2 Year Review Harbor Freight 12x36 Wood Lathe by Central Machinery

NEW CHANNEL PLEASE SUBSCRIBE.

[OtherThanIntendedPurpose]

my son and I have this same lathe, and have been very happy with it. we also purchased the PSI 4 jaw chuck, and bought both traditional gouges as well as a couple carbide cutters. This may not have all of the features some lathes have, but for us, it has been a great way to spend time together and for me to teach my son a lot. we plan to get the PSI pen mandrel set soon, so we can turn the handles for their crochet hook set, that we want to give my wife for her next birthday.

[usageorgepa.]

Thanks for taking the time out to give your review..I've been thinking pretty hard about getting a wood lathe.Since cost counts in my world this was helpful.

[OtherThanIntendedPurpose]

my son and I just got this lathe, we also got the 4 jaw chuck, and a Jacobs chuck. I plan on adding a few more accessories as money becomes available, but so far we are really happy with it's performance.

[johnwimbs]

I finally warped the main spindle to the point of no return. Was still turning medium size pieces . Nothing small. Too much wobble. Disassembly complete just got to order parts. It's been my happy place for several years.

[bobgonzalez]

I have the same lathe I picked up about a year ago. Got to working. Only issue I’ve had has been the alignment. I wish I had watched your video sooner cause I’d known how simple it is to realign. Thanks!

[nursebassturd]

Thanks for the review! I am planning on buying the same lathe and had some questions that you answered.

[coleyounger]

love mine i have turned 50 plus bowls and vases with mine no problems at all

[billy]

I have had my Harbor Freight lathe for nearly5 years now. Have had a ton of fun with it, but wish I had saved up a few more dollars and bought a better lathe. I have to realign the head and tail stock every time I use my lathe and the little lock down screws on the tool post and tail stock have stripped out and they do not sell replacements.

[danielpg]

Great music to start the vid💪 Thanks for the review, I’m looking to purchase this lathe.

[outsideagencyuk]

Just got one of these second hand with no manual - so this was an invaluable kick start thank you!

[livewiya]

Thanks for this review. I don't see myself becoming a turner, but plenty of my woodworking projects have simple cylindrical stretchers and legs that take a long time with my drawknife, spokeshave, and scraper (and the outcome is less refined). Too often, people reviewing lathes are turners and are looking for specifications for use cases I don't ever see myself needing. This fits the bill.

[dreadcat]

Thanks for the video. I have had mine for 4 years or more with no problems. I like it. I've made many things on it. I used the legs and stand that came with it. I put lock washers on every bolt and nut. I added wheels so I can move it around. I am not rough with it. Everything has a breaking point. So I 'am gentle with it but it seems very strong. I agree about the tailstock lock but I got used to it fast. So no problem. Have you ever taken the motor cover of the end of the motor? Looks like the dust goes into it there. If I get time, I'll take the cover off to see if it as lots of dust in there. I liked this lathe so much that I bought the midi lathe from HF. There are a lot of good videos on that one also. I like it too. Thanks for sharing.

[mikeanglada]

Thank You Heavymetal Woodworking for the review... \, , /

[fredweaver]

I’ve had mine a couple of months. Works great but the motor has a squeak. When I rotate the head stock with the motor off it gives off a slight dry squeak. I blew it out with air and that seemed to work for a while. Other than that I’m very happy with it.

[briscoedarling]

Thanks for taking the time to review. You answered a lot of questions for me!

[rickmcdaniel]

I've had a HF 34706 for a over nine years. On average I'll turn 10-12 candle lights and vases, 8-10 bowls, and 5-6 desk/table lamps (minimum) every month with it. I've found it to be reliable, easy to use, and mechanically sound IF you take care of it. At 3/4 HP it is somewhat underpowered for a lathe its size so don't try and overload it. I've turned 10"(D) x 18"(L) logs of wood on it but I've made sure they were balanced enough to take strain off the motor. When advancing the speed-control handle do it gradually so as allow the belt-drive system to ease up to speed. And make sure you do so likewise every time you want to shut off the lathe; ease the control handle back to its lowest setting. I use a large Wood River chuck and the 34706 handles it without problem. My 4"-6"-8" faceplates are no problem either. I've added other 1"x 8TPI and MT#2 accessories and they've made the 34706 even more versatile in what I can do. I took advantage of the stand's ability to install a shelf below the lathe bed; on the shelf I have 300-lbs. of sandbags that anchor the lathe solidly in place and prevent vibration and wandering. For the money there is not a better lathe on the market, in my opinion. I started on a 34706 and have stayed with it despite advanced skills and the ability to buy a more expensive one. It works for me but I take care of it. It will work for you if you take care of it. Regular cleaning, maintenance, lubrication, an overall "easy' approach to using it will go a long way. It's gone nine-plus years for me. (Footnote: a couple of months ago the motor on my 34706 quit---toasted, not-gonna-run-again. I estimated that I had 5, 000-hours on it so that's not bad at all. For $150 I received a new motor and mounting parts from Harbor Freight and was back turning. My 34706 lathe is doing as well as ever as we enter into our tenth year.)
Show less

[vulcanizemetal]

thanks for your review dude, I am just getting into wood turning and am interested in buying this machine fro my local Harbor Freight, you've set my mind at ease knowing it'll be a good purchase \m/

[AusMiner]

I have a similar lathe - different colour and badging, but from the same factory in China. No real problems with mine either, but beware that the toolrest post is well known for snapping off, and the toolrest itself could land anywhere when this happens. Basically, it is made out of cheap Chinese cast iron and is very bad design - cast iron should NOT be used in this application at all. I make my own toolrests out of one inch STEEL round stock. My toolrest snapped at the post after only about two weeks of ownership of the lathe and I have read of many more experiencing the same failure. The banjo extension is also fully made of cast iron, and I have never used it for this reason - it is even more likely to snap the post off than the toolrest is.

Agree that the tailstock lockdown is not ideal, but is easily fixed. Simply turn and install a decent handle extension for the lockdown lever - I turned my own handles for the tailstock and banjo lockdown levers and the speed control lever shortly after buying the lathe - makes a big difference.

[TheCecil]

I've made about 75 wood spin tops using a metal lathe. I want to buy a wood lathe for home. This looks good to me. Thanks for sharing.

[michaelwebb]

Thanks for the review. I think I will pick one of these up since I only want to do this as a hobby and not for a living. I saw another video where the guy turned a new, hardwood handle to extend his tail stock tightener and he said that made tightening it down a lot easier.