand...
Yeah, after they fired all but 2 folks in the US office things have been slow. They sent me a replacement speed sensor but it was the wrong one (different pin connection) despite me sending them pictures. It has been 2 weeks and they haven't gotten to me yet, despite several mails including pictures of the 2 speed sensors. I will look on ali express, just in case. Thanks for the tip!
 
Check with the PJW scratch and dent outfit south of Seattle. They frequently have highly discounted lathes with factory warranty.















pscratch and dent facility south of Seattle. They frequently have Jet ans Powermatic at substantial discounts.
 
Jeramiah Crosier said:
Hi Everyone,

New poster here on the forum. I have a Nova Neptune that has been dead since mid-January with limited assistance from Teknatool despite numerous calls and emails. I am confident that I will eventually receive the part that I need to get the lathe functional, but I am no longer willing to be a Teknatool customer and will be selling the lathe. I would like advice on a replacement lathe. I have looked through various forum posts, Reddit, Facebook woodturning groups, etc.

Requirements: New, Available in the USA,120V (renter, can't go to 220V), variable speed (down to 50 rpm), and have a 1-1/4" x 8TPI headstock. The company must have a proven track record of good customer service. Budget: $3000 (could stretch a little bit). I mostly turn bowls but want to start turning spindle work as well.

Options:
Rikon Model 70-1824VSR - Reviews look good, Rikon customer service is well-regarded. This is my current favorite option.

Laguna Revo 18/36 - Considering my issues with Teknatool, I am hesitant to go with Laguna and their poor reputation for customer service and electrical issues
Jet JWL-1640EVS - good reviews, good customer service, less capable than the rest
Harvey T40 - good company, good customer service, more expensive
Powermatic 2014 - too expensive?
Grizzly is only a couple of hours from me, so I could not pay for shipping, but all of their lathes at this size are 220V (as far as I can tell)

Anything that I am not considering?
Click to expand...

I have the Rikon 70-1824 in 110v. You won't be disappointed. It is on sale at Woodcraft for $2549, which is the lowest I've seen it. Regular price is $2999, I think. They have the best customer service in the business.

I was very interested in the Harvey, but it's only a 14" swing. The Jet and PM are 14" lathes. The Revo is 18" but Laguna customer service is at the bottom of most lists.
 
Well, if you are serious about turning bowls, you will need 220 volt. The lathe that surprised me the most was the Nova DVR. It had amazing torque and it ran on 110. I do like the Jet 16 inch lathe. I have turned on one that ran on 110, and I would not suggest it for serious bowl turning or coring. Other than that, I don't really know. Many mini lathes out there which are pretty good.

robo hippy
 
"Only requiring a 115V single phase power source the inverter delivers 1HP, 230V, 3PH performance"
 
Jeramiah Crosier said:
Hi Don - I use a detached garage that only has 120V. A 220V circuit would likely require a new trench.
Click to expand...

I’d dig and add the power IF the plan was to stay there for the long term.

If thinking of changing things up later, I might look for a good used 120v lathe now then upgrade in the future. Before I found a PM3520b, I used a couple of Jet 1642 lathes to turn and teach. No problem with power for making bowls and platters from dry wood (sapele, walnut, etc) to the 16” capacity of the machine - some use them outboard to turn even larger diameters. Sharp tools, good tool control - more power is not necessary. You can sometimes find the 1642 fairly cheap - I just gave one to a friend and plan to give the other to a good local cause. I’ve seen them for sell for around $1000, more or less.

If you do dig a new trench (great long-term solution for several reasons), consider installing a spare conduit for possible future use. When I built my shop I dug a 250’ trench, installed #1 copper in 2” conduit, two ethernet cables in 1” conduit, and a separate empty 2” conduit containing just a rope. That will let me pull another line of some sort if ever needed.

I use 220v in my shop for lathe, cyclone, air compressor, table saw, welders, plasma cutter, etc. Installed 50 amp receptacles inside and out for use as needed. I made a long 50amp extension cord when I needed 220v away from a receptacle.

A few years ago I had to dig trenches 700ft across the horse pasture for water and power. For the first one I rented a trencher from HD - it dug 24” deep but only 4” wide but dirt kept falling into the trench as I worked. Later I got an excavator - much easier to work with for laying conduit! Without the equipment, I’d hire someone to run the cable.

trackhoe_trench2.jpg
trackhoe_trench_long.jpg
trackhoe_conduit.jpg

JKJ
 
Doug Rasmussen said:
Check with the PJW scratch and dent outfit south of Seattle. They frequently have highly discounted lathes with factory warranty.















pscratch and dent facility south of Seattle. They frequently have Jet ans Powermatic at substantial discounts.
Click to expand...
Good call! I just looked on Craigslist, and they have a PM2014 for $1,695.00. Only cosmetic shipping damage, fully functional. That is very tempting.
 
Doug Rasmussen said:
Check with the PJW scratch and dent outfit south of Seattle
Click to expand...
This is Equipment Sales and Surplus. A helpful place to keep in mind if you're in this region. I bought my Powermatic planer and my metal dust collector stand for my grinder through them.

With any refurb equipment, do look things over as if it were used. Sometimes it's A+ ready to go, while other times there are nits.
 
It’s too bad your Neptune went south and caused you to take technatool out of the running., very understandable tho. The Nova DVR series lathes are the best choice for 120v applications, as they have significantly more torque vs vfd drives, and torque below a 1,000 rpm is needed for bigger bowls. I’ve had a Nova Galaxi for 6 years, no problems, and wouldn’t trade it for any similarly sized/priced machine.

The pm2014 is a nice lathe for that size but is well underpowered (1 hp vfd) compared to my Galaxy - had a chance to turn quite a bit on one, and 8-10” bowls were frustrating due to the lack of power.

As long as you dont want to core bowls, the non- DVR 1-1/2hp 120v lathes will work, just cant take as big of roughing cuts.
 
Brian Gustin said:
Cost is highly relevant when you're on a $3K budget and can't AFFORD the higher priced units. Unless you wanna hand the guy the extra $2700 he'd need...
Click to expand...
Russell Nugent said:
Cost is highly relevant to some of us
Click to expand...
I understand that, I was just coming from the idea that if you look at what the machine gives you and it's materials being higher end, then the cost starts to look reasonable for what you are getting.
Each brand is different, what matters is does the cost of each brand equal the quality of each brand, and if not, is there a quality difference in one brand that is justifying the higher cost!
Not trying to be bloated here, just wanted to point that out!
 
robo hippy said:
Well, if you are serious about turning bowls, you will need 220 volt.
Click to expand...

I think this is the first time I've had a quibble with anything you wrote. ;) That may have been the case with older 110v lathes. My Rikon is 110v. I have stalled it once, I think. I haven't put anything larger than 16" on it, but I had no issues whatsoever. I keep it on the middle belt. I haven't had to step down to the lowest speed pullies for more torque up to this point.
 
Cost may have more relevance depending on the person and other factors. I was cost conscious when I bought my Laguna 18-36 5 years ago. I thought it would be everything I needed in a lathe. 18” swing capable of 32” swing. In the 18 months I owned that lathe I replace the
E-stop switch, on off switch, speed pickup, relay (2 times), headstock assembly, and finally the electronic board in the replaced headstock. Never had a problem with CS except they just sent parts top see if that fixed the problem. That doesn’t mean every 18-36 is like the one I had. A club member has one and hasn’t needed to replace anything. Anyway after 18 months of doing repairs I wanted it gone. Looking at similar lathes in that price range there seemed to be issues with all of them, The lathes that stood out were Robust, OneWay, and Vicmarc. that didn’t seem to have many or any issues. I ended up with the Robust and have been very happy, no issues. Had the Laguna not had all the problems, I may still have it. I did not want to repeat that nightmare with another $3,000 lathe, so cost was basically irrelevant where design and quality were much more relevant.
 
robo hippy said:
Well, if you are serious about turning bowls, you will need 220 volt.
Click to expand...
Back in the day 12" heavy duty Rockwell/Delta wood lathes were only offered with 1 hp motors. The standard duty lathes had 3/4 hp motors. Those lathes could swing turnings beyond 12" diameter on the outboard end of the spindle.

Of course, this was when hp ratings were more honest. These days you can get all sorts of tools with hp ratings way beyond what's realistic on normal household 115v circuits.
 
When I first set up my shop, You Tube was not a thing. Every single book I read said any machine with a 1 hp motor or bigger should run on 220. Add to that Bill Grumbine once said I have never met a lathe I couldn't stall. There was a HUGE difference between turning on the 16 inch Jet that ran on 120 and one that ran on 220. I am not an electrical engineer so I can't explain it. I do think of things in "production" mode, and running on 220 makes a difference. I do prefer lathes with 3 speed ranges, and I know the rest of the world does not think like I do, but that low speed range is essential for coring some times and turning larger unbalanced pieces. My lathes that have the 3 speeds are my Vicmark 240 and my American Beauty which was one of the very first ones. I keep them on mid range for just about everything.

robo hippy
 
Kent Reisdorph said:
I think this is the first time I've had a quibble with anything you wrote. ;) That may have been the case with older 110v lathes. My Rikon is 110v. I have stalled it once, I think. I haven't put anything larger than 16" on it, but I had no issues whatsoever. I keep it on the middle belt. I haven't had to step down to the lowest speed pullies for more torque up to this point.
Click to expand...

I’ve cored bowls on my 110v Jet 2642 with a Mcnaughton until I got bored with bowls with shape constraints and disposed of it.
I thought there was plenty of power in the low belt range as long as the cutters were sharp and impatience didn’t rule my life.
 
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