Editor's Review: Tool Test: Heavy-Duty Lathes

by Andy Barnum

review date: May 1, 2007

The Grizzly G0456 was among seven heavy-duty lathes I tested ranging in price from $1,200 to $3,200. I measured each for ease of speed control, vibration, lathe movement, power, tool-rest design, and ease of adjustment for outboard turning. I also evaluated the tailstocks and live centers, and tested how each lathe performed both on small and large workpieces.

The Grizzly is big on the outside but lacks the guts of other the lathes tested. It has a 20-in. swing, a skinny drive belt, and an automatic shutoff that stopped the lathe frequently and annoyingly when turning large bowls. The tool-rest base is too short for large turnings. An auxiliary disk sander on the headstock means that you can’t use a knockout bar to free drive the center. In addition, the tool-rest base is too short to allow large bowl turning.

In power test, the the Grizzly could handle only 22 lb. of pressure before stopping, compared to about 40 lb. on the better performing lathes. As a result, the lathe stalled whenever I took a heavy cut at a slow speed. One reason for this is its 1/2-in.-wide drive belt—more appropriate for a mini-lathe than for one with a 20-in. swing. The others use a 3/4-in. or 1-in.-wide belt.

Editor Test Results: