Which lathe?? 🤔

[Havo]

Hi everyone..
I’m new here and looking for some advice.
I have been turning for about 10 months or so and it’s time to upgrade from my second hand £60 draper WTL30 lathe with the knackered bearings to something that’s more suited to my needs. Everything bowl and vase related and want outboard ability for some big stuff.
So, I have narrowed my needs down to two lathes (maybe 3).. but if any of you have any other advice.. I’m all ears 👍

So.. the 2 I have most interest in are: 

Coronet Herald Electronic Variable Speed Lathe

Or

Axminster Trade Series AT1628VS

There is a sneaky third but don’t know enough about them : Killinger 1400
.
I’m new here so be gentle please 🤓👍

Thanks in advance ✌️

[Redtails4]

Hi
The axminster 1628 lathe is the one I would go for , and being a member of the awgb you may get a discount of between 5% and 10%  ask at the counter of your local store if you decide to go down that route.
Also free delivery plus brillent after sales service.
The killinger  lathe will leave you with empty pockets two hundred pounds delivery.
They have reputation for being well engineered.
Also have a look at Simon hopes range of lathes.

[Havo]

Thanks for the swift reply Red, I will have a look at the Simon hope lathes now.. cheers
 👍

[seventhdevil]

can't speak for the lathes you have mentioned as i've never owned them but my lathe is the jet 3520b and it is the dogs doodahs. if you want to get into serious turning just think "the bigger the better".

there is currently one for sale.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Jet-3520b-heavy-duty-lathe-with-350mm-extention-bed/223017025604?hash=item33ecd9c044:g:WWMAAOSw9NhbHXih

[fuzzyturns]

The Axminster 1628 is essentially the same lathe as Simon Hope's Twister 200 (which I believe he cannot sell any longer due to this). I have the Twister, and for the money it's all you can ask for. Therefore I'd second the recommendation for the Axminster 1628. The Killinger is a good lathe, but with less capacity plus the shipping, so the deal doesn't make sense. The coronet is in a different class and should be compared with the Axminster 1416VS. Having had a look at it, It would appear the only real advantage it has to offer over the Axminster 1416VS is the swivel head. However, on a lathe with a 0.75kw motor, that doesn't make a whole lot of sense either (For those big bowls you need more oomph and also more mass in the lathe itself).

So, if you have the 2k needed for the 1628, go for it. And do yourself a favour and buy it with stand and bed extension. You will need it at some point. I use mine all the time.

[philstevenson]

A fellow member of West Midlands Woodturners (doesn't frequent this forum) has a Hegner HDB 200 SE for sale. Very capable lathe and well under a grand I believe. Message me if this might be of interest or if you want more info, pictures, exact price etc. Just noticed there is one on Ebay for £850 - this one will be less than that.

[Havo]

Thanks everyone for your help..👍   I had a feeling it was going to be the Axminster from the get go.. I have read nothing but good reviews about it.
 I would like to purchase new as I want the warranty reassurance. Thank you though Seventh for the link to the Jet.
 Before I make my final decision, I would like your thoughts on the Maxi-1 from Record Power. I totally forgot about that one.. maybe a sign?? 🤔

                 Axminster 1628 v Record Power Maxi-1

Thanks again in advance ✌️

[edbanger]

Hi Havo

Welcome to the forum. My name is Ed Oliver and I run Olivers Woodturning. Firstly I don't sell lathes so I have no financial gain in my comments. But I do know a bit about the market and run two Axminster AT1628's

The Axminster AT1628VS is a very good lathe and has done everything that I've asked of it over the passed 41/2 years one of them has in fact as done over 8000 hours. In this price bracket my guess is that this is the biggest selling lathe by a long way.

It has a couple minor problems the spindle locking pin if just a turned piece of metal which you insert in to a small hole to hold the spindle and it's quite a lose fit. The screw fitting which holds the tool rest needs a bit of extra pressure when doing it up to hold the tool rest firmly otherwise the tool rest can slip. This not just on mine I do demo's around the clubs and have found this on the others that I have used.

Now I think that you will find that That the AT1628VS is based on the Killinger 1400. When I brought my first one 41/2 years ago I was going to buy the Killinger 1400 but back then I found the AT1628VS and it was nearly a thousand pounds cheaper!

I would look at the Stratos FU230 supplied by Simon Hope I think this lathe is slightly better engineered. The couple of odd points I've pointed out are not a problem on this lathe in fact when I replace my AT1628VS I'll try the FU230. I believe Fuzzy's comment is wrong there is no problem between Axminster and the manufactures of the FU230 Simon Hope is and will be selling these lathes for as long as he wants.

I think Les Symonds on here spins a Maxi 1 so he would be the man to ask about these lathes.

Hope that helpful.

All the best

Ed

[Les Symonds]

Hi Have, and welcome.

…..''I think Les Symonds on here spins a Maxi 1 so he would be the man to ask about these lathes.…..

Correct Ed. Then only reason I hadn't joined into this thread is that my experience of lathes other than my Record Maxi 1 is very limited, so I wouldn't wish to make comparisons with others. As for the Maxi, I love it and have had no significant  problems with it in the 5000-or-so hours that I've used it for. I turn a lot of big, heavy pieces and a lot of unbalanced, off-centred work. I recently got a 38" swing, which is more than the machine's true capacity, but a simple reconfiguration of the out-board tool rest soon accommodated it.
One minor niggle....There is a retractable pin located on the headstock, central to and a few centimetres over the bed bars. This pin is used to line up the headstock after it has been swivelled to one side and is being returned to its normal position, in line with the axis of the ways. I found that it got in the way of larger platters that I was turning, so I just took it off about three years ago and never put it back. When I re-align the head, I simply do a kiss-test between headstock and tailstock centres, instead of relying on the pin that was fitted.
Les

[bodrighywood]

I run a maxi and have no prob;lem with it either. Like Les I often turn off  balanced work and the only problem I have had is that I can't bolt the lathe down to the floor and sometimes it can go for a walk with heavier off balanced things. I also have the Axminster AT1416VS which is the smaller version of the one that you are looking at and to be honest I have had a load of problems with it over the two years I have had it, both electrical and mechanical, maybe just a rogue one.

Pete

[Havo]

Hello again,
Thank you fellas for sharing your experience with these two machines.. I’m now even less decided on what to do..😂, this could take a while! I think the simon hope is unfortunately a little bit out of my budget but thanks for the heads up 👍
I was drawn to the Axminster from the start but now I have read more into the Maxi, I am torn
 When I first started out turning, I got in contact with a local lady turner who has a Maxi 1. She kindly offered a demonstration so I went and had a wee lesson and had a shot and remember it being dreamy compared to my WTL30.. like silk (well, anything would feel better.. haha).
Right from the start I have wanted to do some really BIG pieces so I think it boils down to which one can handle the big stuff the best. The Maxi weighs in @ 231kg but I can see the weight of the Axminster..? Axminster has a bed extension and the Maxi has the bowl turning outrigger? Better to turn the big stuff off the end of the Axminster bed with drop down bed extension or off the side of the Maxi 1 with the outrigger? (Which I presume the Axminster does also?)

Thanks again and well done on a great forum !

[Bryan Milham]

Havo,

I think it's more true to say there are an awful lot of 'wrong' (poorly made) lathes available these days, but any from a reputable supplier is likely to be a 'Right lathe'.

You've got to decide what you want it for, Bowls, Vases, Spindles, Pens, small items or big items, etc.. What headstock thread, which Morse Taper size?

No lathe is really a master of all; Yes you can turn pens on a VB36 but why would you use a 3HP motor to do that. Whatever lathe you buy will be a compromise, so work out what you want to make first and go from there.

Last thought: How many people really want of need a salad or fruit bowl more than 16" diameter. Anything bigger than that is a Statement piece or a wall hanging.

[seventhdevil]

lathe weights need to be as heavy as possible in my opinion if you want to do bigger things...

according to the net the axminster model is only 96kg but i'm not sure if this includes the legs?

the maxi is 231kg and a good weighty machine.

the reason i went for my 3520B is that it was the heaviest i could afford on my budget of £250 at the time. 326kg is vastly heavier than most others on the market and the 18" bed extension is another  35kg.



warranty assurance is comforting but i've only needed the bearings replaced and that came long after the warranty was out of date.




my advice is go for the heaviest lathe you can buy.

[fuzzyturns]

The 96kg is just the main lathe. The legs add another 70kg to that.

[seventhdevil]

to be honest that was what i suspected but i could find nothing to confirm it.