Customer Reviews

Powermatic 1352001 Model 3520B 20x35-Inch Wood Lathe with RPM Digital Readout

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

First off, let me say that if you're waiting for this lathe to be dropped off, invite a buddy or two over for beer, (after they've had a few, then break it to them that you 'may' need a hand lifting up some parts of this beast).

Actually the only stage I needed some serious help with was after both legs were screwed into the bed. Turning 4-500 lbs of cast iron upright by oneself is ill-advised. I used stacks of wood and some 2x stock as a lever, but I wouldn't recommend this approach...After that, re-installing the headstock, banjo, and tailstock was easy.

Next let me talk about customer service. I'd had a few parts broken on arrival, (the banjo and the 3" face plate). All it took was a phone call to customer service and they had these to my door in 3 days; awesome. Then it was on to technical support to ask about the proper way to hook this beast up to 220. They were helpful, knowledgeable and patient and walked me through the process. Thankfully I had a 30amp, (you only need 20 for the lathe), 3 prong dryer hookup nearby. I ended up making my own extension cord out of a 3 wire 10 gauge extension cord, clipped the ends, screwed a dryer plug onto one end and the other replaced the rat-tail that came with the lathe. It went together much easier than I thought it would, (especially considering that my electrician skills are less than stellar).

Back to the actual lathe review. This thing is 1. the most expensive piece of kit in my garage; 2. the heaviest...by far; and 3. the quietest power tool, it's quieter than a little hand sander, (until actually chunking away, that is)

All of the features that were added to this lathe work as advertised. It was obvious that a turner actually had a hand in putting this together. The wire guard is very easy to use, (which means it actually will get used, great safety feature). The tailstock is just cool; the storage bin underneath is a nifty space saver, and let's face it, the chrome hand wheel is just plain cool. I also like the auto release collet on the tailstock as well; whatever you have loaded i.e. live center/drive center, just back-up the tail stock and it self ejects.

On the headstock side, the brass tipped knock-out rod is well executed, works as advertised. Belt changing, (probably not something you'll do often anyway), is simple, straightforward, and takes 30 seconds to 1 minute. Not something you'll have to do everyday, as I don't know too many folks going from pen turning to 4' 80 lb burl turning in the course of a day. If this happens to be you, my hat is off to you, sir.

From what little I've turned so far, this lathe is just smooth. Maybe the beefy motor has something to do with it...maybe it's just the 700 lbs of cast iron, either way, I don't believe I'll ever outgrow this thing. This leads to why I purchased this fella in the first place. The 3520 is my first lathe. I firmly believe that if you do the research and then buy the best that you can afford, you'll only cry once, (OK maybe several times as the Visa statement gets mailed....) But as I've learned the hard way, the cheapest is rarely the best, and you'll most likely end up cursing like a sailor every time you use that 'bargain' piece of gear. I actually look at this purchase as saving money....instead of starting with a midi lathe, quickly outgrowing that and then working up to mid-range, and then maybe trading up a few years after that, I skipped those steps and saved that $, (yes this is what I tell my wife as well....she remains steadfastly unconvinced). Remember, you can turn small stuff on a big lathe, but not big stuff on a small lathe.

Delivery of the lathe was a treat (completely off loaded by the driver into my garage and he would not accept a tip - all within the "free delivery" promo by Amazon). The Lathe's product manual is thoughtful, well written, and quite logically done. The crating and packaging of the lathe was simply great. Foil covered the wood pallet base; addition of wood blocks prevented shifting; boxes within boxes and a large thick mil plastic wrap protected the contents (despite a hole/tear in the outside of the box during shipping there was no damage or even scratches to the lathe). The extremely high quality of this Powermatic Lathe will speak for itself. I have been an amateur woodworker for over 30 years. At age 50 I now want to concentrate on platters, bowls, and also turn piano stool seats. This is indeed my dream lathe!

I had the Jet 1642 for 3 years and turned hundreds of bowls on it. I decided I needed more capacity and HP. I love the the 3520B lathe. It has the power to turn big 70 lb. out of balance blanks as long as you bolt it to the floor like I do for all my lathes. The only problem is when boring into a big blank with a 2" forstener bit. When I turn big bowls in hardwoods I like to bore into it so I can turn from the inside out to save the bark at the rim. When I do this the set screw in the tail stock leaves a burr in the slot of the shaft making it very difficult to turn the hand crank. WHM says I am the 1st to complain about it. It is a simple fix but one that should have been ironed out in production. The fix is to remove the shaft take a flat file and creat a flat at the slot creating a gap so the burr wont bind in the tail stock. I love this Lathe and turn bowls every day, I am glad I bought it.

I received my Powermatic 3520b lathe about a month ago, and have just gotten it running a few days ago. This lathe is a replacement for another WMH product I own, a Jet 1442VS, so I will use that lathe as a basis for comparison with this one.

This lathe is a GREAT design for a bowl turner. For one thing, is it VERY heavy, at 681 lbs., plus another another 60 lbs. with the 18" bed extension assembly installed, bringing the total weight to up to 741 lbs, and making it heavier than similar size Vicmarc (actually a 24" lathe) or Oneway (20 or 24") lathes. That is about 261 lbs. heavier than my Jet, which weighs in at about 420 lbs. That is, the PM is over 60% heavier than my Jet, and 70% with the bed extension installed. If weight is a factor in wood lathe performance, and it certainly IS, this lathe has got it better than any other I know of near this size (except for the big 24" PM, which weighs in at 900 lbs.!)

Besides that, it is also VERY versatile. I was a bit concerned about its somewhat limited 20" swing. My skills are getting into the advanced category (I think), so I wondered if maybe I should go for one with 24" of swing or more. But not to worry! With the 18" bed and banjo extensions (about $400 additional) installed, and the headstock moved to the end of the bed, the PM 3520b swings 32"! This lathe is more capable than any other, in most respects it seems, if your goal is to turn bowls.

Set-up was easy, even by one man. I moved the heavy parts around with a 2-wheeled truck. I bolted the legs, which are liftable, to the upside-down bed, and laid it on its side. I braced the legs against 25" 2X4s, themselves braced against the garage door (itself wedged to fix it in place) so they would not slip when I hoisted it up-right. I installed a 3/8" X 4 1/2" screw eye in the plate above garage door, and with a cable hoist, pulled it upright. I was then able to install the head and tail-stocks, and the banjo. The headstock is heavy enough (maybe 100 lbs.) that it was near my limit, as a 56 yo 180 lb. male, so you may want to hoist that, too, or get help. It took just a couple of hours to get it together, without any real risk to my precious, aging body.

The continuously variable speed is INVALUABLE - the 450 rpm minimum with my Jet was just too fast (and so too dangerous) in many cases for less well balanced bowl blanks. It's REALLY nice to be able to throttle down to, well, ~130 rpm in the high range, 50 rpm in low. Though the specs I read (several - but not all) say that it runs 0-1200 and 0-3200 rpms, that is not exactly true. At less than 130 rpm (50 in the low range), it just stops. But even the 130/50 rpm minimum speeds it really works at are slow enough. It seems quite slow, at 130/50 rpm, being just a bit over 2, or under 1 rpm/second. I think I can turn just about anything except maybe the very biggest, MOST out-of-balance blanks that fit on this lathe. And with the thick 1 1/4" spindle, running in the low range, with the tailstock in place, and with the lathe bolted down, even those could probably be turned easily enough.

I should add that this lathe's stance is 4" wider than that of my Jet, at 24", which combined with being also a few inches shorter, seems to make it VERY stable, even without being bolted down, my previous standard practice. I may bolt it down yet, when I get a really big, unbalanced piece of wood, but so far it has been solid as a rock.

WMH does have a few quality problems, though not enough to spoil a deal. Although my lathe was delivered without any significant damage, the black tape stripes were scraped off in a couple of spots. And, thinking I'd prefer it without the stripes, which look a little fussy against the gold bed paint, I decided to pull them off. A mistake? When I pulled the tape off, a few quarter-size bits of paint came off with it. And not only that, but some of what looked like white filler, under the paint, and about 1/16" or more thick, came off with it. Now, I don't think that they should use filler to mask flaws in the casting, and if they do, it shouldn't come off with the tape! However, in response to my email, WMH DID send me a spray can of Powermatic gold paint, which mostly solves the problem. I do believe the filler was mostly cosmetic, and I'm satisfied.

Do look out, however, for the face plate they have screwed onto the spindle as delivered. I didn't realize this at the time, since I've never used face plates with set screws before, but this one has them! When I tried to remove the little 3" face plate supplied, I discovered the hard way that this one not only has set screws, but that they are delivered tight! So I scored the spindle shaft. Bummer! The damage is not serious, but STILL. MOST wood turners, I'd wager, have never used face plates with set screws, and would not expect them. I have to admit I did this before reading the manual, but still, they did not need to install it (with set-screws tight!), and should warn us a bit more upfront, like with a sticker on the faceplate itself. Some of us know (or think we know) these machines pretty well, and tend to jump ahead a bit.

I haven't actually tried using the 18" bed extension assembly to turn a blank up to 32" in diameter (don't have that kind of wood at the moment!), but can see no reason it will not work perfectly.

This is an outstanding bowl-turner's lathe, for the money or even cost-independent. If you want to turn bowls, and would rather not spend the $5-8K which other lathes of similar size cost, this could be the one for you. There are none more versatile, and you will probably never need a bigger one. BTW, before you buy, check out Osolnik Machinery in Berea KY., which helped design this machine. Joe Osolnik (son, I think, of the famous bowl turner) is very helpful, and you might get an even better deal.

Everything about this "Mustard Monster" has been excellent. The delivery was on time and the trucking company moved it to my garage. The exterior of the container was flawless, as was each item when it was unpacked. Setup was straight forward and simple, but this is far too big of a machine to set up alone. I had the help of four friends and unpacking to having it up and running took only an hour, with no one suffering a hernia.

The 3520B is a well made, sturdy, and functional machine. The 200V variable speed motor is quiet and smooth. Adjustment between high and low range is a fast and simple process. The substantial headstock and bearings, along with its significant weight, allow the turner to mount large pieces, and the variable speed motor eliminates vibration with an out of balance piece of wood. The headstock and tailstock slide easily along the bed and lock down firmly.

This is my third lathe. While I considered the Oneway, I chose the Powermatic because the headstock slides, allowing me to turn hollow forms at the end of the bed rather than having to lean over it, saving my rotator cuff. I also considered the American Beauty by Robust but the Powermatic's features compared very nicely to the AB and the cost is about $3000 less. That cost difference leaves a lot of room for new tools! My only complaint is the fixed height of the lathe but this was easily remedied with the construction of two platforms.

I received my new 3520b Powermatic lathe about 6 weeks ago and have used it several hours at this point. The lathe is substantial and heavy. It is very smooth, quiet and well-made. The electronic speed control works well and makes multiple speed changes while turning a breeze. Also, the moveable headstock is handy if you want to turn very large bowls although the normal swing is 20 inches which accomodates the Oneway Stronghold chuck and mega jumbo jaw set up.

The lathe arrived in excellent shape and the delivery driver was helpful in moving the box into the garage. Because of the weight it was necessary for me to remove the headstock and tool rest from the main body inorder to carry all of the parts into the basement. Even disassembled it was not easy to move the parts and my wife and I struggled to get the task accomplished. I literally rolled the headstock end over end to get it down the stairs. Once in the basement it was necessary to use a winch hung from a large stepladder to lift the main frame up to attach the legs. Also, the headstock had to be winched up in order to slide in on the rail. There were some anxious moments but the assembly was completed in about three hours. I recommend buying the correct hex wrench head for your socket set to make it easier to attach the legs. I did that after I read that comment in another evaluation of this tool and found it to be helpful. I bought the winch from Sears for $20. The help of another person during this process was essential. Also, this lathe requires 230V so it was necessary for me to install a dedicated line over to the tool location.

Other than the assembly, I am very pleased with the lathe and enjoy using it.

The powermatic 3520B lathe is exactly what I wanted and it has lived up to all the billing. Delivery worried me since I live in a rural area. The truck backed down a narrow road and lowered the 700 pound box via the lift gage right into my garage. Set up of the lathe was fairly easy BUT attaching the legs on the lathe bed was a real pain. One needs a 8 mm hex wrench to do this properly. I don't understand why the hex wrenches are not supplied with the lathe. In fact you really need a socket wrench to hold the hex piece. I actually had to cut off a 8 mm allen wrench to get this to work. This is a minor problem. The lathe works great, the price was about $500 less than any other supplier I could find, delivery was totally free and included delivery to my garage. Must suppliers do not have free shipping.

For the price this lathe is hard to beat in this cost category - under 4k. This lathe runs quite smooth - but then I am use to using a Shopsmith as my other lathe.

Like any lathe it is aways best to search out others who have used it and see if the options match your needs. Currently our wood turning group uses the older version of this lathe and it has provided yeoman service for the last few years for club demo's. I found that the hight of this lathe is easer to work on than my Shopsmith - which was my justification of upgrading my hardware.

This updated version - 3502b has some nice refinements - could have a few more tweaks to make more user friendly like the robust lathe - but that lathe cost at least 5k.

Updates between the 3520A / 3520b
1. tail stock has a closing "bin" - lets you store items in there without getting a bunch of wood chips all over it.
2. head stock has an index ( option on the 3520a, the version on the 3520b could have improved a bit)
3. Small chuck tool rest - no biggie - but the bolt holes can be used to mount an outrigger and turn monster bowls - or extend the bed. (Cost extra for the outrigger)
4. Speed display LED in RPM.

While there is a larger Powermatic lathe - and it does have more HP, the movable head stock on the 3520b allows more options when turning.

When checking / figuring the price of the lathe remember that most delivery companies will charge a lift gate fee. Currently Amazon uses ABF Freight system. Their minimum cost to offer this service is an additional charge of $2.95 per 100 pounds of actual weight will be assessed, but not less than $109.90.

I rate this lathe at 4 starts - would if I could at 4.5 - the tail stock is a bit heavy to move - but this is a massive lathe. Other companies have started to make a swing out tail stock to assist the turner.

One odd note, when reading the owners manual see link below, some of the
recommend tools to assemble the lathe are a bit unique. One of the recommended tools to assist putting it together is a forklift - I was not to sure if this lathe was just too big.

However; I was able to assemble the lathe by my self using a high end step ladder and the help of a manual winch under the ladder. A good lift table, or work bench can work out quite well if you don't have a fork lift ;)

You can download the manual for the lathe by getting an account on powermatic's website at no additional cost.

Remember that this lathe takes 220 and just shy of 16 amp at normal single phase power.

[...]


Bradbn4

There isn't much I can say, that others haven't already said. I have owned mine for a little over 2 years. This is a great lathe, and for most users, will probably be the last lathe you will ever need or want. It's rock solid and runs very quiet. Powermatic and Jet are both owned by WMH Tool Group, and everything I have heard or read indicates they provide outstanding customer service.

Some oddities, that might be a bit confusing...such as the "spindle length" claims, are easily resolved by downloading the users manual. The manual makes it clear. "Working distance between centers" is 31-1/2" without the bed extension. You can safely slide the tailstock over the end of the ways a little bit, and gain a couple more inches.

The 220V circuit should be a dedicated one, with it's own circuit breaker. Amperage draw will be less than 7 amps at 220V.

I didn't use the leveling feet. Instead, I set the legs directly on my shop floor, which is very flat concrete. The height is just right for me. Most guidelines recommend adjusting the height (or standing on a platform) so your tool arm is at approximately 90 degrees. It's worth experimenting to find the most comfortable height for you.

Also, do a Google search for "The Mustard Monster Site". That site includes lots of shared experience and knowledge about the lathe, and how to take advantage of all the 3520b's features.

I have been super happy with the Powermatic 1352001 Model 3520B 20x35-Inch Wood Lathe with RPM Digital Readout. First off the delivery was quick and they even brought it into my utility building. I was really impressed with the quality build of this wood lathe, It's super heavy and seems like it's built to last forever. I choose this wood lathe because it has a lot of features, it's simple to set up and get running. Another great thing is that this is quieter than I had expected. Cuts through wood like magic! It's a major upgrade from my previous late, and using this wood lathe is like a dream! I would highly recommend this wood lathe and I'm sure that once you use it that you'll agree with me as well.