Grizzly G0462 Wood Lathe with digital readout

At least you didn’t buy the Central Machinery lathe like I did from the traveling tool show. $100 dollars for a full sized lathe looked too good to pass up. It works good for thin spindles that I made for a gate but the pulley kept coming off the motor and no amount of tightening on the set screw would help. I could spot weld that in place but the frame is still not rigid enough to really do much. I guess I will get my hundred dollars of use out of it but I’m already shopping for a real lathe. I pretty much got exactly what I paid for and no more. I am surprised that the Grizzly doesn’t sound any better than what I got since I was considering it as an upgrade. Thanks a lot for the review.

-- Dale Manning, Carthage, NY

A friend of mine has one of these, I’m not impressed with it at all.

-- Dan Wiggins

Thanks for the information. If you had it to do all over again what would you buy?

-- Just 'cause a cat has kittens in the oven, it don't make 'em biscuits.

Thanks for the review, Joe. This is one that I can cross off my list.

-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.

Pitchnsplinters, for that price point I would recommend the Jet JML-1014VSI. The next step up would be Jet’s “JWL-1642-2EVS, 16” x 42 EVS PRO Wood Lathe. I will probably purchase the Powermatic 3520B Lathe for my next lathe.

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Thanks for the heads up. I have had good luck so far with Grizzly, and may well have bought one of these.

Gee, I would think you could trade or sell a couple of your turnings to get the new lathe with . . .

-- "They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night." ~ Edgar Allan Poe

The Jet 1014VSI is a great MINI lathe, but is a whole different animal than the 1642-2EVS which is a super lathe for bigger stuff and cost much more. I bought the 1642 at a symposium for a much reduced price as it had been used,(By Jimmie Clews, David Ellsworth, and some other world class turners). They were pleased with it’s performance, even though they use much higher-end equipment. No doubt the Powermatics are on up the list,(And much more $$$), but unless you are very good, I bet you would be happy for a long time with the 1642.

-- Imagination is more important than Knowledge

I got to buy cheap and buy twice as well. I had a similar lathe from Craftex. Purported to be the brother of Grizzly. I don’t know if it’s true, but I gave it away and bought a Nova DVR-XP. Money wasted on that other lathe for sure. If it makes you feel any better, I made the same mistake with my drill press, band saw….........

-- You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. (Plato)

Thanks Joe for the info. I almost bought one before I got my Delta.

-- Jerry--A man can never have enough tools or clamps

One thing you can do to dampen that vibration is to get one of those poly belts that come in links. I had an old lathe that vibrated badly and when I put one of those on and no more vibration. Look thru the old reviews here it will tell you all about them, and give you a link. That Nova DVR-XP is also an awesome lathe the one mot talked about, right Tom? m

-- Mike. mwurm13@yahoo.com

Hmm, I’ve had mine for three years – not a problem one. True it’s not fancy, but it does get the job done, mine lines up fine, nothing has broken, speeds up and slows down just like in the brochure, sorry to hear about your bad experience. Not sure I would buy the same one again but only because I have outgrown the capability of this lathe, If it came out with a VFD I wouldn’t hesitate to get one.
JMTCW,
Doug in AZ.

-- If you need craft books - please visit our small business at http://www.wittywife.com

Have you contact Grizzly about this? Griz has great customer service.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

trifern,
You’re right the price point, horsepower, swing and all enticed me to purchase the same lathe. I’ve not had the same problems as you’ve experienced-but then again I do very little turning. I would prefer to have a lathe that was indexable and was a bit quieter as well as less vibration. Iadded a tool bed underneath and a little weight which has helped in some regard. Oh yeah I would also have liked to be able to adjust to much lower speeds than this model is capable of. But if I hadn’t purchased it and used it a bit-I wouldn’t know what I really want in a lathe. I’ll be using it quite sometime though I imagine. Can’t always upgrade everything and it does get the jobs I currently need done-LOL

Sincerely,
Ken McGinnis

-- woodbutcher north carolina

John gray has a point _ your “review” is nothing.. I got this and its junk.. That is not giving anyone a chance to fix or do anything with it.. Grizzly has great customer service.. If you are breaking belts that frequently I suspect you cannot align the belt and the head. or you have a defective item CALL them and See what they say. Ive seen them pick up and ship out a ware house checked item posted more then not. They tend to ship what they get and they know there are bad apples that are out there. But to post and not even give them a hint of chance to help is not realistic.. Thier CS is really good. I purchased a Perfect out of the box jointer 8” from them and another guy bought one and was ragging my review of it I told him to call CS and they sent a truck to fetch it and replaced it NO QUESTIONS… ( Im a computer geek not a spokes model) he is really happy now.. A REVIEW IS NOT A PLACE TO B*TCH and not offer any follow up on set up or anything.. your review is a joke.

-- Duct Tape is the Force! It has a light side and a dark side and it Binds the Universe together!

Rich, with all due respect, I am reviewing the machine I have and I am reporting the issues I have had with it. I am not reviewing Grizzly as a corporation or their customer service. Please do not attack me if you do not agree with my review.

I have contacted Grizzly’s customer service department about every issue I have ever had with the machine. They have always been extremely polite and professional. They have replaced all the parts at their cost. In fact, I contacted them again today about my lathe. They are sending me another new belt, another hand wheel, and another cone set screw. They were very polite and professional. They agreed that the trouble I’m having is unusual, and they are shipping me parts at no charge.

I don’t care if they have the best customer service in the universe. The fact is my lathe is broken down at least once a month. I intentionally waited 1 year before even reviewing this piece of equipment. I have been giving Grizzly the benefit of doubt. I have given them every opportunity to rectify the situation.

Perhaps I did receive a lemon. Perhaps other people have this same model and love it. I am not reviewing their machine or their experience, only mine.

I do use my lathe for several hours per day. Perhaps it’s my fault for using the machine too much. Perhaps if the machine just sat quietly in the corner of my shop except for an occasional use, I would love it. This is not the case though.

I understand that their are a lot of individuals who own Grizzly equipment and think they are great. I am happy for them. Perhaps you are one of them.

My expectations were that this machine would be reliable, dependable, and a decent investment. To say that I am disappointed would be a gross understatement.

Respectfully submitted,
Joe

-- My favorite piece is my last one, my best piece is my next one.

Rich,
I think you need to ease up there. Joe was giving his review based on his experiences. I think owning a lathe for 1 year and using it a couple of hours a day makes you more than qualified to post a review.

Joe,
I looked and looked and finally pulled the trigger on a PM3520B. What a beast! If you get it, you’ll never regret it. Heck, look at it this way, maybe you can sell the Grizz to Rich. :)

-- Chip -- Manchester, Connecticut "When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace."

TriFern…. I appreciate your review and really enjoy your turning projects.

I sure hope that some of comments you got on this review are moderated or removed. The immature email flaming is the reason that I stopped following alt.woodworking groups.

-- Shawn, I ask in order to learn

Rich,

Where did you review your joiner at? On lumberjocks? I looked at your review and the only one who “ragged” on the joiner was me. All I stated was that my experience with the joiner wasn’t the greatest and never stated that they returned the entire machine—that isn’t ragging. Maybe if you gave a review elsewhere, you could cite the source?

-- There are three types of people in the world, those who can count and those who can't!

I agree with Joe get the Powermatic 3520B. The Powermatic 3520B can be picked up right now at http://www.toolnut.com/ for less than $3000 with a free bed extension and free shipping. THis lathe can last you a lifetime. I also know that is a lot of money but if you ever want to sell that lathe it is a quality machine that will fetch a high price on places like ebay. Just try to find a used one and you will see what it is worth.

-- Bob Clark, Tool Collector and Sawdust Maker

trifern, ironically I have the Jet JML-1014VSI. I certainly have Powermatic on my short list of upgrades. Thanks.

-- Just 'cause a cat has kittens in the oven, it don't make 'em biscuits.

Joe, I can understand your concern with this model. It seems to lack any ability to control vibration on larger jobs.

-- Grumpy - "Always look on the bright side of life"- Monty Python

I’ll add my two cent’s . All reviews are what you think of the tools or products you own or have used . If you don’t say what your experience has been with that product than your review is of little value to all who read it. I appreciate any one who reviews an Item pro or con .The fact the person took the time to let the rest of us know what happen to them when they used a tool or product is a great asset. Thanks Joe for your review As for the Powermatic 3520B the High school were I volunteer in there wood shop has nothing but problems with there 3520b lathe. All companies have lemons even higher end models.

Jim

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

For over 35 years I used an Rockwell/Delta lathe I bought from the JC Penny catalog when they still sold tools. It had a 4 speed pulley system with a cast iron bed. It was quite similar to Delta’s current low cost model. The only things I ever replaced on it were a broken pulley and one belt. I slowly taught myself to use it and produced a lot of nice things on it over the years. I paid $210 for it including two face plates and a set of tools (most of which I still have). Two years ago I replaced it with a Powermatic 3520B and it was a revolution in wood turning for me. The variable speed, and solid construction make a world of difference. You really do get what you pay for with quality tools. If you start with good quality tools your learning curve and end product get a big head start.
By the way I sold my Rockwell/Delta for $200 (minus the plates and tools) to a beginning wood worker who was eager to get it.

-- Les B, Oregon

The review and comments served more than just a warning purpose. It actually made me a lot more satisfied with my lathe.

When I retired in 1996, I thought I would try a little turning. So I went out and bought a piece of junk from China for a very low price. Chinese products were a lot worse then than now. I actually never even tried it out. After putting it up on my bench and taking a closer look at the “quality” of the thing, I decided to return it and buy something much better.

I wound up with a Record 1/2 hp lathe with a swivel head and a hollow tail stock screw. This lathe has a bronze conical solid bearing which has to be tightened a little occasionally. It has 3 speeds, belt regulated from 500 to 2000 rpm.The spindle is only 3/4” and the bed is 2 round steel bars, so there is some vibration. I didn’t really know anything about lathes or woodworking either, but I was very happy with the Record. It managed to keep pace with my learning curve and could take some pretty heavy pieces. I’ve used it, and probably misused it quite a bit, and I have never had one single problem with it. I am even still using the original belts.

My dissatisfaction started because of envy. As I became better acquainted with the world of turning through my American Woodturners subscription and various other turning books I bought, it became clear to me that there were much better, more powerful, quieter, vibrationless, larger capacity, and better equipped lathes out there. That dissatisfaction has lasted to this day. But, after reading the above I now know that I have committed the sin of disloyalty to a trusted and absolutely dependable servant who deserves much better!

So I thank you Joe for your honest review of an untrustworthy and undependable servant who only deserves dismissal. I also now know that the people who have these lathes and are satisfied with them don’t use them much. I don’t think there is much more to say about it except that I hope your new lathe will meet your expectations and that you will continue to make those beautiful vessels.

-- Mike, American in Norway