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99 of 102 found the following review helpful:
 Best small lathe on the marketOct 24, 2002
By Mitch Mitton
I have turned on every lathe from an big Oliver pattern lathes slick Euopean models and this lathe has the best set of features for the money. In lathe work quick adjustments are needed to allow you to keep your focus on the form that you are trying to produce. A tool rest moved to the right spot at the right time keeps the tool running clean and eliminates tearouts. This is also a great saftey feature. That is just what this lathe has, features that only the most expensive lathes have in one machine. This rotating head found on only a handfull of other brands was a nice touch. Just as important was the 'live center' with the proper point for wood turning. Again the abaility to keep the tail support in the proper tension as the turning progress keeps everthing running smooth, And that is what wood lathe work is all about. If you do alot of work with large chuncks of wood you will want to add a pair of runners and place some weight on them. I am close to 6 foot tall and I like a little more height so I used 2X4 lumber to gain the height. I then placed a bead of silicone calk down on the floor and stuck the runners down to offer a solid base. I have used this meathod on several 'light' machines with good results.Just as important as stock features are the after-markets items and there are plenty that fit the Jet. Just try to find Nova chuck to fit a big Oliver!
48 of 53 found the following review helpful:
Jet..., Solid AgainNov 18, 2002
By J. Joswick
"Jeff's Custom Woodworking"
I'm a square wood type of woodworker. I'd never put a tool to a spinning piece of lumber, but had always wanted to try. When the Jet 12" went on sale, I couldn't resist the temptation. Just like all the rest of my Jet tools, it went together in a snap, and was built the way that my table saw and jointer are.., extremely solid. Even for a novice woodturner, the machine performed well. Within minutes after set-up, I was turning, and with halfway decent results (not the machines fault, the operator was the only downfall). All of the advertised features were easy and convenient to use. When comparison shopping against Grizzly and Delta, the Jet came up on top again. Jet includes more bang for your buck. The review got 4 stars only because I haven't had the opportunity to try any other lathes. If my girlfriend had rated it, the results would have been much worse. She hasn't seen much of me since I started making shavings on my most recent Jet purchase. Kudos Jet!
22 of 22 found the following review helpful:
You get more than you pay for.Oct 22, 2003
I was going to buy this machine's bigger version, the one with
the cast iron legs. But when I saw the price was dropped to $399 with free shipping, it was a no brainer.
It's a great machine and it's very vibration free. I've found it has plenty of power, provided your tools are sharp. In fact, plan on buying top of the line HSS tools (like Sorby, Crown, or equivalent -- Amazon does not seem to have any HSS turning tools) and a Tormek sharpener. This will triple your investment but it's required if you want to be successful.
The thing to do to improve the machine is put a strong board on the base's frame and pile a bunch of bags of Sakrete on it. Then it will have the same stability as its larger cousin.
At this price, you can't go wrong...so I gave it 5 stars.
As an aside, contrary to what a previous reviewer wrote, my machine did come with a handwheel on the headstock...
25 of 26 found the following review helpful:
Best Under $1000 LatheDec 09, 2003
By Gerald Palmer
"sawdustertoo"
I got this lathe just in time to take advantage of the Thanksgiving Day weekend and had a blast. This is my second lathe, and it is head and shoulders above the earlier one. Solidly built and very heavy. Due to lack of space in my shop, I mounted the lathe to a large bench rather than the included stand, so I had to remove the power switch from the leg of the stand and mount it on the bench leg. I am amazed at how smooth and quiet this lathe runs. Due to the type of turning I do, I was concerned that the slowest speed was going to be too fast, but the lathe is rock steady spinning a very unbalanced turning blank at the slow speed. Though the instruction manual could have been clearer, setup was quick, easy, and straight forward. If I could change anything about this lathe it would be to add a detent to the speed control between the slowest speed and the next faster one. I would also add an electromagnetic power switch for safety and place it in a more convenient location. Oh, and I split it into two boxes for shipping. Since it was easier for me to pick it up from the freight company than to arrange a delivery time with somone home, I had them hold it at the loading dock for me to pick up. They used a pallet jack to load it onto my truck, and I had to unpack the box to unload it. I was, however, able to lift it up onto the bench alone.
29 of 31 found the following review helpful:
Jet JWL-1236 Wood LatheOct 30, 2002
By Albert E Rivard
This is my first lathe and as I've never used one in the past... The lathe went together with no problems and I was turning down a 2x2 within an hour, made a great little baseball bat. The lathe itself is a real nice piece of equipment; however, the instruction manual is extremly poor. It was a good thing I found a web site that talked about screwing in the index pin prior to removing the spur center or I would have damaged the bearings. Great machine...poor instructions. ...
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