I've been looking at the Nova Neptune and the Harvey T40 lathes, as I'm looking for a new lathe. Both have similar features that fulfill what I am looking for. I would like to see if anyone can offer some feedback from actual use of these two lathes. The Nova has a one & a half hp motor while the Harvey is only a 1 hp servo motor, and the Nova is a direct drive (no belts). Both say they respond quickly to changing loads to maintain turning speed. If you've used both of these lathes or either one of them, I would appreciate your comments on your experience.
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Nova Neptune vs Harvey T40
- Thread starter Monte Richard
- Start date
The Nova Neptune could replace every lathe in my shop. This is the Midi lathe that should be the standard. First as mentioned 1.5 HP but if you put a 220 V plug on it the lathe knows it and with 220 V you are now about 1.75 HP (they don't say that). The head rotates through 360° with several indents and also slides. 15" over the bed and with the Outrigger will turn 20". 4" tail stock that is super smooth. I have had my Nova DVR3000 for way over 20 years and the Neptune has the same basic motor. I have had no problems with the buttons on the DVR and expect the same of the Neptune. The 10 year warranty on the motor and 5 years on the electronics is nice. 1 1/4" spindle and 1" tool rest. I really like this lathe.
Thanks Bill, I appreciate your comments. I'm impressed with both lathes, but especially the Nova. Since the neptune is fairly new, I haven't seen much user info on it. The warranty does seem to show they stand behind it and have confidence in it.
@Jamie Straw has the Harvey and might be able to give you an evaluation.
Thanks Darren, I’ll see if I can check with Jamie Straw.
I have a 6 year old Nova Galaxy and the Neptune seems to be a replacement for it as the new Galaxy has a flimsier base.
The "headworks" are similar and one thing I like about it is that there are 8 set speeds at the push of a button, as well as a variable speed knob. You don't have to faff around twiddling a knob until you get to the speed you want.
The "headworks" are similar and one thing I like about it is that there are 8 set speeds at the push of a button, as well as a variable speed knob. You don't have to faff around twiddling a knob until you get to the speed you want.
Thanks Graham. As I understand it, the eight speed settings are programmable, so you can set them to the speeds you choose?
One feature on my Galaxi that l really like is the speed is displayed before you push the on button. One feature that was a constant annoyance was the banjo. I was constantly adjusting the lock down tension until l replaced it with a Oneway banjo about a year ago. I spent a week this past summer on a Robust AB. That is a great lathe; however l don't feel I'm giving up anything with my Nova. The tilt away is nice, but l have no problem handling the tail stock (some may). I use my spindle lock quite a bit. I never did get adjusted to the AB's lock. Obviously this doesn't compare Nova vs Harvy. It's more Chevy vs Cadillac. I'm very happy driving my Nova.
Yes, the speed presets are set by the user (like a car radio).
(It is the Nebula that's intended to replace the Galaxi. The Neptune is smaller)
Thanks for the review Bill.
The Neptune is essentially the 1624 replacement. The Nebule is the new flagship where the Galaxi use to be that.
Not sure on the Harvey, but after going to a rotating headstock, I'll never have a lathe without one again. Being able to use the stock banjo and rotate the headstock 20ish degrees for bowls and hollowing is great. No more leaning over a bed or having to take a tailstock off because it's interfering with your tool.
The Neptune is essentially the 1624 replacement. The Nebule is the new flagship where the Galaxi use to be that.
Not sure on the Harvey, but after going to a rotating headstock, I'll never have a lathe without one again. Being able to use the stock banjo and rotate the headstock 20ish degrees for bowls and hollowing is great. No more leaning over a bed or having to take a tailstock off because it's interfering with your tool.
Rich, both have the rotating head. One of the features I really want, exactly for the reason you stated.
Really, really happy with the Harvey T-40 lathe. I bought it used, a little beat up comsmetically, but runs like a top. See Tomaslav Tamasic's video for his review. He later moved it out because the servo motor was picking up on his video recordings, but he made a new video stating why he moved it and reiterating how good the build is on the lathe. Here are some more tidbits:
- The T-40 is a 14-24 lathe, they make a bigger one; mine is sold as a "benchtop" lathe, but it came with the nice big cast iron legs
- Weight of lathe bed is 176 pounds; legs add another ~180 pounds; outboard tool support, perhaps another 20
- It's been rock solid. A very unbalanced heavy maple bowl in the Oneway Stronghold chuck I was turning at home could go no faster on a Powermatc 3520 than it could on the Harvey
- The servo motor demands your attention -- it is not soft-start -- but it is super responsive when the load changes. Best get in the habit of turning the speed all the way down before turning on the lathe with heavier stock. The folks in the Metalworking Studio at our facility swear by servo motors for their durability.
- See Tomasic's video for lots of detail, but one feature I really, really like is how slow it will go in the lower belt setting (top end 2800 RPM; stated low end is 60, but mine will go down to 16 (yes, sixteen) RPM, which is great for some sanding activities.
- Once it was leveled, and left to rest for awhile, the centers lined up perfectly. Plenty of power and beefy as heck.
- Everything I've heard and read indicates Harvey's customer service is excellent (extra parts, questions, etc.)
- Caveat: The controls are on top of the headstock. I actually like this, took no time to get accustomed, but it's too easy to switch from forward to reverse, so I'll be making a removable stop-bracket for when there's a bowl on the lathe.
I will add to Jamie's list of information. It is a great practice to use the speed knob to stop the rotation. The rate of deceleration is controlled by the servo motor. Using the forward/neutral/reverse switch to stop/start the lathe is poor practice in my opinion. The big red knob on the the T-40 is an emergency stop. You. must reset the lathe controls if you hit the big red button. The reset button is also used when one overloads the motor. I tend to turn very aggressively when roughing out and there is an excellent torque rise (allegedly 300% which is possible with a servo motor). However, operate at that condition for too long and there is a time delayed current cut out that requires a controls reset (blue button on top of my lathe). I tend to find that spot quite frequently on larger diameter pieces.
Also, turning the speed knob to zero hold the piece at zero rpm. It is not as solid a the spindle lock but is a great feature when sanding. Increasing speed from zero to some target speed will result in a controlled acceleration. It is faster acceleration than some other types of lathes, but certainly is a soft start unless you start by using the FNR switch. You must place the F-N-R switch in neutral to rotate the spindle by hand. The controls operation becomes second nature after a short bit of use.
If you have the bed extension that adds at least another 50 pounds to the lathe. I added this so I would not have to slide the tailstock on / off.
And, Yes, the lathe will spin at less than 10 rpm all day long. The speed readout limits out at 30 RPM on my T-40.
Also, turning the speed knob to zero hold the piece at zero rpm. It is not as solid a the spindle lock but is a great feature when sanding. Increasing speed from zero to some target speed will result in a controlled acceleration. It is faster acceleration than some other types of lathes, but certainly is a soft start unless you start by using the FNR switch. You must place the F-N-R switch in neutral to rotate the spindle by hand. The controls operation becomes second nature after a short bit of use.
If you have the bed extension that adds at least another 50 pounds to the lathe. I added this so I would not have to slide the tailstock on / off.
And, Yes, the lathe will spin at less than 10 rpm all day long. The speed readout limits out at 30 RPM on my T-40.
Thanks for the review. I looked pretty hard at the T-40, but I wanted an 18" swing. The T-60 was more than I wanted to spend.
I get it.
I was willing to compromise since in the occasional event more capacity is needed, we have the Powermatic Lathes in Studio. Remodeling my shop took all of the madmoney I could have used for my own PM lathe, but most of my bowl turning can be done on the Harvey, even those up to 15" with clever banjo positioning. Have also used the outboard feature some, but not extensively.Thanks all. Some really great information.
Dwayne, did your T-40 accommodate 1" tool posts? I had to get the banjo reamed out a bit, and noticed yesterday that the holes in the outboard "banjo" are also undersized.
1” tool rests fit perfectly. I have the original plus aftermarket (Robust) tool rests). Perhaps there was paint or excess rust preventative on the ID of your tool holders.
I took the plunge, bought a Nova Neptune lathe. Drove 230 miles on Monday to see a display model, spoke to two of the wood turning instructors at the store, and came home with a brand new one in the box. Spent all day Tuesday setting up my support table, cleaning up my lathe area, and setting up the lathe. Wednesday (today), I had to install a display shelf I had sold back in July, so I didn't get to play with my new lathe until this evening. While my time on it so far is limited, and I still have some learning to do on the control system, I'm very impressed. Moving up to this from a Central Machinery lathe, I am overwhelmed on how much easier turning is when you're turning at the correct rpm. No more belts to worry about, the proper turning speed is just a twist of the knob away. The lathe doesn't bog down or lose power as the cutting load changes, the response is so instantaneous I don't even notice any change. The digital RPM read out will vary only 2-3 rpm. A little more time learning to program the 4 preset speed settings and learning about the other functions available and I'll be ready to really dive in. I can already tell that this lathe is going to serve me well for a long time.