I have to agree, I bought a jet mini and turned some pretty nice small
bowls. Now the wife wants bigger bowls and I'm wishing I would have went
bigger from the start. Jeff

"bf" wrote in message
ups.com...

PapaChuck wrote:
Am considering starting with a VicMarc VL100 MINI LATHE. Want
something quality and substantial that will offer years of service and
expansion potential.


In my opinion, do not start off with a mini lathe. I know that's the
common advice, start
with a mini lathe and then sell it to buy a bigger one if you like
turning.

But, have you noticed that no one tells you to start off with a 9"
bandsaw or a tabletop tablesaw to
see if you like it?

To me, it makes no sense to buy a mini lathe if you can afford one of
the entry level full sized ones.
I haven't checked prices for awhile, but I think the minis are around
$300.. I bought a full sized delta
one for around $500.. Keep in mind that the full sized one can do
everything a mini can do (except be portable).
Keep in mind that the used minis that I've seen don't seem to have that
great of resale value.

If you like woodworking, you'll like turning.. No sense in buying a
mini lathe to see if you like turning.