Jet 14" or Rikon 14"?

[Matt Meadows]

Ok so I'm contemplating a new lathe, and I am limited to 110v. Not many used ones around. Was hoping to get something for $1k but not many 14" lathes that have outboard capacity come that cheap.

I like the looks of the Rikon 70-1420vsr and the Jet 1440. Rikon has outboard capacity with purchase of the extension, the Jet has swiveling headstock and 20" longer bed.

Most of what I do would be just fine on a 20" bed so I'm not sure I need the 40" length of the Jet.

Rikon has a 1.5hp motor that's true vs, and reversible... Jet has a 1hp Reeves drive which I'm OK with other than not being reversible. I doubt I'll be turning THAT many bowls over 14" anyhow so I'm not entirely sure how big of an issue this is. Most of what I do will be in the 8-12" range.

I'm leaning towards the Jet due to known build quality reputation. But do you think that extra half horsepower on the Rikon makes it a better choice?

If anyone near the Lowcountry of SC has a 14" or bigger lathe for sale, I may be interested.

 

[Ric Williams]

This is just my opinion, but I own several Rikon products and a few Jet products, and in general I'd say Jet is the better of the two. Especially in lathes, I'd favor Jet. Also, I'd expect Jet would be better for parts and customer support if needed, but that's nothing more than a WAG, not personal experience. It's nice that the Rikon claims 50% more power, but HP ratings are notoriously inaccurate in product listings, and chances are, you wouldn't notice the difference in a side by side test.

 

[Dean Center]

I used to maintain a couple 14" Jets with Reeves drives at our local high school wood shop, and previously worked on a Delta with a Reeves drive. My personal recommendation is to avoid them. If you're going to get a Jet, get the 1640 and you will be much happier.

If the added cost is intolerable, look for a used one. It might take a while, but contact all the turning clubs within acceptable driving distance. Somebody out there is going to start thinking about selling his lathe, right after Christmas, and has probably mentioned it to other club members.

 

[Bill Blasic]

You should really take a look at the Nova Neptune a 15" Midi. Warranty 5 years on electronics, 10 year on motor. 1 1/2 HP on 115 current or 1 3/4 HP on 220. Basically the same motor (but smaller ) that has been running on my DVR3000 for over 20 years. Direct drive (no belts), 360° head rotation with 7 detents, head slides, and with outboard turning attachment up to 20". plus a lot more. I have this lathe now for almost two months and it is a dream.

 

[Matt Meadows]

Bill, I did try to find a Neptune but cannot find any place selling it. Yesterday I spent quite a bit of time digging around on Google and couldn't find anything. Only the Teknatool page about it, but no link to a dealer.

 

[Bill Blasic]

Call them -
USA: 1-866-748-3025
Our normal business hours are Monday – Thursday 9-5pm Eastern Time USA
Fax: (727) 623-0902

Teknatool USA, Inc.
4499 126th Ave N
Clearwater, FL 33762

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

I don't have a Rikon lathe, but I do have a few other Rikon tools (bandsaw, table top jointer, and dust filter). The motor on the bandsaw failed within the first month. However, when I contacted Rikon, they sent me a new motor, which I had in a couple of days. No requirement to send the old motor back. In my limited experience, Rikon customer service is excellent.

 

[Bill Blasic]

Matt the Neptune is out of stock here I have been told by a valued Nova gentleman but there are more on the way. I have 11 lathes in my shop and if I could afford it I would change 5 of those into Neptunes.

 

[Doug Freeman]

Between the rikon and jet, I would opt for the rikon due to the reeves drive. While the reeves requires more maintenance, the real issue is slow speed. Typically a reeves will only go down to ~600 rpm, the rikon says 150 rpm. Slower speed can be very important for checking balance of a blank, and sanding/finishing.

I’m with @Bill Blasic, a Nova Neptune is the choice in a midi class if you can swing it. A thought - order a Neptune, while waiting keep looking for used whatever lathe, buy one if you find it, cancel the Neptune. Nova will sell it quickly. Yes, there are details to sort through that could say don’t do it that way, but worth an investigation.

 

[Gordon Patnude]

I have had a NOVA for several years and LOVE IT!! Direct drive and NO BELTS!!!!!
Variable speed it absolutely WONDERFUL = = I can get it down to 100 rpm - a great speed for drying a brush-on finish. May cost is a little more but worth every penny!!!

 

[Mike Boyette]

I have a Jet 1640 and I love it. It has plenty of power and runs on 120V, I also have a Jet bandsaw and a Jet planer. I love them too. No complaints.

 

[Kurt Manley]

I recently found a Jet 1642 used for a great price but before that I was considering a 14" lathe. The Record Power Coronet Herald is worth a look too if you haven't seen it. Of the two you listed I would pick the Rikon.
Before I got the Jet I was turning on an old Walker-Turner lathe (very similar to old Delta lathes) with 12" capacity. I converted it to variable speed with a motor I got out of a treadmill and a cheap EBay variable speed controller. It wasn't perfect but I made a lot of bowls on it and had a great time. Worth considering something similar if you are handy with basic electrical and such.

 

[Matt Meadows]

Yeah I saw that mod on a recent YouTube video and admittedly got diy-bumps over the idea. Not sure I'm going to do that to this old HF reeves drive I'm using right now b/c of the limitations of the lathe itself (especially the chintsy tool rest)