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Lathe input

$2500 gets you a Laguna 1836 in 110v or 220v. Not perfect, but very very solid for the price. The spindle threads seem a bit softer than they should be, but that's the only downside we've had (aside from user errors and accessories)

I don't have direct experience with the Grizzly lathes, but Laguna bandsaws are two steps better than Grizzly ones.

$2500 also gets you a Jet 1642 and 1840.

What dealers do you have locally? If you use your lathe often enough, you will need parts and support. Part of the decision towards our Laguna was for this reason.
 
Ross, I use a Jet 1642 EVS and a Steinert VB36. I'm also a heavy user of Grizzly (table saw, sliding table saw, edge sander, downdraft table, corner pinner, jointer, 17" band saw).

In spite of my preference for Grizz, I would recommend against their lathes. I've had two buddies with them and both had less than optimal experiences. I love my Jet, and you can get the 1640 at Woodcraft for $2300.

Just my 2 cents but I've had zero issues with my Jet in 5 years.

Mark
 
If it were my money I would consider the Laguna 220v as well. It is no work at all to put a 220v breaker in your box if that's a concern. Also every now and again a nice lightly used Jet will come up for sale. Big B
 
Grizzly lathes are way above where they were 10 years ago. I have a G0766, and its had heavy usage for almost 5 years, with not a single problem. I got one of the first units sent to customers, and they did ship back then as a new unit in their lineup a too small banjo, which has been corrected to fit a 22" swing lathe, and it has the same features as a Powermatic 3520b, except it has a bigger swing with 22", a 3 hp motor, and a more advanced inverter with the "m" series Delta Electronics unit and the Powermatic, Laguna, and Jet uses the older S1 inverter which are good, but the inverter on the G0766 is more efficient, I've heard.

I also have the Flagship model Grizzly G0800, 24/48 lathe with 3 hp, very heavy duty castings, etc, and made by the same company that manufactures the Powermatic lineup of lathes, Harvey Industries, and it is a clone of their flagship model Turbo-60 lathe, comparible in class to the PM 4224b for size and features.

I was saving for a Robust American Beauty, and could have gotten one, and had turned on one that a friend owns a few times, and also the biggest baddest Serious SL2542, which I have turned on and which a friend of mine was partner in the company.

After digging deep into the schematics of all the units, I decided for my money the best build, features and value was with the G0800. I have used it now with heavy turnings for a year and a half.....I have nothing but superb performance from both it and my G0766.

I just recently changed out the potentiometer after 5 years on the original one with the G0766, and the original worked well, but had one small place it had a pause, so I changed it out...easy peasy, and it still performs like brand new!

If you really want the truth about Grizzly lathes........ask an actual owner. There were a small handful that had an issue, but I can tell you no more than Powermatic, Jet and other makes! I've read of Powermatic owners having to replace a VFD, motor, many switch problems, etc, but that does not mean they are all bad , no the PM 3520b is a workhorse and superb performer...I'm a fan and have turned on many of them. The performance on my G0766 rivals any PM 3520b I've turned on and my G0800 reminds me of the performance I have experienced first hand when I turned on the Robust American Beauty, and the Serious SL2542 lathes. I wanted the sliding headstock, and that is the big reason I did not purchase the Serious SL2542.

Different folks have different opinions, but for me and numerous others, the Grizzly lathes have caught up with the technology, state of the art features, and are the best value for features, performance at the best price value on the market today.

I have no affiliation whatsoever with Grizzly, but am pretty knowledgeable in lathes, and an experienced turner/woodworker. Not trying to sell you on any lathe including Grizzly, but want you to have correct information so you can explore for yourself, and would highly recommend you finding a fellow turner who owns a Grizzly G0766 or G0800 and ask if you could have a turning session on one of them........I think you will find what I have said here to be true! Good luck with your search!
 
Mark Hepburn said:
Ross, I use a Jet 1642 EVS and a Steinert VB36. I'm also a heavy user of Grizzly (table saw, sliding table saw, edge sander, downdraft table, corner pinner, jointer, 17" band saw).

In spite of my preference for Grizz, I would recommend against their lathes. I've had two buddies with them and both had less than optimal experiences. I love my Jet, and you can get the 1640 at Woodcraft for $2300.

Just my 2 cents but I've had zero issues with my Jet in 5 years.

Mark
Click to expand...
Mark, I wonder what specific model lathes your buddies had/have? The older reeves drive units are not near as good as the newer G0733, G0766 and G0800. The G0632 16" vfd lathe is a clone of the Jet 1642 evs, and has the additional feature of the swivel headstock. Any of these 4 models have really good track records.
 
Their pricing structure requires the purchaser to be their quality control department, their machine repair department, the electronic component endurance test department, and don't forget their customer service, I mean new replacement parts service. If you do decide you don't mind working over a new machine, and get one of those Grizzly lathes, make sure to order a couple extra potentiometers, and a new set of bearings with it. You'll likely need them. A lot of early adopters of those machines waited for design changes in the banjo.
 
I've also heard good things about the Laguna. One other mention about the Jet. It has a
Roger Chandler said:
Mark, I wonder what specific model lathes your buddies had/have? The older reeves drive units are not near as good as the newer G0733, G0766 and G0800. The G0632 16" vfd lathe is a clone of the Jet 1642 evs, and has the additional feature of the swivel headstock. Any of these 4 models have really good track records.
Click to expand...

Roger, it's been quite some time to be honest and when I think about it, I wouldn't make a recommendation on a car based on a 5-year old model either, so I should have considered that on the Grizzly lathes. They weren't EVS units to be sure, so I'm frankly not sure about the models.

Like I said in my post, they are my "go to" for just about every other tool. Your post was a well-considered eye opening discussion. I really appreciate it!
 
I recently went through the new lathe decision process, having obtained one last Dec. What and how you turn is a major part of the decision process. All lathes in that range will have evs of some type and run in reverse.

Reverse allows hollowing forms without leaning over the ways.

For bowls, it is far better to have unobstructed access to the bowl for hollowing, sanding, and finishing. This necessitates outboard turning, typically by either sliding or pivoting the headstock. The method of outboard tool rest support and the changeover process inboard to outboard is very important.

I ended up with the Nova Galaxi, primarily due to the pivoting headstock and outboard turning tool rest support. The DVR motor/controls are nice and work well, but were not prime drivers, just a little icing. The outboard rest works very well. Being frame mounted the tool rest oscillates with the lathe with out of balance pieces. No tail stock removal required, no second banjo required, and the rest tucks in tight when not in use saving room.

While the Jet lathes pivot the headstock, they use a bed extension mounted on the frame for outboard support. This does not allow quite as good of access to the piece and the extension is there all the time taking up room and being a good bumper for legs and knees when not used.

The preferred process should drive the machine design. Size obviously is very important. I focus on indoor pieces, and typically 14” or so for bowls and platters is about max, so a 16” swing is enough. Outboard the Galaxi can get to 29”, but piece geometry is somewhat limited.
 
I get to try out different machines when I demo. Clubs, classes, symposiums. The last three years.
powermatics, jets, ONEWAYs, Woodfast, stubbies, vicmarc, vb3, novas, General, rikon(Woodfast)
Powermatics the most often.
Lots of clubs bought powermatics 10 years ago when they were under $2000 or just above.
Great lathe for that price.

The new jet 1640 is a terrific machine. The 1840 is the 220 version.

I have turned a lot on the older DVR. With The Galixi Nova added a dial speed control and a real stop button.
That makes it a terrific machine. It’s is by far the most stable machine that I have used in its weight class.
Controls on the old DvR are difficult to use and slow to respond.

I haven’t had the opportunity to turn on a grizzly or Laguna.

A used powermatic, General, Jet would be worth a look.
Get a used jet1640 spend the savings on a class at Anderson ranch or at Trent Bosch’s and you’ll be glad you did.
 
I too was in your position recently. Went back and forth on grizzly and Laguna. I missed several used 3520’s that for the money were likely very good options as they often came with accessories that I wish I had now. That said, I purchased the Laguna 18/36 during the 10% off sale. It’s a fine lathe though honestly I have a very limited frame of reference as I was turning on a vintage delta lathe that was loud and limited. I felt the numbers on the grizzly were a bit inflated (see hp to amperage consumption) and I felt uncertain about that. But you’ll see many happy grizzly owners as well.

I was constantly perusing craigslist and searchtempest. There’s a Laguna for sale in Nevada now for $3k that comes with just about everything you’d need- lathe, grinder, sharpening jig, tools, chuck, vacuum chuck. That’s what I’d search for if I were doing it over.

Example https://reno.craigslist.org/tls/d/reno-laguna-wood-lathe-everything-you/6868209072.html
 
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Hard to go wrong with a good package deal, you can always sell off the duplicate items and other items you don't need and end up getting a good lathe at a big discount. Flip several of these package deals and you can almost buy a new lathe with the money made selling individual tools and accessories.
 
Daniel Warren said:
I too was in your position recently. Went back and forth on grizzly and Laguna. I missed several used 3520’s that for the money were likely very good options as they often came with accessories that I wish I had now. That said, I purchased the Laguna 18/36 during the 10% off sale. It’s a fine lathe though honestly I have a very limited frame of reference as I was turning on a vintage delta lathe that was loud and limited. I felt the numbers on the grizzly were a bit inflated (see hp to amperage consumption) and I felt uncertain about that. But you’ll see many happy grizzly owners as well.

I was constantly perusing craigslist and searchtempest. There’s a Laguna for sale in Nevada now for $3k that comes with just about everything you’d need- lathe, grinder, sharpening jig, tools, chuck, vacuum chuck. That’s what I’d search for if I were doing it over.

Example https://reno.craigslist.org/tls/d/reno-laguna-wood-lathe-everything-you/6868209072.html
Click to expand...
That is a good deal
 
That's great! I think often there is (at least for me) the over analysis of products. People turn beautiful work on homemade or not nearly as precise equipment as what is available. You probably won't need another lathe unless you want to for the sake of it.
 
I owned a new 0766 for about 1-1/2 yrs, it's was an ok lathe for the money @ $1,500 when they first come out. I turn on the Laguna 1836 now and I like it much better than the grizzly. In my opinion there is no comparison between the two. The Laguna is a fine lathe.
 
Doug Freeman said:
I recently went through the new lathe decision process, having obtained one last Dec. What and how you turn is a major part of the decision process. All lathes in that range will have evs of some type and run in reverse.

Reverse allows hollowing forms without leaning over the ways.

For bowls, it is far better to have unobstructed access to the bowl for hollowing, sanding, and finishing. This necessitates outboard turning, typically by either sliding or pivoting the headstock. The method of outboard tool rest support and the changeover process inboard to outboard is very important.

I ended up with the Nova Galaxi, primarily due to the pivoting headstock and outboard turning tool rest support. The DVR motor/controls are nice and work well, but were not prime drivers, just a little icing. The outboard rest works very well. Being frame mounted the tool rest oscillates with the lathe with out of balance pieces. No tail stock removal required, no second banjo required, and the rest tucks in tight when not in use saving room.

While the Jet lathes pivot the headstock, they use a bed extension mounted on the frame for outboard support. This does not allow quite as good of access to the piece and the extension is there all the time taking up room and being a good bumper for legs and knees when not used.

The preferred process should drive the machine design. Size obviously is very important. I focus on indoor pieces, and typically 14” or so for bowls and platters is about max, so a 16” swing is enough. Outboard the Galaxi can get to 29”, but piece geometry is somewhat limited.
Click to expand...
He Doug what is the weight of your Nova Galaxi lathe ? How is fit and finish and is it quiet and does the spindle have two bearings or three/ thanks Dennis
 
For me, I would go with the Jet 18 inch lathe. I don't own any Grizzly tools. Main reason is that still, after many years, their products seem to be hit or miss with quality, and to me, that issue alone means they are not worth the risk/trouble. Laguna, I don't like that big cone coming off the headstock, I prefer the headstock chuck mounting point to be best if it is right on the headstock tower. This puts Vicmark in the lead for that point. The 3520A was also there.

robo hippy
 
Dennis Peterson said:
He Doug what is the weight of your Nova Galaxi lathe ? How is fit and finish and is it quiet and does the spindle have two bearings or three/ thanks Dennis
Click to expand...
Wt quoted at 436#, lowest speed 100 rpm. Another reason I went with the Galaxi is the well designed outboard turning rest that bolts to the bed, works very well. Didnt know it when I bought it, but the DVR motor has significantly more low end torque vs jet vfd driven lathes of the same hp (club has 2 16” jets).

Fit/finish is too subjective - each has their own opinion, some see a lathe as a car or something, others see just a tool. It works well for me and the paint is holding up after 4 years. Decals are coming off in part due to how I use it. Its comparable to jet and laguna lathes I have used.

2 spindle bearings

Specs:
www.teknatool.com

NOVA GALAXI DVR WOODTURNING LATHE (SKU 55214) - NOVA, a Teknatool Brand​

NOVA GALAXI DVR (DIGITAL VARIABLE RELUCTANCE) WOODTURNING LATHE (SKU 55214) with energy efficient motor powered by Striatech
www.teknatool.com
www.teknatool.com
 
Take a look at the new Nova Nebula 18” throw very slow speed for drying finish, timer to shut off lathe. Read about it here.
spiracraft.com

NOVA Nebula 18" Smart Direct Drive Lathe

Next Expected Ship date Mid-February 2023. Order now to reserve your new Nebula! Features Maximum Between Centers 26” Turning diameter over bed 18.” Headstock - Rotatable and slidable Magnetic control box Motor - HP 2.3 (220v) Forward/reverse rotation Speed - RPM 100 - 5000 Automatic...
spiracraft.com spiracraft.com
 
Well, I dont consider 50 rpm “very slow”, but it is an improvement over the 100 rpm of the Galaxi. This ad says 5k max rpm, I just watched an “unboxing review” on utube ( not sure how the guy has one since they havent shipped?) that showed 4k max rpm (4k is faster than needed, its the discrepancy thats at issue).

Also, while Nova now has the Nebula info on their site, the outboard turning rest/banjo/required bed extension are not to be found, other than being referenced in the Nebula data.
 
The only drawback I see with the Nova series lathes are the OEM motor & speed controls will one day become unavailable.
As fast as technology changes these days many manufacturers are reducing the length of time that they support their older products
with parts and service. This usually creates a third-party market to refurbish obsolete controllers and motors, but you end up spending
more money on that type of service.
 
Mike Zip Hamilton said:
Galaxi owners have complained about the push buttons. I just found an adjustment period was needed. Swivel head stock has been great. Some scorn digital speed read out. I really like it, and the Galaxi shows the speed before you turn it on.
Click to expand...

I forget who it was but a few years back someone posted about using silicone “buttons”, as used for cabinet doors, on top of the buttons. Helped me get a more position feeling when hitting the buttons.

I like to know what speed Im turning at. Not a big deal when roughing, particularly a piece out of balance - lathe movement controls that, but I want to know Im within proper surface speeds for finishing cuts. Many say they set speed by feel - how you supposed to do that if you never knew what speed the cut was performed at? A dial position? Isnt that a crude form of speed read out? What happens when you turn on another lathe with a different dial? Maybe its the engineer mind that knows different types of tools and cut depths require different surface speeds.
 
Doug Freeman said:
. Many say they set speed by feel - how you supposed to do that if you never knew what speed the cut was performed at?
Click to expand...
Comes with long experience (Many years) working with rotating machinery - for me, it was small engines and cars, working with them all day every day, after several years I could set idle and top no load RPM's just by the feel of it and be within 100 RPM of an accurate tachometer.
I knew techs that could tell you the RPM just by the sound of it (But I'm deaf so I have to go by feel)

Funny story: It earned me a reputation for "laying on hands" - people would say I could fix a lawnmower by just putting my hands on it (I could tell a misfire or when timing was off by a little, or when carburetor needed a little tweak , just by the feel of how the engine was running)

So, I can tell with my HF lathe (which undesirably has vibration inherent to it) when I am at 650 (lowest speed) or 800 or 1200 or 1800 (or more) RPM's just by the feel of it.

DRO's (Digital ReadOuts) can tend to become a crutch if you rely too heavily on them for everything, though. (and then you can't really tell if something is "off" or wonky when a readout says 1500 RPM but by the feel of it, it may be actually 2000 or 1000 or some other speed, telling you that something's wrong with the speed sensor circuitry) so it does pay to try and get used to telling how fast your wood is spinning just by the feel of things.
 
Brian Gustin said:
Comes with long experience (Many years) working with rotating machinery - for me, it was small engines and cars, working with them all day every day, after several years I could set idle and top no load RPM's just by the feel of it and be within 100 RPM of an accurate tachometer.
I knew techs that could tell you the RPM just by the sound of it (But I'm deaf so I have to go by feel)

Funny story: It earned me a reputation for "laying on hands" - people would say I could fix a lawnmower by just putting my hands on it (I could tell a misfire or when timing was off by a little, or when carburetor needed a little tweak , just by the feel of how the engine was running)

So, I can tell with my HF lathe (which undesirably has vibration inherent to it) when I am at 650 (lowest speed) or 800 or 1200 or 1800 (or more) RPM's just by the feel of it.

DRO's (Digital ReadOuts) can tend to become a crutch if you rely too heavily on them for everything, though. (and then you can't really tell if something is "off" or wonky when a readout says 1500 RPM but by the feel of it, it may be actually 2000 or 1000 or some other speed, telling you that something's wrong with the speed sensor circuitry) so it does pay to try and get used to telling how fast your wood is spinning just by the feel of things.
Click to expand...
Yeah, 50+ years of riding/wrenching motorcycles, driving/wrenching cars, lawn mowers, engineering degree, 40 yrs of mfg experience, I just don't have the "feel" for rotating machinery..........when I had one motorcycle (with a tach) over time I didn't need the tach, I knew by feel when to shift, whether for max acceleration or just easing along. As the bike fleet grew it was not possible to keep track of all those "feels" vs rpm's.

Every lathe, and I mean every single lathe, because of different mounting, anchoring, modifications, etc, will have a different feel to it, just as each tool, depending on the type, size, grind, handle, will have a different "feel" when cutting - that's why rpm is useful info. I had the same HF lathe, and BTW, you know approximately what the rpm is by the speed adjust handle. While single rpm accuracy isn't required, within 10% or so is needed. DRO's or other indicators are not a crutch, they are a tool to be used. Yes, over time one develops the "feel" for their lathe and tools, and when the readout says one thing but memory says it isn't right, the troubleshooting begins. Frankly it irritates me when a demonstrator doesn't tell approximately what speed they are doing something at, and some seem to get irritated and/or sarcastic when asked. It's just as important as any of the other info they state.
 
Doug Freeman said:
I forget who it was but a few years back someone posted about using silicone “buttons”, as used for cabinet doors, on top of the buttons. Helped me get a more position feeling when hitting the buttons.
Click to expand...
I can't remember who, either, but it was a great suggestion; it really solved the problem, and for cheap. They are also known as "bump stops". I tried a couple of different types and found that the softer thin foam ones worked best. You could make something similar from craft foam sheets with PSA backing.
 
Doug Freeman said:
I recently went through the new lathe decision process, having obtained one last Dec. What and how you turn is a major part of the decision process. All lathes in that range will have evs of some type and run in reverse.

Reverse allows hollowing forms without leaning over the ways.

For bowls, it is far better to have unobstructed access to the bowl for hollowing, sanding, and finishing. This necessitates outboard turning, typically by either sliding or pivoting the headstock. The method of outboard tool rest support and the changeover process inboard to outboard is very important.

I ended up with the Nova Galaxi, primarily due to the pivoting headstock and outboard turning tool rest support. The DVR motor/controls are nice and work well, but were not prime drivers, just a little icing. The outboard rest works very well. Being frame mounted the tool rest oscillates with the lathe with out of balance pieces. No tail stock removal required, no second banjo required, and the rest tucks in tight when not in use saving room.

While the Jet lathes pivot the headstock, they use a bed extension mounted on the frame for outboard support. This does not allow quite as good of access to the piece and the extension is there all the time taking up room and being a good bumper for legs and knees when not used.

The preferred process should drive the machine design. Size obviously is very important. I focus on indoor pieces, and typically 14” or so for bowls and platters is about max, so a 16” swing is enough. Outboard the Galaxi can get to 29”, but piece geometry is somewhat limited.
Click to expand...
I too just bought a Nova Galaxi 1644 and I could not be happier. I will do 120v which I needed. Its longer than I needed but I moved the head about 15" to the right and It makes a great place to set tools. It is about $500 more than your price range but well worth the extra cost.

Pat
 
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