Harvey lathes

[john lucas]

I was looking for higher quality lathes in the $5,000 and under price tag for a friend. The Harvey lathe looks awfully nice but I dont know anything about servo motors. Harvey equipment has had some good reviews on that flat wood tools but I dont see anything on their lathes.

 

[Tim Tucker]

Don't know anything about them - other than the rumor that Harvey was the manufacturer for other name brand lathes for years - then decided to bring their own products to market. Have you looked st the new Rikon sliding bed lathe? ( https://www.rikontools.com/product/70-3040 ). Mywondering about it is not about quality....the current Rikon products I have bout are really good. But - I am curious about accuracy - considering the bed moving. Will that moving of the bed translate into any "off-axis" or vibration ? Interested in any input form you John.

 

[john lucas]

Here is the lathe. After doing some research one review out of new zealand claims it is the same lathe as the Laguna 18/36. IN another review on this site the guy claims is a Grizzly G0800. Anybody know if either one of these is true. I have recommended to my freind theGrizzly G0733. It's had good reviews on this site. https://www.harveywoodworking.com/collections/harvey-lathes?msclkid=8062a4bacc871ffc0647c6e6ca24ca69&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=**LP - Harvey - TM&utm_term=Harvey Woodworking Tools&utm_content=Harvey Woodworking Tools
After further research Grizzly doesn't have a G0800. The Laguna has a standard 3 phase motor with VFD and so does the Grizzly. The Harvey supposedly has a Servo motor. A lot of confusing info out there.

 

[Doug Freeman]

@Roger Chandler please comment on this. I’m 99% sure Harvey mfrd the G0800 and some other Grizzly lathes (and still does).

I would recommend the G0766 vs the G0733 - mainly due to 10+ yr newer vfd/motor design, but also a bit better mechanical specs. Depending on the swing desired the Nova Galaxi might be worth consideration.

Harvey mfrs a lot of different lathes at various spec levels for many brands, so it would not be surprising if they do make Laguna product.

EDIT: Out of curiosity I looked, the 0766 is 3HP vs the 0733 @ 2hp. The same same generic Delta vfd is listed, not the particular models.

 

[Chris Lawrence]

Grizzly had a G0800 line of lathes but around the time of the pandemic starting they discontinued that line. They had a long bed and a short bed. Not sure if it was from the pandemic or Harvey deciding to just work on making there own lathes. Pretty sure Harvey's original design had a 3 phase motor in it like the G0800. They looked almost identical back then.

 

[john lucas]

Grizzly also sells a shop fox lathe that has the exact same specs as the g0766 but is $800 higher.

 

[Doug Freeman]

Grizzly also sells a shop fox lathe that has the exact same specs as the g0766 but is $800 higher.

Yes. My understanding is the parent Co. owns both brands, many machines are duplicated, Grizzly is only for Grizzly, Shop Fox is available for dealers. Grizzly sells the Shop Fox items for the same msrp recommended to dealers.

 

[robo hippy]

The guy who sold me my first lathe bought a Shop Fox. He ended up sending it back it was so bad. Especially considering the pressure plates on the headstock, tailstock and banjo were all the same size.

robo hippy

 

[Walter Mooney]

John, I sure like my G0766! I’ve had it for years, and it’s handled everything I throw at it. If I could find a used one anywhere near Houston or San Antonio, I’d buy it in a heartbeat (I’m furnishing a second shop). I recommend it. I think it has great value at a reasonable price.

 

[Mike Brazeau]

Couple of comments. Why a 60 degree live center on such a sophisticated lathe? One of the weaknesses of the import lathes with custom circuit control boards is availability of these boards when they fail, especially after a few years. I would be more comfortable with an off the shelf VFD controller on a 3PH motor. The Servo supposedly solves a problem I have never experienced with either my small Delta VS Midi or Oneway 2436 with a 3 HP 3 PH Motor. Drive belt looks like a round belt rather than a ribbed belt commonly used these days?

 

[john lucas]

I'll pass all this on to my friend. Keep them coming.

 

[odie]

The Harvey lathe looks awfully nice but I dont know anything about servo motors.

John.....I don't either, but at 3:55 in this video, there is an explanation of servo motors.....

View: https://youtu.be/LSffTdeTPSI

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

The specs on the motor do not say the speed that the 2 HP is developed at which leads me to wonder what the available torque is. The HP is calculated by the formula "Horsepower = Torque x RPM / 5,252" therefore a 2HP 1800 RPM motor = 5.836 torque and a 2HP 3600 RPM motor = 2.918 torque.
This is the name plate from the original servo motor on my Grizzly G0698 (it is not a 3 PH motor that is a misrepresentation) so you can plainly see that the torque is half that of the more common 1725 RPM (1800 sync. RPM) 3 PH induction motor. The only part of the specs on the Harvey servo motor that may be better is the speed regulation and that is totally unnecessary on a wood lathe.
The controller on the G0698 had a feature on it that would shut down on severe overload such that when coring hardwood it kept shutting down until it fried. The cost of a replacement controller was more than the cost of a new 3 PH motor and a TECO VFD so that is how I solved the problem, but of course I had to make a different mount for the NEMA T frame motor. The new motor and VFD have never stalled or shut down but I have squealed the multi rib belt a few times.

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

A servo motor will keep the speed consistent. My last job I was shift electrician at a plastic food container plant. All of the equipment was run with servo motors. They were a lot larger than what you will get on a lathe. They also ran 24 hours a day until they had a problem. The main problem I had with them was having to replace the encoder in the end. It will not run when the encoder goes bad and I used to change them out quite often.

 

[Don Wattenhofer]

John.....I don't either, but at 3:55 in this video, there is an explanation of servo motors.....

View: https://youtu.be/LSffTdeTPSI

The question in reference to their claim of 300% overload is 300% of what?

 

[Roger Chandler]

One of the Harvey divisions manufactured the Powermatic line of lathes, the Grizzly G0800, G0799, and the shortbed version of the g0800 which was model G0835. The servo motor on the Harvey Turbo-60 is 2 hp, and is an industrial rated motor. The Turbo 60 is the same frame and specs as the G0800, except the motor/controller, where the G0800 has an A/C motor with the Delta Electronics EL model inverter. Harvey also put the Label on a 24x48 Laguna model which was identical to the G0800 [which I have, as well as the G0766] Except the color of paint. Laguna went with the current 24/36 model only after a year of selling the original clone of the Turbo-60.

I think the Harvey turbo-60 is a fine machine. Personally, I prefer the A/C motor with inverter combo I have on my G0800 because an A/C motor/inverter will give more low end torque, which is needed for coring. Although, I did some coring on my 2 hp G0698, 2hp servo motor lathe. That lathe is still going strong with zero problems at one of our clubs after 16 years of service. The G0766 is a 22x42 lathe with a 3 hp A/C motor with the Delta Electronics “M” series inverter which is more advanced than the “S” series inverters found on Jet and Powermatic lathes.

 

[odie]

The question in reference to their claim of 300% overload is 300% of what?

I believe he said the 1hp motor would perform as well as a regular 3hp motor.......but, I know very little about the servo motors, so I'm not the one to ask.

-----odie-----

 

[robo hippy]

The part where they say the 1 hp motor will perform like a 3 hp motor makes me say, Show me! Grew up in the Show Me State, but that only added to my opinions about things that sound too good to be true. I would have to take it for a test ride with the Big Ugly. I don't like the minimum speeds on it either. I need that 10 to 15 rpm speed for sanding my warped bowls.

robo hippy

 

[john lucas]

I'm not sharp on torque numbers. I still remember growing up about all the horsepower ratings that were over blown. Craftsman was the worst. I have a 3hp makita router and my 1 1/2 horse porter cable will run circles around it.

 

[Richard Coers]

A servo motor will keep the speed consistent. My last job I was shift electrician at a plastic food container plant. All of the equipment was run with servo motors. They were a lot larger than what you will get on a lathe. They also ran 24 hours a day until they had a problem. The main problem I had with them was having to replace the encoder in the end. It will not run when the encoder goes bad and I used to change them out quite often.

It is about speed control, the motor has the encoder or feedback sensor that completes a circuit back to the programmable controller. CNC routers use servo motors or stepper motors to control exactly where the spindle is. You can overspeed servo motors on a CNC and then errors occur. I've always been skeptical of the use of them on a wood lathe.

 

[Larry Mitchell]

Like my Harvey T40 Turbo.

 

[odie]

The part where they say the 1 hp motor will perform like a 3 hp motor makes me say, Show me! Grew up in the Show Me State, but that only added to my opinions about things that sound too good to be true. I would have to take it for a test ride with the Big Ugly. I don't like the minimum speeds on it either. I need that 10 to 15 rpm speed for sanding my warped bowls.

robo hippy

I was a bit hesitant to believe that, too......

My lack of knowledge of servo motors made me hold my tongue for others to reply......doesn't look like we've had any confirmation on it yet...

Maybe what we're getting is the ol' salesman's pitch.......!

-----odie-----

 

[John Hicks]

I can core a 22" diameter chunk of black oak (steel cutters on a oneway easy core), on my T60-S; With no bogging down. That servo motor is quit a torque monster.

 

[Brian Gustin]

The part where they say the 1 hp motor will perform like a 3 hp motor makes me say, Show me! Grew up in the Show Me State, but that only added to my opinions about things that sound too good to be true. I would have to take it for a test ride with the Big Ugly. I don't like the minimum speeds on it either. I need that 10 to 15 rpm speed for sanding my warped bowls.

robo hippy

Think of it like the difference between a ferrari and a farm tractor. Ferrari might sport 300 HP, farm tractor might be 80 HP... Ferrari can go 0-60 in just seconds and burn rubber for hundreds of feet, etc , but what it can't do is pull a 20 foot long 3 ft diameter log across a field.. it don't have the low end TORQUE to manage it... in a similar way as I understand it , servo motor has the capacity to maintain a constant speed regardless of the load on it (and obtain an ideal torque curve through many speeds) , so I can believe a 1 HP servo motor CAN outperform an ordinary 3 HP motor in a specific application

 

[John Hicks]

I was a bit hesitant to believe that, too......

My lack of knowledge of servo motors made me hold my tongue for others to reply......doesn't look like we've had any confirmation on it yet...

Maybe what we're getting is the ol' salesman's pitch.......!

-----odie-----

You'll get a good ol salesman's pitch from pretty much any manufacturer. It's like describing a pencil, but making it look like a rocket ship.

 

[Tom Lucas]

The T60 is one beautiful piece of equipment and I'll bet it'll turn whatever you throw at it. I'm sure Harvey could easily have stayed with a 3PH AC motor. Likewise, they wouldn't have switched to the servo if they didn't believe in it. Too much on the line for them to risk it. I have the G0766 and love it. But if buying today, It would probably be the T60.

 

[john lucas]

I can core a 22" diameter chunk of black oak (steel cutters on a oneway easy core), on my T60-S; With no bogging down. That servo motor is quit a torque monster.

Thanks Brian. That's what I'm looking for is actual owners who have used the lathe.

 

[robo hippy]

This is making me wonder if the servo motor is at least a little bit similar to the motor on the Nova DVR. I have only turned on them a few times, and was very pleasantly surprised at how much torque that little motor had. If I took heavy cuts, it still seemed to keep up. Now, I am thinking of a servo motor for a drill press......

The motor on my Hausfeld Campbell compressor is 6 hp. It is maybe 1/4 the size of the 4.5 hp Baldor motor on my Laguna 16HD bandsaw......

robo hippy

 

[Doug Freeman]

This is making me wonder if the servo motor is at least a little bit similar to the motor on the Nova DVR

I think they are significantly different technology. The DVR is AC switched reluctance if memory serves. Cant comment on comparison of dvr vs servo.

 

[Doug Freeman]

Here is a description of a switched reluctance (DVR) vs a stepper motor. A servo motor is the same as a stepper but has positional feedback.

How do switched reluctance motors differ from stepper motors

Switched reluctance motors operate by switching currents in the stator windings when the reluctance in the magnetic circuit changes.

www.motioncontroltips.com

My thoughts are: (comment to turning relevance)
> Servos excel at positioning (n/a)
> Servos have better speed control/consistency at slow rpm, below ~200 rpm or so (relevant for XL turning)
> Unsure of relevant torque capabilities at typical turning speeds, say 500 rpm and up

I tend to think the servo might bring some advantage at low rpm, relevant if you turn a lot of big stuff. At more typical turning speeds, I doubt there is any advanteage vs a VFD or switched reluctance power supply. As noted in the article, an advantage of switched reluctance is power/size density. My experience with vfd lathes suggests to me that the DVR does "out-torque" a similarly rated VFD/AC unit, but I have not been able to find any data to substantiate my impression, and have not found relevant data to compare servo type motors. I think it provides a good marketing strategy for Harvey, though!

Life experience tells me if there was a clear technical advantage to any of the 3, the data would be more accessible. All 3 work, with some strong points here or there, but certainly nothing conclusive pro or con. I have to say the relatively easy replacement of a vfd or motor vs the other 2 technologies are worth strong consideration. If my Galaxi DVR drive system dies there is a chance I'm the market for another lathe and not replacement parts, depending on the cause. To the positive side I haven't heard of many can't repair stories with the system, and I really like the how the lathe works.

 

[robo hippy]

I guess one more point, with that servo motor, they say the minimum speed is 60 rpm. I need close to 10 to 15 max rpm for sanding my warped bowls if I want the lathe to rotate while I am sanding. Any faster and I can't keep the abrasives on the wood while it spins. The Vicmark goes down to almost zero, which I like. I had my AB 'adjusted' with help from Brent, and it is right around 15 rpm, and for some of my more out of round pieces, that is almost too fast. Not sure if the DVR motor and the servo motors can be adjusted down. The 3520A would go way down to almost zero, but with the B they went up to 50 rpm as the automatic shut off speed. They told me they had done tests in their labs and that at those speeds I would fry my electronics and ruin my motor. The motor actually runs cooler than when I am turning. As near as I can tell, the motor is doing more work as a brake rather than a drive force.

robo hippy

 

[Doug Freeman]

Not sure if the DVR motor and the servo motors can be adjusted down. The 3520A would go way down to almost zero, but w

I do like your slow speed sanding routine, there are a lot of benefits to surface prep in being able to go that slow of rpm. The DVR will only go down to 100 rpm, and my discussion with Nova ended with no, no way to do it. I wont get into it here but I understand the reasons for it - engineering is about various compromises.

So, my compromise for sanding is to get very good at controlling power sanding while manually turning the spindle. It works, and I’m not nearly dissatisfied enough with that approach that I’m willing to turn loose of the cash for something like your Vic - Compromise!

 

[john lucas]

I simply shut off the lathe and use my index wheel to lock the lathe in various positions and use my drill and mandrels to sand out of round bowls or natural edge bowls.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

@Jon Minerich you might want to chime in here on your Harvey

 

[Jon Minerich]

Sure Gerald,
I had a Harvey T-40. It was the smoothest and most quiet lathe I ever had. The quality of the machine and the quick and easy pivoting headstock made turning bowls a pleasure. The servo motor was powerful and I never stalled it. If I remember correctly, I could slow the rpm down to 15-20. I would recommend it to anyone. I wanted something a bit bigger and heavier, so after getting some advice from Reed G. I replaced the Harvey with a Vicmarc VL 240 (with a pivoting headstock). A senior member of our local club snapped it up in a hurry and he owns multiple lathes including a big Oneway. He loves it. If I had room in my shop I would have kept the Harvey.
Jon

 

[John Hicks]

Yes, that servo motor on the Harvey will slow down to 20 rpm, probably even slower.

 

[robo hippy]

I did a video about an articulated arm that I use for sanding bowls. 2 sections. It allows me to rest my arm on it so all my arm and hand have to do is pull the trigger and rotate the drill a bit. With it, I can easily spin the bowl with the other hand. I have found that handy, especially with the lower grits. I wish some one would 'new and improve' it for me. Long term goal would be to have a flex shaft run off of a mini lathe. Then I could put discs on up to 6 or so inch diameter, if I ever turned some thing that big...

robo hippy

 

[Dwight West]

I can core a 22" diameter chunk of black oak (steel cutters on a oneway easy core), on my T60-S; With no bogging down. That servo motor is quit a torque monster.

Brand new turner here and about to pull trigger on T60 with extension bed. the initial emphasis on medium-large

 

[Dwight West]

Brand new turner here and about to pull trigger on T60 with extension bed. the initial emphasis on medium-large

You folks with with T60 still happy?

 

[Rusty Nesmith]

Brand new turner here and about to pull trigger on T60 with extension bed. the initial emphasis on medium-large

I don’t have the lathe but I do have a Harvey table saw. I am very happy with it. If I was buying a new lathe I would look serious at the T-60.