I just bought one last month and love it.

The variable speed is especially handy and very quiet. The readout is
on all the time. You can turn the spindle by hand anytime and it will
readout the rpm. It smoothly changes speeds. I've been using mine on
the high speed range so far and it idles down to 135 rpm. When I have
the dust collection system running (which is pretty quiet) I can't tell
from sound or feel if it is running without looking at the work piece or
the rpm readout.

The tail stock is fitted very tightly to the bed. It took me quite a
while get the bed extension perfectly matched so the tail stock could
slide over the joint between main bed and the extension bed. It will match.

It has plenty of power. I have not stalled it but have spun the center
in the wood several times.

The motor is actually 3 phase 230v 1720 rpm drawing 4.6 amps with some
method I don't understand of running from 120v. If I try and stop the
spindle with the hand wheel while running at high speed range and at
slowest variable speed of 132 rpm I can feel the pulsing power.

Fred

LBledsoe wrote:
Anyone have any thoughts on the Jet 1642 120v lathe?