I have this lathe and am quite happy with it. True it could go a little
slower, but I haven't turned anything bigger than 10" yet and it was fine
at that speed. I, too, got it on sale and while it is a little rougher
than more expensive lathes, I can live with it a long time before I need a
bigger lathe. While you were at HF, you should have grabbed one of the
HSS lathe chisel sets, not the cheap set but the High Speed Steel (HSS)
sets for $29 or $39 dollars. They are worth every penney. Need
sharpening, but another good deal for a beginner.