Thread: Help me buy my dad a lathe?

Of the three I reckon the Wadkin is the pick. A good old brand. the castings will be substantial and the fact that it is inverter driven with the bonus of variable speed drive makes it a no brainer for me.

Cheers
Bevan

The Wadkin would be my pick also. It is old but very good quality and the power conversion has been done. By far the best value also.
Regards
John

Not an expert but I would prefer the Wadkin as well, for the quality and reputation of the manufacturer, and the robustness of their product, which is designed for long term industrial use. Others tend to be rebadged generic Chinese stuff, which tends to be real 'luck of the draw" stuff. If the importer had someone monitoring quality at the factory, and had not tried to wind down the price too much, they might get a decent batch of machines, if they pushed for the cheapest ex factory price and were not monitoring the factory for quality etc, they would get a batch assembled from reject, out of tolerance, or poor quality parts. The Chinese tend to run a constant improvement program (intended to improve their margin, not overall quality), so there is variance from batch to batch for importers, so no guarantee that parts for a current unit from the importer would fit/match/be suitable for a nominally identical 4 or 5yo model from the importer, so spares are not always readily available.
I looked at the Axminster listing you provided, and in the 'people who looked at this item also looked at' section there was a very similar Prager unit currently at 99pd, suggesting that your thoughts about the Axminster being overpriced may be correct. Always pays to compare items to ensure what is included/not included before comparing price. A decent chuck and accessories, extra tool rests, extra centres, etc included could make a machine which looks expensive at first glance an absolute bargain in the longer run.
Sorry, like many of us in OZ, I am not truly familiar with prices/values in English pounds, but a decent Wadkin would win hands down over a Chinese generic import for the same money and inclusions.

The middle 3 are all the same just different badges and colour

Not keen on the first

Does the last one have evs (electronic variable speed )

The last is the best of the pick IMHO. Maybe it could have evs added within your budget if it does not have ot already.

Personally i not long ago got a laguna revo 18/36



Loving it. Thats my daughter turning a bowl (with a little help)

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

Buy the Wadkin at once!. Do not dilly dally around.
If your Dad does not like it you should be able to sell it with profit down the track.

Originally Posted by artful bodger

Buy the Wadkin at once!. Do not dilly dally around.
If your Dad does not like it you should be able to sell it with profit down the track.

Agreed...

Jim

I agree, the Wadkin is a good buy, providing it is legit. Whether it is practical for you to pick up or freight is another matter.

Wadkin!

Pounce on it David!
Don't let it slip between your fingers.
Even if Dad does not like it.

I would buy that lathe if it were in a 5000 klm radius.
Wadkin made quality stuff.
Go on, get it.

So there doesn't seem to be a clear choice from what I linked, does there?

That's all really helpful info chaps, thank you for that. I will do my best to get something older as you've all suggested and avoid the newer Chinese creations, but, if you don't mind, I might also stop by just to double check specific brands with you.

Sadly, the Wadkin is actually very far away. Scotland, I need it delivered in the West Midlands, Shropshire. I was just sharing a few different versions of what I'd seen, so unfortunately that one is likely out of reach - I will do a quick search for what it would cost to have it shipped, but I'm assuming too much.

This one is a little closer, is there significant difference? wadkin wood turning lathe | eBay

Also, with the one I linked before, he would still have to change pulleys etc to change the speed? (wadkin bursgreen wood turning lathe with phase convertor runs from single phase | eBay)

edit: seems delivery would be a little under £100 insured, which isn't too bad really. Considering all the time, fuel, stress that would be involved with trying to collect something like this yourself.

David,

The Wadkin. It is three times the lathe of the other two. The Wadkin in the first post is a screaming deal, The second one is still better by far than the Chinese machines.

Yes, the speed range is OK on the second one. 425 is a decent low end. My 350 mm swing lathe has a low of 700 which gets a bit interesting with a big out of balance blank but it works.

Info on Wadkin lathes:

Wadkin BZL Wood lathe

It would still be worth enquiring about having it modified to EVS. I imagine the 3ph would convert easier without changing the motor but I dont teally no electrical stuff

Dave TTC
Turning Wood Into Art

The first Wadkin listed has some speed variation from the Jaguar conversion, and has the step pulley setup as well. This is a good combo as you can set the step pulleys for the task at hand, and use the electronics to handle most of the variations within the job, without having to change the belt system.

Unfortunately the second Wadkin, being single phase mains, only has the step pulleys so is not as flexible as the first with steps and EVS. It could however have a 3 phase motor and converter added later to extend versatility if needed.