Which Lathe??

[slemishwoodcrafts]

I'm going to be upgrading my lathe in the coming months and my budget is roughly £500. Now, I've always wanted a Record Power lathe having used one in the past and I loved how solid it felt. They also have a large diameter turning capacity. So I am swaying towards the CL3. But, I would love variable speed without having to change belts.
So the Axminster AWVSL1000 caught my eye. It has variable speed and a bigger motor than the CL3. It doesn't give a maximum turning diameter, but axminster have told me it can turn big pieces provided they are well balanced and not too heavy.
I don't want to go second hand, I've never owned a new bit of machinery before so this will be a treat for me that I have worked hard for.
Now, do I buy the CL3 and make do changing belts, or is the Axminster a good lathe to go with? For near enough the price of the Record I can get the Axi lathe with a new chuck, faceplate and floor stand and it has a more powerful motor.
Help and advice greatly appreciated.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

If you want to turn large pieces and cannot run to variable speed, go for the lathe with the lowest minimum speed. This will reduce the probability of unacceptable and sometimes dangerous vibration with unbalanced large lumps of wood.

I have the AWVSL1000, It is a good value lathe (you get what you pay for!!) with a large theoretical capacity. You can do more than 14" by rotating the headstock, but unless very well balanced before you start it will not go slow enough to safely turn more than 14". Even 14" over the bed can be problematic unless well balanced to start with. The lathe is supplied with a rest extension but this is simply not rigid enough to support the tool rest effectively.