Step up Lathe

[Kennith Gosnell]

After getting started on the cheapest Vevor lathe i could find, i am ready to step up a notch. Noticed the other day that my headstock and tailstock no longer line up. Thought about stepping up to a mid point lathe for a while then moving up to my "Forever Lathe". I have been looking at mid size variable lathes, such as Bauer and Wen for my next step up. I really like the looks and functions of the Harvey TURBO T-60S for my ultimate lathe (Linked below). Just wondering if anyone has any experience with these or opinions on if it is better to step up or just go ahead and get the forever lathe.

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

In Stock Based on Harvey's demanding product requirements, this Turbo Series lathe has a powerful motor, heavy-duty premium castings, and a well-designed operating system. All of which adds up to a machine that can satisfy the creative imaginations of woodturners. Built for woodworkers who love...

www.harveywoodworking.com

 

[Doug Freeman]

Some think you need to buy your last lathe first - I don’t know how that is accomplished. There are so many different ways to process various types of work, it takes a while to figure out what you prefer. This early in the game you may not have developed those preferences, and whether you do more spindle or x-grain work.

IMO I lucked out. My 1st lathe was the old HF large lathe with pivoting HS and reeves drive. I learned a lot about what I wanted (pivot HS) and did not want or needed major improvement (long list). I won’t own a lathe without a pivot HS, but that’s me and how I prefer to do things. I turn a lot of hollow forms and bowls. If I turned more spindle stuff a pivot HS would not be that important.

As for size, lathes larger than 16” swing have limited use. Some just like to make big things, but overall there just isn’t much market (gifting or selling) for items over ~14” finished OD, unless you want to do architectural stuff. I have a 16” that can go to 29” outboard if I want (Nova Galaxi). I made a few large items, but stick with less than ~14” for 99% of what I make. Go around your house and measure things, 14” is a good size platter or bowl.

If there is a turning club within a couple hours drive, join. Turners love to show off their equipment and goods. You can get a lot of input about different lathe types, sizes, brands, processes, etc.

Look around the used market in your area. It wont be difficult to get a better lathe than your 1st one!

 

[Rick Moreton]

I have been using the Bauer lathe at home for the last 1.5 years and only have some small complaints. Before that I had the smaller HF lathe for 5 years or so. I also have access to Oneways at the local community college.
It is easier to stall the motor on the Bauer but that usually happens when I need to sharpen/get too aggressive. There is a little slop in the tailstock but not usually enough to matter for what I do, it's better than my older HF lathe. There's some wiggle room when using the indexer too, I haven't tried troubleshooting that since I mostly use it for getting the chuck off.
I love the speed control, so much better than changing belts. Reverse is nice to have too. I waited until I got a coupon so it was also 100 off or so. Overall I would recommend it, just keep in mind it's limitations.

 

[R Henrickson]

I would second that choosing a forever lathe at your stage might be crap shoot. Your turning interests may well evolve or move in a radically different direction over time. Mine certainly have. I used to turn lots of bowls and hollow forms, but few in recent years. Much of what I do now is multiaxis and spindle work, some quite large. I have never come near challenging the limits of my current lathe, but there is the truism that "you can make small things on a big lathe but..." It is worth keeping in mind that in particular the supposed maximum lengths for a turning on a lathe are overstated. I was hard-put to turn a 30" bat on a 3520 -- in fact I may have had to turn it on a Jet 1642 instead. It would be impossible to turn the back posts for the Windsor armchairs I've made (at least without a bed extension). A crucial consideration if you do spindlework -- irrelevant if you stick to bowls and such.

How much you are willing to spend is a crucial consideration. I would suggest that you look at the more standard brands -- the usual names. If nothing else they tend to have greater resale value, especially if you are thinking of a 'next' rather than 'forever'. Harvey seems to be be well-liked by people who have them. I've never used one.

That said, definitely contact nearby clubs if there are any. You may be able to get a good used lathe that way, or at least try out some lathes. You might even be able to get your 'forever' and save.

 

[Kent Reisdorph]

After getting started on the cheapest Vevor lathe i could find, i am ready to step up a notch. Noticed the other day that my headstock and tailstock no longer line up. Thought about stepping up to a mid point lathe for a while then moving up to my "Forever Lathe". I have been looking at mid size variable lathes, such as Bauer and Wen for my next step up. I really like the looks and functions of the Harvey TURBO T-60S for my ultimate lathe (Linked below). Just wondering if anyone has any experience with these or opinions on if it is better to step up or just go ahead and get the forever lathe.

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

In Stock Based on Harvey's demanding product requirements, this Turbo Series lathe has a powerful motor, heavy-duty premium castings, and a well-designed operating system. All of which adds up to a machine that can satisfy the creative imaginations of woodturners. Built for woodworkers who love...

www.harveywoodworking.com

Bauer and Wen are a very small step up from where you are. I started on the 14" Wen, which is identical to the 14" Bauer. It's a good lathe to start on, but I would never consider it for my "next lathe." That T-60 should be a great lathe for you, if you need a lathe that big. You can get into a good 18" lathe for around $3K. I have the Rikon 70-1824, which suits me perfectly.

 

[Vincent Vogel]

If the Harvey T60 is what you want and you don't want to get it now I would look for something used in the category you are talking about. Then you don't lose a lot of money when you decide to sell it. I'm on my fourth lathe. I see a lot of people say you don't need bigger than 16" because things larger than that don't sell. Just keep in mind a 16" lathe will turn a 16" bowl but it's at the lathes maximum capacity. I've been down this road. Went from a Laguna 15/24 to a 3520 c and there's no comparison of how they each handle a 16" bowl, or a 12" bowl for that matter. When I sold my Laguna I got 55% of what I paid for it when it was 2 1/2 years old. I used it a lot and liked it but I just outgrew it. I agree with Kent that a 18" lathe for 3k range is a good all around choice, of course this depends on your budget and space requirement. From what I've read and heard from owners on here the Harvey T60 should handle anything you throw at it. Hope this helps.

 

[hughie]

Well , buying your last lathe first sounds good. But how would you? I mean you're starting out with some idea of what you want to turn. But as you learn more about this craft, learning all the time on whats possible and what tickles you fancy etc, you will change along with that outcomes as well.
Buy lost cost to start that includes hand tools, you to learn how to sharpen, better on rubbish tools than top of the range. Figure out what you really want to create and move toward that direction.
Buy a second hand lathe, some great bargains out there, cheap gouges, well they will probably be high carbon. So the edge wont last, but it will be a crash course in metallurgy and grinding.

 

[Joseph Hawkins]

If you have the funds I'd say get your forever lathe. Of course, if you or someone you knows has facebook, get on their and check the marketplace. I've seen some decent deals on big lathes, makes me want to sell mine and get one but I've got a 22" grizzly would be upgrading size, just some quality.

 

[Dean Center]

Two thoughts. First, it's possible to improve the alignment of your current lathe. Without pictures of the bases of the headstock and tailstock, it's hard to give advice on specifically what to do, but it's possible.
Second, it's hard to imagine a Bauer or Wen lathe as being a step up from most anything. I'm sure there are good ones out there, but you are more likely to have hassles and frustration than with a lathe with better initial quality control and tolerances.

Assuming you're on a tight budget, I would suggest you have two options. If it's possible to get your current lathe aligned, then save your pennies until you can get a more substantial step up. If you can't get it aligned or are just ready for a change, get a decent quality used lathe. I'd check Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace, and contact every turning club within 400 miles for a used lathe. I don't know about the rest of the clubs in the US, but ours has had an ongoing string of turners passing away or aging out of turning, and whole shops becoming available at a fraction of the cost. You could get a functionally satisfactory lathe for hundreds of dollars.

If you're not on a tight budget, buy a good lathe! If you end up moving on to a different hobby, you'll be able to sell it later for close to what you pay for it today.

 

[Kennith Gosnell]

Update:
I did end up getting the Bauer Variable speed Lathe due to budget concerns. I have turned a few things and it is 10 times better than the one i had so that is a big plus. I posted pics below for the people that were asking questions about the lathe. Issues i had was that to move the tailstock took a 18mm wrench to move. For the tool rest it took a 7/8 wrench, 14mm wrench and a allen wrench everytime you wanted to move it. You can see in the pictures that the tailstock and tool rest are not very sturdy causing them to bend quite easily and only 4 Speeds 1100/1600/2300/3400RPM with a 1/2HP motor. In order to change the speed you had to loosen 4 13mm bolts lift the motor and move the belts. It is also very loud compared to the Bauer. But what do you expect for $169 brand new. It was enough to get me started and let me know if i enjoyed turning or not. Now i am hooked and look forward to getting some pieces on my new one.

​