# Grizzly G0766 lathe ?



## JoeinGa

Anyone here have a Grizzly G0766 lathe? I'm seriously considering pulling the trigger on one. Since my lathe died 6 weeks ago, I've been reading all the specs and comparisons on every lathe I could find, and this one seem to fill the bill.

I knew back I got this HF clone that it was going to be an inexpensive way to find out if I liked wood turning or not. And I REALLY, REALLY like it ! I think I'm getting better at it with each piece I turn and I'm ready to take it to a new level.

At first I was considering the midi lathes, but then I realized that if I didn't just buy the first thing I could afford, maybe, JUST MAYBE, I could buy the last lathe I'd ever want or need. So I sold some stuff and Bonnie and I took a long hard look at our ( fixed income ) budget and decided I should go ahead and buy something now that will last me the rest of my life, rather than buy a mid-range lathe and in two years be wishing I had something bigger and better.

I haven't found any videos on this particular one, but I do see vids on their other lathes and most everyone who has one likes it.

Sawmill Creek has a discussion on it here … http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?225567-New-model-G0766-Upgrade-possible!


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## ArlinEastman

Joe

That is the lathe I plan to buy in the future for the Vets and everyone else to use when I get enough in my GoFundMe account.

I have not personally seen it in use but have heard good things about it.

If you do get it, on the bottom rails between the legs I would add 400 lbs or more to it to keep it stable.
Also I have the Wixly gauge and on my lathe I made sure all axis are level after everything is set in place.


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## wormil

A lot of lathe for the money. Half the price of a Nova 2024 and beefier. Even the Jet 1642 is $1000 more. No outboard turning so you are limited to 22" but that isn't much of a limitation; certainly more than I'll ever turn.


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## TheDane

Hmmm … *"Not available for immediate shipment."* It would be nice to read some reviews on this lathe.


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## doubleDD

Wish I had something to add on the Grizzly, don't know much about them. Sticking with the last lathe you will ever buy is a good idea. Good luck with your decision. Keep us posted.


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## Wildwood

Grizzly G0766 lathe became a darling on many message boards as people got their 2015 catalogs around the first of the year. Several people even claimed to have bought one and went on the waiting list. Lot buying enthusiasm waned when found out had to wait until late May 2015 before Grizzly had them.

Guess buying wisdom now is wait till folks give their reviews after getting their lathes, if rave reviews buy one before the price increase. Fact that just another China lathe and until get bugs if any resolved another reason for caution.

May have to wait awhile for clear picture on this lathe, hope everyone already bought one happiness & good turning!


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## copcarcollector

I have the G0733 lathe, it looks almost the same as the G0766 (and its in stock!). Slightly different swing and distance between centers, the G0766 looks a little taller and has more indexing positions.

I have not used my G0733 a lot yet, but the few times I have it has been a solid performer. One thing I dont like is the massive tool rest - its 14 inches long - not great for pens, and I dont think Grizzly has anything smaller available - , but you can get others from other brands, be aware that, for mine at least, the post size in the banjo is weird, so Robust tool rests will not fit without a little modification to the rest or the banjo.

Here is a comparison between the two lathes:
http://www.grizzly.com/compare?category=Lathes_Wood&preload=G0766|G0733


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## TheDane

> ... be aware that, for mine at least, the post size in the banjo is weird, so Robust tool rests will not fit without a little modification to the rest or the banjo.


Good to know. Grizzly specs say the post diameter is 25mm (0.984252 inches), while the Robust rests are 1" (25.4mm). 25mm and 30mm Metric sizes are available from Robust by special order.


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## AHuxley

No point in looking for reviews just yet, none have not shipped yet. Expect the first ones to be in peoples hands about the 18th or so of this month.


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## JoeinGa

I'm planning on calling them tomorrow (Monday) and depending on what kind of delivery date they tell me, I may go in another direction.


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## ArlinEastman

That is the lathe I meant was the G0733. So I am thinking if that is a good lathe then the 766 with the 3hp should be as good.

Arlin


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## OSU55

The G0766 does have outboard turning - the head rotates 180° and can be located anywhere on the bed.


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## todd628

Hey Joe,
I tend to lean towards Grizzly no matter what the machine, my lathe is the G1495. For my limited lathe use
I love it, however it has been around for a while. I prefer the lever activated pulley speed control, because it does not
change the motor power at all. I have always heard that electronic speed control loses power at lower speeds (I do not know if this is true). Besides it does everything I ask of it with no problem. Plus I love being able to have a 20" disc sander mounted on the outboard side.



















I use it far more than the lathe itself. I also believe that Grizzly gives you the most bang for your buck…......

Have a blessed week Joe and have some fun making dust, Todd


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## TheDane

> I have always heard that electronic speed control loses power at lower speeds (I do not know if this is true).


True … most of the EVS lathes (the ones equipped with variable frequency drive) have two or three pulley/belt configurations to compensate for the loss of torque. The exception (I know of one … there may be more) is the Nova DVR system which has no belts and automatically compensates for load and torque.


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## JoeinGa

Well I just pulled the trigger on a new lathe. 
.
http://lumberjocks.com/topics/96378
.


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## TheGreatJon

> Plus I love being able to have a 20" disc sander mounted on the outboard side.
> - Todd Swartwood


*Jaw drops* I can't believe I've never thought of that. Awesome!


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## TheDane

Congratulations!

If you find a need for additional toolrests for your new lathe, Best Wood Tools ( http://bestwoodtools.com/ ) makes a modular tool rest system that has tool rest posts that are made for the Grizzly (25mm). I know some users modify the Grizzly's banjo to accommodate 1" diameter posts, but IMHO it is better to get something that is designed to fit the lathe instead of trying to make the lathe fit after-market products.

I bought a set of their T-Bar Modular Tool Rests a couple of years ago, and have been very happy not only with the product itself, but also the customer service.


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## JoeinGa

Thanks Gerry, 
Because this lathe costs a few bucks more than the one I wanted, I'm going to have to wait on getting a chuck and any other "extras". 
When the time comes, I'll certainly be looking at these.


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## AHuxley

> I prefer the lever activated pulley speed control, because it does not
> change the motor power at all. I have always heard that electronic speed control loses power at lower speeds (I do not know if this is true).


It is true that most types of speed control reduce HP at lower speeds if the speed of the motor is reduced. However, the current evolutions of VFD (Variable Frequency Drives) keep the torque constant to a very low speed and have speed ranges to help keep enough power to the shaft down to very slow speeds. In all honestly if you ever turn on a quality lathe with VFD you will never want to go back to a Reeves drive or full pulley changing system. In fact you will be hard pressed to find a single high quality lathe that is not VFD driven.


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## Clouseau

If you can find some older Powermatic tool rests and have access to a metal lathe, they can be turned down. Some others can too, but usually not as easily as PM. PM rests have a center point casted into the top side and one at the end of the shaft. If you mount the shaft in a 3 jaw chuck, you can then center drill the paint out of the spot. Then mount the rest between centers with a faceplate and bolt to drive the rest. Turn it down to any diameter you like. I have done several. Other brands usually need to have a flat spot and then be center drilled, They may not be center drilled on the end of the shaft either. You can also buy bushings to go from 5/8 or 3/4 to 25mm. I did that when I couldn't find any 1.25" rests for a Crescent.
Dan Coleman


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## snowdog

I am thinking of also buying this and just doing the hard work of looking at all the reviews but so far everyone seems to like it.


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## JoeinGa

Back on May 5 when I called Grizzly they told me that all of the units that were inbound were already spoken for. They gave me a "projected date" of mid-August if I wanted to wait. Well, my wife will certainly tell you that PATIENCE is NOT one of my better virtues, and there was no way I was gonna wait 3+ months for it. So I opted to get the G0733 because it was in stock.

Now that I've had this lathe 3 months I'm pretty happy with it. It has a couple things I'm not too thrilled with, but all in all it's certainly going to be the last lathe I ever buy. Looking back, I do wish I'd have had the patience to wait for the 766. Reading the reviews I would no doubt love it.


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## Bostonwoodturning

I just bought the G0766 and the headstock slides to the end of the bed for outboard turning. You have to fabricate something parts, I called and asked grizzly if there was an outboard rigger or if any other outboards from other machines would work with it, the answer was no! I'll let you know how the g0766 is with a complete review and breakdown. I use my machines everyday!


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## snowdog

I bought the 766 last month and have not had a lot of luck with it, Quality Control seems to be a real problem for Grizzly. I am on my 3rd head stock. They are very helpful but can't seem to ship a product that does not have defects. For instance the first head stock splindel was out 3/1000" so they shipped me a new (really used I would guess) head stock and this one the paint was rubbed off, but more to the point the Morse Taper was not bored all the way through so the live center would not fit in all the way live. I am on my 3rd head stock now. I they finally got it right but at 200+ lbs it is not an easy task to repack and ship them back continually. Very frustrating. At this point I wish I would have bought the Jet but the Gizzel is a nice tool and I think if there are no more problems I will be happy.


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## zamdriver

I just got my G0766 last week. So far I am pleased. I am having more trouble with the chuck I bought from them than anything. It has a wobble that makes it useless. Give me a few months and I will let you know more of how I feel about it.


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## Tennessee

Joe, maybe after all the issues that are written above, you made the right decision.


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## JoeinGa

You may be right Paul…. I guess time will tell.

Oh well, I'm happy with mine overall.


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## Chip9399

Got my 766 last week, been having a blast with it , 10 pens and 2 bowls so far, everything working as it should, I give it 2 thumbs up, love how quiet it is , I now can listen to the radio while turning,


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## snowdog

It has a high pitched noise (electronic squeal) that most of my older buddies cant seem to hear. So if your saying its quite then you are probably OLD  (or just have bad hearing) and that is not a bad thing.

I was not unhappy with the tool just the quality control


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## zamdriver

I had one, eventually two. JUNK! don't waste your money, and customer service is terrible. So the first one came and found the spindle was out of round. They initially sent me a spindle for me to install myself. I am pretty handy but this was not going to work. I called them back and the next guy I spoke with said, " oh no we have to install that". So I had to build a crate to send back the headstock. I sent it and got it back in about two weeks. The spindle was indeed fixed as to the "out of round" problem, however after about a month it developed a ticking noise. I was then told to tighten the spanner nut. I first had to order a spanner wrench and after I got it I had minimal success. Eventually the ticking noise came back with a vengeance. I called them back they offered me to replace the entire machine or a refund. I decided to give them one more shot. So I had to build yet another crate and send back the entire lathe. Now here I have to mention that I am a 52 year old guy with a bad back. I don't much enjoy moving around, let alone disassemble and re-crate a 500lb lathe, but I did it. So the new lathe comes and after I got it set up I noticed the spindle did not turn freely, and after turning a small bowl the spindle was almost too hot to touch. I informed them of this and told them from what I know (from the work I do) there is a bad bearing. I was told to send it back and they will just refund my money, BUT if they test it and it is fine then I will forfeit my shipping charges. I explained I am not getting any perverse pleasure moving around these lathes, due to the reasons previously stated. Before I crated it up I got a Fluke IR camera that I use at work and tested the lathe. It went from room temperature to 120F in 10 minutes. It would have gone higher had I chosen to let it run. SOOOOO at any rate, the lathe goes back they refund my money, BUT withheld the shipping charges. I informed them that I have a video proving my point and if they did not refund all of my money that I would be filing a complaint with the NC Attorney Generals Office, which I did. Amazingly the day after they were contacted by that office I received all my money back. That however does not cover all of the time spent building crated, assembling, disassembling, and going back and forth to the shipping terminal (yes they would deliver to my house but lift gate was extra and the terminal would put it in my truck). 
So in the end I purchased the Laguna Revo 18-36. WOW what a difference!!!! Night and day, amateur vs. pro. 
Grizzly has permanently lost any business from me.


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## restored

I am considering placing my order. Mike's review, and a couple other concern me. Seems like a keep your fingers crossed the head and tail stock lines perfectly as they should. If your one of the lucky ones, then seems like an awful amount of lathe for a very reasonable price. I have read on Grizzly's reviews, and a couple of other forums that most are very happy with the lathe. Some with issues, extremely happy with customer service. I was hoping Mikes review was a couple years old, and some of these kinks had been corrected, most anyway. But we are only talking 3 months ago. Anyone have a good to great experience? Metal work needing to be done with absolute precision, and the high tech machines used regardless of the location, is troubling. I have 2 to sell, hoping to gain space, and know I could make a dollar, make space, and graduate to a nice new 3 HP machine. Happy owners?


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## ACP

I have read so many horror stories about this lathe here and on other sites. I can't imagine going through what some people have done to get their lathe to work like it should. Mr Brailsford's tale should ring loudly for anyone considering this tool. I don't own a fluke thermometer and I would have been up $h1t creek in that same situation. I'm glad it worked out for you but who wants to have to submit legal complaint! Good lord what a fiasco!


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