Excelsior Mini Lathe

I bought this lathe three weeks ago after shopping them for a year. I was hooked on turning pens by a friend and did my due diligence in research. For the price this is a solid unit and the guys at my local store assured me they can support any equipment issues that may arise. I got the lathe home and out of the box. There were minor damages to the box however, due to proper packing materials the lathe was not damaged. Took about twenty minutes to look it over and double check a couple of set screws, I'm a fleet maintenance manager it's habit, plugged the lathe in and it ran as expected. Solid piece of equipment and the guys at my store have been great getting me started! Great lathe to get started with.

My lathe arrived in good condition, except that the lower belt cover was broken (fault of the delivery company, no doubt). I fixed that and set it up. The centers aligned very nearly perfect and everything was tight. So I started turning. I have turned bowls, boxes, spindle shapes, honey dippers, lamps, and parallel sided {cylindrical} knot-tying mandrels. My widest bowl was 9 1/2" diameter! my longest piece has been just over 12". I have turned with the drive center, faceplate, glue blocks, 4-jaw scroll chuck and screw chuck. I've turned lids on jamb chucks. I've drilled holes with it. The lathe is not overly heavy and will shake a bit with an out of balance piece, but mine is not bolted down yet and it works just fine. It is not a light-weight, though, and soaks up vibration pretty well. The belt change is not automatic, but is not really that hard. Move the belt first at the end where it steps smaller, then the end where it steps larger - that works like a charm. Reach under for the bottom pulley, and through the back for the top pulley. The real problem is the covers. They should be hinged instead of requiring full removal and replacement for each speed change. They are flimsy, too, but that is not a deal breaker. I may hinge mine. I've had it a month. I've turned dozens of pieces from skinny spindle work, to bowls from heavy oak. Everyone in the family (all five of us) has turned something. I added a 4-jaw chuck, 1/2" drill chuck, and a set of round-bar rests. My only real complaint is that the motor does get hot. It does not seem to overheat, but it gets very hot and lots of dust and shavings fall on it. I keep it clean! This lathe is a good deal for the hobbiest or learner. It might even be good for more serious folks who need a smaller machine.