# Great Lathe for the money



## BigBard

Good Review, love grizzly stuff, enjoy that lathe!


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## Ecocandle

That was a really helpful review. Thanks.


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## woodnut

This is a very timely review for me. I was looking at this lathe 4 day ago and almost bought it then, but I decided that I needed to do some more research before buying. Thanks for the review and glad you like the lathe, you may have just sold one for them.


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## peruturner

That is a great lathe for the money,also see if you could add a raiser to it to make it 10_12" I will do that when I get me one, Im working out the shipment charges to south america,with a friend living in the USA,grizzly do not ship abroad


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## Homers

I did quite a bit of research and shopping before purchasing my tools and I found Grizzly had a better price point and feature / function appeal almost every time. I've had their table saw, jointer, bandsaw, and drill press for years now and love every one of them. I've called Grizzly customer service a couple of times and they were top notch. I like them quite a bit.


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## richgreer

I just received my 2010 Grizzly Catalog and I see that the price on this lathe has gone up a little. Per the catalog it is now $525 and there is no mention of free shipping. IMHO - this is still a great deal.


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## wchips

HI richgreer. If you are having trouble with the belt on your lathe try a kevelar (spelling?) belt.They are sold in some farm supply stores.( Bomgaars ) they are one tough belt


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## MauBow

Great Review! I have the same lathe, my dad gave it to me after using it for 2 years. Other than the points you noted, belt wear and slowest speed, I love it! Now I want Grizz's new 18" lathe…..

New 18in Griz


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## richgreer

I'm sure that 18 inch lathe is great but it crosses a line I don't want to cross, 220 volt. I just don't want to mess with 220 volt. Virtually ever major tool I own is at or close to the limit of what one can do with 110 volts.


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## MauBow

Rich, 220 would be a problem for me as well, I forgot it was 220. Oh well, if my dad upgrades again, I'd get a Jet 1640 1.5hp…that would do just fine too!


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## jtpalmer

I bought one in November of 2009. By January 2010 I worried I'd made a bad decision. By May 2010 I knew I had and by June I decided to dump the thing asap! I've gone through multiple belts, two motor pulleys, on my 2nd tool rest-the "banjo," I mean. Everything about it is cheap and inferior. The lastl straw was a 10 inch bowl I tried to turn. Every 30-45 seconds I had to stop and drag the whole machine back into place because it "walks" so badly. Now to their credit, the Grizzly customer service has been great and they have replaced parts so far for no charge. I'm just tired of fighting it! If anyone is considering one of these lathes I would telll them to RUN AWAY!


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## a1Jim

Hey Rich 
It amazes me that a owner of a number Festools is willing to give Grizzly a try. Many times I find that folks that can afford higher end tools will not be open minded enough to try Grizzly tools. Is this the best money can buy ? No and your review reflects that, but it is a good value and does what you want it to. Thanks for your review. very well done.


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## JBsWorkshop

Hey Rich,

I have the same G0462 and agree with the "issues." My two chief complaints are:

1. The tailstock that came with mine (which is not what is on yours). I have the tailstock with the longer base that extends towards the headstock making it impossible for the tool rest to fit under for deep bowls.

Did yours come with the shorter version, or was it aftermarket? If so, does anyone know where I can find a different tailstock for this lathe?

2. Mine does not have a hand wheel. Does anyone know where to purchase an aftermarket handwheel for this lathe?

Thanks to all,
jb


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## restored

I am pretty close to convinced 100% that this machine is the best buy on the market today for a good quality lathe. Yes, I can see it;s short comings, but lets consider some points not really discussed on this forum. I have been looking at their 18" and 22" lathes for over a year now. I;m throwing out some of my opinions and would love any input and corrections to how I may be misinterpreting the lathes specs and some discussion of. The cost of this lathe is actually less than a Jet 1221. By size and power alone, the advantages are glaring. And you have a few dollars left for accessories. I believe this lathe is actually more powerful than the next model up which is 220V. That machine is only a 1.5 HP with a 1HP inverter.


> ?? drawing 4.7 amps needing a 15 amp circuit. So the difference is what your outlets and plugs look like


? And the breaker. This lathe requires a 20 amp 110 breaker, drawing 14 amps. I'm not an electrician but I believe we are talking about a 1 hp difference in power, maybe more at the low speeds when the HZ goes below 60. I believe I read a review on this lathe, and the belt was being discussed as it is here, as being the lathes biggest draw back. It may be it's best selling feature if I remember correctly. I think it was mentioned to use a link belt and for each link removed, no more than 2, you can lower your RPM's by 100 per link. This was touched on in this discussion. I have had people pesting me to buy a few midi lathes, and teach a kid and adult class evenings, as nothing like this is available anymore since all HS's have done away with their votech programs. I could purchase 3 of these, and a chuck for each less than I could a Jet 1221. I have looked closely at Grizzly's 22" model which comes with a 3HP motor, and a 2HP inverter, requiring a 20 amp breaker. Looking for advice here, aside from centers lining up etc. doesn't this lathe actually have more power and torque than the 22" model without the safety of the low speeds of which may be compromised by the loss in torque due to less Hz draw. I;m still relatively new to the world of turning, only been doing for about 5 to 6 years often. 16" is a pretty darn big bowl. Measure the biggest in your cupboards. With turning a bowl this size you now have the challenge of finishing the bottom, one of the biggest issues. But what a pleasant issue to have for less money and a slower speed than the midi machine. I don't think you guys need to be as concerned about 220 as you are. If you opt for the ame size or larger machine, have a electrician do your panel work, and the rest of it no different than 110. Hoping someone can chip in, because I believe from a raw power perspective, your talking pretty much the same with the 1.5 220 machine, at least after it passes through the inverter. I could be wrong but I also believe that machine only requires a 15 amp breaker which seems odd to me. A lot of lathe for the money.
Nothing is impossible to the man who doesn't have to do it himself. Rick


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