wrote in message
ups.com...

Regarding the Nova vs Jet

From my experience ... heavier is more stable ... and as I have
all of my tools (with the exceptions of a POS Craftsman radial saw) on
wheels ... weight is
not really a factor ... other than moving it from the
curb

You probably noticed that each of the lathes in question is bolted to the
stand. Makes it pretty much moot what the particular stand weighs, because
you can bolt more weight to it, even up to the "big one" - mother earth.
Some people even build their own stand to better fit their shop. Red
herring.

Rigidity is a virtue. Don't want that turning flopping around relative to
the lathe, or the spindle of the lathe relative to the bed, or the toolrest
relative to any.... The important thing.


I did notice the notice the difference between the 215/3630 rpm
(Nova) ... vs the 450/3000 rpm of the Jet ...

What about the HP difference ... 1.5 hp (Nova) vs 1 hp (Jet)?

The HP is nearly as red a herring as the weight. You only need enough to
take off a shaving, right? And you, at much less than 1 HP can turn the
piece on its bearings, so the rest is potential harm to you.



Has anyone heard of durability of Nova's? ... I know and trust Jet
for sturdy durable tools


As I say, mine's got a bunch of hours on it, and I don't baby it. But I
don't hack wood, either. Those who do will likely have different things to
say about any two lathes.
At present I am leaning towards the Jet ... if for no other reason
than the stability ... and known durability ... but that lower low and
higher high of the Nova are quite attractive

As for purchasing used ... I will have to see what comes along ... as
this is a actually my Christmas present from my dad ... so this
isnt an IF ... it is a WHEN