New Lathe

[Turnright]

Hi
I am a new member and have been woodturning for about a year with a Jet 1221VS.

I am looking for a bigger heavier lathe for larger bowls and spindle work. Am looking at Axminster 1628 or Record Maxi 1.
Tried to find either secondhand but with no success so might have to fork out the hard earned cash for new.

Looking for opinions as to which you guys think is the best lather or any other advise on other lathes.

Thanks for your help

 

[woodpig]

I helped a mate set up his 1628. It's a very solid lathe and nicely finished. I'm sure he'll be along in a minute to tell you what he thinks of it.

 

[selectortone]

^That would be me

I absolutely LOVE my AT1628VS. It is my second lathe and I can't see me ever needing anything else. Use it virtually every day. (I'd be out there now if I wasn't suffering from a really bad cold)

I turn everything from miniature boxes to large bowls and hollow forms and it has taken everything I've thrown at it with ease. One of my biggest bugbears with my previous lathe, an old Record CL-1, was hogging out hollow forms, where it would vibrate badly and stall; with the Axi it just powers through hogging with a 60mm forstner bit quietly and with no fuss. I also got used to a swinging headstock with the CL-1 so that was a must.

I had the CL-1 mounted on a bench and when vibration started up the whole bench (a BIG, SOLID bench) and workshop wall it was bolted to (solid concrete) used to set up an unholy sympathetic vibration with all my tools rattling which sounded like aliens were landing. Now, with the optional leg-stands I went with, all is an oasis of calm and tranquillity. (The neighbours like the new lathe almost as much as I do!)

Variable speed is something that you use once and can't do without; particularly useful when truing up large, out-of-round lumps of wood, which is what I mostly start out my projects with.

Always had great after sales service from Axminster, so that was a consideration with this size of investment. The guys who delivered it were great too.

I tell my mates it's like going from a Sopwith Camel to a P-51 Mustang (Cadillac of the skies!!). It's just a very well designed, well made and well specced machine. No fuss, no bother. Bliss.

 

[Turnright]

Hi
thanks for this information. It looks good to me and its nice to hear a very satisfied customer.

Anyone out there used the maxi 1?

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I have the original Woodfast when still made in Australia that became the Maxi 1 and it's every bit as good as your man above describes the Axy...only better .

Everything is solid cast iron. It's a seriously well made lathe and performs superbly. RP have upgraded the spec I have slightly with a few bells and whistles but underneath it's the same.

 

[selectortone]

I have the original Woodfast when still made in Australia that became the Maxi 1 and it's every bit as good as your man above describes the Axy...only better .

Shame it's only 1.5HP :wink:

 

[Random Orbital Bob]

I have the original Woodfast when still made in Australia that became the Maxi 1 and it's every bit as good as your man above describes the Axy...only better .

Shame it's only 1.5HP :wink:

Luckily, it's bearings are so superior to the Axy, it doesn't need all that redundant power :lol:

 

[selectortone]

:lol:

Both excellent machines.

 

[Turnright]

Hi
thanks for info.
So Record is 1.5hp and the Axi is 1.5kw. What is the difference in these figures?

 

[Keithie]

I think if I was looking in the £2k area for a lathe I might be tempted to pay justa little more and see if I coukd get a Wivamac..

http://www.toolpost.co.uk/pages/Lathes/ ... db801.html

but throwing extra lathe brands into the mix may not be helpful...if not ...sorry!

 

[selectortone]

1.5kW = 2HP

 

[Turnright]

HI
yes a Wivamac is a beautiful lather but I think one with 2hp is about £3,000 which is to much money

 

[Robbo3]

I believe Blister, who still occasionally frequents this forum, had one.

I was tasked in helping another turner upgrade & he was set upon the APTC 1628VS after seeing mine. I told him he would outgrow it within a year & the minimum he should be looking for was a Record Maxi (I believe there are several versions). The new versions have an M33 thread but the older ones were imperial sizes.
Anyway, it took a trip to Axminster at High Wycombe to compare the lathes side by side to make him realise that I wasn't trying to mislead him & he added the Jet 2424 or 4224 to his wish list. The price was out of his reach but luckily found a second hand 3520B at a sensible price.

There was a Killinger lathe for sale on here back in January
- killinger-1450se-t102917.html
- https://www.killinger.de/maschinen/en/s ... 55&p2=1307

 

[SVB]

Just been through exactly the same process with my dad upgrading from a small Jet!

Went for the axi in the end and really very pleased with it, wouldn't change now and very happy camper.

S

 

[Turnright]

Hi
much thanks for all this advice and information.
I did look at the Killinger and it was very nice but it seemed to me to be just like the Axi. Admittedly I did not try them both but they did not look a lot different. No doubt the build quality of oa Wivamac is excellent but the thing is the Axi, Killinger and Wivamac are not as heavy as the Maxi 1. Is this a very important factor as a lot of peole have told me to go for weight in a lathe?

 

[Keithie]

I think there may be other less obvious factors such as the type and quality of bearings in the headstock as well as the ones mentioned above (physical dimensions vs what you hope to turn, weight, thread type, power, morse taper, noise, maintenance, guarantee, support, variable speed range, reverse, moveable/rotating head or other outboard turning ability etc).. but maybe it depends if you see your purchase as the machine you hope to use for the rest of your life or as a stepping stone to a possibly bigger lathe.

I've been gradually asking professional turners what they use. No clear pattern so far (at least not that I can see!)

I was very tempted when the Jet3520b came down to £2k new at Axminster recently (jet have stopped making them I think as they're moving to dvr) ...thats a machine for life for a hobbyist like me ...but I decided to wait ...I suspect you can probably pick up a good secondhand one of those for about £2k still.

The Yandles annual show at the start of April ..if you can/want to wait till then may be the best chance you get to see a good range of machines and talk to a lot of very capable turners as they use them?

I'm new to this though ...trying to figure out if I even need to upgrade ..whereas the other folk who have commented above definitely have a lot more experience than me.

 

[SVB]

Hi
much thanks for all this advice and information.
I did look at the Killinger and it was very nice but it seemed to me to be just like the Axi. Admittedly I did not try them both but they did not look a lot different. No doubt the build quality of oa Wivamac is excellent but the thing is the Axi, Killinger and Wivamac are not as heavy as the Maxi 1. Is this a very important factor as a lot of peole have told me to go for weight in a lathe?

Don't forget the maxi weight is quoted with legs / base and the axi quotes bench top weight only. Cast iron legs add a fair bit although I suspect the maxi will edge this one.

S

 

[Turnright]

Hi
yes I want this to be the last lathe I buy. I think the Axi and Maxi are fairly much a muchness in most of the above details.
Not sure about the bearings though. I think both have had issues with bearings in the past but I would not know a good or bad bearing if I saw it, so how do I tell?

 

[woodfarmer]

The Jet3520b is an order of magnitude better than the 1628vs, I was very tempted but for a new beginner seemed just a step too far... Don't say I regret buying the 1628 but doubt I would be unhappy now if I had stumped up the extra for the 3520b.

 

[Keithie]

^ just that, for me. Step too far ..even at £2k. Easy to spend cash when you dont need to. 'If you dont know that you need to then dont' is kinda my approach.

And as for pro turners... if its business then, to some extent, ego & pride may take a back seat to commerce.

I used to have a little race car (ginetta g4)...ego ...

but my friends bmw5 series beat me everywhere except the twistiest of tracks with no long straights ...but his mate in a mondeo beat me too. Mondeos are seriously good cars, so are BMWs. 2 litre mondeo cost a lot less than 2 litre ginetta g4!!

Oneway is a great brand, Hapfo...Steinert .. the same ...there must be possibly 10-20 top names ..VicMarc, Wivamac, Stubby, Magma, Powermatic, Robust are just a few I've been looking at ....but a pro might chose a 'Mondeo' like Grizzly or Maxi if its business.

As for bearings... I tried asking some retailers ...they didnt want to tell me ...so I'm researching still.