# buying a mini lathe,,



## 3285jeff (Sep 12, 2013)

I have been shopping around for a mini lathe,,turning pens and bowls is mostly what I will be doing,,i have looked at them all but the ones at penn state I kinda lean too,,the 12in variable speed,,can anyone give me any info on these mini lathes,,,thank you


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## RHolcomb (Mar 23, 2010)

I have a Delta 46-460 Midi lathe and love it. Not only is it variable speed but it also has reverse which is fantastic when sanding!


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## knotheadswoodshed (Jun 14, 2012)

I bought my wife the Jet from CPO, my only regret is I did not get the variable speed model which would have been much more convienent for pen turning/finishing


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

I bought a Delta 46-460 a little over two years ago … great lathe.

I shopped all of the available offerings (including the PSI and Jet lathes) before I bought the Delta. At the time, I concluded the Delta was a better engineered piece of machinery. Given my experience the last 2+ years, I would make the same decision today. I will say that the new Jet 1221VS looks to be very competitive to the Delta.


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## ArlinEastman (May 22, 2011)

I also have the Deltaa 46-460 and like it alot.
One thing however I do not like and it is that all the power is at the back of the headstock. When I turn anything different then pens and need to stop it fast I have to reach over the wobbeling piece of wood.

However, also I called and emailed Delta and they told me to unscrew the 4 phillips head screws on the back of it and all I had to do was lengthen the 2 grounding wires to the length of the power cord which was 12" 
They told me to use wire nuts to put the wires together.

I also had the PSI 10" lathe several years ago and I really liked that too, but with only 1/2 hp it was limited on what it would turn. Now with the 12" Commander with 1hp I would thing it would do almost anything my Delta would. I think it would be a great starter lathe.

Arlin


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

With what I've been reading about the changes at Delta about parts and service, I'd be cautious.
Just what I've heard…...............
Bill


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## TheDane (May 15, 2008)

Bill … With all due respect, I think the stuff about Delta is just FUD. I talked to the parts manager at a Delta-authorized distributor/repair center near where I live … he said he has had no more trouble getting parts for Delta than any other brand they handle.


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## Jim Jakosh (Nov 24, 2009)

I have heard that the Delta 46-460 is a great lathe!

I have a Harbor Freight mini lathe and it is underpowered at 1/3 HP but it would be great for pen turning and bowls up to about 4"....... Bigger than that will stall it. It has variable speed and that works great. It is my traveling lathe just so I have something to work on when we take the motorhome out.
It has a 3/4-16 spindle thread and a #1 MT tail stock which does not inter change with the stuff used on my Craftsman lathe, but that is okay.
I bought one for my buddy and with their sale and 20% off, I got it for $80!

...............Jim


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

+10 on Delta. I bought my Delta 46-460 Midi-Lathe this past Jan. 2013 and could not be happier. Even had a customer malfunction, where I fouled up and got the tailstock stuck in the Morse Taper. Delta got me a replacement under warranty no questions asked. And it did not cost me a penny. And since then I have had a great time learning to turn. Just love that variable speed motor on each of three different belt settings. Actually rarely need to change belt settings because of the variable speed motor.

BTW, I got the Nova Chuck for Delta and without a question, that was the best thing I could have done to maximize the utility of this lathe.


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## ihmserv (Jan 29, 2008)

I've had this turncrafter from penn state for 9 months now.
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/TCLC12VS.html?concept=1

this was bought as a secondary lathe for shows and demos. my other lathe is a pm3520b.
when I first got it, and set it up, I thought the tail stock is a sloppy ( compared to the pm3520) but after using it a few times it is not much different that some of the other mini lathes I have turned on.
the only real problem I had with it was the indexing/spindle lock. the boss on top of the lathe had not been ground down far enough for the pin to fully engage into the nylon indexing gear. I ground down the boss and penn state sent me a new gear. problem solved.

the lathe was loaned to my local turning group for a couple of hands-on sessions. no problems were reported.
with other turners using it and at least one person has bought the same lathe since using mine.

I have turned a bunch of pens, some bowls up to about 8 inches ( note I do own a 600 lb lathe for bowl turning)
a number of boxes. I used it to do a couple of demos on offset spindle turning and had no problems .

the only thing that surprises me is how much I go to this lathe to turn, even though I have a big lathe right next it.

hope this helps

IAN


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

Jeff,
I forgot to mention this earlier, so here is a link to a thread I started when I was starting my shopping for a mini-lathe. A lot of LJs posted (+100 posts) on this, so you might find something to help guide your purchasing decisions.

DELTA WINs -- RIKON Mini Lathe Model 70-100 or the DELTA 46-460 ????


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

Since you mentioned bowls but still opt for a smaller lathe - I would look at the ~12" models. VS is nice to have, but not a deal breaker for the occasional turner, so if you are looking to save some $$$ the non-vs models would do just fine. Other than that, I think they are all very similar in specs and capabilities and it boils down to personal likes and dislikes, and what you would feel the most pleased about owning (ford vs. chevy argument). Rikon, Delta, Penn State Ind would all be good quality alternatives.


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## Ozwald (Sep 17, 2013)

The 10×18 5 speed Harbor Freight lathe is probably the best tool I've ever gotten from them. I've had it about a year & have spent numerous long days on it. I would guess a grand total of over 1000 hours with next to no complaints. I wish I had a larger lathe and variable speed would be nice too, but for the price you can't beat it. If you're going to spend more money on a similar lathe, make sure it's got plenty of bells and whistles or it's just not worth it IMHO.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Penn State Ind. has a promo going on: 
http://www.pennstateind.com/store/TCLC12VS.html

Looks like a nice lathe with 1hp.


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