Accessories

Save your $... buy PSI Turncrafter
I compared this to the Jet Mini Lathe that seems to be the standard for this size lathe, and found this to be of comparable quality, and for $100 less? Great.

Solidly built, heavy enough to make vibration a moot issue. Not as nicely tooled or finished as the Jet Mini, but that doesn't affect the functionality. The Jet does have one higher speed, but who turns at speeds higher than 3200 RPM?

I have two negative points... The first quibble is one I've heard from other reviews about this lathe... changing the speeds is not the easiest, and the doors that access the pulleys are chintzy. Not a big issue, just an inconvenience.

The other point to make is that the toolrest that is included is WAY too small for any real spindle turning.

Save your money... buy this lathe instead.

Very pleased with lathe and service
While I've never used another lathe, this one exceeded my expectations. For less $$ than Jet or Delta, I don't think the PSI delivers less functionality. I did have a problem with the casting of the tool rest, but I got fantastic service from Penn Sate Industries even though I bought it through Amazon. They mailed a replacement the day I called and got it the next day, with no charge for shipping and no requirement to return the other one. The head stock and tail stock were less that 1/64" off alignment so there was really not much to setting it up. I got this model rather than the VS one mainly because the VS model's slowest speed is higher (600 rpm vs 500 rpm as I recall), and I wanted the slower speed for larger turnings. The only real thing that didn't exceed my expectations was the manual. I wasn't really surprised, just disappointed. Manuals are not PSI's strong suit.

This is a wonderful way to get your feet wet in turning at a very reasonable cost. You will need to spend some additional money (ok, maybe you'll end up spending a lot of additional money) on turning tools and a sharpening system, but it doesn't have to be a lot. If you stay with it, none of the money is wasted (unless you buy really cheap tools), even if you progress to a full size machine.

Great product
I did a lot of research on this lathe prior to buying one and it payed off, great lathe for turning pool cues and joint protectors which is all I plan on doing with it. I spoke with the guy from PSI before I made my decision and he was very helpful. I went with this model over the variable speed one because as has been pointed out from other users, to achieve variable speed, power is cut throughout the rpm range until it is at top speed.
Mine was finished fine and required no further machining, the extension bed matched perfectly and the 3 jaw chuck I purchased screws right onto the 1 x 8 tpi threads on the head stock. I have turned 1 1/2 x 30 inch stock that was no wheres near square with no vibration.
Only thing bad I can say about the lathe is: You will never find a steady rest that fits this lathe because of its 5 inch spindle center height and 1 1/4 inch distance between rails, I had one made for it. The plastic handle on the tail stock was broken clean off before I ever opened the box.
I would buy this exact set up again, the price and quality can not be matched in this price range anywhere. With the addition of the 3 jaw chuck, steady rest and drill chuck you can bore into your work with precision perfectly centered holes with no vibration because of the heavy cast iron parts.

Great Lathe
I knew what to expect kind of when I purchased this lathe. When I got it, that expectation was exceeded by far. Minor assembly is only required. The drive and live center are great and if you are turning pens this lathe is dead on. Unlike lathes I have used in the past this lathe is perfect, I should have bought the variable speed lathe out of convenience. Other than that AWESOME LATHE. Great buy for a beginner or if you need to use in a small space.

Seemed decent but mine had bearing issues!
Mine had a head stock bearing issues. It had bearing noise and had trouble coming up to speed. Seemed to be pretty decent other than the bearing issue and you can certainly end up with a bad bearing on just about any machine.