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Grizzly G0800 24 x 48 Wood Lathe

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Denis Lecavalier

Denis Lecavalier

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Does anyone have any experience with this lathe ? It obviously looks like a Robust knockoff but at $ 4195 + 375 for s/h it certainly looks intriguing.
 
g0800-495a1e3dac82792b164080286be0c723.jpg

Link:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Grizzly-24-x-48-Heavy-Duty-Wood-Lathe/G0800

Denis Lecavalier said:
Does anyone have any experience with this lathe ? It obviously looks like a Robust knockoff but at $ 4195 + 375 for s/h it certainly looks intriguing.
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I'd say it's closer to a Powermatic knock-off.......

-----odie-----
 
looks pretty sweet. At 845lbs it's heavier than the 3520, not sure about the 2442 which is the size they are after. I don't have any use for a swing away tailstock that only goes to the side. It's still in the way. It should swing away and down like the Robust. Other than that it sounds like a pretty nice lathe. Especially at that price. It's around the same as the 3520C.
 
hockenbery said:
It weighs a tiny bit more than the powermatic.
@Roger Chandler had a lot of positive comments about this lathe
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Nobody sells Grizzly like Roger. Why they don't have him on retainer is beyond me. I'm the exact polar opposite. Based on previous experience, I'll never own another Grizzly machine. There is no qualifier for what quality people will be satisfied with. There are some people that love Harbor Freight lathes too. I firmly believe you get exactly what you pay for.
 
It's always nice to turn to the AAW Forum for unanimity ... lol.

Having said that, any thoughts on the Woodtek #1 as an alternative
 
Richard Coers said:
Nobody sells Grizzly like Roger. Why they don't have him on retainer is beyond me. I'm the exact polar opposite. Based on previous experience, I'll never own another Grizzly machine. There is no qualifier for what quality people will be satisfied with. There are some people that love Harbor Freight lathes too. I firmly believe you get exactly what you pay for
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I couldn't agree more with this statement.
 
If parts are still supported in twenty or thirty years then it might be a good deal, if the motor is an odd design off-shore OEM component, then this could be an issue down the road a few years if they stop supporting the parts. This seems to be a common practice for some of the off-shore imports which obsoletes the model and makes it difficult to source repair parts years down the road. The well established companies with a track record and financial backing seem to support their product for a number of years and don't leave you hanging like some of the companies that come and go. Grizzly tries to provide documentation and support for their product, just not sure how long they support their off-shore manufactured products.
 
My first and second lathe were Grizzlys, The first one was a POS and the second one was a very nice lathe for the money. It did what I expected it to do and more. I now have the Powermatic 3520B and it is a fine lathe. With just a few tweeks the Grizzly would be almost as good. The Powermatic is six years old and the only thing I have replaced is the On/Off switch. That is after hundreds of bowls.
 
The thing that sticks out to me is how long the post is on the tool rest. Much longer than just about any other lathe out there, which to me means there can be stress problems with heavy cutting if you are out on the end of the rest. I also do not have any Grizzly tools. They have gotten better over the years, but quality seems to be hit or miss.

robo hippy
 
robo hippy said:
The thing that sticks out to me is how long the post is on the tool rest. Much longer than just about any other lathe out there, which to me means there can be stress problems with heavy cutting if you are out on the end of the rest.
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Do you suppose that's due to the 24" throw? If the top of the post support in the banjo is the same height as a 20" Powermatic, there would then be 2" more post sticking out.
 
robo hippy said:
The thing that sticks out to me is how long the post is on the tool rest. Much longer than just about any other lathe out there, which to me means there can be stress problems with heavy cutting if you are out on the end of the rest. I also do not have any Grizzly tools. They have gotten better over the years, but quality seems to be hit or miss.

robo hippy
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That tiny little plastic handled bolt that pinches that big tool rest into the banjo is horrible. Definitely not designed by woodturners.
 
Well, if you want to know the real deal, ask someone who actually owns the machine you are inquiring about. Dick has evidently in the past had a bad experience with Grizzly, and we've had a few discussions online about our experiences. If you get the top of the line Grizzly, you are likely to get a machine as good as any Powermatic, Jet, Laguna..[my opinion of course]

I respect the experience and perspective Dick has......seems from past conversations a few years back, if I recall correctly, both he and I have about the same amount of years in woodworking. He probably has been turning longer than I have.

I have turned on the Robust American Beauty a few times, many 3520b's and Jet 1642 evs models. I am a fan of the Powermatic, but chose the Grizzly G0800 over the Powermatic because of the build of the lathe, which if comparred to a Powermatic is most accurately compared to the 4224b.
The build of the G0800 is really stout, has bearings that are all bigger than a baseball, and is heavy duty in all respects. I was saving for the American Beauty when I decided to go with the G0800, and I've also turned on a Serious SL2542, which is a beast and the heaviest lathe on the market,[although they just closed when Scott Trumbo retired]

Both the Powermatics and the G0800 are manufactured by Harvey Industries Co, but the Powermatics do have a 5 year warranty. For Grizzly, after the warranty expires one has to do their own mechanic work if it is needed. I've had the G0800 for about a year now, and put some very big and heavy pieces on it......no other lathe I've turned on handled big wood any better than my G0800. I have a friend who owns a 3 hp Oneway 2436, and he stalls it with a heavy cut. To date I have not stalled my G0800, including coring, but I'm sure if I tried hard I could, but my point is that it has really great torque at low speeds, and the capacity between centers is 48" plus there is a bed extension available. It has ergonomic headstock design, which I like a lot for access to the back of bowls/platters without having to reverse, until you want to actually finish off the bottom.

I have no affiliation with Grizzly, but have now owned 3 of their lathes. My first was the 18/47 G0698, which is still used at our club, and going strong after 12 years, then I got my G0766 22x42 lathe which is still in my shop, and I have not had a single problem with, and it's been through a lot of wood the last 3-1/2 years, and now my G0800......which I would not trade for any Powermatic, even swap! Yep......its that good a lathe! I've never seen any better machining on a lathe from any manufacturer, including PM, Robust, Oneway. It has a beefier build on the spindle than the Laguna Revo 2436, bigger and more bearings, the belt is especially designed for high torque applications, and the banjo, tailstock and headstock are heavy, and lock down rock solid.
It is made in china, but it has premium advanced motor/inverter combo, and is likely as good a lathe as comes from Asia......again my opinion of course, but an opinion based upon turning experience on the high end lathes mentioned and my ownership.

It is a lathe worthy of serious inspection, and if one can get a turning session on one, then they would be well served before just accepting the word of critics who have never turned on one.
My comments about the lathes mentioned are from my own experiences, and are not meant to be argumentative towards anyone, nor are they meant to "sell" anyone on the Grizzly line. I don't want them to be taken in that light, but rather they are offered as firsthand knowledge, and with that perspective should be taken seriously.
 
Here is a pic of a chestnut oak burl piece that started out at over 200lbs when I put it on my G0800......

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Just as a bit of perspective, if you search the online forums, you will find Powermatics and Jets which have needed motor replacements, inverter replacements, switch problems, etc. Any make can have a problem, but in my opinion, you are not likely to have any more or more serious problems with the upper end Grizzly lathes than you do with PM, Laguna, Jet, etc.
 
robo hippy said:
The thing that sticks out to me is how long the post is on the tool rest. Much longer than just about any other lathe out there, which to me means there can be stress problems with heavy cutting if you are out on the end of the rest. I also do not have any Grizzly tools. They have gotten better over the years, but quality seems to be hit or miss.

robo hippy
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While it is true that the post length on the G0800 is 8.75" one has to know the build on that toolrest. My G0800 has a rest which has a 3/4" bar of drill rod stock, turned on its edge so the rest is made with a 1/4" bar of hardened steel turned on edge which allows the gouge to glide along easily, and resists dings much like the Robust rests do. I have 6 Robust rests I use for my two Grizzly lathes, and the quality of the G0800 rest is also very good, and it is 14" in width at the top where the gouge rides. It also locks solidly in the banjo, which is heavier and cast with high quality. I've never had my rests to slip in that banjo hole. The locking screw has a solid brass tip on it that resists scarring the posts as well. After a year of heavy usage, I'm totally happy with the G0800.
 
Roger ... thanks so much for your review. I suspect that Grizzly got a bad rap in the early days but more recently they have dramatically improved their designs and quality control. At this point I am trying to decide between the G0800 and the Microtek No. 1 which is also a real beast. I almost bought a Steinhart VB36 a little over a year ago but they kept delaying shipment due to production problems and I finally cancelled the order.
 
For Grizzly, after the warranty expires one has to do their own mechanic work if it is needed. Has Grizzly changed their policy? I thought every Grizzly owner from day 1 had to be their own machine repairman?
Roger, I've been woodworking for 46 years, turning for 32 years. 26 of my woodworking years were as a full time professional. 1988-1996 Coers Custom Woodworking sole proprietorship, 1996-1999 Woodworker's Journal Magazine project builder/designer, 1999-2014 Caterpillar Inc Industrial Design Lead Modelmaker.
 
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Dennis, I hope you can find a turner in Az. that has a G0800. If you could get a turning session with him, and kick the tires real good, you might just be really surprised at what you find. You could call Grizzly and see if they might get in touch with someone out your way and see if a session could be worked out. Tell them [tech support] you are interested in the machine, but want to make sure of what you are getting. They probably would have to make the call, and have the turner contact you if they would be willing.
 
Denis Lecavalier said:
Roger ... thanks so much for your review. I suspect that Grizzly got a bad rap in the early days but more recently they have dramatically improved their designs and quality control. At this point I am trying to decide between the G0800 and the Microtek No. 1 which is also a real beast. I almost bought a Steinhart VB36 a little over a year ago but they kept delaying shipment due to production problems and I finally cancelled the order.
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My bad experience with Grizzly was around 2013, not ancient history.
 
Richard Coers said:
For Grizzly, after the warranty expires one has to do their own mechanic work if it is needed. Has Grizzly changed their policy? I thought every Grizzly owner from day 1 had to be their own machine repairman?
Roger, I've been woodworking for 46 years, turning for 32 years. 26 of my woodworking years were as a full time professional. 1988-1996 Coers Custom Woodworking sole proprietorship, 1996-1999 Woodworker's Journal project builder/designer, 1999-2014 Caterpillar Inc Industrial Design Lead Modelmaker.
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Richard, I did not mean to leave the wrong impression......under warranty, they usually have you send back the problem part and ship a new one, after warranty, they will still order parts for you if needed. I have not needed to order any part for any of the 3 Grizzly lathes I own, even after 12 years or so with my first one, the G0698 18/47. I have ordered couple of spare pots for my G0766 22x42, but the original works just fine. Just wanted to have them on hand. I did order a baseplate for my G0800, as I have a Monster Hollowing system, and wanted to be able to use it on it, but the base plate that I got was for my original G0698, which has a 1.5" gap in the bed ways, just as my G0766 does. The G0800 has a 2.5" gap between the ways.

As a professional, you do have more experience in woodworking, and yes with your information here, in turning you also have more experience. I began turning in 2006 with making table legs, but have been doing woodworking since 1967 building some furniture etc. Got away from it for a few years, but got back into it seriously in 1984, if I recall correctly.
 
Roger Chandler said:
Richard, I did not mean to leave the wrong impression......under warranty, they usually have you send back the problem part and ship a new one, after warranty, they will still order parts for you if needed. I have not needed to order any part for any of the 3 Grizzly lathes I own, even after 12 years or so with my first one, the G0698 18/47. I have ordered couple of spare pots for my G0766 22x42, but the original works just fine. Just wanted to have them on hand. I did order a baseplate for my G0800, as I have a Monster Hollowing system, and wanted to be able to use it on it, but the base plate that I got was for my original G0698, which has a 1.5" gap in the bed ways, just as my G0766 does. The G0800 has a 2.5" gap between the ways.

As a professional, you do have more experience in woodworking, and yes with your information here, in turning you also have more experience. I began turning in 2006 with making table legs, but have been doing woodworking since 1967 building some furniture etc. Got away from it for a few years, but got back into it seriously in 1984, if I recall correctly.
Click to expand...

You forgot to mention early adopters of the G0766, like yourself, had to bore out the 25mm hole in the banjo and file down the main shaft so aftermarket chucks would fit. Didn't they send new banjos to everyone after owners complained about not being able to turn to advertised capacity? I'd call that Beta testing with production machine sales.
 
True. Metric machining dimensions on the G0766 did create problems for some. Grizzly chucks fit from the get go, but aftermarket chucks required taking a file to the spindle boss and letting the lathe spin with the file against it, taking off a few thousand'ths. The banjo hole the same way....I drilled out mine for 1" but Robust offers a 25mm post, so that was up to the individual owner which way they wanted to go...either was not a defect in manufacturning, but Grizzly could have informed potential buyers in my opinion! Of course with my first Grizzly lathe, the G0698, I knew this when I bought the G0766, and just as a matter of course made those adjustments. Neither was any big deal, very simple and easy to do both.

Now the banjo...Grizzly did have a hiccup with it. The original banjo was the same as came on the former G0698 18/47, and several of us were discussing this on the SMC forum. Someone gave Shiraz Balolia [owner of Grizzly Industrial] a heads up, and he came on, announced Grizzly would make a bigger banjo and replace free of charge to all who ordered the G0766. They made a fine replacement, actually a little bigger than was absolutely necessary, and shipped it to owners.

The small banjo was an initial hiccup, but they made that right...it was a completely new model and I suppose it got overlooked in the specs. The lathe was sold under different brand names over in Europe and elsewhere, and I suppose what likely happened was the specs were just adopted as is, and when they caught it, it was rectified. All the G0766's now come with the bigger banjo, and the tool rest hole now at 1" diameter, so that has been dealt with. I'm not sure about the spindle boss, but it's such an easy adjustment, and that is what it is an adjustment due to metric dimension machining, [ a difference of .004"] that it should not be an issue for anyone. There is plenty of info on the forums to help anyone thinking about the G0766.

The G0800 is in a higher class of lathes. Mine was perfect out of the crate, and even with all my experience turning on the Powermatics, the Robust, and the Serious SL2542, actually impressed me. I'm a seriously happy camper!
 
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Roger Chandler said:
Al, I can't seem to find my post in that thread regarding the G0800, and the review I put there. There is one post about it, but it lacks the pic and the detailed review. I don't know if that got deleted by the moderator?
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Roger, I am the administrator/moderator and I can assure you that nothing in that thread was deleted. Posts and threads very rarely get deleted but, on the few occasions when I have needed to be the parent it is usually because people were behaving as though they were raised by wolves.
 
Interesting thread here. Would like to have a mega-lathe as I'm very limited in space for one. Members in our chapter turn some nice big bowls and platters, hollow forms, etc. Plus SWMBO won't turn loose of the $$$$ for one.
Lathes are like women- we all have our preference. I prefer blondes...you can see them in the dark.:rolleyes:
 
Roger Chandler said:
Al, I can't seem to find my post in that thread regarding the G0800, and the review I put there. There is one post about it, but it lacks the pic and the detailed review. I don't know if that got deleted by the moderator?
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I thought there was a more extensive review somewhere it may be in another thread.
 
Bill Boehme said:
Roger, I am the administrator/moderator and I can assure you that nothing in that thread was deleted. Posts and threads very rarely get deleted but, on the few occasions when I have needed to be the parent it is usually because people were behaving as though they were raised by wolves.
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Thanks Bill. I just remembered writing some detailed info on the G0800 and thought it was the one Al referenced. Perhaps it is in another one somewhere. Thanks for setting me straight! ;)
 
Denis,

I bought a Grizzly bench-top metal lathe. This is a Grizzly branded version of a Sieg (Chinese-made) lathe that many sell under their own brand. It is an entry level machine with associated issues there. Things like plastic drive gears instead of metal ones.

As some have noted, any machine can have problems. Those are not fun, but the key is how the mfgr handles the issue. When I had a problem with the electronics on my metal lathe, Grizzly was very helpful and sent me replacement parts very fast.

I’m happy with Grizzly and will buy from them again. A bench-top milling machine is next on my list ....

Kind regards,
Rich
 
@Roger Chandler , I need to make a minor correction to my previous statement. In more carefully rereading the thread, I saw that I had deleted a few words in the first post where some unnecessary "colorful" words were used to express the writer's opinion. I replaced them with asterisks so that you can use your imagination to "fill in the blanks" if you wish. Going through the remainder of the thread I didn't see any indication that anything was edited or deleted. Normally, if anything were changed I I could see a history showing what changes were made and who made them.
 
Bill Boehme said:
@Roger Chandler , I need to make a minor correction to my previous statement. In more carefully rereading the thread, I saw that I had deleted a few words in the first post where some unnecessary "colorful" words were used to express the writer's opinion. I replaced them with asterisks so that you can use your imagination to "fill in the blanks" if you wish. Going through the remainder of the thread I didn't see any indication that anything was edited or deleted. Normally, if anything were changed I I could see a history showing what changes were made and who made them.
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Thanks Bill.......but you did not have to go to all that trouble to look back on the thread. Not a big deal at all! I am not sure exactly where that review is located. I might have to do some searching and see if I can make a link to it, but there is enough info in my earlier post on this thread that it should suffice. The other was just a little more detailed, but if anyone has any questions they can feel free to send me a private message, and I'll be glad to chat with them, or by phone if they want.
 
Bill Boehme said:
Maybe you did the review on SMC.
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You were correct Sir! You'll have to pardon me a bit, as I am dealing with a severe case of the flu right now, and I guess my memory banks are a bit short circuited! :confused:

The post I was thinking of was in response to someone who bought a Laguna Revo 2436 and wished they could have gotten info on the G0800 from Grizzly, so I gave them the details......I might have missed one or two, but the post is valid, so here it is...


  1. Roger Chandler
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    Originally Posted by Mick Fagan
    I
    Roger Chandler, I would have like to compared a Grizzly lathe to a Laguna lathe, but I have never seen one, nor heard of one, in this country. Mick.
    Mick...here is the story related to Laguna vs. Grizzly on the Revo model and the G0799 and G0800. First here's a pic for you to see the G0800

    g0800-495a1e3dac82792b164080286be0c723.jpg

    The Harvey Industries Co. is the maker for the Powermatic line of lathes, and also for Laguna's Revo line and Grizzly's G0800, G0799 and G0835. Of course each lathe is made to specs of the individual vendor, and that accounts for differences in design, features and build. For example, the REVO line has steel bed ways, where the Grizzly has an all cast build. The Revo has the movable pendant feature [nice!] where the Grizzly does not.

    That being said, when I did the deep dive into the schematics of the lathes I was considering, which I was actually saving for a Robust American Beauty [super lathe, and I have had turning sessions on one] and I was considering a Oneway 2436 [I have a friend who has one] and of course the Laguna Revo 2436 and the Grizzly G0800.

    With the turning I do, which involves some big heavy wood, and wanting what I considered to be a high end lathe that had the power, weight and heavy duty build, I chose the Grizzly G0800. I could have gotten the Robust AB, or any other lathe I wanted, and also had turned on the nearly 1600 lb. Serious SL2542. I wanted the sliding headstock feature, and the heavy duty build, and the Serious did not have the sliding headstock.

    As to build, the G0800 has 3 large heavy rated bearings, and all three are bigger than a baseball in diameter, where the Revo 2436 has two bearings which are smaller with less dynamic load rating. That is fine for most folks probably because they likely do not put as heavy wood blanks on their machine. Once in a while are fine, but a steady diet of large wood probably will show up in worn out bearings. It's sort of like having a small pickup vs. a super duty pickup with the heavy frame, powerful engine, and other features that make it ready for heavy duty work.

    Another thing was the inverter/motor combo difference. The Laguna Revo uses an older Delta S-1 inverter for their machine, which is on the lower end of the technology that is available, but it has been a good workhorse inverter used on the Powermatic lines and the Lagunas as well. The Grizzly G0800 uses an advanced induction motor with the latest advanced Delta EL-240 inverter, which allows a full 3 hp output vs a 3 hp input only, so the motor power is fully available.

    The information from Harvey Industries is the Harvey Turbo-60 lathe [their flagship model] and the G0800 are almost identical, except that the T-60 uses a DC motor because it sells all over the world, and that seems to accommodate the market, but here in the USA, they use the A/C motor inverter combo, as that is what is desired by turners here in America.

    The G0800 has a swing away tailstock feature, a bed extension available [I have that on mine] and in stock configuration has 48" between centers for longer spindle turning such as bed posts, etc, and with the bed extension can turn 66" between centers. The extension is configurable to either end of the bed or on the mounting area on front of he massive cast iron bed near the headstock if one wanted to put it there. It has a cone heastock feature like the Revo 2436, and it is heavier. I have never seen any better machining on any lathe from any manufacturer, including the Robust lathe I have turned on and seen up close from vendors at the symposiums I have attended. It is absolutely top grade machining! Fit, finish, and machining are superb!

    The G0800 has superb torque at low speeds and is as smooth and powerful as any lathe I've turned on. The warranty is longer on the Robust and its made in the USA, and a longer warranty is also on the Powermatics. I have turned on the PM 3520b numerous times - too many to count- and eleven different lathes to date on that model........ I like the 3520b, but hands down would take the G0800 over it any day of the week! Again PM and the Grizzly G0800, G0799 and G0835 are all made by Harvey Industries Machine Co.

    So, there you have the back story on the comparisons, and you can see the G0800 at Grizzly.com if you are so inclined. I post this by way of providing info for interested persons, and to answer your comment above. So many folks don't realize how fine a lathe Grizzly is now providing, and I would encourage others who might be interested to take a serious look for themselves. Only they know what they truly want in a lathe, and how a certain model will fit their needs.

    Good luck Mick, with your Revo repairs....I hope it goes well for you!
    Remember, in a moments time, everything can change!

    Vision - not just seeing what is, but seeing what can be!


 
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