12" x 16" VSR Midi Lathe - 1 HP 1 Ph 120V Reviews

5 Rating 2 Reviews

About Woodcraft:

Woodcraft Supply, LLC is one of the nation's oldest and largest suppliers of quality woodworking tools and supplies. You'll find Woodcraft stores in more than 70 major metropolitan areas across the U.S.; and Woodcraft annually distributes 1.5 million catalogs featuring more than 10,000 items to all 50 states and 117 foreign countries. The Woodcraft catalog is a standard among woodworkers as the most complete offering of first rate products for woodworking available anywhere. Woodcraft also publishes six issues of Woodcraft Magazine annually.

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Phone:

800-535-4486

Location:

1177 Rosemar Rd,
Parkersburg
West Virginia
26105

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“I purchased this lathe in October 2022 at the Norfolk, VA store. I've put it through a fair bit of use. I don't turn bowls but turn a variety of other items. I really enjoy working on this lathe. I had a Jet mini prior to buying this lathe and really wanted the variable speed aspect of the lathe. It does not disappoint. One of the things I'm quite keen on is the manufacturer of a product and whether or not they stand behind their product. I started having an issue with the stop button. I would press stop and if I didn't press it just right, it would pop back out and the lathe, instead of spinning down, would stop abruptly. I've been living with it but this morning I was turning some pens and I just had to keep my finger on the button until the lathe stopped. I emailed Rikon to see if they had a solution (5 year warranty on this machine). I emailed them at 8:21 a.m. I had an email response at 10:01 asking for my address so they could send out a replacement stop button. I responded with my address at 10:29 and had a response at 10:35 that the button was being shipped out and also included instructions for the replacement. After 2 years of use, my opinion is that the lathe is great, the support might be even better.”

4 Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago

“I purchased this lathe from the Richmond VA store 2 months ago and I’ve been very satisfied with it. It’s my first lathe, but not my first Rikon product (I own their 14” bandsaw and 12” VS drill press). The lathe is very well constructed and has most of the features I was looking for to be able to grow with this lathe (outboard turning capability, variable speed, 1hp motor, reverse, spindle lock). The included 6” tool rest is fine for bowls, but a bit short for spindle turning. The post length is 3 3/8”, so non-OEM tool rests are a bit hard to find. Changing the belt position for speed changes is easy and takes about a minute or two, even with the outboard bed extension installed. The variable speed control is responsive and works well. The twist stop button takes a little bit to get used to, but not a major issue. I have to keep the on button depressed for about a second to start the lathe. The magnetic control box is great for outboard turning and relocating the controls when turning the inside of bowls. The banjo is a little stiff moving across the bed, even after waxing the bed and underside of the banjo. Hopefully it’ll loosen up over time. The motor has enough power for what I use it for so far. All in all I’m very satisfied with the lathe, especially for the $649 price tag.”

4 Helpful Report

Posted 1 year ago