jporter5333

I was wondering if anyone could tell me what they think of a lathe that I have found. It is a Central Machinery 12"x36" with a reversible head, 600 - 2400 rpm, 3/4 horse motor, and a basic 8 leice wood chisel set. They are asking $200 for all this. I am new to woodturning and this will be my first lathe purchase. I just wondered if anyone can tell me if this is a good deal. the posting says slightly used. Judging from the pics this lathe is not very old at all. i appreciate any feedback.

The woodsman

Do not walk,but run from it as it is a piece of crap.I bought one two yrs ago and had to return it four times,plus once they sent me a replacement motor and it lasted two weeks.I finally just returned it to harbor freight and bought a Nova 1624 and havn't looked back.When I took the last one back,the man at harbor freight showed me a bunch of them laying in the warehouse waiting to be returned to the warehouse.
Ken

hughie

Hi JP,

I am not real familar with the lathe in question. But I can offer some general advise on lathe buying.

First of all you need to have a clear idea of what you would like to turn.
Bowls, spindles or pens etc Because this will push in the direction of type and size. There is not unfortunately a lathe suited to do all three. Most lathes can do all three, but not as well as one designed for the specific purpose.
Then comes the budget, now it gets tricky matching this with your desires

But theres hope, check out the second hand market.But perhaps most importantly join a wood turning club or guild. The members will steer you in the right direction and often have a lathe or two for sale.

best of luck

__________________
hughie
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shredder

As Hughie says join a club to avoid ending up with a piece of junk.
It can be frustrating at times when you first start turning so having a half decent lathe is half the battle, you don't need the extra trouble from a crap lathe.

goodluck

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http://s150.photobucket.com/albums/s100/dattwood/

Gordon Seto

That lathe is the clone of the aged Jet 1236. It used to be always on sale with coupon for around $160 and the 8pc tool set for under $40. It is a usable full size lathe if it works. It has Reeves drive, high maintenance and not very stable. It is not a joy to use. If you don't need the bed length, a mini lathe is a better choice; or a mini with a bed extension. With its random quality, I won't even consider a used one. Most people who has the lathe will upgrade to a real lathe very soon. The is the best lathe that HF has; the rest are dangerous.
For a new full size lathe, there is not much choice between this one and the Nova 1624.
Joining a Club is the best advice.
http://www.woodturner.org/community/...t=Chapter+List

jporter5333

Thanks for the advice everyone. That lathe had sold when I called about it. I guess its just as well. I have contact info for a couple of woodturning clubs. I guesss I'll be contacting them. But how much am i realistically looking to pay for a good used lathe of that size? Maybe one with a bad motor or something.

jporter5333

What about Shop Fox? I just found a brand new one for $500. It is a 16 x 43 model w1758. Does anyone know anything about these lathes?