Customer Reviews

SHOP FOX W1752 Mini Wood Lathe

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

well i bought this lathe as an entry level machine and i am not convinced that it is a good buy for a beginner. The machine arrived mostly intact with the only damage being to the top platic belt cover, it was missing a small chunk out of it right on top, i covered it with duct tape to help protect the belt and gears from wood and other debris. The first thing i did was check to make sure all the parts were present ( they were) and then set the lathe up and turned it on, it ran fine. after that i checked to see if the tail stock was in line with the headstock, it wasnt and there were no lateral adjusting screws, the vertical allignment was acceptable (off by just a hair) and after i checked the gap between the ways and the allignment posts on the tailstock i found that there was a .015" differance between the two. i solved this problem with some .005" shim stock that i bent arount the alignment posts, after that the fit was very snug and the tailstock lined up close enough. As far as opperation goes the lathe perfoms acceptably, i have no trouble with excessive vibration or loss of power. As far as general design, the machine was obviously made in china (stickers all over it) and the quality of work was not that great, the major beef i have with design is that the motor guard only covers the front side and front top half of the motor, meaning that shavings end up sitting right on top of the motor, i stop from time to time and blow the chips away from the motor. The belt seems to be starting to fray already, as this is a consumable part of the machine i am not overly concerned and plan of buying a new one right away incase i need it. all in all i would say that this is an acceptable lathe for the price, but if you are a begginer who has no knowlege of lathes at all ( i work as a machinist) i would reccomend either buying a more user friendly lathe, or enlisting the knowlege of someone with more experiance with lathes.

I'll lead off by saying that the lathe was damaged in shipping but the box was intact so the inventory should've been complete. Not- so three pieces were missing and the paint was peeling off of the machine on all surfaces. Not just little nicks here and there- but big 'ol potato chip curly Q's. The spindle gears were bent and damaged (most likely due to dropping)but I noticed that there was a machine allen head screw missing out of the two holding the knob to the gear shaft just adding fuel to the fire. Terrible....terrible workmanship and quality. I'm going to spend the extra money and purchase a better built product, with a stellar reputation and less likelihood traveling this road again. Delta or Jet...here I come.

The belt tension knob was broken. The belt cover was broken. Neither of the tool rest lockdowns were in the box (so it's useless right now). Also the cover over the motor came off in shipping. And no hex wrench that was supposed to be included. I'm hoping that Amazon can send me the parts so I don't have to ship it back--it's 100 lbs. When I get results, I'll update my review to describe how this was handled and how the lathe actually works. I did turn it on and the motor works quietly. The drive spur is out of round some too. (maybe .015 to .02) I don't know what is acceptable, but from a machinist's stand point it's not good.

Update 1: Just got the replacement lathe...missing parts include--the live rolling center, spur center, and still no tool rest lockdowns--otherwise I could mix and match to get one functioning lathe. Also there is a bent foot, chipped paint, chipped casting and the "Shop Fox" sign that is bolted on front of the lathe is upside down. I'm just going to buy some tool rest lockdowns, it will be easier than lugging two of these back to UPS and probably cheaper.

As far as how Amazon has handled this...they sent me another lathe (with even more missing parts) within two days. They could not send me the parts only.

I do not recommend this Shop Fox lathe.

I looked at Jet mini lathes for twice the price. This lathe is just as good in my opinion. I use it every day and love it. Along with the Barracuda chuck I got on Amazon, I haven't found any project I couldn't handle. $240 delivered to my door...can't beat it. Five pepper mills and ten or so lidded boxes later, I couldn't be happier.

I totally agree with the first reviewer. This lathe is every bit as good as the JET series in it's class at half the price. Turned a pen this evening and it was so nice to do on a smooth running quite lathe. I also purchased a Baracuda chuck but have not used it yet. I'm thinking that this must be SHOP FOX's well kept secret. Better jump on this before they realize what they have here.

I received this lathe as a Christmas Present. It seems that a lot of quill handles are broken when people receive their lathes. I contacted Shop Fox customer service, since it was a present bought on Amazon, and they were less than receptive to talke to me. They would not even sell me one and said I had to go through Amazon. I went to a local shop that sells the unit, they called the factory and ordered one. Said it would be here in 2 days. (Ya Right!). 2 weeks later the wood shop called back to check. The item is on back order until June! (Go Figure)

After only 1 month my lathe started making noise. The lower pulley vibrated in and was rubbing against the cast iron. Then it went the other way and almost came off the motor. I had to completely remove the motor and pulley, realigne them and reinstall. The pulley still wont stay put, the locking screws for the pulley dont seem to be holding at speed. I dont know how to fix it yet!

I DO NOT recommend this machine to anyone! Beware seems to be the prevailing consensus for this machine. It is a shame because it could be an extremely nice lathe.

The Shop Fox lathe has been a great entry point into wood turning for me as well as a great value. Castings are clean, lathe is quiet and smooth, all the parts worked right out of the box and have continued to work through three months of weekly use. I did a lot of comparisons of lathes with similar functions and this seems to be a great, low-cost alternative. Would recommend to a friend.

...especially for the price. I'm with the majority here. I think it's every bit as good as my previous Jet, and even better as it handles 15" material with ease, and with the extension bed (a must-have item, IMO) stretches it out to an unbelievable 38 inches.

I checked out the welds on my tool rest, etc., and can find no evidence of breaking or cracking. The belt is snug and very smooth (previous reviewer:did you loosen the belt tension lock knob and snug up the belt?). It's quiet and does an excellent job for me.

Price and free shipping! I recommend this W1752 to anyone who need a mini-lathe.

The problems are listed below, but if you get past them it is a good lathe for the money. If your new to wood lathe as I am do your homework first. I read many reviews and looked at several lathes(not that I could afford them). There are many how to videos on how to use the tools, what tools you need and how to use them. Within minutes after turning it on and figuring out how to use the chisels, I was able to make a nice oak handle. The speed is fairly easy to change and the lathe is smooth and quiet. It comes with the necessary parts to get you started, minus the chisels.It has a 2 year warranty and seems well made. The live center and other pointy thing in the front (the spur center) line up perfectly. I have a little concern about plastic handles but other wise it seems well made.
1.Amazon took way to long to ship it, they penalize you if you use free shipping. almost 2 weeks from the day I ordered it.
2. The lathe was covered in grease, not a little but way to much. Up to 1/4 inch in places.ABSURD and it took over an hour just to clean up the grase. It does need a protective layer but not hand fulls of grease.
3. The quill handle was broken off at the threads in the handle, I think this happened at the factory because they put a new handle in the parts package. They just didn't want to take the time to do it themselves. That took a few minutes to get the broken treads out of the quill handle and put a new handle in. thankfully they at least gave me a new one.
4. The motor dust cover had broke off during shipping apparently.It looks I have have to take out the whole motor assembly to put it back on.Right now I have a peace of electrical take holding the cover on.

Having said that the lathe seems like a good quality lathe that should last for years.
A note, the tool rest handles are spring loaded and can be turned up or down so to stay out of the way of the tool rest.
In spit of the problems I still gave it 5 stars, it is a good value. There is nothing that feels cheap about it.

Looked at most of what is on the market , grizzly, jet , psi, and many more , and for the money, $299.99 shipped to my door and arrived on a Saturday too , you cant beat it ... Packaging was great , in-cased in foam ...... Easy to set up , in 5 minutes i was turning .... vary smooth running , and quite ..... I have a large grizzly and wanted a small bench top model and the Shop Fox is just every thing i wanted !!!!!