Reviews about Lathes

SawdustMaker1 says "What happend to SEARS Craftsman quality?" about Craftsman 1/2 hp 12&#34 x 16&#34 Midi Lathe (21752)

SawdustMaker1 — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:08:27 GMT

I bought this lathe after using the same lathe at a friends. His is great! Loved it so much I ran out and bought my own. The first one I picked up had a problem with the motor. It Sounded like the old playing card I used to put in the spokes of my bicycle. I returned it and picked up another. Instead of the store sending the old one back to get fixed, it is for sale as a used model on the sales floor. They will have another disappointed customer after they sell that one. It is quite offensive to see that machine one the sales floor knowing full well there is something very wrong with it.

I took the new one home, only to find that the housing cover isn't molded properly and doesn't fit. Easy enough. I'll call customer service and just have them send me a replacement part. I was told it would ship out right away. That was December 29, 2011. Today (1/30/2012), I just received my fourth email telling me the product is on back order. This time, I'm being told...

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RlShearin says "Sears does not have the important excesories for this lathe!" about Craftsman 1/2 hp 12&#34 x 16&#34 Midi Lathe (21752)

RlShearin — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 16:12:27 GMT

I have owned this lathe for a month and I am still unable to purchase a bed extension for this lathe. I have tried Sears online, all the local stores, all the local sears outlets, the sears tool shed, and even ***** and this lathe bed extension seam to be mithical. Without the bed extension the lathe is to short for anything but pens (seams like a good lathe for pens, just hope you dont need perts). The reason I paid more for the chraftsman is they say they are the most dependable supplier, this has not been the case. My anger stems from when I bought the lathe and asked for the bed extension the the local sears salesrep checked the computer and told me it was only available online....

majdmann says "not real happy" about Craftsman 3-Speed Mini Lathe (22106)

majdmann — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 20:57:04 GMT

I bought this lathe 2 years ago when my kids (13 & 12) wanted to learn to make pens. It arrived with 2 of the knobs broken off but since I opened the package (how else would I have kown?) I couldn't send it back without paying shipping. Since it was a small problem I fugired I'd just live with it. When the belt broke I tried to call in and get a replacement part. The model number isn't on the lathe anywhere. It MIGHT be on the red label you see in the picture but that fell off in about a month. sorry - can't order a part without a model number. Yes, I see it on the website but I can't help you. I found a vacuum cleaner belt that worked for over a year (longer then the original, BTW)

Do the smart thing - pay a little extra for a decent product that has a history of good support. Wish I had. I'm now disposing of this and buying a Jet mini lathe.

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iavagabond says "Sears Craftsman midi-lathe" about Craftsman 1/2 hp 12&#34 x 16&#34 Midi Lathe (21752)

iavagabond — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:56:29 GMT

Very well constructed. Runs extremely well....

StevenEllison says "Decent starter lathe, but several downsides." about Craftsman 3-Speed Mini Lathe (22106)

StevenEllison — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 19:10:45 GMT

This was my first lathe, so it offers a decent introduction to woodturning. But as other reviewers note, there are many problems. The rest comes loose, the pen mandrel does not fit standard bushings, and the parts are not great quality. Perhaps most irritating, though, were the instructions, which are absolutely incomprehensible unless you are already an accomplished woodturner. (And if you were, you would not buy this lathe!) If you know you plan to work on the lathe a lot, I suggest you spend more and get a better quality lathe.

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flashlok says "Craftsman Mini Lathe " about Craftsman Mini Lathe with Bonus 3 pc. Mini Turning Set

flashlok — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 16:58:48 GMT

This little lathe is a great starter and works great for what I need right

now. If I expand my projects I might have to upgrade but for now it does what I want.

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1diybabe says "A mini-lathe and more!" about Craftsman Mini Lathe with Bonus 3 pc. Mini Turning Set

1diybabe — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 14:15:24 GMT

I shopped around for an inexpensive mini-lathe so that I could learn pen-turning. Sears had one that an experienced friend said looked like a good deal, so I ordered it. It arrived right on schedule and included not just the lathe, but a set of tools and a pen kit so that I could make my first pen.

I used the lathe this weekend and today am looking at a beautiful wood pen - made by me! Thank you, Sears! I got much more than I expected in my order.

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PecosPhil says "Solidly built with no regrets at all." about Craftsman 1/2 hp 12&#34 x 16&#34 Midi Lathe (21752)

PecosPhil — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 19:09:43 GMT

I have owned this lathe for about one month now and I have spent about 30 hours running/turning in that time. It is a very nice lathe that is built well. Everthing is metal except the housing that flips down for belt access. You can torque down the handles to tighten everything without worry of it breaking them. It seems that it will last a long time.

The only complaint I have is the two handles to tighten on the tail stock are facing the operator. At first I thought this was good for easy access, but they got in the way of the tool rest when I was turning a short piece. I was able to extend the tail stock with the screw handle to give me room, but that's when I realized it would have been better if they were on the other side out of the way. A shorter tool rest would be an answer to that problem also.

I am very happy with this little lathe!

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Midnight2 says "Craftsman Professional 15 in Lathe is very price competitive" about Craftsman 15 in. Lathe, Bench Top, Variable Speed

Midnight2 — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 01:15:21 GMT

I have had the Craftsman 15inch lathe for 1.5 years and mostly turn bowls and vessels. I had to disassemble the speed control since it was not lubricated at the factory. However, it is well engineered and performs quite well for me. I am looking for guidance on rewiring the motor to enable reverse spindle operation for sanding.

I have turned up to 14inch bowls on the lathe with no problems. I recommend the product to anyone considering the Jet or Delta products in the same size. I do recommend that the lathe be used with the available metal stand rather than anchoring it to a bench top.

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thisismygame says "1/2 hp 12"x16" Midi Lathe #21752" about Craftsman 1/2 hp 12&#34 x 16&#34 Midi Lathe (21752)

thisismygame — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 15:12:49 GMT

I ordered this on the phone. It finally came in and I went to Cool Springs to pick it up. My husband had to work and did not get to put it together until the next weekend. The box was not damaged when we picked it up, neither when the boy put it in my truck he was very careful. When my husband opened it to put it together, drive head was cracked and tail stop was bent. It came from the factory that way. I had to box it up take it back to Cool Springs and they would not order my another one till I carried this one back. I have took it back and reordered another one and make another trip to pick it up when it comes in. No wonder our Sears store in our town went out of business. If this is the kind on merchandise you are selling now, all Sears stores are going down. If this one is messed up we will not order another one.

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broblues says "A great tool for a small woodshop" about Craftsman 1/2 hp 12&#34 x 16&#34 Midi Lathe (21752)

broblues — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 01:51:36 GMT

I purchased this lathe a few weeks ago and have used it several hours since. I have enjoyed using it. It works well for my needs and I highly recommend it for people who work with small to medium turnings.

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Oroman says "great" about Craftsman 1/2 hp 12&#34 x 16&#34 Midi Lathe (21752)

Oroman — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:04:04 GMT

Just got a lathe from Sears and I think that for the price is a great lathe,although a bed extension would make this tool a very nice piece to own.Orlando

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aule says "I've made a machining retrofit kit for the Craftsman Mini Lathe!" about Craftsman 3-Speed Mini Lathe (22106)

aule — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:06:13 GMT

I think the Sears Craftsman Mini-lathe has a lot of potential. It is such a shame that Sears saw fit to discontinue the model! In the hopes that other current owners might be interested I have developed an alpha version kit of parts which locks into place into the lathe bed without requiring any modifications of the original lathe itself. My retrofit is composed of a compound slide having both traverse and crosswise screw feed which could be turned either by manual cranks or by CNC motors. Please contact me at i_am_useful#at#yahoo#dot#com if you are interested in having me develop this further and possibly purchasing a kit or complete plans from me. You should also check out my website, aule.ganoksin.com/blogs/ to learn more about me and my efforts to improve the human condition.

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emdubya says "Any good for metal?" about Craftsman 3-Speed Mini Lathe (22106)

emdubya — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 12:35:10 GMT

Just wondering if this lathe is ok for turning small metal parts ( 5/16'' - 1/2'' diameter), brass, bronze ect?

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ColoradoHermit says "A sweet little lathe, the most fun I've had with my clothes on!" about Jet 1/2 hp 10"x 14" Variable Speed Indexing Mini Lathe (JML-1014VSI)

ColoradoHermit — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:44:00 GMT

I bought this little lathe in Feb 2008 with my stimulus check. I got into turning pens from exotic woods by accident and now my hobby to kill time has turned into a nice little business. This is one sweet little lathe. I love the variable speed. The 3 different pulleys that you have to change the belt on to change its speed range is a pain in the *** but its better than having to move the belt every time you want to change speed. The one real complaint I have about mine is the tail stock is about an 1/8 of an inch off center line. Its off center just enough that I cant use it to drill a hole with and expect it to be on center. Other than that its been a sweet little machine. In the last year and a half I've used it enough that I've worn out the bearing in one live center, and worn out one on/off toggle switch turning it on and off.

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