FMM the coolest thing about a mini lathe is 120 volts instead of 240 volts.
Second - can put it in the travel trailer and travel
Third - REALLY small work feels better on it - along with small tools.

Having said that I'll say that the first lathe I grab is my Powermatic
3520B - sweet!

TomNie

"charlieb" wrote in message
...
Bjarte Runderheim wrote:

Why on earth would you want a little UNIMAT to make small things
when the Vickmark or the Stubby can do it even better?

Why on earth would you want a Vickmark or Stubby when
a 6-axis, 12 tool CNC machine would do it even better - and
quicker, and more precisely - in quantities of 5000?

Does the Unimat have the versatile chucks of the larger animals;

Not yet.

does
it have the speedcontrol; does it have the stability and the precision
that the larger lathes do?

No - but changing pulleys is a two second operation. Move what is
bascially an "O" ring from one set of pulleys to another.

Any way there is to hold a workpiece can be used on the biggie. Not
the other way around.

We humans are pretty good at problem solving (until we get elected
-then all bets are off). For a lot of woodworkers, half the fun is
coming up with a way to do something - with what you've got - or
can make.

I have made several small things on my 800-pound Vickmark, and I have
tried it on a small Rexxon-lathe weighing in at about 5 pounds - and
give me the sturdy versatility of the biggie every time!

But can you use it on the kitchen table? Can you put it on a shelf
when you're done? Can you use a Dust Buster for your dust
collection?
Can you fit ALL your turning tools - in a cigar box - and actually
lift
it?

charlie b