Powermatic 3520c question

[Chris Chartier]

I’m about to pull the trigger soon on my first lathe. I’m currently decided on the Powermatic 3520c.

Does anyone know the difference between the anniversary edition and the regular? There’s a few hundred dollar price difference. Is there anything different between them other than the color?

 

[Daniel Henry]

I bought a 3520c last year. Except for the paint scheme they appear to be the same machine.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Woodturners Wonders has a deal that the anniv. edition comes with a lamp and floor mat. Not sure how their price compares with others. I’d stick with the regular version. I have one and kind of like the mustard color.

 

[Lou Jacobs]

Unless I’m missing something, it looks like the anniversary edition may actually be cheaper. On Craft Supplies site the anniversary is listed as $5400, the regular one as $5520. Both come with the light and floor mat. You pay them extra for shipping, but get $120 of store credit. WW’s price is also $5400 for the anniversary edition, but looks like they pay the shipping charge. Good luck with figuring it out. Whichever way you go, you’ll love the machine!

 

[hockenbery]

I’m about to pull the trigger soon on my first lathe. I’m currently decided on the Powermatic 3520c.

Just a thought. The Jet 1840 is $2K less around $3300. They have sales a couple times a year.
It is white - a great background color for turning.

That leaves 2k to spend on classes. Go to a Trent Bosch course, Jerry Kermode workshop, craft supplies, Anderson Ranch……
The knowledge, skills, ideas, and confidence you bring home from a class will make you a happier and more productive turner.

Unless you want to turn really big pieces ( then you would want a ONEWAY) the 1840 will do it all for you.

 

[Kevin Jesequel]

You just missed a 10% off sale on the anniversary edition (ended 2/14). I bought one last month, before the sale. I called around and ended up getting a great deal (in relation to current prices) from Southern Tool. They don't list the anniversary edition on their website, but were able to look it up in their system and quoted me under 5k with free shipping. And the free light & matt come with all anniversary editions, from Powermatic, while supplies last.

 

[Chris Chartier]

Just a thought. The Jet 1840 is $2K less around $3300. They have sales a couple times a year.
It is white - a great background color for turning.

That leaves 2k to spend on classes. Go to a Trent Bosch course, Jerry Kermode workshop, craft supplies, Anderson Ranch……
The knowledge, skills, ideas, and confidence you bring home from a class will make you a happier and more productive turner.

Unless you want to turn really big pieces ( then you would want a ONEWAY) the 1840 will do it all for you.

Ruled the Jet out for a few reasons. Not trying to start a brand war....let's just leave it at that.

Funny you mention the Oneway. I did have it down to the Oneway or the Powermatic. Curious why you say the Oneway can do much bigger pieces. I think you mean the 1640.

The final reason I decided on the Powermatic instead of the Oneway is that Oneway 1640 only has 16 inch swing over bed (only 12 1/2 Inch swing over the banjo), while the powermatic has 20 inch swing over bed (15 3/4 inch over banjo). They have the same size motor (2hp). So it seems to me that the Powermatic can do bigger pieces. Am I not factoring something in correctly? I'm very new to this....so it's quite possible that I am missing something.

I don't know yet if I want to do really big pieces (my gut says "yes"), but I'd like to have the option in case I do like that type of turning.

I was really on the Oneway train for a long time because I hear nothing but great things about them. What main differences are there between Powermatic 3520C and Oneway 1640?

 

[hockenbery]

Not trying to start a brand war....

. Don’t understand.

Jet and powermatic are made by the same company.
If there is something you don’t like about Jet you might steer clear of the Powermatic - same company.
Much of the Powermatic C redesign was copied from the Jet 1840 which came out a couple years before the C

If you want to do big pieces the ONEWAY 2436 is the way to go.

What main differences are there between Powermatic 3520C and Oneway 1640?

Powermatic about 30 pounds heavier.

1640 With the outboard, tailstock riser, and 24” banjo( $1,000 add on). Now the 1640 out weighs the powermatic.
Will cost more than the powermatic with the outboard setup.
It needs space but you get a great 24” bowl lathe on the outboard side.

1640 Spindle height is adjustable while powermatic has no adjustable height except for 6” risers
1640 better banjo
1640 has controls on a swinging pedestal at eye level. Optional 2nd switch on a magnetic base.
1640 a little bit more working room at the headstock the C used jet 1840 headstock design for a big improvement over the B
1640 has an outboard attachment and tailstock riser block that gives you a 24” swing ( great bowl lathe)


15-16” bowls are the biggest I do.
The jet 1840 is good for that size.

 

[Dean Center]

Any of the lathes mentioned will be great lathes and work fine for you. The great majority of the time, turners are happy with whatever lathe they buy and use. When you've been turning for 5-8 years, you'll have developed picky preferences like the rest of us and may want something different, but you'll be happy in the meantime.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

What main differences are there between Powermatic 3520C and Oneway 1640?

Also the Powermatic has a sliding headstock for outboard turning.

 

[robo hippy]

The biggest difference to me between Oneway and Jet/PM, as well as Laguna and Robust is the sliding headstock. I don't like turning bowls on a long bed lathe. You either have to lean on the lathe to be able to turn the bowl and keep the tools in close to your body, or stand up straight and hold your arms out away from your body, which is how Stuart Batty turns. I got my 3520A because of the sliding headstock, and thought it was wonderful. Drives me crazy to see people who have sliding headstocks and don't use that feature for turning bowls. There are pivoting headstocks, and some are good and some are not. I have a Vicmark 240 which pivots to 30 degrees so I can stand up straight and turn bowls. It was done the way I would do it if I was to make a pivoting headstock.... Turning really big bowls is a specialty market. I found it very difficult to sell bowls over about 14 inch diameter.

Oh, one other difference, the Oneway lathes have 3 speed ranges, as well as the Vicmark. I prefer that to the 2 speed models. Low range is too slow, high range is too fast, mid range is just right.

robo hippy

 

[hockenbery]

You either have to lean on the lathe to be able to turn the bowl and keep the tools in close to your body, or stand up straight and hold your arms

Reed with the outboard on the long bed ONEWAY you stand in front of the work.
The 2416 you can stand in front nicely.

 

[robo hippy]

Dale Larson did that on his big Oneway. Roughed on the inboard side, and finish turned on the outboard side. That is one feature I have never used because of the sliding headstock. I know Stuart always comments on how sliding headstocks have more vibration issues than fixed headstocks. To me, that is a 'kind of' situation. Some sliding headstocks have the same pressure plate on the bottom that is on the banjo and tailstock. This is a bad idea because the headstock has far more mass and stress than the banjo and tailstock. My AB has a full length pressure plate. My PM had about a 4 inch long metal plate. I consider them adequate. The biggest difference I can see is the headstock tower design. The Vicmark lathes have the headstock spindle coming directly off of the tower. The Oneway and Robust lathes have a bell housing for the headstock spindle for easy removal of the spindle. While this does make that part easier, it puts the mounting point of your chuck 3 or more inches farther off the tower. The PM and Laguna lathes have built a cone onto the headstock tower. This extension off of the headstock does add to vibration issues if you are turning without tailstock support. With tailstock support, no problems.

robo hippy

 

[David Howe]

try acme tools. seems like the lowest price

 

[David Howe]

sorry looks like they took off the sale

 

[William Rogers]

You want to get a lathe with the swing that will allow you to turn what you want. I initially started with a PM 90 that had 12” swing. It wasn’t long that I knew I needed more swing. I went to a Laguna 18-36 and eventually still wanted more swing and now have a Robust AB. I did look at the PM and it was a nice lathe, but based on my experience I got the most swing I could get. I also preferred the Robust swing away tail stock over the PM’s version. As far as the cone adding vibration, I just don’t buy into that theory. I had the Laguna and with a 14” blank just roughly rounded was able to balance a nickel on the headstock and ways running at full allowable speed. The cone design. actually spreads (lessons) the force on the headstock. If you look at a bridge none are built with straight struts.

 

[John Hicks]

Just to throw another wrench in the mix. The Harvey T60-s is on sale right now. I have never seen a better made lathe for the money. I believe it can turn up to 36" off of the end (with the extra bed)

TURBO T-60S 24"X48" Wood Lathe With Servo Motor

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[Tom McClellan]

I have to laugh about “brand war” between powermatic and jet. Some marketing person is earning their pay.

Have jet 1640, it’s really super great. No regrets buying it.

Oneway makes some great looking machines, but I’ll never know because of their stubbornness of only offering m33 spindle. I’ve never seen a market leader give up their position to newer rivals over something as immaterial and trivial to manufacturing their product as a threading spec. Especially when their largest market in the US so vocally over years requests the change and explains why it is a show-stopper for many potential buyers. Clearly they understand the US market needs because they offer chuck adapters in non-metric sizes, why pick that to be the hill they die on for their lathes?

 

[odie]

Oneway makes some great looking machines, but I’ll never know because of their stubbornness of only offering m33 spindle. I’ve never seen a market leader give up their position to newer rivals over something as immaterial and trivial to manufacturing their product as a threading spec. Especially when their largest market in the US so vocally over years requests the change and explains why it is a show-stopper for many potential buyers. Clearly they understand the US market needs because they offer chuck adapters in non-metric sizes, why pick that to be the hill they die on for their lathes?

It is incredible that Oneway would choose to only offer m33 spindle threads....its crazy.....you're right about that.

Another thing.....these days, how many turners would choose a fixed head lathe? That market has got to be dwindling, too.

-----odie-----

 

[hockenbery]

It is incredible that Oneway would choose to only offer m33 spindle threads....its crazy.....you're right about that.

.

ONEWAY set out to design the best lathe they could. That design led them to m33x3.5 and #3 MT in the tailstock.

ONEWAY has steadfastly refused to make what to them would be an inferior product to make a few more dollars.

ONEWAY viewed I33x3.5 to be the stronger thread choice than 1 1/4 x8 in 1996.
Popularity won’t make 1 1/4 x 8 a better thread choice.

@Tom McClellan Oneway sells a lot of machines and they have chosen to make the best product and not make a lesser product.
You don’t have to like their decision.

 

[odie]

.

ONEWAY set out to design the best lathe they could. That design led them to m33x3.5 and #3 MT in the tailstock.

ONEWAY has steadfastly refused to make what to them would be an inferior product to make a few more dollars.

ONEWAY viewed I33x3.5 to be the stronger thread choice than 1 1/4 x8 in 1996.
Popularity won’t make 1 1/4 x 8 a better thread choice.

@Tom McClellan Oneway sells a lot of machines and they have chosen to make the best product and not make a lesser product.
You don’t have to like their decision.

Mornin', Al

Not everyone agrees with their assessment of the M33 threads. It's akin to their patented banjo.....I'll agree that it's better by design, but both of these things are a solution to a problem that doesn't exist.

Speaking for myself, there are a lot of accessories that aren't offered in M33 thread, and that is the main reason I'd never consider a Oneway lathe. I will not extend my work unnecessarily further out from the headstock by using a thread adaptor.

Oneway is certainly within their rights to believe what they will, but that stubbornness results in a poor business decision that will continue to cost them sales.

If the M33 threads are so important, then why do they offer accessories with 1 1/4 x 8tpi threads? That turns out to be a good business decision, and I'm glad to own Oneway chucks and faceplates with a thread size I can use. I wouldn't have bought these accessories, if I needed a thread adaptor to use them.....and, that's the point!

The old saying about cutting off your nose to spite your face comes to mind here...

-----odie-----

 

[hockenbery]

Oneway is certainly within their rights to believe what they will, but that stubbornness results in a poor business decision that will continue to cost them sales.

So unlike you to champion the herd membership.
Yes they could go along but they choose not to make what they consider to be an inferior product.

They don’t have join the herd to be successful. They are just a family business making a product they are proud of.
They don’t make sliding headstock lathes either.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

One Way used to also make 1 x 8 in the 1224 lathe. I thought I heard they will make a lathe with 8 tpi as special order. Don't know about replacement spindle tho.

 

[hockenbery]

Th

One Way used to also make 1 x 8 in the 1224 lathe. I thought I heard they will make a lathe with 8 tpi as special order. Don't know about replacement spindle tho.

The small lathes 1018 and 1224 have 1x8 and #2 MT in the tailstock. but these are midi size machines
the sit down lathe is 1x8 also.

 

[Tom McClellan]

@hockenbery I'd honestly like to know their reasoning behind the refusal to build anything besides m33. You mention thread strength, but m33 isn't that different from 1.25"x8. Converting it works out to equivalent of m31.75 x 3.175, slightly smaller, but not much. I haven't been turning long, but I've never read any machine failures or injuries related to spindle failure, much less one caused by insufficient thread spec. It may be stronger as a fact, but from a "product value" point of view it is immaterial.

Didn't conway and powermatic run 1.5"x8 spindles? Wouldn't that reasoning conclude everyone should be manufacturing that spec (including oneway), when in fact it is dead? Along those lines why isn't oneway making 45mm or 60mm spindles for lathes? I don't think it's an accident that m33 is so close in size to 1.25", except in metric. If they had something larger like 40mm I might buy that argument, but it isn't. And again, why do they supply all their other wares with support for 1.25"x8 except lathes?

I refuse to believe oneway has allowed robust and vicmarc to move into the US market with the strength they have over the past 10 years over just rote comparison of spindle size/strength vs 1.25"x8 that is extremely close and has no impact to the user. There has got to be something else. I did write and ask them about it one time and didn't get an answer. Such a mystery and I'd really like to get an answer one day.

PS. Good point on the smaller lathes running 1" spindles, why is that? Based on what they do for the big lathes wouldn't it be consistent to have like a 27mm spindle? None of it makes sense.

 

[hockenbery]

@hockenbery I'd honestly like to know their reasoning behind the refusal to build anything besides m33. You mention thread strength, but m33 isn't that different from 1.25"x8. Converting it works out to equivalent of m31.75 x 3.175, slightly smaller, but not much.

I refuse to believe oneway has allowed robust and vicmarc to move into the US market with the strength they have over the past 10 years over just rote comparison of spindle size/strength vs 1.25"x8 that is extremely close and has no impact to the user. There has got to be something else. I did write and ask them about it one time and didn't get an answer. Such a mystery and I'd really like to get an answer one day.

PS. Good point on the smaller lathes running 1" spindles, why is that? Based on what they do for the big lathes wouldn't it be consistent to have like a 27mm spindle? None of it makes sense.

It’s their choice. I leave it at that. They have never had trouble selling machines

For turners who want a big machine it’s an easy switch.

Some turners turn what they want to make
Other turners turn what they thing buyers will want.

Jet/Powermatic dominates sales in the US
Vicmarc has a very small presence in the US. Popular in pockets. It is really popular in Europe
robust has a good bit of the high end market.
ONEWAY has a good bit of the high end market

ONEWAY, Robust, and VicMarc are all good choices in the high end market.