My Opinion
(“As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases”)
I love this little machine. While using the Wen wood lathe as a beginner, I have done several projects such as making a wedding band with an insert for wood. I bought a gold ring and black wood for my daughter’s fiancée. I used a caliper to get the required measurements and watched some videos on YouTube. So far, as a beginner, I have done many small projects. I made small, wood beads placed them on a paracord, and tied the paracord to the zipper on my Ozark Trail 12-can cooler. The back end of the lever of the zipper became loose and I lost it. With the mini wood lathe, I made the beads. Works great!
Great for Beginners
This wood lathe is great for a beginner. The motor is quiet and gradually builds speed as you increase the RPM from a round turn dial located on the left side of the motor. From damaging the motor WEN has designed a gradual increase of speed. It has a 3.2 amp motor and the RPM ranges from 750 to 3200RPM.
The Ratings are Good
Customers that have bought this mini wood lathe are as follows.
- For beginners — 4.2
- Easy to use — 4.2
- Value for the money — 3.7
- Tech support — 3.7
67% of the customers that bought this wood lathe gave a 5-star rating.
The price for the mini bench top wood lathe is great and affordable!
Deal or No Deal
Just $200. When I click on my affiliate link, I sometimes find the wood lathe is going for a cheaper price. That would be a bargain to someone looking for a deal.
The Pros
Great for beginners as they work and hone their skills. Easy to use. And easy to assemble (since there is not much to assemble, the biggest portion is already together. The required tools are included to help assemble the spindle and tailstock and tighten down the tool rest. Comes with a 2-year warranty.
The Cons
The mini lathe weighs 44.5 lbs. and needs to be bolted down to a table or bench because it walks while using the lathe at high speeds. The motor will shut down due to heat build-up (this is because of a safety aspect) when working on “green wood” for a very long time. Once the motor cools down, it will resume at full power.
Conclusion
Of course, the only thing you need now is to buy a set of wood lathe tools from Amazon. It is best to buy a cheap set and then buy the more expensive set once you hone your skills.
The links within this post are affiliate links of which I receive a small compensation from sale of certain items.
Any questions or comments, please put them in the comment box below.
Thanks, Homer