PM 2014 or Harvey t40 lathe choice

[Jack Gaskins]

Hello all. Been many a year since i posted any thing. I have a Delta 46-460 12" lathe that i am selling and want to get a replacement. I already have a PM 3520B that I've had for quite some time collecting dust due to no 240v power. I due plan on installing 240 over the winter to get the 3520 running. But, i still want a smaller lathe as well so after a lot of searching i have settled on either a PM1420 or a Harvey t40. I want to try my hand at turning bowls this time off either the end of the lathe or by swiveling the head to the side. Never tried either position so not sure which would be better. I dont really want to turn a bowl larger than 14 inches and if i ever do i will always had the 3520 to do that. One thing i like about both lathes is there speed ranges. The 1420 states really low end speeds and has the control box pendent which looks nice. The Harvey no pendent. Anybody have thoughts on either of these lathes? I have watched videos on the 1420 but there is not a lot of videos for average turners using the t40. Thanks for reading.

 

[Mike Novak]

I went to a 4 day class that had t40’s. I was very impressed. The fit and finish are clearly better than my 3520c and It’s MUCH quieter and smoother.

Compared to my 12” Jet, it makes the Jet look like a toy. It’s more robust in every way.

We were doing spindle work, so I did not move the head. Can’t comment on that.

The only downsides I noticed were the on switch. There is only one, and it’s fixed position. It’s also a weird 3 position with stop in the middle. A couple people in the class switched it into reverse when trying to stop. It reversed instantly unscrewing the chuck. I had to get used to using the speed control to start and stop.

 

[Richard Coers]

For some reason, that stepper motor on the Harvey scares me about the controller a decade down the road. The Powermatic has a special motor too with a really long shaft, but common controller. I have a Oneway, and still think that is the way to go.

 

[robo hippy]

I love my Vicmark 240. Pivoting headstock to 30 and 90 degrees, so I can stand up straight. The 90 degree setting would be for very large pieces. The accessory tool rest set up for it is rather awkward to move around. One thing that the Vic has that most other lathes don't have is 3 speed ranges, and a low end speed of almost zero in the low speed range. That comes in really handy for sanding my warped bowls. I keep it in mid speed range for 90% of the turning I do. Fast enough for smaller bowls and spindles, and enough torque for coring.

robo hippy

 

[Mike Novak]

For some reason, that stepper motor on the Harvey scares me about the controller a decade down the road. The Powermatic has a special motor too with a really long shaft, but common controller. I have a Oneway, and still think that is the way to go.

Might be worth asking what kind of servomotor and drive they use. Looks like standard industrial parts.

 

[Jack Gaskins]

I love my Vicmark 240. Pivoting headstock to 30 and 90 degrees, so I can stand up straight. The 90 degree setting would be for very large pieces. The accessory tool rest set up for it is rather awkward to move around. One thing that the Vic has that most other lathes don't have is 3 speed ranges, and a low end speed of almost zero in the low speed range. That comes in really handy for sanding my warped bowls. I keep it in mid speed range for 90% of the turning I do. Fast enough for smaller bowls and spindles, and enough torque for coring.

robo hippy

i looked at the vic 240 but price is just to much for me. The PM 1420 has three speed rages with low speeds of 15, 30 and 60 for each of the speed ranges. .

 

[Mike Drake]

When I recently shopping lathes in the same size range as the T-40, which I really like, I didn’t consider the impact of shipping. With the T-40 only shipping out of California, my shipping would have been in the $600 range. Cheaper than going out there to get it, but, being in the Midwest, there are 3 or 4 other brands within a 4 hour drive.

 

[Jack Gaskins]

Might be worth asking what kind of servomotor and drive they use. Looks like standard industrial parts.

I think the servo motor would be a standard in the machinery industry so there should be plenty of replacement parts down the road. I dont know, i keep going back to the powermatic due to the low speeds with three ranges it has. But i already have a powermatic so that is why i was also considering the Harvey t40.

 

[Larry Copas]

This month Fine Woodworking had a review of lathes in that size range. The author had some negative comments about the Harvey as compared to the others. Might be worth reading.

 

[Richard Coers]

I think the servo motor would be a standard in the machinery industry so there should be plenty of replacement parts down the road. I dont know, i keep going back to the powermatic due to the low speeds with three ranges it has. But i already have a powermatic so that is why i was also considering the Harvey t40.

It's the computer or controller that scares me more than the actual motor. Those are hardly standard in the industry.

 

[Jack Gaskins]

It's the computer or controller that scares me more than the actual motor. Those are hardly standard in the industry.

Thats why i took NOVA off my list. There are a few NOVAs on craigslist at good prices but they are all 15 years old. Dont know when that DVR is going to burn out with no replacements available.

 

[Jack Gaskins]

My Delta would only go down to 250 for low speed. Is there any advantages with the Powermatic's three speed ranges which each of the speed ranges having a very low speed? Ive never had the opportunity to turn at a speed lower than 250.

 

[Dwayne Watt]

One difference no one seems to mention on the T40 is the feature where you set the speed knob to zero and the motor holds zero speed. This is really handy for spot sanding. It is true that slamming the red stop button is not the way to operate the Harvey. This is a panic stop and the forward / reverse switch must then be set to neutral and the controller reset button pushed. You stop the Harvey by turning the speed knob to zero or moving the directional switch to neutral. Using the speed knob is the most correct method because the controller decelerates the motor in a controlled fashion. Going to neutral means the piece just spins down due to friction losses in the drive system. Minimum spindle speed readout is 30 RPM on the T40 but the lathe will operate slower than that. I have never used high range on my T40 because the low range goes up to ~2400 RPM and that is fast enough for anything I try to do.

 

[Dean Center]

But i already have a powermatic so that is why i was also considering the Harvey t40.

IMHO, having 2 lathes from the same manufacturer is a plus, rather than a negative. The knobs and controls and levers all operate the same way. If you have 2 different lathe brands, you'll constantly have to think about how things operate instead of what you're doing. For example, some people can't work with an older Nova chuck due to lefty tighty.

 

[Jack Gaskins]

One difference no one seems to mention on the T40 is the feature where you set the speed knob to zero and the motor holds zero speed. This is really handy for spot sanding. It is true that slamming the red stop button is not the way to operate the Harvey. This is a panic stop and the forward / reverse switch must then be set to neutral and the controller reset button pushed. You stop the Harvey by turning the speed knob to zero or moving the directional switch to neutral. Using the speed knob is the most correct method because the controller decelerates the motor in a controlled fashion. Going to neutral means the piece just spins down due to friction losses in the drive system. Minimum spindle speed readout is 30 RPM on the T40 but the lathe will operate slower than that. I have never used high range on my T40 because the low range goes up to ~2400 RPM and that is fast enough for anything I try to do.

One thing that kinda bugs me about the t40 is where the controls are located like it is on my delta, never liked them on top and back of the headstock. Have you found this to be a hinderance? Have you turned any outboard on the harvey?

 

[Dwayne Watt]

I have hollowed a couple items with the headstock turned ~45 degrees. The stock banjo worked well enough in those cases. I also have the outboard tool rest support but have never used it for anything but a tool holder. (full disclosure...I received a coupon from Harvey so I got this accessory for almost nothing at the time).
The position of the controls hasn't been a bother for me. Locations are a muscle memory thing, but it is not really all that different than owing different models of lathes from a single manufacturer. The controls might be similar but not necessarily the same.

 

[Richard Coers]

Harvey didn't get a very good review in the new Fine Woodworking Tools and Shops edition. Criticized the electronics and motor for using up a lot of room and getting in the way during use. Said the electronics are the most complex the reviewer had ever seen. Also so much grease on the machine in the crate it took several applications of solvent to get it clean. Oneway and Robust were best overall in the $2,000+ category, and Delta and Rikon were best overall in the under $1,300 category.

 

[Jack Gaskins]

Harvey didn't get a very good review in the new Fine Woodworking Tools and Shops edition. Criticized the electronics and motor for using up a lot of room and getting in the way during use. Said the electronics are the most complex the reviewer had ever seen. Also so much grease on the machine in the crate it took several applications of solvent to get it clean. Oneway and Robust were best overall in the $2,000+ category, and Delta and Rikon were best overall in the under $1,300 category.

i read that artical. I was as helpful as having a mime give you directions!!! Waste of an article and very subjective.

 

[Larry Mitchell]

When I recently shopping lathes in the same size range as the T-40, which I really like, I didn’t consider the impact of shipping. With the T-40 only shipping out of California, my shipping would have been in the $600 range. Cheaper than going out there to get it, but, being in the Midwest, there are 3 or 4 other brands within a 4 hour drive.

Bought/received my T40 two years ago. UPS Freight Liftgate delivery to my door in North Arkansas from California was $279. Your $600 quote is WAY out of line…lathe on Sale until Thanksgiving evening with flat rate shipping at $349 to lower 48.

 

[Mike Drake]

Bought/received my T40 two years ago. UPS Freight Liftgate delivery to my door in North Arkansas from California was $279. Your $600 quote is WAY out of line…lathe on Sale until Thanksgiving evening with flat rate shipping at $349 to lower 48.

Checked again today, T40 with legs, shipping $579. Maybe the legs are kicking it up.

 

[Larry Mitchell]

Hadn’t considered the legs adding to freight cost as I didn’t want/need them…oooops!

 

[john lucas]

I know 2 people who purchased the larger Harvey lathes abd they have nothing but good replies about those lathes. They do have different electronics but the so dies Nova and quite honestly rather VFD's are pretty complicated.

 

[Dwayne Watt]

It may be worth a call to Harvey regarding shipping cost. Everything comes on one pallet but the cost is probably calculated automatically by weight for LTL shipping. I just looked and the legs added over $200 to the shipping price. That said, the legs are worth having on this lathe if for no other reason than to add cast iron mass. It is not really a bench top lathe IMHO.