QUICK NOTE: To buy any product reviewed below, click on the Buy Now button to go directly to the appropriate page on another secure site to get more information on that product and/or make a purchase. The “Bob’s Pick” logo below indicates which of the products below has earned Bob Gillespies highest purchase recommendation. Below the reviews is a SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON CHART and, finally, an article by Bob Gillespie on important features to consider when shopping and why.
JET JML-1014 VSI – 10”x14” VARIABLE SPEED MINI WOOD LATHE
This wood lathe is short on bed length but if 14 is the longest spindle you will ever turn, this machine should be fine for you. An optional bed extension is available that extends this length to 39 3/8 but be forewarned that the motor is only ½ HP, adequate to the lathes 10 swing (5 over bed). This is a small lathe, meant to be a small wood lathe and, operated within its capabilities, it is excellent machine in every respect. It is extremely quiet and smooth-running. It features 500-3900 RPM variable speed which is pretty much a must, especially if you plan on turning small bowls. In short, you get top quality in a small wood lathe. Lowest price is about $480.
JET JWL-1220 12 x 20 WOOD LATHE
This wood lathe has a bit larger swing 12 (6over bed) than the previous model and a more generous bed length of 20. This model is priced about the same as the JML 1014 but it does not have the variable speed feature. The motor HP (required for the larger swing) is ¾ HP vs. ½ HP for the JML 1014. It has an indexing mechanism for fluting and veining operations. Lowest price is about $500.
DELTA 46-460 VARIABLE SPEED MIDI WOOD LATHE
In the same approximate speed range as the two Jet lathes above is the Delta 46-460. It has a 16 ½ center to center (max spindle length) but features a generous 12 ½ swing (6 ¼: above bed). It has variable speed capability with a range of 250 to 4000 RPM. It has a 1 HP motor and a 6-groove belt. It has a solid, heavy base which will help with vibration dampening. The head stock spindle can be indexed into 24 different positions for fluting and veining. Lowest price is about $650.
JET JWL-1642-EVS-2 16x 42 FULL SIZE WOOD LATHE
This wood lathe has a smaller 14 x 42 model for less money but other than that model’s 14 (7 over bed) vs. thid unit’s 16 swing (8 over bed) and that model’s smaller motor, there is no difference in features or quality. This wood lathe represents a big price jump over the smaller lathes above but it also represents a huge jump in terms of lathe capacity. The 16 model comes as part of a very nice package which includes a sturdy stand, long tool rests, faceplates, live centers, spur centers, spindle locks, indexing locks and knockout bars. The legs have special webbings cast into them to accept 2x4s for supporting a solid shelf for tools and/or sand bags to dampen the vibration from this larger wood lathe when turning larger materials.
A Reeves variable speed drive lets you index between eight speeds, ranging from 0 RPM to 3,200 RPM with digital readout. The headstock slides to the opposite end of the bed to allow for outboard turning of large bowls. You can also index the spindle every 10 degrees for fluting and veining. Face plates and chucks can be more readily removed by using the built-in spindle lock. The 16 model is available with either 1 ½ HP Single Phase Motor or a 2 HP 3-Phase motor at extra cost. The 14 version has a 1 HP, single phase motor. Lowest price on the 16″ package is about $2400.
POWERMATIC 3520B LATHE 2HP 220V 20 x 34 ½ WOOD LATHE
This Powermatic wood lathe features industrial capabilities and big price tag. If you need a wood lathe like this, here it is. If you dont, save your money. If this wood lathe is not large enough, we have one ahead that probably will be. The sliding headstock features digital speed readout. This wood lathe features a spindle lock and built-in spindle indexing, a 14 tool rest with better geometry to allow for better chisel movement, a self-ejecting laser-etched quill, a two-position mount for the optional bed extension, an optional dust collection assembly that travels with the tool rest, chrome-trimmed hand wheels, a safety shield, a ball bearing live center and a brass-tipped knock-out rod. Choose between a single phase or 3-phase 220 V motor. This wood lathe weighs 630 Lbs. with a ship weight of 680 Lbs. Lowest price is about $3900.
POWERMATIC 4224 WOOD LATHE 3 HP 220V 24 x 42
This is the industrial wood lathe I referred to earlier. It has a 24 swing (12 over bed, 9 ¼ over the tool rest base) and 42 between centers. Imagine what you could do with a wood lathe this size! The headstock is not moveable, probably because it needs to be extremely strong and rigid to be able to swing a spindle up to the capacity of the machine. It has a 3-step poly V-Belt drive and a digital readout. Electronically controlled speeds in these 3 pulley positions are 0-900, 0-2000, and 0-3500 RPM respectively. This wood lathe can be operated in both forward and reverse. It can also swing very large bowl blanks up to 48 in diameter. This wood lathe weighs 891 Lbs. Lowest price is about $5118.
SIDE-BY-SIDE COMPARISON CHART: WOOD LATHES
| Jet JML-1014 | Jet JWL-1220 | Delta 46-460 | Jet JWL 1642 | Pwrmat. 3520B | Pwrmat. 4224 | |
| Low Price | $480 | $500 | $650 | $2,400 | $3,900 | $5118 |
| Bed Length | 14″ | 20″ | 16.5″ | 42″ | 34.5″ | 42″ |
| Swing | 10″ | 12″ | 12.5″ | 16″ | 20″ | 24″ |
| Motor HP | 1/2 HP | 3/4 HP | 1 HP | 1 1/2 or 2 HP | 2 HP | 3 HP |
| Variable Spd. | 500-3900 RPM | NONE | 250-4000 RPM | 0-3200 RPM | 0-3200 RPM | 0-3500 RPM |
ABOUT WOOD LATHES
The more experience you have as a wood turner, the easier it will be to choose your next wood lathe. To accommodate everyone 
from beginner to expert, I will try to keep my comments basic and yet complete. If you are an expert, please bear with me. If you are a beginner, this review may save you a lot of headaches at the school of hard knocks.
Id like to start out by saying that creating beautiful lathe turnings is an art which requires a certain amount of specialized talent. The only way for you to know if you have this talent is to take some lessons from an accomplished woodturner. You can be an excellent woodworker, adept at the table saw, band saw or router or other woodworking tools and yet, not have the particular kind of fine touch that it takes to be a master at the wood lathe. Before you fork out your hard-earned dollars for a dream wood lathe, get some experience first.
There are some basic things to know when shopping for a wood lathe and probably the most important question you might want to ask yourself is, What do I want to produce on my new wood lathe? and, What do I think I might want to produce on my wood lathe in the foreseeable future?. If all you ever want to do is turn pencil and pen blanks, a micro lathe is all you need. If you plan on turning out huge pedestals for round tables, you might want to consider investing in one of the larger, industrial lathes available to you at a price.
Numbers wise, you will want to consider the lathes bed length, the distance between the base of the tool rest and the center (diameter that can be turned), the maximum diameter of bowls that can be turned safely (usually on the outboard side of the wood lathe head), the horsepower and RPM of the wood lathe motor and the variable speed range.
One thing that may not be immediately obvious is that all lathes create vibration. This vibration is transmitted to the point where the cutting tool touches the wood. Vibration makes for poor or rough cuts and vibration must be dampened out as much as possible. A flimsy lathe stand is not going to do this for you. I went so far as to build a heavy wood lathe bench which incorporated a large box which I filled with sand bags. A heavy-duty stand might suffice for you, however.
Usually I review woodworking tools that are roughly comparable in size, features and power. In this review, however, because of the wide variety of wood lathe designs and capabilities, I compared lathes of vastly different measurements and capacities side-by side. If you have gained a bit of experience and have asked yourself the two important questions in paragraph 3, above, then this multi-lathe review should help you find the best wood lathe for you. Ill started off with the smallest and least expensive and worked up to the largest wood lathe with the highest price tag and the most capabilities.