I started with this lathe and though it has it's limits I believe that for
the money it was the best thing I have ever bought. Yes I also bought the
$10.00 set of tools and though I have started to buy better(lathe and tools)
I was happy with the set-up and used it for years. The people that bad mouth
companies like HF are the same people that rely on their tools to produce
the "art, craft, labor......".

Lets face it Hf sells cheaply priced product at a reasonable price and if
it's made in china or twaiwan so what, it got me started and I still use it
and plan on keeping it after I get my new Grizzley unlike the $400 Jet
planer I bought and have had to replace the gears twice in the last year at
a cost of $50 and was told the first time that it was because of abuse and
wasn't covered by the warranty and still haven't heard back the second time
from their people(2 Months,1letter,and 2 phone calls)

And lets face it after cutting the rails off and putting on a cheap set
of pulleys it will make a great bowl lathe for under another hundred
bucks......

Sorry to rant but unless the other people out there have excess cash to
blow on hobbies and whatever I think for some one getting started with
this hobbie(face it if your worried about price on tools, IT'S STILL A
HOBBY) It is money well spent if for no other reason than your skill will be
perfected when it's time for the big boys.......(Instant failure of first
turned item + expensive machine =thowing in the towel.........Failure +
cheap machine = machine's Fault ,,I'll do better when I own________!