So, with the advent of an employee incentive program where I work, I'm looking at being able to afford a nice upgrade to my shop early next year. That said, I decided to go with a tool that currently brings me the greatest satisfaction while working on projects: my lathe.
Currently, I'm using a Delta 46-460, which was a huge step up from the smallest HF lathe I started turning pens on (the one no longer offered). As I've worked on it, I got a feel for the features I like, and some of the things I wish I had. Rather than extend the bed on this machine, I had always planned on purchasing a larger lathe sometime down the line, and using this one for small, dedicated purposes, and hopefully as a learning tool for my older kids in the not too distant future.
As for lathe choices, I'm looking in the mid $2k range, which left me with 2 serious contenders: The Nova Galaxi 1644 or the Laguna Revo 1836. I could really use some help deciding, so here's what I like/my concerns between the two.
The Nova Pros:
-No belts!
-Great satisfaction with other Nova products I own.
-Excellent customer service reputation.
-Out of the box spindle and swing capacity (I don't really account for the fact that it's 16" vs the Laguna's 18", as swinging the headstock to 45 degrees immediately gets me more capacity for bowls).
-Terrific packaging from the unboxing videos I've seen.
-Can run on 110 until I get a 220 receptacle installed.
-Outboard turning doesn't require a bed extension like the Laguna, and space is an issue in my shop.
The Nova Cons:
-Maintenance and fixes are likely extremely difficult too near impossible, in necessary, due to the headstock/DVR design.
-Headstock swivels (I've heard this can lead to less solid headstocks in general, but have yet to find a user who complains of it)
-Not really a con, but I could care less about some of the higher tech features on board.
-Less quill travel than the Laguna.
-"Soft" On/Off buttons
-Fewer user reviews available at the time of this writing.
The Laguna Pros:
-Excellent, numerous user reviews.
-Headstock allows for some operator maintenance, if necessary.
-More preferable On/Off switches
-Greater quill travel than the Nova (useful when drilling on the lathe).
-Up to 18" bowls, stock.
-Non-swiveling headstock.
The Laguna Cons:
-Flimsier packaging (possible headaches with delivery)
-Belt changes
-Less spindle capacity
-Poor customer service reputation (this is a pretty big one for me)
-Must order either the 110 or 220 model, so either saddle myself with a 1.5HP motor, or install 220 immediately (more problematic should I choose to move the lathe later, too).
-Reported issues with banjo and tool rest lockdown/design should dust interfere.
These are all of the big items I could find/come up with. I'm looking to get into bowls (only done a few practice ones) and possibly segmented turnings, spindle turning for pedestal tables. This is one of those things that I know I'm likely overthinking, and it will be a situation where I'd probably be thrilled with either, but would value any input. As I don't ever see myself shelling out the cash for something like a PM, Robust or OneWay, this is likely my be-all end-all lathe.
Currently, I'm using a Delta 46-460, which was a huge step up from the smallest HF lathe I started turning pens on (the one no longer offered). As I've worked on it, I got a feel for the features I like, and some of the things I wish I had. Rather than extend the bed on this machine, I had always planned on purchasing a larger lathe sometime down the line, and using this one for small, dedicated purposes, and hopefully as a learning tool for my older kids in the not too distant future.
As for lathe choices, I'm looking in the mid $2k range, which left me with 2 serious contenders: The Nova Galaxi 1644 or the Laguna Revo 1836. I could really use some help deciding, so here's what I like/my concerns between the two.
The Nova Pros:
-No belts!
-Great satisfaction with other Nova products I own.
-Excellent customer service reputation.
-Out of the box spindle and swing capacity (I don't really account for the fact that it's 16" vs the Laguna's 18", as swinging the headstock to 45 degrees immediately gets me more capacity for bowls).
-Terrific packaging from the unboxing videos I've seen.
-Can run on 110 until I get a 220 receptacle installed.
-Outboard turning doesn't require a bed extension like the Laguna, and space is an issue in my shop.
The Nova Cons:
-Maintenance and fixes are likely extremely difficult too near impossible, in necessary, due to the headstock/DVR design.
-Headstock swivels (I've heard this can lead to less solid headstocks in general, but have yet to find a user who complains of it)
-Not really a con, but I could care less about some of the higher tech features on board.
-Less quill travel than the Laguna.
-"Soft" On/Off buttons
-Fewer user reviews available at the time of this writing.
The Laguna Pros:
-Excellent, numerous user reviews.
-Headstock allows for some operator maintenance, if necessary.
-More preferable On/Off switches
-Greater quill travel than the Nova (useful when drilling on the lathe).
-Up to 18" bowls, stock.
-Non-swiveling headstock.
The Laguna Cons:
-Flimsier packaging (possible headaches with delivery)
-Belt changes
-Less spindle capacity
-Poor customer service reputation (this is a pretty big one for me)
-Must order either the 110 or 220 model, so either saddle myself with a 1.5HP motor, or install 220 immediately (more problematic should I choose to move the lathe later, too).
-Reported issues with banjo and tool rest lockdown/design should dust interfere.
These are all of the big items I could find/come up with. I'm looking to get into bowls (only done a few practice ones) and possibly segmented turnings, spindle turning for pedestal tables. This is one of those things that I know I'm likely overthinking, and it will be a situation where I'd probably be thrilled with either, but would value any input. As I don't ever see myself shelling out the cash for something like a PM, Robust or OneWay, this is likely my be-all end-all lathe.