Accessories

Excellent lathe for the money!
I have been running this lathe constantly for about 2 years now. It has run smoothly and consistently since new. The power is great for most medium to large turnings as well. I turn mostly lamp spindles, pens, pepper mills, candlesticks and other type turnings and it is very smooth and precise. I have found that the transmission shifts smoothly and with little effort. The only CON that I would mention is that the working height is much too low for me. I prefer to stand while working at the lathe. I am 6' tall and found that I was constantly hunching over and over time developed a sore neck. My remedy was to simply build wooden risers for the unit that elevates it up around 8 inches or so. I would highly recommend this lathe.

The best lathe for the money!!!!!!!!!
I have had this lathe for about 4 years now. It is very well built and the folks at Jet really did their homework when they designed this one. It has some features that you usually only see on more expensive lathes. First off, it was very easy, and quick to set up. The head stock on it offers the user the ability to make alot of different items, from pins to large bowls and plates, since it is very easy and quick to turn the head stock to the side to accomadate large turning projects. The tail stock is very easy to move and adjust with one hand. It is very well built and smooth to use. I really like the ease in which you can change out the centers and mandrels. The tool rest is also equally as easy to adjust and move, as this is key to staying focused and not wasting time. I really like the ease in which you can change the speed of the lathe as well as turning it on and off. The location of these features are great. I had wondered if the motor was big enough and would be able to handle all that we wanted to do with this lathe. This Jet lathe quickly put my fears to rest as the motor has been sufficent for us. I also had wondered if it would be durable enough as we turn on it many hours every week. This Jet lathe is very well built and has really surprised me with how smooth it runs. The small tool trays on each side of the head stock are really handy. We use our lathe almost every day. We have turned everything from pens to baseball bats (which we have turned several hundred on it) lamps, large fancy bird houses, bowls, plates, cups, numerous legs, just to name a few. I have used ALOT of different lathes, and for the money, this one can't be beat. My Jet lathe has been trouble free and dependable since day 1. I have always had good service from Jet tools, and this one is a real winner.

design flaw
I purchased the Jet JWL-1236 lathe approx. 4 yrs. ago and I have really enjoyed using it for making pens, tops, boxes, bowls, & a few odds & ends. The only real problem I have encountered is the location of the motor. The fine dust created by sanding gets inside the motor & gums it up. Mine just burned up the other day & it will cost $193 basic cost for a new one. I hate to think that it will need to be replaced every five yrs. or so. No price break for owning six Jet products including the hybrid Supersaw. Other than this I have no complaints about this lathe.

JET708352JWL1236
WOW! what a difference from the old lathe. the variable speeds, the head swings out 90 deg. the tool rest goes to the left of the power head and it is very quiet and almost vibration free with out any weights. I think the price is very fair for what you receive. At least 4.5 stars. r.t.schmidt wisconsin

Good not great
I have this lathe after rescuing it from languishing at my employ (yes I had permission). It works well, but if you want to do bowl turning, you'd do better to get one that has more torque, a slower speed, and a reversing motor. That said, this one is cheap, well, inexpensive anyway and has a good feature set for its price (fully rotating head, wide speed range, simple mechanical functionality, completeness).
I modified mine, to make the spindle turn slower, though it was a bit tricky and probably voids the warranty (not an issue in my case). The handle which adjusts the speed can be removed and it has a grouping of 6 holes through which a stop attached to the spring-loaded handle passes to lock the speed. The speed could be smoothly variable within its range, but the holes are easier to manufacture and probably more durable and the smooth variability probably wouldn't be that much better anyway, blah, blah.
Anyway, what I did was remove the cowling over the motor to see how far the handle could rotate towards the slow end at most and drilled another hole. I guessed at it and got it just right but it wouldn't be too hard do a little more careful measuring to be certain. I oversized the hole slightly. The motor turns two pair of conical pulleys that constitute the transmission and you can see that the lever could go farther.
The next modification will be to put the switch in a better location, like the top of the housing. Starting and stopping frequently with the pushbutton switch at knee level is kind of a bore.
All in all, it's a great tool for a hobbyist or occasional user. A pro would do better with more machine. (A pro would already know this).