10 Best Wood Lathes of 2022 – Reviews, Top Picks

Wooden lathes are an essential resource for all woodworkers, from novices to the execs.  There are no other instruments that can do what they can do, but it can be tough to uncover a excellent brand name amid the a lot of accessible, and at a number of hundred dollars, there is no room for mistake.

We’ve picked 10 diverse manufacturers that are easy to uncover on the web and in hardware shops throughout The united states. We’ll go in excess of every single one’s professionals and cons and tell you about any components or characteristics they consist of. We have also provided a limited buyer’s manual to examine the things you should search for while searching.

Join us whilst we consider a near search at the centre distance, swing, RPMs, horsepower, and more to assist you make an knowledgeable choice.

A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2022

Rating	Image	Product	Details
Best Overall		JET JWL-1221VS Variable Speed	Forward and reverse Spring-loaded spindle lock Ratchet style belt tensioning system	CHECK PRICE
Best Value		WEN 3421 Variable Speed Mini Benchtop	12” long 8” wide 2-amp motor 750 – 3200 RPM	CHECK PRICE
Premium Choice		Powermatic 1352001 3520B	Digital RPM readout 2 HP motor Heavy-duty cast iron	CHECK PRICE
		SHOP FOX W1704 Benchtop	Two tool rests 700 – 3200 RPM 52 lbs	CHECK PRICE
		Delta Industrial 46-460 Variable-Speed Midi	Variable speed Patented belt tensioning system Three pully speed ranges	CHECK PRICE

The 10 Best Wood Lathes

1. JET JWL-1221VS Variable Speed Wood Lathe – Best Overall

The JET JWL-1221VS Variable Speed Wooden Lathe is our choose for the best overall wooden lathe. It functions a effective motor that can produce among sixty and 3600 revolutions per moment (RPMs), adjustable by way of a manage knob, which should be a lot more than adequate for most initiatives. The lathe efficiently switches in between ahead and reverse at the flip of a switch. The spring-loaded spindle lock can make it easy to adjust wood projects, and belt tension is effortless to change with the exclusive ratchet design belt tensioning system.

We liked the smooth operation, particularly and large RPMs afforded by the JET JWL-1221VS, and we could only complain that it is a tiny heavy at 136 lbs ., and the motor sits underneath the headstock, which leads to it to gather a lot of shavings and dust. It offers 21 inches amongst centers and a twelve-inch swing.

2. WEN Variable Speed Benchtop Wood Lathe – Best Value

The WEN 3421 Variable Speed Mini Benchtop Wooden Lathe is our decide for the very best wood lathe for the funds. The function region is twelve inches prolonged and 8 inches vast and is ideal for more compact tasks like pens, cups, bowls, and a lot more. The three.two-amp motor will turn the wooden among 750 and 3200 RPMs. The two.three-inch faceplate, MT1 spindle, and tailstock taper are all durably built, and in spite of being mainly forged iron, it only weighs 44.9 pounds.

The downside to the WEN 3421, specifically when compared to our prime selection, is that the RPMs are a small slower, and there’s considerably less variable selection in RPMs. We also located that it bogged down easily, so you need to be mindful of your application strain. It supplies 12-inches amongst facilities and an 8-inch swing.

3. Powermatic 3520B Wood Lathe – Premium Choice

The Powermatic 1352001 3520B Wooden Lathe is our decide for the quality choice wooden lathe. It utilizes a effective six.two-amp two-HP motor to develop up to three,200 RPM. It contains two interchangeable pullies that you can switch to alter the RPMs. One pully operates between fifty and 1,200 RPM and the other among 125 and 3,two hundred RPM. It is made of heavy-duty forged iron and gives you with a large 20 X 35-inch operate area. A electronic RPM meter is simple to read through, and it consists of many components, including a guard, resource rest, faceplate, wrench, knockout rod, and spindle lock.

The Powermatic 1352001 is incredibly strong and in no way bogs down. You can comprehensive a vast variety of initiatives in the big workspace, and the only issue we can complain about is its extreme 682-pound bodyweight, which can make for a demanding assembly. It provides 35-inches amongst centers and a twenty-inch swing.

4. SHOP FOX W1704 Benchtop Lathe

The Shop FOX W1704 Benchtop Lathe functions a 12-inch workspace for working on modest initiatives. It has two tool rests for different turning programs. The one/3 HP motor generates up to 3,two hundred RPM,, and the speed is variable. It’s forged iron building is durable, nevertheless the whole device weighs only 52 kilos.

While we have been employing the Store FOX W1704 we felt it was not really potent, and it would typically bathroom down even when working on small projects, and the knobs would typically perform themselves loose from the vibrations. It gives 12-inches in between facilities and an eight-inch swing.

5. Delta Industrial 46-460 Variable-Speed Midi Lathe

The Delta Industrial 46-460 Variable-Velocity Midi Lathe functions a 1-HP motor that can provide up to 1,725 RPM that you can adjust using the variable speed controller down to seven-hundred RPM. Different pulleys alter the range of RPMs, and the 12½-inch swing is best for smaller initiatives. It weighs about one hundred pods and attributes a patented belt tensioning system for creating swift adjustments.

What we did not like about the Delta Industrial 46-460 was that the mattress was not fully sleek and produced it hard to use the resources in particular locations. It vibrates really a little bit at larger RPMs, and they set up the ahead and reverse switches backward. We checked the net to see if we were the only ones with a backward switch, but seemingly, everyone does.

6. Nova 71118 Comet II DR Midi Lathe

The Nova 71118 Comet II DR Midi Lathe utilizes a ¾ HP motor to provide speeds in between 250 and four,000 RPM. You can tell precisely how quickly the wood is turning by examining the handy digital readout. 16.five inches among facilities and a 12-inch swing is lots of space for most little projects, and a forward/reverse change makes it possible for you to use the equipment as required for different projects. The six-inch resource relaxation is fully adjustable and is an satisfactory dimension, and the equipment is fairly light-weight at 82 lbs ..

The difficulty we had with the Nova 71118 was that it continuously bogged down with even the slightest force, and our digital readout burned out a few months after we received it.

7. RIKON 70-100 Mini Lathe

The RIKON 70-a hundred Mini Lathe makes use of a ½-HP motor to deliver between 430 and 3900 RPMs by means of an straightforward accessibility speed change system. There are 16 inches among facilities, and it has a twelve-inch swing, which need to be enough area for all your small projects, which includes bowl chopping. The self-ejecting tailstock can conserve time and decrease stress when you need to have to eliminate a heart. It is not too large at near to ninety pounds, and you can expand the bed for more substantial initiatives.

We felt that the ½-HP motor in the RIKON did not have significantly electricity, and it bogs down no matter how light you are. The pace changing system isn’t difficult, but it does get tiresome if you discover yourself on a venture that requires recurrent velocity modifications. There is also a protective go over that is free even however the bolts are limited.

8. Mophorn 10 x 18 Inch Wood Lathe

The Mophorn ten x eighteen Inch Wooden Lathe Is an eighty one-pound equipment that can provide amongst 760 and 3,two hundred RPM. It offers you 18 inches in between the centers with a 10-inch swing, properly suited to creating chair legs and other equivalent initiatives. It functions six-inch resource rests for doing work the wooden and the resilient cast iron construction will final a lot of many years.

The issue with the Mophorn is that it is very underpowered. They don’t listing the horsepower on the package deal, but we can notify you it bogged down constantly, and we would put it on par with other versions that characteristic an motor beneath one horsepower. There were also no recommendations to support you get started out if you are new to employing a woodworking lathe.

9. PSI Woodworking Turncrafter Commander Midi Lathe

The PSI Woodworking KWL-1018VS Turncrafter Commander Midi Lathe utilizes a 3-quarter horsepower motor to deliver five hundred to 3600 RPMs. It attributes a wide 18 inches among facilities, and a 10-inch swing permits plenty of space for most small projects. The incorporated operate mild helps illuminate your work area even in reduced mild circumstances, and the forged iron foundation gives a durable platform to work on even though remaining lightweight at only 82 kilos.

Like a lot of other types on this listing with small horsepower, the PSI Woodworking KWL-1018VS tends to bathroom down on all but the smallest work. There are no recommendations incorporated with the purchase, so it is not the resource for the inexperienced person, and there is no reverse change which is supplied on a lot of other designs. Whilst we favored the concept of the function mild, but the shade was way too little, and most bulbs stick out, causing glare as an alternative of enhancing visibility. The shade also collects sawdust, which can direct to a fire hazard.

10. Grizzly Industrial H8259 Benchtop Wood Lathe

The Grizzly Industrial H8259 Benchtop Wooden Lathe is the previous wood lathe on our record to overview for you. This device is pretty light-weight at just seventy seven lbs, and it can provide speeds in between 826 and three,337 RPM. You have eighteen-inches amongst facilities to match your wooden and a ten-inch swing.

The Grizzly Industrial downside is that there is not sufficient horsepower to run without having continuously bogging down. This product also gets incredibly sizzling in just a couple of minutes even when making use of it at reasonable RPM, and you have to change the belts to alter speeds, which is straightforward ample but will get tiresome if you need to alter it several moments.

Buyer’s Guide – Picking the Best Wood Lathe

The wood lathes can search like a complicated intimidating device, but it is actually not that intricate, and there are only a number of crucial parts you need. Let’s search at a number of important things to search for whilst you shop for a wood lathe.

Horsepower

The horsepower the motor creates is the heart of the equipment. You can adjust velocity with pulleys and other approaches, but horsepower is dependable for the torque, and with no adequate torque, your task will continually bathroom down when you press your equipment from it.

Until you are likely to limit by yourself to making pens and pencils, we very suggest a lathe with at least one particular horsepower to provide sufficient torque for the undertaking.

Distance between Centers

The centers maintain your wooden in spot, and the length amongst them tells you how prolonged your wooden can be. Most of the resources on this checklist have a distance among facilities of about 16-inches, but it can differ significantly, and in some situations, you can also prolong it by introducing further items to the lathe.

Given that a more substantial length between facilities implies you can tackle a bigger task, we advocate obtaining the most significant you could locate.  If you know you only want to generate smaller objects like ink pens or chess items, then the shorter length among facilities may possibly be in order.

Swing

Swing refers to how wide your wood can be when it’s mounted on the facilities prior to it bumps the table. Like the length among facilities, a larger swing value indicates you can deal with a greater task, so attempt to get the largest you can pay for except if you know you won’t need to have it.

RPMs

In most cases, large RPMs will result in a faster workflow and a smoother end. If the girl does not go quick sufficient, the equipment won’t lower effectively, and they could seize the wood, creating chips. Greater RPMs are constantly better but make confident included horsepower is also component of the offer.

Variable Speed

The ability to modify pace is a essential component of how a wooden lathe works, and there are several strategies for altering the pace, which includes dials, shifting pulleys, or modifying the pressure. We located that dial changing speed is the ideal way to go because it is the easiest, and you can usually do it in genuine-time. The other approaches are not tough offered you have correct instruction, but they are greater suited to assignments that continue to be at the identical velocity prolonged expression.

Reverse Direction

Although several types don’t provide it, reverse course can offer the consumer fairly a bit of adaptability, particularly when sanding or cleansing up your work. In most instances, a flip of the swap is all that’s required to reverse route.

Weight

1 much more factor you may want to contemplate before you buy a wood lathe is how considerably it weighs. Even though most of the designs on this listing are under 100 lbs in which can exceed that by a lot of times. It is not unheard of to acquire 1 of these devices only to uncover out later you require to set it jointly by oneself. Often make confident you can handle the bodyweight, specifically for the duration of assembly before acquiring and lathe.

Conclusion

When selecting the ideal wood lathe for you, we advocate some thing with substantial RPMs and lots of area in between facilities. Our decision for the best wooden lathe, the JET JWL-1221VS Variable Velocity Wooden Lathe, provides equally with 21-inches between facilities and a powerful motor that can attain up to 3600 RPMs. We did not encounter any bogging down, and the engine remained cool all through our projects. The WEN 3421 Variable Speed Mini Benchtop Wooden Lathe is one more excellent decision for those hunting for a considerably less expensive model to get them began with scaled-down tasks. The engine nonetheless packs lots of electricity, and fifty five lbs, you can practically contemplate it portable.

We hope you have loved reading above our evaluations and discovered them helpful for selecting your subsequent wood lathe. If you think it can support other individuals, remember to share this manual to the best wooden lathes on Facebook and Twitter.

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