New Nova Neptune

[Mike Goetzke]

I just saw this last week. I'm looking to downsize from my 3520B to save shop space (plus I don't use a lathe of this caliber as much as I should). Does this look decent? I would like the MAX model for larger between center distance but without the leg set but they won't sell it that way (I want to put this on a mobile cabinet). They suggest get the basic model and add the extension but then it won't be much shorter than my 3520B without it's extension. I probably can come out many $ ahead with the Nova by selling the 3520B and accessories that I really never use.

Any help on this move appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Jim Reynolds]

The Chicago area woodturning clubs will help you sell your 3520B. I know that is is a popular model with many of the members.

 

[Mike Goetzke]

The Chicago area woodturning clubs will help you sell your 3520B. I know that is is a popular model with many of the members.

Thanks - For a few years I was a member of the Illiana Woodturners. When I'm ready I'll take your suggestion. When I started turning back then I loaded up on toys for my lathe but after few years lost interest. I have too many hobbies! Was looking, I also have a new Oneway Easy-Core, like new Carter bowl steady, and a slightly used Kobra hollower all of which may not fit the Nova lathe (or any midi-lathe).

 

[Mark Jundanian]

In addition to Illiana, there is slso Windy City Woodturners and Chicago Woodturners.

I think @Bill Blasic has a Neptune. Maybe he'll comment.

Are you attending the symposium in Raleigh? Nova/Tecnatools is supposed to be exhibiting.

 

[Doug Freeman]

The Neptune looks more than decent for a midi size, and would be my choice in that size range, but I’m horribly jaded in my opinion. I’ve had a Nova Galaxi for ~8 years. The DVR motor and control are outstanding, as is the pivoting HS - I don’t want a lathe without a pivot design. The rest of the lathe works just fine, does everything a “rest of the lathe” needs to do.

 

[Gene Stiefel]

I’m a novice turner, took a class at the local community college fall of 2024. In the class I had hands on to Jet full size and Rikon midi lathes. Got hooked and after doing my review of what was available purchased the Nova Neptune, which I’ve had for over a year now. I’m in a garage shop and have a number of machinery , did flat work for years. No room for a full size lathe, the Neptune hit the spot. No belts, pivoting headstock, solidly built with a great motor. Doing mostly bowl turning and very happy with my choice.

 

[David Hering]

Hi Mike, I am new here but I have been on the Pen Turning group IAP for many years. I bought a Neptune in Jan 2025 and have used it only for making pens and bottle stoppers at this point. I really like the full speed range of 100 to 4,000 RPM without changing a belt. It is honestly overkill for for what I have been doing so far, but I hope to do some bowl turning, etc. in the future. I have been very pleased with it so far with no problems. However, there were a couple of cosmetic items that I have had to deal with and that is it came with a few paint chips that was disappointing, especially given their premium price. They did send me some touch-up paint which was good to take care of the chips. The other item still not resolved after several emails is that the knob that locks the spindle is labeled such that the "locked" and "unlocked" lettering doesn't match the actual position of the knob. I asked for a sticker that I could place on it to correct this, but they have yet to send me one as promised. I admit I haven't followed up on this in about a year, however, If I were them, I'd be embarrassed about this oversight and want to proactively correct this. Overall, I'm very pleased with the functionality, but still these cosmetic items are annoying, especially given the premium pricing. David

 

[Odie]

The DVR motor and control are outstanding, as is the pivoting HS - I don’t want a lathe without a pivot design. The rest of the lathe works just fine, does everything a “rest of the lathe” needs to do.

After having a Vicmarc VL240 lathe for the better part of a year, I've solidly confirmed my long-held beliefs that a pivoting HS is more than just a convenience......it's now becoming an absolute necessity!

The one major difference in a pivoting HS, is you stay in the same place....your setup stays in the same place.....and your lighting stays in the same place.

This is definitely a win-win for a bowl turner like me!

=o=

 

[Lou Currier]

We bought 2 Neptunes for our club training room using the club discount program and they perform well. The swing is decent so you can do bigger projects, it has a 1 1/8 TPI on the headstock and it is very sturdy with no slop in the tailstock. Nova customer service has been fantastic as well. Our club participates in the club discount program that offers 20% off. They have a 2-tier program so if your club doesn't want to share their email list you can designated a club contact that works directly with Nova to submit your members' orders directly and then they bill and ship to the customer. PM me if you want more info. We are fortunate to have the company a little over an hour away.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

We are fortunate to have the company a little over an hour away.

Lou, the USA division of Nova/Technatool went into chapter 11 bankruptcy a year or two ago. I was under the impression that they had closed their facilities in the US and were strictly working out of their New Zealand headquarters. Do they still have a presence in Florida?

 

[Jim Reynolds]

Lou, the USA division of Nova/Technatool went into chapter 11 bankruptcy a year or two ago. I was under the impression that they had closed their facilities in the US and were strictly working out of their New Zealand headquarters. Do they still have a presence in Florida?

The Badger Woodturners from Madison, WI are participating in the same club discount program that Lou mentioned. I am uncertain of the how, but somehow Nova/Techatool has been reanimated in FL.

Below is a screen capture of the members only section of the Badger Woodturners Members Only page about this program.



The dues are $25ish and they Zoom their meetings.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

That's a good deal.

 

[Lou Currier]

Lou, the USA division of Nova/Technatool went into chapter 11 bankruptcy a year or two ago. I was under the impression that they had closed their facilities in the US and were strictly working out of their New Zealand headquarters. Do they still have a presence in Florida?

This was her last email about the new club program...

Dear Club Presidents and Point Persons,
Please find attached the updated stock list for April.
If you have any questions or need anything further, feel free to reach out.
A quick update and optional program to consider:
We are happy to continue with the current ordering process, especially since several clubs prefer not to share member information, and that remains fully supported.
However, I wanted to share a new option that two of our partner clubs are currently using:

• Clubs are provided with a unique website discount code
• Members can enter this code at checkout on our website to receive their club discount of 20% off
• The code only works for members whose email addresses have been shared with us and added to our backend system

To keep everything running smoothly, the only light administrative upkeep for point persons would be to send us an updated Excel file of member email addresses when there are changes in club membership. This allows us to quickly copy and paste updates into our system to add new members and remove departing ones, ensuring the discount list stays accurate and secure.
This structure helps maintain the exclusivity of the discount while also protecting against unauthorized use of the code.
If any clubs are interested in switching to this model, please reach out and we can set it up.
One additional benefit of using the discount code system is that club members would also have access to our Affirm payment option, which allows customers to split their payments into more manageable installments.
*Disclaimer: Email addresses provided are used solely for the purpose described above, specifically to verify club membership and apply the applicable discount. They are not used for any unrelated marketing or third-party distribution. If members would like to stay informed about NOVA news, product releases, and promotions, they are welcome to subscribe to our newsletter or follow us on our social media channels.
Looking forward to your thoughts.
Best regards,
Sabrina

SABRINA LATIMER

Marketing Executive