I’ve been looking for a used mini lathe on and off for awhile. Just recently I passed on good one with electronic speed control because I didn’t feel like making the drive. In my area second-hand mini lathes are not too uncommon, and really I didn’t feel like I needed something fancy.
I’ve owned 4 or 5 wood lathes but since I don’t turn much and it is usually small things I want to turn, I’ve found they didn’t earn their keep in terms of the space they require and got rid of them. I really only have the hankering to turn handles and finials and things like that. If I ever want to do something big I can do it on my large Legacy Mill, which isn’t the same as a lathe exactly but it’s light enough to store overhead with an electric ceiling hoist so the storage problem is nullified.
I was pleased though to find this little gem for sale close to me. I paid $150 which is about fair I reckon. What’s cool about it is the fit and finish are quite nice and the little sucker weighs a wopping 90 lbs. with the motor. That’s heavier I think than most of the current crop of imported mini-lathes, though of course I am completely out of luck in terms of available OEM accessories like a bed extension. Oh well.
Sitting it on my bench and turning this crude pine test piece there was no noticeable vibration. If you see one available don’t be too concerned about making a bad buy… it’s a robust little machine and as I said, the fit and finish are quite good.
Nice looking little lathe too.
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