Variable-speed spindle control via electronic mean.
Spindle speed is displayed on a digital display.
Spindle indexing at a 10° angl.
The headstock can be placed anywhere along the length of the bed.
The bed and legs are made of heavy-duty cast iron to ensure stability and minimal vibration.
This is the first time I’ve used a model of this size; previously, I had only used bench top models. The Grizzly was the result of extensive research into various other models before making the final decision.
Pros.
-The ability to control the speed is excellent. It’s the first time I’ve used a lathe with a variable frequency drive, and it’s incredibly convenient. When I use the first gear setting, I can achieve speeds ranging from about 50rpm to more than 2000rpm, which is pretty much all I ever need. Additionally, the digital readout displays the revolutions per minute in real time.
-Nice and substantial. It significantly reduces vibration and wobbles when you first start up your computer and when you use an uneven blank.
-Easy to use controls. The selector for forward, neutral, and reverse is located directly above the speed dial. I didn’t anticipate having to use reverse very often, but it is extremely useful when hollowing so that you are not forced to lean out over the ways to get into the near side. Hollowing in reverse is a little awkward at first, but after a couple of hours of experimenting, I got the hang of it pretty quickly. When sanding, the reverse function is also quite useful.
-Price. Other machines of comparable quality, functionality, and size can cost you more than $1000 more than this one.
Cons.
-Low torque when traveling at low speeds. All low speeds on any machine that uses a variable frequency drive (for example, any lathe with speed control, such as this one) will have a significantly reduced torque output due to the variable frequency drive. You can stop the spindle with your bare hands at speeds lower than 400rpm, and a cut that is too aggressive will bite and stop it at speeds a little higher than that. I was aware of this prior to purchasing this lathe, and I am still able to rough out my blanks with no problems.
-At this point, turn the handwheel on the headstock. All of the other lathes I’ve used had a wheel on the outboard side of the headstock, which allowed you to rotate the spindle by hand as you turned the wheel. For whatever reason, Grizzly did not include one in this section. It strikes me as strange, and it can be a little inconvenient if you switch between spur center and chucks frequently, as I do. When threading on and off chucks, you must use the indexing pin to secure the spindle in place while threading on and off.
-The live center does not automatically knockout the tail stock. I’ve had this feature on smaller lathes before, but Grizzly didn’t include it on this one, which is a shame. It is necessary to use the knockout tool in order to remove the active center.
Overall, I really like this lathe, and I expect to keep it for a long time. It performs admirably. Not even the things that I listed as negatives were enough to convince me to back out of this purchase. It fulfills all of my requirements, and I am extremely pleased with it.
