About a month ago, I bought a Record Power DML305 lathe.
Although I was very new to woodturning, I did not want to buy a real cheapie that was sure not to last and would probably leave me dissappointed. After carrying out research, I shortlisted:
- the Charnwood W815 as I read a pretty good review of it and it was variable speed.
- the Record Power DML36-SH because of the bed length and swivel head.
- the Record Power DML305 because it had good reviews, had a heavy cast iron bed and a good speed range.
These three looked like the best in the price range I was interested in. I finally ruled out the W815 because although it was variable speed, belt changes were still required to use the full speed range and there was no indication that the bed could be extended. To me the DML305 looked more solid than the DML36-SH. It is possible to get a bed extension so the only benefit the latter would give was the swivel head. The 5 year guarantee was also a factor in choosing my lathe.
I was going to wait a bit but I went to check out a showroom only about ten miles from home and right in the middle was a DML305 set up. The dealer threw in some some extras and the deal was done. I also bought a chuck, a set of Peter Sorby tools (with discount) and a few other bits & pieces. A week or so later, I went back for the stand and got that for the price I would have paid had I bought it at the same time.
It was just about ready to use straight out of the box. Although there were instructions, they were not needed.
Since then I have used it a lot. Really enjoyed it and my wife has made all the dutiful noises at my progress.
My only problem is that I am using the lathe so much my tools need to be sharpened but I do not have a sharpening system yet.
Since then, I have seen both the other shortlisted lathes at my local woodturning club. The W815 had a crack in the bed and the DML36-SH looked like a scaled down version of the CL series lathes and looks flimsy compared to the DML305. I know I made the right choice.
