Hi to all
I plan on purchasing a heavy duty lathe. After some market searching I have down selected to either a Powermatic (3520B) lathe or Oneway (2436) lathe. I would appreciate input (pros/cons) from any of you who have owned or operated one of these lathes.
Thanks In Advance
marker
Replies
I have used a Powermatic briefly.
I now own a OneWay and IMHO there is no comparison - go with the OneWay! This is heavy duty WITH sophistication. It is a class machine and comes with accessory items that are extra on other units. The speed control is a marvel - just twist the dial - and if you want to reverse (for sanding) simply flip the switch and the unit will slow, stop and then run in the opposite direction. All without a whimper. I'm in love.
Frosty
"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
Well, thats one for the "Oneway". I appreciate the reply, good info. By-the-way, which model do you have?
marker
Because of space limitations I bought a 2016 with a bed extension. A mistake! The swing is adequate but I sure would like more bed length. For example, I built a buffet with cabriole legs that extended the full height of the unit. I wanted to turn the pad foot on the lathe but did not have enough bed length.I just finished a candle stand with a center pedestle leg - I just barely had enough bed length to hold the jig for routing the dovetails.Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
THANKS AGAIN.
You brought up an area I need to re-check on. I am off to the WWW.
Marker.
Hi marker,
I don't know about the Powermatic lathes as I have a Oneway 1640. I am extremely happy with it. It is well designed and hasn't given me any trouble. I have owned and turned on several brands of lathes and the Oneway beats them all IMHO. BTW - one of the lathes I owned was over twice the price of the 1640 and I still liked the Oneway better. I have several friends that have gone with the Oneway 2436 and they all love them.
Steve
Just got back in town and catching up on emails. Thanks for the reply. It appears from the emails I have received to-date, both the powermatic and Oneway lathes have dedicated fans. Im leaning towards the oneway, but still undecided.
Marker
I have the Powermatic 3520B and am very happy with it. It does everything they say and more. super smooth, way more power than I have needed and the electronics work perfectly.
I have a review of the 3520B at the link below with lots of photos, a video and details on its features if that would help.
http://www.newwoodworker.com/reviews/pm3520brvu.html
Tom Hintz
Because there is always more to learn!
THintz
Thanks for taking the time to reply. Great write-up and video. You make a strong case for the Powermatic. I guess I need to attend a woodworking show and watch powermatic and Oneway lathes demonstrated before I buy. Both camps are very persuasive.
Thanks Again
Marker
THintz
One note of interest you brought out in your discussion on the powermatic lathe, was that it included a built-in 3PH converter. I do not believe the ONEWAY has this capability. This is certainly a "Pro" for the powermatic.
Thanks again for your insight.
Marker
Marker,
All single phase input lathes with variable frequency drives (VFD) have 3 phase motors. The VFDs require 3 phase motors to work and the VFDs can come with either single phase or 3 phase inputs.
Steve
Thanks Steve
I was at a woodcraft store today which had both the Oneway and Powermatic lathes. It was confirmed to me by one of the store employees that the Powermatic did have the 3PH converter, but he could not verify that the Oneway (2436) came with the 3PH internal converter. I plan on getting clarification on this matter before I finally make a purchase.
Again thank you for your reply.
Marker
I'm in a similar position--trying to decide between the Powermatic and Oneway. I don't think anyone can really dispute that the oneway is a better machine overall, plus it has more options in terms of accessories See: http://www.oneway.on.ca/lathes/2436_access.htm.
The hard question (at least for me) is if the difference in quality and accessories for the oneway justifies paying around twice as much as the powermatic. For me, as a hobbiest, I probably won't use the lathe enough to justify the increased cost of the oneway. And I doubt the oneway will make my turning twice as good as the powermatic. Don't get me wrong, I am all in favor of buying the very best machine within one's means (this rule has left me with no regrets on my previous tool purchases). But maybe this case is one where the marginal increase in benefit does not justify the cost difference. And $3 k will buy a lot of nice turning blanks and accessories. That's the rational side of my brain. Then the devil on the other shoulder pipes up and says "hey, you only live once, right?" Fortunately, as demonstrated by the favorable posts for both sides, you probably won't be dissatisfied with either choice.
I am curious to know the outcome of your decision. Let us know which lathe you choose. Then, let us know later down the road if you are happy with your decision.
You could always do as my wife does: Choose by the COLOR you like best.
Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
Frosty,
Good one!
My wife is of similar ilk. When I told her a few years ago what it cost to buy a bunch of bicycling accessories (helmet, shoes, gloves, jerseys and bike shorts) she was somewhat aghast. But when I mentioned that the shoes ran $185 - and were made in Italy - she said, "Well, I don't understand the fascination with all the gears and tires. But the shoes; that I get."
Zolton* Some people say I have a problem because I drink hydraulic brake fluid. But I can stop any time I want.
I love the bit about the Italian shoes. A good salesman always communicates on an "emotional" level.
Frosty"I sometimes think we consider the good fortune of the early bird and overlook the bad fortune of the early worm." FDR - 1922
That is a good one and so true. I have been car shopping lately and that seems to be the most important thing to my wife.
Steve
Just got back into my email. I will let you know which lathe I purchase. Presently leaning hard towards the Oneway.
Marker
Ernie Conover, one of the experts available over on the "ask the experts" section, and the author of a well-regarded lathe book, seems to favor Oneway.
J
Thank You, Joe
I appreciate your email very much. An endorcement from Ernie Conover is very valuable input to my decision tree.
Marker
I know this won't help you make a decision, but I actually corresponded with Conover about lathes some time ago. He indicated that he was consulted regarding the design of the Powermatic, and had very favorable things to say about its performance. I have no doubt that he gives the thumbs up to the Oneway (who doesn't), but he was very enthusiastic about the Powermatic too.
And He also did a DVD on the Powermatic, and loved it too.Work Safe, Count to 10 when your done for the day !!
Bruce S.
I also remember seeing Ernie Conover doing an online video for the Nova DVR XP, which he also seemed to like a lot.
Edited 9/24/2007 1:30 pm ET by wilburpan
I have the 3520B and love it. It is sturdy, well made, and I love the speed control. It also has the reverse and if you flip it into reverse it slows down to zero and then takes off in reverse. The Oneway lathes are nice also, but my local dealer stocks the Powermatic, I looked it over and took his recomendation over other lathes he stocked and I have no regrets. Turn on!!
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled