WHY DID YOU BUY YOUR LATHE?
(And what would you change about it if you could?)
This survey inquired into the factors people considered in
making their lathe purchases. Participants were asked how long they had
been turning before getting their first lathe and which of a number of factors
were the
most important to them.
They were asked to rank these in importance: cost; existing familiarity with the unit they selected; the size of the equipment itself; the size of the wood blocks it could turn; the specifications (Morse taper sizes, drive shaft threading, etc); the type of speed control mechanism.
Number 1 was to designate the most important factor and Number 5 the least. (If a number was entered as an answer in any field, a zero was used to designate a value less than 5 in any fields that were left blank. If no numbers at all were entered, the answer was not counted.)
Fifty-six persons responded and thirty-four (34) are GWG members. We have two participants from outside the USA, one each from Canada and England. Eight of the participants are women.
Three (3) persons provided no information regarding how long they had been turning before purchasing their first lathe. A surprising 62.5% of the remainder described themselves as having had no turning experience, while an additional 14% had turned for four (4) months or less. Only seven (7) persons or 12.5% had been turning one year or more before buying their first machine. Three (3) additional participants had their initial exposure to turning as part of a junior high or high school shop class and did not purchase their first lathe until years later.
Participants in this survey have purchased what might be as many as 70 (seventy) different models of lathes made by as many as 36 (thirty-six) manufacturers, not counting the three lathes that were completely unidentified and the additional three that were homemade. Since some items have been identified only by manufacturer and without model numbers or specifications, I believe there are a significant number of duplicate entries in the list of 70 possible lathes. Follow-up questions to the survey participants should allow a more accurate count.
We have information on the acquisition of one hundred twelve (112) lathes. The factors considered in their purchase were designated in seventy-two (72) cases. Fifty-seven (57) of the lathes were not the first one owned, but information regarding the factors considered in their purchase was provided for only twenty-six (26) of these. One of our GWG members is the record holder-he presently has seven lathes and since 1980 he has owned a total of thirteen!
The two factors most considered in first lathe purchases were the cost of the lathe and its size. In fact, not a single person who indicated the factors they considered in their lathe purchases, whether first or thirteenth, failed to mark cost/budget. The size of the lathe itself was important to 45% of those who responded.
Since more than 80% of the participants in the survey had no significant experience with lathes at the time they first owned one, the information they have provided regarding their subsequent purchases will be the focus of this report. It was my assumption that once people began turning, they developed a yen for equipment that would either fill specific needs or give them a wider range of turning experiences.
To my surprise, familiarity with their second (or later) purchased lathe was listed as the least significant of the factors identified on later purchases. Of the 26 responses tallied only eight marked familiarity with the item they were purchasing as one of their top three factors. The size of the lathe itself and the specification of the machine were the next most considered items. Fifteen participants ranked each of these two factors among their top three considerations. The size of the wood stock the lathe could handle was the next most heavily weighted factor, with eighteen people listing this among their top three concerns.
Nineteen people listed cost among their top three and again not one participant excluded this item from the one-to-five rankings. The single most heavily weighted item was the speed control mechanism, with twenty people listing this among their top three considerations.
Fifty nine of the lathes on which information has been provided are clearly identified as presently owned by survey participants, but since many participants did not respond to this question it appears this number reflects fewer than the actual lathes presently owned by the group. Among those 59 lathes are six models which are each owned by several survey participants and which appear to be particularly well received.
Delta Midi: Is owned by three participants, one of whom identifiesthis as a good, economical unit. Changes desired include replacing the plastic tightening handles with metal ones, shielding the motor from collecting shavings, increasing the power and making the motor reversible. (At least six items were identified as Delta lathes-there may be another one or two Midis in this mix.)
Jet Mini: We have five owners of Jet Minis responding to the survey. One dreams of owning a Stubby, a Polewood and a OneWay if money is no object but will settle for an upgrade to a Nova (I assume a Nova 3000 ) if money is tight. Another suggests the headstock be made mobile. (Please note that the Cerritos College woodturning program has suggested either the Delta Midi or the Jet Mini as lathes they recommend their students purchase.)
Nova 3000: Totaling six, this is the largest number of lathes of a single model purchased by participants in the survey; three of them are still owned by these purchasers. The rotating headstock, the ability to add a bed section and the manufacturers reputation and warranty were additional factors considered by these buyers. Requested changes are reduced vibration, a beefier tailstock, self-ejecting tail center, larger hand wheel and headstock releases and more accurate indexing. Please note that problems have been reported with the motor shaft snapping and the manufacturer's/seller's handling of this problem was praised.
OneWay: Four individuals own a One Way, but they did not identify their model numbers. Additional factors in their selection were the 3 hp motor, quality, quietness and the long between-centers capacity. One person commented the tailstock is very heavy to lift on and off.
Stubby 1000 and Stubby 750: This is one enthusiastic group of lathe owners! Four owners of the 750 and three more who own the 1000 characterize this as the "ultimate lathe" and cite reliability and owner satisfaction in addition to engineering, quality and versatility as the factors they considered in their purchase. Among wished-for changes were a 3 hp motor, relocation of the on/off switch to the front , adding an indicator light to the power switch and providing a "nicer" tool rest lock.
In conclusion, for those seeking a small sized lathe with a small price tag, both the Jet Mini and Delta Midi appear to be good alternatives. The Nova 3000 appears to provide good turning capacity in a floor model lathe for a relatively modest price and the manufacturer and seller have responded well on the recent issues of service and warranties. Of the larger, more powerful lathes, the Stubby is more economically priced than the similarly equipped OneWay (e.g. with the outboard turning attachments) and its owners do wax eloquent about its engineering and versatility.