• July 2025 Turning Challenge: Turn a Multi-axis Weed Pot! (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Bobby McCarly for "Hemostatmorphodon" being selected as Turning of the Week for July 7, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Looking to purchase a Lathe

Jeff Walters

Jeff Walters

Joined
Feb 19, 2013
Messages
21
Likes
4
Location
Troy, MI
Website
www.cbjeff.com
I am saving to purchase a new lathe and was hoping members can help me with some questions. It might be early next year before I can pull the trigger but I am one for lots of research. I am looking at the following, Laguna 1836 or 2436 and Grizzly GO733 or GO766.

All lathes have good reviews with them however I have been hearing of some complaints for the lathes lately. I have never owned a Laguna but I did have a Grizzly GO632 that I was just not crazy about so I sold it. The complaints on the Grizzly’s are a few years old.

So if anyone has purchased any of these lathes in the last couple of years, can you tell me how your experience has been.

Thank You,
Jeff
 
Jeff, I can only speak to the Griz G0766 having owned one for 3+ years. Many Grizzly haters out there but that machine was very good to me and handled everything I've thrown at it. Because of some back & neck issues I've recently upgraded to a swivel head Vicmarc VL240 so The Griz is sitting on the sidelines. The only features about the Griz that would really make it better are improved spindle lock & maybe a remote pendant. I did have to replace the potentiometer early on but that's the only issue I've had with the machine in the time I've owned it.
 
I'm living in Europe so we have other brands here. What do you want in a lathe? variable speed, bed hight of moveable head to turn bigger bowls etc, strong motor, bed length, all these things i would be looking for.
My lathe has 8 speed with a v-belt change every speed. 50 cm is maximum diameter, 20 inches, bed lenghth is super, 2.2 meters max turning length, it has many accesoires, copy slead with very large bearings that supports a 4 jaw steady rest.
So there would be some improvements but i'm happy with it, 350 kg stable machine.
 
Is looking at Powermatics out of your search? I have a 3520C and love it. Maybe find a used (B or C) one for less $$ as I've noticed new prices have gone up considerably.
 
My biggest concern on the low end units in that size category is what's under the hood. You don't get the same bearing designs and durability you get with the medium and high end. My Oneway is heading for it's 22nd birthday with all original parts.
 
Peter Ramaekers said:
I'm living in Europe so we have other brands here. What do you want in a lathe? variable speed, bed hight of moveable head to turn bigger bowls etc, strong motor, bed length, all these things i would be looking for.
My lathe has 8 speed with a v-belt change every speed. 50 cm is maximum diameter, 20 inches, bed lenghth is super, 2.2 meters max turning length, it has many accesoires, copy slead with very large bearings that supports a 4 jaw steady rest.
So there would be some improvements but i'm happy with it, 350 kg stable machine.
Click to expand...
Hi Peter,
Presently I am using a Nova DVR XP. So I still want electronic variable speed, Wider bed width (the older nova’s have a narrow bed). Minimum 18” swing and 36” length. The reason I am looking at the lathes I mentioned are quality and price.
Jeff
 
John Walls said:
Is looking at Powermatics out of your search? I have a 3520C and love it. Maybe find a used (B or C) one for less $$ as I've noticed new prices have gone up considerably.
Click to expand...
Hi John,
I have not yet found a used Powermatic in my area that is less then 3K. There was one on FB Marketplace but it got nabbed within 5 minutes of posting.
Jeff
 
Dave Delo said:
Jeff, I can only speak to the Griz G0766 having owned one for 3+ years. Many Grizzly haters out there but that machine was very good to me and handled everything I've thrown at it. Because of some back & neck issues I've recently upgraded to a swivel head Vicmarc VL240 so The Griz is sitting on the sidelines. The only features about the Griz that would really make it better are improved spindle lock & maybe a remote pendant. I did have to replace the potentiometer early on but that's the only issue I've had with the machine in the time I've owned it.
Click to expand...
Hi Dave,
I have read a lot of good reviews for the GO766 and GO733. I know they used to have an issue with the tool rest post not being 1” but I believe they resolve it. Not sure if the tail stock slides off the end of the bed ways or not. That is something I would want as my GO632 required me to remove a nut to do that.
Jeff
 
Jeff Walters said:
Hi Peter,
Presently I am using a Nova DVR XP. So I still want electronic variable speed, Wider bed width (the older nova’s have a narrow bed). Minimum 18” swing and 36” length. The reason I am looking at the lathes I mentioned are quality and price.
Jeff
Click to expand...
Hi Jeff,
My lathe i found on a website called www.machineseeker.com


Maybe something for you if you have some time.
 
Now that you mention it, taking off or putting back on the tailstock or banjo took a little effort adjusting just how much male thread was sticking out from the nut. I just filed down the casting the width of the screw (maybe 1/16") to make it easy peasy to get on/off. Not a big deal to me but every now and then I needed to tighten the nut a quarter turn or so the tailstock or banjo would be rock solid tight.
 
You could search some of the Estate sales for woodworking equipment, there is a growing number of baby-boomers that are heading off to
retirement, many are moving to warmer climate, and many are heading towards retirement homes. If you are lucky, you can make a package
deal for the lathe and accessories which will save you money in the long run. You can always sell off the items you don't want or need and
pay down on your investment. If you can find an old iron lathe with a 3-phase motor you can easily add a VFD and power the machine with
120V or 240V that you have in your home.
 
I own a G0766. Bought it about 4 years ago. Not one problem with it so far. The tool rest is 1". You can easily remove the tailstock by leaving out the safety bolt at the end of the lathe. No issues with the potentiometer thus far. The banjo design is OK, but you have to order tool rests with longer posts due to the short collar. Not a big deal. I have 6 robust tool rests special ordered with the longer posts. Robust made them at no extra cost and I received each one within about a week of ordering. Some have added a remote pendant control. Seems like a fairly easy mod. to make. The G0766 is a lot of lathe for the money. For a hobbiest, it may be all the lathe you'll ever need. Now if you plan to make a lot of turnings for selling purposes, I'd probably look at the higher end lathes.
 
Jeff Walters said:
I am saving to purchase a new lathe and was hoping members can help me with some questions. It might be early next year before I can pull the trigger but I am one for lots of research. I am looking at the following, Laguna 1836 or 2436 and Grizzly GO733 or GO766.

All lathes have good reviews with them however I have been hearing of some complaints for the lathes lately. I have never owned a Laguna but I did have a Grizzly GO632 that I was just not crazy about so I sold it. The complaints on the Grizzly’s are a few years old.

So if anyone has purchased any of these lathes in the last couple of years, can you tell me how your experience has been.

Thank You,
Jeff
Click to expand...
Hi Jeff, Have you considered a Robust Lathe? Made in the USA! The "Cadillac" of lathes...
 
I have a grizzly GO0632Z and it's kind of terrible. The bottom of the headstock looks like it was "machined" flat with a machete and it had about a 1/16" lump in the middle so the whole head would roll around and I could never get the head and tailstock lined up. Overall it works ok, but it has a persistent wobble. Even with nothing chucked up in the lathe, I can't really get it above 700 rpm without the whole thing shaking. I have a few other grizzly tools that are sort of the same level of production, and I won't buy any more. Sometimes a good deal isn't worth it. And the lathe wasn't even all that cheap.
 
Isaac Davis said:
I have a grizzly GO0632Z and it's kind of terrible. The bottom of the headstock looks like it was "machined" flat with a machete and it had about a 1/16" lump in the middle so the whole head would roll around and I could never get the head and tailstock lined up. Overall it works ok, but it has a persistent wobble. Even with nothing chucked up in the lathe, I can't really get it above 700 rpm without the whole thing shaking. I have a few other grizzly tools that are sort of the same level of production, and I won't buy any more. Sometimes a good deal isn't worth it. And the lathe wasn't even all that cheap.
Click to expand...
Hi Isaac,
I had the GO632 before and had issues with it which is why I was asking about the 733 or 766. I am not sure what divergence there is in the 632Z but it sounds like they haven’t made much improvement in that model.
Jeff
 
Have been turning on my 1836 for three years and have not had any issues. The 2 hp/220v motor has done all I have asked of it. I added the swing-away extension for parking the tailstock, as I like to turn off the end for bowl interiors. For the cost I am well satisfied with the capabilities of the machine. Do I want a "Cadillac"? Yes I want an AB.
 
Have you considered a Nova Galaxi? Its longer and heavier vs the XP. The HS slides as well as pivots. Pivot HS’s are hard to give up once used to the ergonomic advantages. I think the motor is the same, but has a 2-stage rotary speed adj knob as well as 8 speed presets. 16x44, and the bolt on outrigger works very well, has a 29” swing.

The G0766 would be the Grizzly choice. The other Grizzly lathes mentioned are much older designs with older design drive systems, as well as several other design differences.
 
I have a couple of friends with Galaxy lathes so I have looked at them. They are not ruled out yet however if I upgrade, moving to a 18” swing would be nice and I do not have to replace all my tool rest and other devices designed for 16”-18”.
 
Your tool rests dont fit the Galaxi?

I reckon you have turned on the friends Galaxies. Where does it fall short, other than the desire for more swing? Nova has announced the Nebula (18x44?) at the AAW Symposium, but it doesnt seem to be available yet.

If you are not a big fan of a pivot HS (I am), the griz g0766 or Laguna 18x36 you mentioned are the most likely candidates @$3k.

Regardless of brand etc, I encourage you to write out an extensive list of what you want and put a rating (1-10 or something) for each lathe, as well as a priority rating for each feature. It may take some time and you may play with the numbers back and forth, but the exercise makes you think through it more objectively and determine importance to you (each of us would have different scores for each lathe).

Would your existing XP meet your needs if it was a lot heavier?
Bed extension is available to get the length. Just some thoughts.
 
Last edited:
I have never owned or turned on a Grizzly lathe. I doubt I ever will own one after reading the Equipment failure post in the Woodturning safety forum. I have owned the Laguna 18-38 for about two years. The lathe is OK, but I had small things like switches, relays and other electronic components that needed replaced. I was always able to turn, just sometime need to play with the switch to get it on or didn’t have speed output display. Their CS was fine in all my dealings with them. Cons: The lathe need extra weigh on the legs for better stability, floor to spindle height was a bit low for me, speed knob was easily bumped, no remote pendant. Pros: The leg splay was fairly wide making the lathe stable, you could add their end extension allowing 32” diameter turning, easy to assemble. 2 hp motor provided enough power, their vacuum adapter. Neutral: I did not like the steel ways all that much, they seemed scratchy, banjo tool rest clamp, tailstock swing away.

After I finally got things right on the Laguna I decided to sell it and get a Robust AB. I must say I have no regrets or problems with the AB.

I have never turned on the Jet 1840, but if I were looking today at a lathe in the $3K price range it would be very high on my list. It has a 5 year warranty.
 
Doug Freeman said:
Your tool rests dont fit the Galaxi?

I reckon you have turned on the friends Galaxies. Where does it fall short, other than the desire for more swing? Nova has announced the Nebula (18x44?) at the AAW Symposium, but it doesnt seem to be available yet.

If you are not a big fan of a pivot HS (I am), the griz g0766 or Laguna 18x36 you mentioned are the most likely candidates @$3k.

Regardless of brand etc, I encourage you to write out an extensive list of what you want and put a rating (1-10 or something) for each lathe, as well as a priority rating for each feature. It may take some time and you may play with the numbers back and forth, but the exercise makes you think through it more objectively and determine importance to you (each of us would have different scores for each lathe).

Would your existing XP meet your needs if it was a lot heavier?
Bed extension is available to get the length. Just some thoughts.
Click to expand...
Hi Doug,
I have indeed turned on a galaxy lathe. They are great however I would like to move up to a 18” swing and that is the primary reason I am not yet considering it. They used to make one with a 18” swing but it is no longer available. Weight is not a problem with my XP as I have a hundred pounds of weight added to it. I just want to get to more swing and a full size bedway (not the narrow one like the XP).
Jeff
 
Another Laguna 18/36 owner here. I’ve had it for about 3 years now and have been very happy. To be honest, I haven’t really pushed it but I haven’t had any issues with it.
 
I recently bought a Record Power Coronet Herald and am happy with it. The RPCH lathe is smaller than what you are considering, but they do make larger ones which might fit your needs and budget. The Envoy might be one model to look at.
 
The two lathes that for myself I would not consider are Laguna and Grizzly. Not because they are bad lathes but because in Laguna's case bad customer relations (they have improved but I still see people with problems not being taken care of). As for Grizzly when you buy one of theirs you are signing on as a mechanic for them, to fix what goes wrong (2 of my students found that out). I could have any lathe I want and the only question my wife would ask is "you already have 9 in your shop where are you going to put it?". I do not like steel bedded lathes so all mine are cast iron. My go to answer when someone asks which lathe I tell them to buy your last lathe first!
 
I have had my Grizzly G0766 for nearly a year and have been extremely happy with it. Compared to my pervious Nova 1624-44, it is an absolute beast. I bought it used for $1500 and haven't seen anything remotely close to it for value in a 20"+ late with 3hp, 220v and VFD. I like the fact that I can easily replace the motor or VFD with generic parts if needed. The banjo could be better and I may buy a Robust banjo in the future. If you are spending 3k+ there are many better options, but the G0766 works great for me.
 
As most of us forum members, I've read a great many threads asking what lathe to buy or what are your thoughts on this or that lathe choice. The Grizzly and Laguna lathes have strongly negative responses and strongly positive responses. I've pondered why this would be. Recently, it occurred to me that the general design of lower priced lathes is probably aimed at what turners are looking for, and work out OK. But to make them low cost, some of the parts are lower quality OR the manufacturer is skimping on quality control. Or both. That would mean the lathes would function well for those buyers who got lucky and got those parts that turned out well. The unlucky buyers who got defective parts that had slipped past quality control, end up having problems and being unhappy. It's more of a roll of the dice than when spending twice as much on a lathe with better made components and quality control.

Ultimately, it's up to each of us who has a limited budget to decide what risks we're willing to take. Is it worth a 20% chance of a lemon to save half the cost? Is it tolerable to buy a dusty, dirty, chipped used lathe, or is the pride of ownership of a shiny, spanking new one worth the chance of problems?

If we decide we're going to roll the dice and get a new but lower cost lathe, then the ability or track record of the maker or seller in providing support becomes really, really important. You're not likely to need support if you buy a Oneway or Robust, but you may with a Jet or Powermatic, and you probably will with a Laguna or Grizzly.
 
Grizzly sells 12+ models of lathes. With research and careful examination it's easy to see that the quality of some of them may not be so good. No other manufacturer even comes close to offering so many choices. Of course with so many choices comes the expected variability in quality commensurate with the price. However, on the upper end of the price range, Grizzly's lathes are pretty decent. It's completely unfair to categorized all Grizzly lathes as subpar. Too many users are getting great service from them. Further, from what I can tell, Grizzly is pretty good about standing behind their products. Maybe not as good as Robust or Oneway might do, but then again I'll bet Grizzly has to answer to a customer base many times larger than those manufacturers. It's much easier to service a few customers than it is thousands. Also, when you are spending $8K vs. $3K one would certainly expect premium service.

If the only way to own a "good" lathe is to spend $5K or more , I would never be able to own one. I suspect many of us are in that situation. Thus, we look for something that is "good enough". That is Grizzly, Laguna, Jet, Rikon, Delta, and others. They are all about the same, each with an occasional lemon. But all likely fit the needs of a hobbyist.

As for the G0766, search out owners that have it. Most are happy with the lathe. The early models had some design quirks that Grizzly remedied in later offerings. They reset the post diameter to 1" and upgraded the banjo significantly are two examples. It shows that they are listening and trying to improve their products.
 
Last edited:
Thank you everyone for you thoughts, opinions and advice. As I said it may be a year before I can afford to purchase one, unless a used lathe comes up, but I have a lot more information to work with. When the time come I will post what my decision and purchase was.
Jeff
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top