Looking to buy a new lathe...

Fishbucket

Joe
Senior User
Contemplating a Jet 18-40 . Could I go wrong with that?
Perhaps a Baileigh ?? In that size range.
Just going to do typical turning. Nothing dedicated. From Striper plugs to table legs and bowls.
Upgrading from a Shopsmith.
Have a 2k budget.


Experts please comment.
 

AllanD

Allan
Corporate Member
I'm no turning expert but that looks like a pretty nice lathe. I am a fan of Robust lathes if you can find one close enough to your budget. I can only speak to their Sweet 16 but it is the highest quality machine in my shop.
 

HLW

New User
Harold
Contemplating a Jet 18-40 . Could I go wrong with that?
Perhaps a Baileigh ?? In that size range.
Just going to do typical turning. Nothing dedicated. From Striper plugs to table legs and bowls.
Upgrading from a Shopsmith.
Have a 2k budget.


Experts please comment.
Due to some physical issues ( shoulder and back with months of rehab) I've listed my Nova Orion on Asheville Craigslist and listed it on this site as well.
 
Last edited:

holcombej

jim
User
Joe, I bought one of the new Powermatic PM2014 bench lathes a month ago. Got it without a stand and built a heavy table for it. Also got the extension for more swing. So far, I’ve been very pleased. Ordered it from Klingspor in Fletcher when Powermatic had the 10% off sale. Lathe and extension was around 2,100 without the stand.
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
I have a Nova Saturn. Love it. I just pulled up the Orion on line. It appears to be my Saturn on steroids. It looks like a fine lathe.

Pop
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
If you're coming from a Shopsmith, BOY! are you in for a surprise. I was exposed to Shopsmith in my 1st shop class. That was in the early 50's. They just coming away from the 10ER to the new Mark 5. I've had one since the mid 60's. I now have a 520. Good machine, but not as good as stand alone machines. My 1st question, are you using the tool rest that comes with the machine, or have you upgraded to the heavy duty system? The standard rest is a problem. I upgraded. Coming from a Shopsmith lathe to the Orion would be like trading in your VW for a Lamborghini. My Shopsmith is my drill press, and shop back up.

Pop
 

Fishbucket

Joe
Senior User
If you're coming from a Shopsmith, BOY! are you in for a surprise. I was exposed to Shopsmith in my 1st shop class. That was in the early 50's. They just coming away from the 10ER to the new Mark 5. I've had one since the mid 60's. I now have a 520. Good machine, but not as good as stand alone machines. My 1st question, are you using the tool rest that comes with the machine, or have you upgraded to the heavy duty system? The standard rest is a problem. I upgraded. Coming from a Shopsmith lathe to the Orion would be like trading in your VW for a Lamborghini. My Shopsmith is my drill press, and shop back up.

Pop

No I haven't upgraded to the HD rest. Figured I'd be moving up to the standalone.
Plus this SS was free. So, I run what I brung.
It works, but there is a lot of play to the unit and the Tubes let things chatter. I'll keep it for running dados and such and duplicating Striper plugs.
Can hardly wait for a dedicated unit.
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
When I first set up my shop all I had was a RAS. Then I bought a used Shopsmith 500. Repaired this unit over the years. Then I sold it and bought a TotalShop. Let me skip to the chase these machines are a piece of junk. Did a couple of repairs for others and found out the thing was made of pot metal. Things broke very easily. Then I made the mistake of working for Klingspore's store in Charlotte. When you work at a woodworking store you keep buying stuff. Bought a lot of stand alone machines. When I retired I used my bonus to buy a Shopsmith 520 with all the bells and whistles. At this time that machine is my drill press and backup if something breaks. Everything else is stand alone machines. By the way The 520 makes MHO the best woodworking drill press on earth. The table tilts forward, variable speed, plenty of power & it's also a horizontal drill press. Good luck with your new lathe.

Pop :)
 

Bgossett635

New User
Brian
Due to some physical issues ( shoulder and back with months of rehab) I've listed my Nova Orion on Asheville Craigslist and listed it on this site as well.
Harold, I'm sure I'm late to the party, but do you still have the Orion?
 

Ed Fasano

Ed
Senior User
Contemplating a Jet 18-40 . Could I go wrong with that?
Perhaps a Baileigh ?? In that size range.
Just going to do typical turning. Nothing dedicated. From Striper plugs to table legs and bowls.
Upgrading from a Shopsmith.
Have a 2k budget.


Experts please comment.

I can offer my greenhorn, far-from-expert position on the Jet 1840EVS. I recently decided to work towards becoming a better turner. I sold my aging Jet 1236 and began studying the marketplace for a better machine in the sub-$3,000 range.

In the final running were the Jet 180EVS, the Laguna 1836, the Nova Galaxi DVR and the Harvey T-40 Turbo. I should add that in general, it’s probably hard to buy a bad lathe in this price range, so regardless of what anyone is a fan of, they made the right choice for themselves.

I turned on the Nova DVR for two days at a class I took in November 2019. It was smooth, quiet and impressive, but too tall for me and too long for the space I have. The Nova’s tool rest and I didn’t get along well either. The Harvey’s fit, finish and precision seemed top-notch. The value proposition was off-putting though. Harvey makes a T50 and T60, but doesn’t import the middle T50. I have the sense that if the T50 was available in the US, it might have pushed me to stretch my budget. For me, it came down to the Jet 1840EVS and the Laguna 1836. I opted for the Jet 1840EVS, reasoning that (non no particular order):

  • Jet’s 15% Black Friday sale was in effect, making it $550 less than the Laguna.
  • The Jet 1840’s legs have removable risers that permit a 4-inch reduction in height, which better suited my vertically-challenged stature. This also eliminated the need to make and stand on a platform (which I didn’t want in the way in my shop).
  • The Jet warranty is longer.
  • The Jet sports three headstock bearings versus two on the Laguna.
  • The Jet footprint is slightly more compact.
  • The Jet provides a movable magnetic emergency stop control.
The machine arrived well-crated. Very good fit and finish. Quiet, smooth. Silky smooth bed. Solid locking mechanisms. Ten months later I still believe that my decision was right (for me). No regrets. That’s how and why I bought what I bought.
 

Stuart Kent

Stuart
Senior User
we have Robust, Harvey, Nova, and Rikon for sale at the North Carolina Furniture School. You are welcome to come down and test drive the models we have, and I can help get you into the right machine and budget. I very strongly recommend the new Rikon 70-3040 which you can try out here - it's a tank and can't be beat for the price. Call if you want to talk, I'm glad to help.
Stuart. 252.916.8226
 

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