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william kossack
 
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Default Nova DVR vs. Nova 3000

Buying a lathe is like buying a car. It really depends on what you
think your going to do, what your friends have and how much you want to
spend. I know people that have jet minis and are very happy with them
and I know people with some of the big iron lathes and a few that have
DVR. Many turners have more than one lathe. Like a car owner they have
a pickuptruck lathe to rough out and you don't mind abusing with chunks
that are maybe a bit large, another lathe for general use that you use
more and maybe a sportscar lathe that you got because of your midlife
crises required something flashy to impress turners of a different gender

I've had a DVR for about 4 months and love it. The only problems I've
had with my DVR is getting 5 minutes of time from my teenage son so he
could help me put it on the stand and the problem with a burr developing
in the taper that required the use of a reamer. I've turned both tiny
mini bowls and large bowls with a recent maple chunk that was 17 inches
across and with a weight of mybe 50 pounds that I roughed out a couple
months ago (filling 2 40 gallon trash bags with shavings in the process).

I looked at the bigger and heavier lathes but I had the requirment that
the lathe be semi-portable and I wanted a low RPM for unballanced
chunks. I started out with a grizzly that would bog down at the
slightest touch and start dancing if things were just slightly off
ballence. I love how the DVR puts more power into the motor to maintain
the RPM that you select. One of these days I'm going to convert my
lathe to 220 but I'm not seeing the need at this point.

My DVR sits on a wooden stand made out of 2x4s and 2x6s with wheels at
one end so I can move it out onto the driveway and keep the shavings out
of the garage. This creates a minor problem in that during the sunny
heat of the day the LCD display goes black and hard to read. However, I
generally don't pay too much attention to the RPM. I turn at the speed
I'm comfortable with for the piece I'm turning (if it seems too fast I
slow it down a bit..if it is taking too long I speed it up..sometimes I
turn something slower just because I'm trying to relax and enjoy the
process) Learning on the grizzly I got used to going slow so I have to
keep reminding myself that I have more power and I can go faster without
bogging the lathe down.


Carl McCarty wrote:

I am getting ready to move up to a new lathe. I currently have an old
Delta Homecraft Double Duty lathe.
It works fine but I would like something with more capacity.
I have been looking at the tecknatool site and thinking one of their
lathes would suit my needs well.
I am seeking some advice from more experienced turners than myself if
the DVR motor and different tailstock is realy worth
all that extra money. With the extra $8-900 I could get all the
accessories for the lathe and still have money left over?
I was at Woodcraft the other day, and the salesman was pushing the DVR
pretty hard and acted like the 3000 was a thing of the past. But, they
also had the DVR on the floor and certanly make more money of an $1800
sale than they do $900.
So, if anyone would share their knowledge and point me in one
direction or another, I would appreciate it. Also, if you know of
another lathe in this price range and have a strong arguement for it,
I would like to hear it.
Thanks,
Carl McCarty