Any Nova DVR owners move on to larger lathes?

[Bill Szydlo]

I own a Nova DVR XP and have been very happy with it, especially since I have upgraded the control unit which has the new speed control knob. I am looking at the Laguna 2436 but am wondering if I really need to upgrade. The Laguna has a 3 hp motor compared to the 2 hp (220) of my Nova and has the larger swing but, being frugal, is it really worth the #3,700 to upgrade. I would still keep my Nova as I have an Ringmaster attachment and Vermec sphere cutter which fit the lathe. I would be interested in any thoughts that would assist in the decision making process. Are there any Nova DVR owners out there who have moved on to larger machines? After making the switch what are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Bill

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Well I have a Nova 1624-II with the DVR upgrade. I am pretty happy with it except for two issues. I really dislike the blister buttons which are difficult to use and the legs are a little light weight so it can be a little challenging to turn an unbalanced piece. But I don't do the latter very often and it's not a big goal of mine for the near future and I really like the features of the DVR over other variable speed solutions. So if it's not broken I think your decision comes down to the simple question is there something about your DVR lathe that is so annoying you don't want to continue or has your turning evolved and the DVR can no longer take you there.

 

[Russell Nugent]

I have a DVR Saturn, love it, but am planning an upgrade at some point in the future. Im looking into a heavier lathe not necessarily more swing just heavier duty. Saturn weighs in at about 300 pounds. Im looking at either a laguna 1836, nova galaxi or possible craftex cx802(same as grizzly g0733), since those are the ones in my price range and are beefier than the Saturn.
The lathe is secondary to upgrading my bandsaw though. I only have a lightweight delta clone that's very underpowered.
Unfortunately all has taken a backseat to having to replace the engine in my 2015 car.

 

[Paul Winer]

I have a Nova Galaxi which is now my secondary lathe. Purchased a Robust American Beauty long bed lathe to use as my primary lathe. Main reason was the rigidity of the Nova, added 480# of sand as ballast and still was not happy with the vibration issues on roughing out blanks. There are some other annoying features on the Nova that were a constant aggravation, membrane switches and banjo design, that made the decision easier. I have been extremely impressed with the Robust, it just works and I never think about the lathe being a issue.

 

[Bill Blasic]

My first good lathe was a DVR3000 and I did purchase a Powermatic 3520b shortly after, I still have and use both. I have added others but those two are my favorites. I have never needed the full throw of the DVR as a 16" bowl would not fit in any of my kitchen cabinets, a 16" bowl is huge and would not sell around here. I see it this way if you can afford another lathe go for it as I feel one can never have enough lathes.

 

[Jack Lilley]

I had a DVR3000 and while it was a nice lathe I hated the push buttons. I now have an 1836 and love it. I added the 20" extension and can turn something like 32" or 34" dia. although I'm pretty sure I'll never need it. It's nice having a swing a little larger because even if you want to turn a 15" dia. finished size bowl you have to start out larger.

 

[Mike Johnson]

Most turners who stick with the craft usually upgrade to a larger/heavier lathe that can swing a larger heavier piece when needed. Larger and heavier seems to change over time as a persons skill sets improve and they have the desire to push their limits. It is no fun turning a large piece on a lathe that is dancing across the floor or vibrating so much you have a hard time getting a clean cut.

 

[Jason Van Duyn]

I own a Nova DVR XP and have been very happy with it, especially since I have upgraded the control unit which has the new speed control knob. I am looking at the Laguna 2436 but am wondering if I really need to upgrade. The Laguna has a 3 hp motor compared to the 2 hp (220) of my Nova and has the larger swing but, being frugal, is it really worth the #3,700 to upgrade. I would still keep my Nova as I have an Ringmaster attachment and Vermec sphere cutter which fit the lathe. I would be interested in any thoughts that would assist in the decision making process. Are there any Nova DVR owners out there who have moved on to larger machines? After making the switch what are your thoughts?
Thanks in advance,
Bill

Hey Bill I have been turning on my DVR for 10 years now and I find myself in a similar mindset as you. It can handle everything that I am looking to do. Ive made well over 1000 items on it so I have some pretty ridiculous hours on it. I am looking at the larger Laguna model myself, although it doesn't really fit into the space I have for it right now since the headstock slides rather than swivels. Maybe down the road I will upgrade, but for the time being the DVR does what I need it to. While the Robust, Powermatic, etc. are nice machines I still can't see throwing another $4k at one of them compared to what the lagunas cost. I have one of the early versions of the DVR too so I think they have upgraded the banjo and tailstock since I got mine. Long term I would like a bigger motor and sliding headstock, but I don't really see much use for the extra capacity. Larger bowls or deeper hollowing puts greater strain on the body for not much advantage in pieces being marketable for me.

 

[John Shillabeer]

I have had my Nova DVR XP for about 6 years and it is my only lathe. I like it and it does just about everything I want. I have not added ballast to counter vibration from out of balance turnings, but the lather is bolted to the concrete floor. I have added an outrigger and for a time that served me quite well:: I did a couple of large diameter platters and several eccentric pieces of quite large wall art. . I don't use the outrigger any more, having moved on to turning other things. You might consider it as a way to extend the scope and variety of what you do.

To answer the original question: I have not moved on to a larger, heavier machine for two reasons: limited budget and no room in my shop for anything bigger.

I hope this helps
John

 

[GRJensen]

I bought a Nova DVR 2024 in June of 2015 ... it was a decent lathe, but had some problems handling heavier work and drilling. I had built a box between the legs and loaded it with as many sandbags as I could, but it still did the shimmee with heavier or out-of-balance pieces. The tailstock, IMHO, was way too light duty and had all kinds of problems drilling with large Forstner bits.

In March 2018, I sold the Nova and bought a Powermatic 3520C ... what an incredible difference. The PM C model is considerably heavier than its predecessor (the PM B model), and I built an enclosure between the legs that I loaded with sandbags for additional stability. It weights in somewhere north of 850 pounds. I love it. Knowing what I know now, and if the budget would have allowed, I would have bought a PM in the first place ... much more satisfying to turn on a heavy, well-engineered machine.

FWIW, I recently set up a new Laguna 1836 for a non-profit I do volunteer work for. I was really impressed with the fit/finish ... Laguna has really stepped up the quality of their product.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

I bought a Nova DVR 2024 in June of 2015
a Powermatic 3520C ... what an incredible difference. The PM C model is considerably heavier than its predecessor (the PM B model), and I built an enclosure between the legs that I loaded with sandbags for additional stability. It weights in somewhere north of 850 pounds. I love it. .

I only see 44 pounds more in the c vs b. I have never had the need to weight the PM but did on the 1442 Jet.

 

[Bill Szydlo]

I have had my Nova DVR XP for about 6 years and it is my only lathe. I like it and it does just about everything I want. I have not added ballast to counter vibration from out of balance turnings, but the lather is bolted to the concrete floor. I have added an outrigger and for a time that served me quite well:: I did a couple of large diameter platters and several eccentric pieces of quite large wall art. . I don't use the outrigger any more, having moved on to turning other things. You might consider it as a way to extend the scope and variety of what you do.

To answer the original question: I have not moved on to a larger, heavier machine for two reasons: limited budget and no room in my shop for anything bigger.

I hope this helps
John

John, thanks for your thoughts. I am considering buying the outrigger and you mentioned using it for platters. Can it be used for bowls? Do you now what the max depth is that can be turned using the outrigger?
Thanks,
Bill

 

[Bill Szydlo]

Hey Bill I have been turning on my DVR for 10 years now and I find myself in a similar mindset as you. It can handle everything that I am looking to do. Ive made well over 1000 items on it so I have some pretty ridiculous hours on it. I am looking at the larger Laguna model myself, although it doesn't really fit into the space I have for it right now since the headstock slides rather than swivels. Maybe down the road I will upgrade, but for the time being the DVR does what I need it to. While the Robust, Powermatic, etc. are nice machines I still can't see throwing another $4k at one of them compared to what the lagunas cost. I have one of the early versions of the DVR too so I think they have upgraded the banjo and tailstock since I got mine. Long term I would like a bigger motor and sliding headstock, but I don't really see much use for the extra capacity. Larger bowls or deeper hollowing puts greater strain on the body for not much advantage in pieces being marketable for me.

Thanks Jason for your thoughts. While the thought of turning large diameter pieces seems intriguing I doubt I would do any. Considering the weight of the blank plus the inevitable question of what do you do with it? A friend of mine who sells his turning told me that all his sales come from in the 10" - 12" range. He has some pieces in the 14" - 18" range and while they attract some interest he has yet to sell one. I mentioned in my post that I just upgraded the speed control unit and it really improves the lathe. The downside of the old controls is using the arrows to change speed along with access to the presets. The new panel has 10 presets and a speed control knob that has both a fine as well as larger speed control increments. Also, it allows the use of a remote.
Bill

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I have an outrigger, but on a 1624 , so not the same model and dimensions might be different, but I can share with you mine. With a chuck on the spindle there's max 5 3/4" from outer surface of the jaws to the factory tool rest.

I find that a bit crowded with the 4" thick bowl blanks I turn.

 

[Michael Mills]

I have the 1624 and have not needed to upgrade for my turning.
As to the outrigger I had one and sold it ($100 loss) because after 5 years it was not used except to hold the knock out bar.
That said, if I did decide to turn larger I would buy a bed extension for $200 instead of the outrigger for $300. Mounted like this guy starting about 3:30 you have your tool rest length plus the 20" of ways to move the banjo on. You can also turn deeper than the 5.75" if your lathe will handle the weight. And....you can always mount it on the lathe as intended if you ever want to turn a table leg.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydDQQQww1AA

 

[Doug Freeman]

I have the Nova Galaxi, with no plans to upsize. As mentioned pieces larger than 14” dont sell well, though the lathe can do 30” platters or so to the side. I have the Nova outrigger which I use a great deal hollowing bowls of all sizes - I dont like leaning over the bed, and having to remove the tailstock all the time to slide the head down would be a pita. Max depth with the outrigger depends on the shape/size of the project. The headstock pivots and slides down the bed, so within the 16” swing the limit would be 46” or so. Larger diameters it depends on the shape.

 

[William Rogers]

Bill, I didn’t have a Nova, However I had a Laguna 18-36. I liked the Laguna and basically did everything I needed and had excellent CS from Laguna. However I wanted a lathe with more swing. I could have added the extension to the Laguna, but that didn’t appeal to me. I looked at all the major brands, but one thing that was important to me was spindle height and other things. I ended up buying a Robust. I’m just a hobbist, but I don’t have a motorcycle or boat, so this is what I enjoy. I briefly thought about keeping the Laguna, but sold it and really wouldn’t use it much. I do still have my Jet 10” lathe used mostly for buffing. I have no regrets buying either the Laguna or Robust. I do like having more mass with the Robust.

 

[Don C Davis]

Bill, You sound a lot like me as to owning a DVR and having a ringmaster and the vermec sphere jig--but I had decided that I wanted a heavier more powerful lathe, and the first one I got was the Laguna 24-36, I had a lot of issues with it--all revolving around the electronics--Laguna's customer service was fantastic though, I must say-and the fellow I sold it to was an industrial electrical engineer and he told me after re-wiring the VFD it worked flawlessly for him, I was able to stall it out when hollowing a bowl quite easily--but the fellow who re-wired it has had no issues since he did that to it. The next lathe I purchased was a Vicmarc 240--it has about 3.5" more swing and is a lot heavier--and came on a stand and it does it move at all even when turning large--18-19" diameter pieces--these were flat out to big for my DVR, and also even though I bought the upgrade control panel with the knob, I still don't like the controls-especially compared to my Vicmarc. I was between the Robust and the Vicmarc, and I love Brent and Robust, but I couldn't get him to install a DRO on it and stupid as it sounds, I liked the fact that the Vicmarc Lathes all have a DRO on them. Now if I had it to do all over again I would buy a Magma Black Titan lathe: http://www.magma-titan.com/woodturning-lathes-magma-black-line-titan.html this lathe is super quality and has a DRO and something I really like is it has a 6 inch travel on the tailstock quill. the headstock both pivots and slides the length of the bed.
But to the point, I really like the heavier lathe, I turn a lot of long and large segmented pieces and they just prove to be easier to turn on the larger lathe, I really like my DVR but the Vicmarc is highly preferable to me.
On a new lathe my advice would be save some money and get a 24-36 from Laguna or go ahead and anti up and buy a Magma Black Titan

 

[robo hippy]

Umm, clueless here, but DRO? Is that like a read out for RPM? I got a Vic 240 also, and love it. I have never had any kind of read out on any of my lathes, so don't know how to use one.... Well, I maybe I do, but I never use it, I just adjust speed till it is 'right'.

robo hippy

 

[Damon McLaughlin]

Umm, clueless here, but DRO?

robo hippy

I believe it stands for Digital Read Out.

I have an American Beauty and a Oneway 1018 and neither has a digital read out and like Reed I don't find that I miss it or need it. I adjust the speed to what feels right. I recently acquired a Powermatic 3520b which does have a read out and I find that I never look at it.

Bill, if you have a woodturning club that has a member or can find anyone else nearby that has a lathe with more mass and/or a 3hp motor ask if you can try it out.

 

[Bill Szydlo]

I have the 1624 and have not needed to upgrade for my turning.
As to the outrigger I had one and sold it ($100 loss) because after 5 years it was not used except to hold the knock out bar.
That said, if I did decide to turn larger I would buy a bed extension for $200 instead of the outrigger for $300. Mounted like this guy starting about 3:30 you have your tool rest length plus the 20" of ways to move the banjo on. You can also turn deeper than the 5.75" if your lathe will handle the weight. And....you can always mount it on the lathe as intended if you ever want to turn a table leg.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydDQQQww1AA

Thank you for the idea for mounting the bed extension to an auxiliary table. I wonder what the design specifics are that he used for a stable base? I have looked around at free standing tool rest bases but have not been able to find one I like. It appears that the turner in the video's website is no longer active.

 

[Bill Szydlo]

Thank you all for your thoughts and insights. I should have shared a little more of the parameters I have for a new lathe. First of all my DVR is mounted on a heavy bench with approx. 300 lbs. of additional weight. I have also upgraded the wiring to 220 so the hp is a little more than 2 hp. When considering a new lathe my price point is about $4,000 so the Oneway/Robust etc. are above what I want to spend. Basically I am left with two choices. (1) PM 3520C or (2) Laguna 2436. The reason I would lean toward the Laguna is the 3 hp motor. Since the 3520C is basically the same hp as my current lathe (granted it does have more mass) I don't feel it's worth $4,500. I've looked at used 3520B's but it seems like their prices are unreal now. Last week there was a 6 year old one for sale for $4,000 and just recently I saw a 2001 for $3,000. Granted they have proven to be a workhorse but I can't get over $3,000 for an 18 year old machine.

The other thing that started me wondering if I need a larger lathe is last year, to the day, my property was hit by a couple of tornadoes. We stopped counting the downed trees at 150 and had significant property damage. As we are cleaning up I feel responsible to be a good steward for all the downed timber. I plan to slab some of the hardwoods, some will be used for firewood and I thought to possibly turn a portion of it. This lead to maybe I should invest in a larger lathe that would allow the ability to core blanks.

So with all that my basic questions are, would $4,500 for a 3520C allow for a large performance difference to justify or would $3,500 (on sale) for the Laguna justify a significant performance difference than what I currently have?

Thanks again for all your thoughts,
Bill

 

[GRJensen]

I have minimal experience with the Laguna Revo lathes (I set up an 18/36 for a non-profit I do volunteer work for), but I am a little leery of Laguna after some support issues with my Laguna cyclone dust collector.

In a nutshell, the motor was making noise when it would spin down and eventually it wouldn't start. Laguna's tech support diagnosed it as bad bearings and recommended I buy a new motor (the machine was just a few weeks out of warranty). The only problem was, the $450 motors were out of stock, and on back-order for 6 to 8 weeks.

I found a guy in Minnesota with an identical machine with a new in the box spare motor (Laguna shipped it to him when his motor failed, but he discovered a blown capacitor and never installed the replacement). I bought it from him for $100 plus shipping.

I installed his motor and took my original to a motor shop ... they found a bad centrifugal switch and a blown start capacitor. So now I have a spare motor ... good thing, because the replacement motor died after about 8 months of operation. The motor shop found the same failed components in it.

Maybe it was just my rotten luck that I got two motors that failed, and I don't know if the same techs provide support for the Laguna's Revo lathes, but I was less than satisfied with the tech support I got. When I told the guy at the local motor shop the behavior that the first motor exhibited, he told me exactly what the problem was without even opening it up.

By contrast, my experience with Powermatic's tech support (I bought 3520C in March 2018) has been nothing short of excellent. About 3 months ago started to have some intermittent problems with the stop/go switches. I called Powermatic, the tech knew exactly what the problem was, and shipped a replacement switch the same day.

 

[Don C Davis]

Yeah Reed, DRO stands for digital read out--everyone says just run your lathe to a speed you are comfortable with, but I do a good bit of drilling on my lathe-and one thing I have proven is that Nobody guesses speed of their lathe well--Nobody, I've done a lot of tests on this--and I like knowing the speed of my lathe-actually, and also knowing the exact speed is helpful with drilling for me. Also, I find it just stupid that folks don't put a DRO on their lathes at all--the parts for a good DRO would run you under $10, so putting one on your lathe is just a no brainer to me.....

 

[William Rogers]

While I agree it is needed to know the RPM, it doesn’t have to be digital. I’ve had both, DRO on my Laguna and analog (speed dial marked) on my Robust. I do have a cheap hand held DRO that I checked the markings on the Robust and found them to be very accurate. In reality I didn’t use the DRO on my Laguna once I figured out the speed dial position other than a power on light.

 

[robo hippy]

Only problem I have with the speed dial is that on the Vic, it goes the other way from what we Gringo's, or maybe it is Yankee's do...... Must be the Coriolis effect......

robo hippy

 

[Dave DeJong]

My Nova Saturn was my upgrade to a larger lathe. I love it and have even gotten comfortable with the blister switches. Maybe a bed extension might be in the works if I get any more requests for longer spindle work. The thought of getting a bigger heavier lathe moved down into my basement doesn't appeal to me

 

[Randy Heinemann]

I know this is off-topic but I'm wondering what problems other have had with electronically controlled lathe motors. I have only turned for 2 years and own a Nova Comet II. I like the lathe and, for a beginner it performs well and is inexpensive to buy. However, I just replaced the controller for $150 so now the lathe has cost me cost to $700 (with some add-on accessories included with the original purchase) so I could have invested in something else to begin with assuming the controllers aren't generally a problem.

Just wondering whether buying a lathe with a controller is a good idea although it seems as if all manufacturers are moving in that direction?

 

[Richard Coers]

I know this is off-topic but I'm wondering what problems other have had with electronically controlled lathe motors. I have only turned for 2 years and own a Nova Comet II. I like the lathe and, for a beginner it performs well and is inexpensive to buy. However, I just replaced the controller for $150 so now the lathe has cost me cost to $700 (with some add-on accessories included with the original purchase) so I could have invested in something else to begin with assuming the controllers aren't generally a problem.

Just wondering whether buying a lathe with a controller is a good idea although it seems as if all manufacturers are moving in that direction?

Are you limiting your question to DC motors and controllers, or 3ph motors with a VFD? My Oneway is a 1998 model and not a single issue with the electronic controls.

 

[Randy Heinemann]

Are you limiting your question to DC motors and controllers, or 3ph motors with a VFD? My Oneway is a 1998 model and not a single issue with the electronic controls.

I don't really know anything about the differences between DC motors/controllers or a VFD. If I were to buy a new lathe the ideal for me would be an electronic control but one which isn't likely to fail over the life of the lathe. I guess the factor you bring up means it's just another thing I need to do research on. I only know that the Comet II must have a DC motor with a controller.

 

[Chuck Lobaito]

I upgraded to a used PM3520B from an upgraded DVR. I would not look back. What a difference

 

[john lucas]

I've been using lathes that I have upgraded in one way or another to electronic variable speed for years. I have only seen a few VFD's go bad over the years. Quite a few DC drives. I'm unfamiliar with the actual drive system of the DVR but what turns me off is it's proprietary. If something dies and you can't get it from the factory your screwed. A friend just went through that with his DVR which is now a boat anchor. He purchased a Powermatic 3520. That's the reason I purchased my Powermatic. I can replace the DVR or motor with an aftermarket one and don't have to depend on the factory. VFD's have had a good reputation for durability. Lightening strikes tends to kill them however so I unplug my lathe any time there is a storm nearby.

 

[Mike Johnson]

A good investment to protect your sensitive equipment is a surge arrestor that can be installed at your panel to reduce the risk of voltage surges coming in on your electrical main service. Many utility companies will install lightning arrestors at the utility meter mains to protect equipment on the customers property. There is a broad range of protective devices and they all vary in the range of voltage spikes/surges that come down the utility lines. To protect your electrical system and sensitive equipment will often require a multi-level protection scheme that uses several devices to cover the broad range of potential voltage spikes/surges and voltage dips and phase losses that can also damage equipment.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

I have had no problem with the Nova DVR drive in two years of use. But that doesn't guarantee anyone else's experience, any more than anecdotal story about a failed VFD.

The only two ways to vary lathe speed are electronic or mechanical, and I personally would never pick plan B. @Bill Boehme , didn't you ave a post where you explained the difference between digital varriable reluctance and VFD's?

 

[john lucas]

I've owned 3 lathes with Reeves drives. ONe was a complete dog, the Delta 46-700. The pulleys kept breaking. The other 2 worked fine for many years with just a little maintenance. I've also helped several people restore old lathes with reeves drives and all it took was a little cleaning and lube. I don't think they are nearly as bad as their reputation other than the minimum speed being to fast for bowl turning. You have to remember these lathes were designed for production spindle turning and will usually last a long time if properly maintained. Of course with modern lathes for the most part you can simply replace the electrical drives.

 

[Mike Johnson]

The biggest problem with the reeves drives these days is the owner waits too long to clean and lube the reeves pulleys and decides to attempt the procedure after the pulleys are stuck on the spindle and motor shaft and then start prying on the pulleys with screw drivers and pry bars and usually destroy the cheaply cast pulleys. Older model reeves pulleys were made of cast iron, the newer ones are made of whatever diecast alloy they can produce cheaply. These newer diecast pulleys can only be leveraged on at the center hub section, pry on the outer edge and they will break. A regular cleaning when the speed change is first noticed having problems and they are easy to maintain. You can usually just spray a solvent/lube/cleaner on the shaft next to the reeves pulley and run the speed up and down to free up the pulley. You can wear a pair of safety glasses and spray the solvent/lube/cleaner on the shaft and reeves drive while the lathe is running to prevent getting sprayed in the eyes, the pulleys will sling the fluid in a 360 degree direction so you will want to protect any walls or ceiling surface that is in direct path of the exposed pulleys. This takes several minutes compared to removing the reeves pulleys from the motor shaft and headstock spindle which takes an hour or two depending on how mechanically inclined you are and how badly the pulleys are gummed up.

 

[Russell Nugent]

My nova saturn quit a month ago, started saying mcb disconnect and hardware failure. Good customer support. Sent me a main control board and a new control panel under warranty, to about an hour to swap out and im back up and running.
I did take the opportunity to buy a laguna 12/16 while I was down and I have to say what an awesome midi lathe.
When the time comes for an upgrade to the saturn the 18/36 is definitely on the radar.

 

[Mike Johnson]

When Nova decides to obsolete the Saturn repair parts that would be a good time to invest in a few spare control boards.

 

[Timothy White]

I upgraded to the DVR XP from a PSI Turncrafter 10” about 2006. I added 2 bed extensions a bed hinge an out rigger and the latest control panel with the remote II. I see no reason to upgrade to different lathe. AB 3520C vicmarc or whatever. The DVR technology ( DVR XP Saturn or Galaxy) is the safest power plant on the market. It senses excessive vibration and catches and immediately shuts down. Start the motor with the spindle lock engaged no problem it shuts itself off release the spindle lock press run and turn. The best feature is the ability to set the rpm before you you start the lathe. As far as I know this is the only lathe that will do that.
There are a few things I don’t like but I’ve overcome most of these issues
Some members on this forum keep bringing up the “proprietary” issue and have been bringing it up since the early 2000’s. This is a broken record that no longer plays well.

This is my opinion and I am entitled to it however wrong it might be.
Tim

 

[Randy Heinemann]

I have had no problem with the Nova DVR drive in two years of use. But that doesn't guarantee anyone else's experience, any more than anecdotal story about a failed VFD.

Mine lasted just over 2 years.