SainSmart Benchtop Wood Lathe, 10''x24'', 600W 0.8 HP Power Wood Turning Lathe with Step-Less Variable Speed 800-3000 RPM, Wood Lathe Machine with Complete Accessories for Woodworking

I had a full size lathe a long time ago and enjoyed using it. Many years an moves later I no longer had one, so this seemed like a nice way to see if I retained any interest. While I did find my interest renewed, I would not recommend this lathe for beginners. I found it to be way too finicky and it required knowledge of how to correct for the issues it has. The issues aren't show stoppers, but a beginner could get frustrated and never go back.This lathe is very light. That is both a plus and a minus. I love that I can attach it to a board and hang it on the wall. But being so light means you must attach it securely to something heavy or things could go awry. The motor is pretty strong and very quiet, however, it isn't too hard to get it to jam up if you get the knife in the wrong position. It is also not great at cutting the corners off, so best if you do some of that ahead of time. Getting things lined up and secured on the spindle was tricky sometimes, but persistence would usually win out. The included chisels were OK for a starter, but they should have been carbide to help beginners ease into wood turning. Once I started using some carbide chisels, the overall experience was much better.I really like the small size, the light weight and the included toos, but everything just misses enough to lose a star. I was able to get some good results and I think it's a decent product for the money, but I don't know if I'd recommend it for people that don't know anything about wood turning.

The media could not be loaded. I have never used a lathe before but wanted to add that to my woodworking skills. I am familiar with the SainSmart brand name and so I got the Bench-top wood lathe to learn and grown in the woodworking hobby. The first one I received was defective and SainSmart promptly sent me a replacement. This lathe is not too big and fits perfectly on a small bench I have in the garage. The lathe has a 0.8 HP motor and the speed can be varied from 800-3000 rpm using a rotary knob on the control unit.The lathe can handle a workpiece up to 10" in diameter and 24" long. This is good for the woodworking projects I will be doing. The main drive shaft comes with the 4-edge lathe point to mount the woodpiece on the motor assembly. The tailstock at the end of the guide rail has the centering tip to mount the other end of the wood piece. The tool rest clamps to the main guide rail which helps when working on the workpiece for a long duration.I ran some test runs using hardwood branch pieces to get a feel for the lathe. I like this starter kit which comes with the basic tools needed to get up and running quickly. The two chisels are long and sharp and provide the right grip for my hands.Included in the kit are two spanners when I want to remove the 4-edge lathe point and use the included faceplate to mount a flat wood piece. I have not yet used this accessory but I am sure it will work well. Also included are the screws to permanently mount the lathe to my work bench and a handy center marking gauge.As I practice I have begun to get used to the lathe and am liking the ease with which I can do my work. It is a great starter lathe for anyone getting into the hobby.

It has come damaged two times trying one more time

Upon opening the shipping box, the original product box was obviously resealed. The speed control knob appears to be very loose. The control switch threads used to mount the switch were stripped. Rather than go through the hassle of returning the product, I opted to temporarily repair the switch until I find a suitable replacement. Otherwise it works. And a good price for an entry level lathe. Not out much if I don’t like large work.

This benchtop wood lathe by SainSmart is a nice way to try out a lathe without breaking the bank.Some of the pro's for this tool are:It's lightweight allows it to be used almost anywhere you have space for a tool 4' by 1.5'. I simply mounted this lathe to a 3/4" piece of plywood so I could clamp it down to whichever workspace was available.The motor is smooth and runs well, the speed control is also smooth and runs the rev's effortlessly. The motor spindle and tailstock were effective in clamping the workpiece tightly so I was never afraid of it coming off the lathe. I also liked that this tool came with all the necessary parts and tools to start using the lathe immediately. The knives were sharp enough to start turning the wood without any extra sharpening needed (although I will be sharpening them in the future so the finish is not so rough.).The con's are few but will have to be taken into account when using this lathe which warranted taking a star off.The tool rest tightening screw does NOT tighten adequately to keep the tool rest in place. The vibration from the lathe keeps loosening the screw so the tool rest starts to freely rotate while the lathe is being used. This can be a hazard if the tool rest rotates into the workpiece while it's spinning. Even after ensuring that the tool rest tightening screw was as tight as I could make it, I often ended up holding both the knife and the tool rest in place to ensure the cut was being made properly and at the correct place on the wood. Or I had to turn off the lathe to tighten the screw again. As long as you're careful this issue is not too much of problem, but I can easily see a time when I'm not as attentive or careful and the tool rest rotates into my workpiece causing damage to the workpiece or the tool rest.Overall, this lathe is ideal (except for the tool rest issue!) for someone wanting to try turning wood on a lathe but not wanting to shell out the huge bucks that most lathes require. And if wood turning is not for you, then not a lot of cash wasted! Just keep in mind what the expectations are for this lightweight lathe and I'm sure I can use it for many simple projects that are more creative than always having to use square cornered work pieces.