Cause you definitely want to grab something thatâs promising you more sturdiness. You may also check my comprehensive buying guide for any wood lathe and then start choosing from here. You cannot expect to put a 20â work on a 14â lathe. 1 year for the motor and controller and 2 years for the parts and accessories. You wonât find anything significant about the performance. They got a good number of positive reviews from the pen turners. More Info and Images. As my research went, the Nova Comet II, Rikon 70-100, Jet JWL 1015, and Delta Midi 46-460, all four of them were compatible with each other. You canât put a mandrel on it. The 342T model is a superbly powered machine designed for beginners in woodwork. The link will take you to Amazon CA. If making pens is something that you are getting interested in, then these two are definitely credible. WEN 3420T 2-Amp 8 in. Nova 71118 Comet II DR: Best Under 500, Three Worth Mentioning Alternative Wood Lathe For Beginners, 1. Nothing loose or broken, no switch problems, even the Styrofoam was fresh. No brand will give you such an affordable rate when youâre going for a new machine. $169.70 @ Amazon.com. Jet is the go-to choice for many beginners, as well as the pro-level turners. Rockler Excelsior Mini Wood Lathe. Shop fox W1752 Mini Wood Lathe: Best Alternative Option 1, 2. Some people addressed that the collet it comes with are not strong enough to hold a relatively bigger workpiece, so grips are not great. You can turn anything under the 12â wide in diameter. I know people using it for more than five years now and still want to stick to it. 6 product ratings. Update 11/14/2020: Due to stock out, you may not find it on Amazon or anywhere (US) right now. I think you wonât regret it if you are happy to stick with a 10â swing lathe. But to be honest, they are not compatible. Regardless of what you buy, the checklist should be- a good brand with enough HP motor, MT2 standard taper, and variable speed. As far as I am concerned, based on my experience, it is an excellent $500 midi lathe with a powerful DC motor for you to start your journey. Slickdeals Forums Hot Deals WEN 3420T 8-Inch by 12-Inch Variable Speed Benchtop Wood Lathe $139.99. Delta weighs almost 50lbs less than the Jet. Even I have the 1221VS Midi to handle my small bowls also (I said bowls, not balls). You know your budget, so choose the lathe according to the budget. I mean, you can manage that. If variable speed is something you are looking for, but you donât have the 400 or 500 dollars budget for a Jet or Delta midi, Wen has this unit for the budget problem. Of course, you can. Itâs been serving many skill level woodturners. I am certainly not rating Jet 1440vsk over the Laguna Revo 1836. This caught the eyes of many. The Penn State Industries lathe is among the best deals for the money for a variable speed mini wood lathe that I have seen. More Info and Images. So, that means safer turning and more versatility working with irregular and unbalanced big chunk. He bought the shop fox from Craiglist, and the rest of them were fresh. They do last longer and have satisfied so many turners, including local club mentors. Not that big deal to talk about. Adjustable speed Watch as I unbox and assemble it. Price is very good for the quality. So, Itâs a class in every way. as of January 4, 2021 8:36 am . Choose your machine according to your capability (pocket and workspace both). The belts can handle tensions pretty reliably. Variable Speed Benchtop Mini Wood Lathe More Info and Images. I still have it, and I have no plan to get rid of it even if I end up buying the Powermatic giant. It can happen with any lathe you buy. But there are up to scratch Mini wood lathes like this robust one from the mighty Rockler to handle small projects. However, midi lathes are more potent in making large-sized bowls, as they allow you more space on the swing with much more torque. Secure the lathe with your benchtop before working. The WEN 8-inch by 12-inch variable speed Benchtop wood Lathe features an MT1 spindle and Tailstock taper to tightly grip workpieces, two tool rests (4-1/2 inch and 7 inch) to provide needed support for chisels and tools during operation, and a 3.2-Amp motor to keep things turning. Therefore, thousands of turners have given them the credibility for maintaining the excellence of quality of the lathes to date. Now for the shipping and factory defects (although they are replaceable), sometimes buyers do have hard times. It gets into the head right after you start to realize it is fun. Kudos to this great little lathe. In a nutshell, an excellent choice for beginners, but just to remind you that this is not something a professional would go after, but it can handle things under its limit. Search This Thread. ... WEN 3421 3.2-Amp 8â³ by 12â³ Variable Speed Mini Benchtop Wood Lathe. Jet JWL-1221VS: Best Beginner Midi Lathe, 3. Delta runs and speeds up very quiet and smoothly than Jet while turning reverse and forward. Why choose Wen 3421. I will only promote products that give the best values. Any wood lathe with durable Horse Power and maximum swing over the bed with a low variable speed start is the ideal for turning bowls. If you compare the price with the Powermatic 3520B units, a big difference with a similar 2HP motor for each (Powermatic feels beefier though). Good for the lazy turners like me. They are lightweight and consume so little space that you can easily travel anywhere with them. â No, After making some money, am I prepared to upgrade my lathe now? With a stunning build quality, the WEN 3421 3.2-Amp 8" by 12" Variable Speed Mini Benchtop Wood Lathe provides sturdy frame for various work pieces. Boundaries are the same for any mini lathes. But no one seems to bother by this Laguna Revo 1836 unit. Absolutely. I have turned on W1704, not this one, but as far as I talked with other owners, they seem to have no contrition for what they have. First Unread. )10, Beefier and fairly clean cast than before, Digital RPM readout (not necessary but still), Wider bed rails, beefier headstock belt pulleys. But thatâs good for safety, and you will get used to it very quickly. Shop fox mini is pretty famous among the beginners, and they are offering almost everything possible for the price. So the question should be what should you consider. That tells us if you are not tight in budget and workspace, then going for a full-sized lathe with more space available for the swing is always the smartest move. No brand will give you such an affordable rate when youâre going for a new machine. The price is pretty high for a mini to consider as they have upgraded the motor with variable speed. Brands ensure quality tech support, a much-needed thing to consider. Nova also added the reverse. WEN 3420T 2-Amp 8 in. Required fields are marked *. He somehow has a fetish for smaller lathes (I donât know If he is reading this). Rikon and Jet, they both have ½ hp motors whilst Nova got a ¾ hp giving you more on the table here. Dimensions: 33 x 18 x 11 inches. Parts and accessories are available in the aftermarket. Made from cast iron, features a 2.3 inch face plate, an MT1 spindle and tailstock taper and two interchangeable tool rests for added versatility I am starting with a quick chart to give you a glimpse of what I will be reviewing today. I wonât talk about other accessories here like the chuck (btw itâs the investment you wonât regret). So go for it if you want nothing more than pens out of it. If you are someone who is entering into turning world for the first time, spending that much right away without knowing what you might like about woodturning, wouldnât be a great idea in some cases. As the title goes, itâs for the person who has a budget of $500 for only the lathe itself without any attachments. The only drawback for me that itâs not variable speed, but if you want, you can change the factory motor with variable speed. Worth as the alternative to the standard mini wood lathe? x 12 in. A nice handy addition to work with bowls. Mini lathes are popular among the pen makers mostly. My experience has overall been positive. So definitely not a Chinese, I guess. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Forum Thread . Check if the parts are universal so you can find them in aftermarkets also. A bit pricier than the Delta version but worth every penny. But that doesnât mean you canât. Accurate for detailed work like lidded boxes. The WEN 8 in. For my first unboxing video on this channel, I decided to unbox a WEN 8x12 Woodworking Lathe. to provide needed support for chisels and tools during operation and a 3.2 Amp motor to keep things turning. Jet and Rikon got 500 and 430 rpm each as their lowest speed. I am getting a 14â bed swing with 1 HP motor in compared to Laguna 1836, and only two inches more from the Jet 1221VS midi version. This small lathe has a variable speed motor, unlike the PSI. So yeah, you can choose Delta 46-460 as an alternative to the Jet 1221VS. In the previous model, 3420T had an unsustainability problem for the motor. Most importantly, the majority of them are amateurs. Besides, it got the Variable speed motor. 5 users rated this 5 out of 5 stars 5. And Jet always keeps promises. Your purchase will include a wood lathe, knockout rod, a tailstock cup center, and 5â faceplate (for non-spindle workpieces). 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