Have the JET VS mini/midi. Here are some specifics

5" from bed to centers' center lines.

Variable speed uses three pulleys on head stock shaft,
three on the motor.

The the speed varying dial shows numbers 1 - 5 but
it's not click stops but continuous speed changes.
Note that the speed changes are not linear
RPMs
Low Med Hi
1 500 1100 1700
2 580 1200 1800
3 680 1400 2050
4 900 1850 2750
5 1200 2600 3900

Having dial controlled variable speed is handy.
You can chuck up a rough - square block of
wood, mini-logette, etc. and take the speed
up 'til unacceptable vibration begins - then
back off 'til it stops. This lets you work at
the maximum "non wobbling bench" RPMS as
you go - increasing RPMS as the piece is
roughed to round. When cutting in fine
details like small beads or grooves, slowing
the RPMs down for cutting them in, then back
up for other cuts is quick, easy and controllable.
Not so with shifting a belt from pulley to pulley.

Varying the RPMs with just pulley changes is in
steps and sometimes being able to go between
the steps can be handy

If the Reeves Drive is the mechanism
that uses tapered shafts with a belt
that can be slid along them in either
direction - you get continuous variable
speed - without stopping to change pulleys
several times to go from lowest to
highest RPMS. But the belt tension
is critical. Get some stretching or
wear and "ideal" and "real" start
diverging.

The "Fourteen Inches" is between the
stock centers. Use a big STEBB CENTER
on the head stock end and live center
with inset tips and you could be down
to 13" or less. Add a SuperNova2 chuck and
your down to maybe 10".

As for the price - got the VS for around
$350, the non-VS model being around
$250 then but I've seen it for $229.
Only drawback to the JET is that I
haven't found a commercial center
support for it because they seem to
start at 6" centers to bed. But it's not
hard to make a "string support" that
sort of works.

charlie b