WEN LA3424 4.5-Amp 12-Inch by 18-Inch 5-Speed Benchtop Wood Lathe , Black

If you can't afford or simply don't have room for a full size wood lathe, this is an excellent starter tool. It's heavy, so very stable (as long as you have a stable benchtop). All adjustment functions are smooth. The motor provides enough torque for most jobs. The pulley system is okay, but it really would be nice to have a variable speed unit. However, even with the pulley approach, it gets the job done. Great value and quality build. Recommended.

I love this tool. For the price it is amazingly solid. I bought it to make a pair of 1/6th scale row boat ores, they turned out perfect. Now I'm making all kinds of fun stuff.

This is my first lathe, so this review will be from a beginners perspective. I wanted to start turning pens and I know there are smaller lathes that can do that, but I figured for a little more I would have the extra length/power to do more without having to purchase a bigger lathe right away. Don't expect that the cost of the lathe is the last cost. To really do wood turning you need a lot of other tools, and this is where buying the better tools pays off. This lathe will turn wood. And that is what it is supposed to do. It is a little tricky to change speeds. The belt is still tight when you when you have the motor lifted fully. Maybe the belt will stretch a little and make it easier over time. Over all, this was an easy lathe to learn on and I have been complete satisfied with it. If I had more money to spend I can see that a variable speed lathe would probably be a time saver, but I am not ready to spend that king of money on turning pens, yet anyway.

Unit works very well for it's size. Changing speed by moving the belt to different hubs is awkward.

I'm newer to wood turning, so I wanted to step my way into it without spending a lot of money. Prior to this, I owned the WEN Mini Lathe, which I liked a lot. I was torn between this one and the larger, variable speed model. Ultimately I selected this lathe.PROs: This lathe is larger than I expected and solid. It has good power and is compatible with the majority of lathe accessories on the market.Critiques: This is not a variable speed speed lathe so you have to change the belt position during each stage of your project (actually much less of a hassle than I was concerned with). Oddly, the spindle belt door is on the back? Being on the front, like most lathes, would make things easier. The belt doors are very thin plastic so I'm wondering if that will be a problem down the road.All in all, this is a good lathe for the price and I'm glad I bought it. I bought the WEN lathe stand along with it, which I highly recommend. As long as the quality and durability remain, I'll be using this for a while.UPDATE: My concerns unfortunately came to fruition, ended up returning this model twice due to a bad headstock bearing. I purchased the next size up WEN and it's a world of difference.

This lathe is well built and works well.

I bought this lathe with some trepidation, but after putting it to the test, I was very satisfied. Ideal for small and medium-sized jobs.

Overall I like the lathe. The price is a good value. However the faceplate was on so tight that I bent the knockout rod in the process of removing the faceplate. Also I broke the tool rest locking handle the first time I tightened the tool rest. It’s made of, what appears to be hard plastic. I was being careful not to over tighten but it crumbled under light pressure. I’m not sure who to contact to get these parts replaced.