Making the Purchase of a full-size wood lathe is always hard.
Especially when you’re trying to find all your desired features in a single product.
But here’s the good news.
We’ve picked up the best full-size wood lathes that you can buy for your wood projects. Whether you’re a professional or simply an enthusiast, one of these lathes will perfectly fit your needs.
Let’s get started
Best Full-Size Wood Lathes 2023:
So here are our picks for the top full-size wood lathes for the money:
Why we Love it:
- This lathe is the best option for professional woodturners
- It has a Variable speed change function
- Comes with 7 Positive locking positions
- Easy to set up and use
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Immensely powerful | ❌ none |
| ✅ Excellent for heavy projects | |
| ✅ High durability | |
| ✅ Very versatile | |
This full-size wood lathe comes with 1 horsepower and a speed change feature. Its speed ranges between 400 to 3000 revolutions per minute that you can adjust according to your project.
This large lathe is made up of heavy cast iron that makes it durable i.e. it does not vibrate during operation.
It offers a 14.5″ swing over the bed and has 40 inches distance between the centers. Additionally, it has a sliding headlock feature that can be locked at seven different positions.
It has a tailstock that comes with the anti-rotation key that helps in grasping the object tightly. It also has an MT2spindle and taper. It has 36 indexing positions and a positive locking tool rest with a clamping system. You can also add 3 additional bed mounts to this lathe.
As these wood lathe reviews suggest that it is an excellent option for professionals who are interested in doing heavy projects on it.
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Check out our picks for the best wood lathes for turning bowls.
Why we Love it:
- This lathe comes with 2 high-powered motors.
- Varying speed feature
- Better control and precision
- It comes with extra accessories
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Highly Versatile | ❌ Targeted at beginners |
| ✅ Easy to use | |
| ✅ 2400 rotations per minute | |
| ✅ Flexibility in use | |
This big lathe is made up of a cast iron body that makes it steady and secure. This wood lathe is durable and withstands pressure easily. It comes ready to go i.e. you can instantly use it after unboxing.
It comes with a speed change feature i.e its speed ranges between 100 and 3200 RPM.
It comes with a spindle and two high-powered motors that run it smoothly. Also, it comes at an affordable price that makes it a good choice for beginners.
It has a digital readout, so you can easily note its reading. It has a rotational speed for all types of woodwork.
This big wood lathe has an easy locking headstock that makes it more versatile, so you can easily control its precision. It has all the necessary accessories with it, you don’t need to purchase anything separately.
This is perhaps one of the best full-size wood lathes available in the market.
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Also check our list for the best midi wood lathes.
Why we Love it:
- Headstock sliding feature
- It comes with an improved tailstock locking mechanism
- Smooth and durable movement
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Versatile machine | ❌ The faceplate is only 3 inches in length |
| ✅ No batteries required for operation | |
| ✅ Smooth operation | |
This large wood lathe comes with 1.5 horsepower of the motor that runs smoothly on 120 V. It has a function of speed change that changes speed ranges between 40 to 3200 revolutions per minute.
It comes with a reversible feature and does not produce any sound during operation.
It is made up of heavy material that makes it more stable and durable.
It also has a headstock that is rotatable and tailstock that travels well i.e. 4 inches. This wood lathe also has a digital rpm readout with a spindle lock.
The live center is available with 3 inches faceplate. Also has a side mount tool holder that is more convenient.
However, the speed of this full-size wood lathe is not easily adjustable, also it is a relatively heavy lathe.
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Why we Love it:
- Powerful motor
- Speed change feature
- It comes with a three-way adjustable tool rest
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅Headstock has 5 different adjustable positions. | ❌Starts at high speed |
| ✅Clamping system | |
| ✅Affordable price | |
This wood lathe is made up of cast iron that gives it a more durable form. It isn’t much difficult to set up and use, so runs smoothly without producing any sound. It comes with a 2 hp motor that gives enough torque to work on even the hardest objects.
All necessary accessories come with this lathe, you need to do any woodwork. Also. does not vibrate during operation. This lathe comes with various orientations of the headstock, so you can pick according to your choice.
This huge wood lathe comes with various speed ranges starting from 600 to 2400 revolutions per minute. Its headstock can be adjusted in five different positions. Also, the tailstock comes with a clamping system to secure it to the lathe bed.
As it starts from high speed, so it isn’t recommended for beginners, but it is the best full-size wood lathe for professionals.
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Here are our picks for the best small wood lathes.
Why we Love it:
- High power woodturning lathe
- Variable speed feature
- Heavy motor
- Users can change the orientation of the object during woodturning.
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Has ability to withstand pressure | ❌ Relatively expensive |
| ✅ Resists damage and corrosion | ❌ Considerably heavy |
| ✅ Headstock allows user to adjust speed and orientation | |
| ✅ Wide speed range | |
This Powermatic 3520 B wood lathe comes with a 2 hp motor and speed change feature. You can adjust its speed according to your project. You can adjust its speed between 50 and 3200 RPM.
This big wood lathe is sturdy which makes it stable and durable i.e. does not vibrate during operation.
Its headstock allows its users to adjust its speed and orientation according to their project. It also resists corrosion and damage.
This wood lathe reviews show that it is the best full-size wood lathe for professionals as well as beginners.
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Have a look at the most recent findings on the web, Doug’s been hard at work to get you the best budget wood lathe possible!
Why we Love it:
- Adjustable speed
- The body is made up of cast iron i.e. sturdy and strong.
- The headstock can be positioned at various angles
- 24 index position scale
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Can withstand pressure | ❌ Operates at dangerous high speeds |
| ✅ Powerful motor | ❌ Suitable for professionals only |
| ✅ Powerful motor | |
This biggest wood lathe has the 1/4 horsepower of the motor that makes it heavy ultimately increasing its capacity to withstand pressure.
It can be adjusted at various speed ranges from 450 to 600 revolutions per minute. As 450 RPM is its starting speed, so it is not handleable by beginners. Its body is made up of cast iron and has a weight of 338 pounds.
Its headstock can be adjusted at 3 different angles, 45, 90, and 180 degrees anywhere you want. Additionally, it comes with 24 index positions that make it the best full-size wood lathe for the woodturners who want to work on projects with more accuracy and precision.
Its spindle comes with 24 lockable positions, 14 inches swing over the bed, and 40 inches of distance between its centers.
These large wood lathe reviews show that this is relatively inexpensive as compared to the other models with the same features.
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Why we Love it:
- Excellent turning functionality
- Powerful motor
- 8 different speed ranges
- Ideal for bowl turning
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Easy to use | ❌ Manual speed adjustment |
| ✅ 360 degrees swivel head | ❌ Not suitable for heavy and large projects |
| ✅ Extendable bed | |
This Lathe is highly versatile that has the ability to deliver excellent turning functionality. It has a powerful 1.5 hp motor with eight different speed ranges that include 215, 360, 690, 1030, 1450, 2180, 2900, and 3630 RPM.
It weighs around 251 lbs and operates on 230 Volts.
Its motor is reversible that making it easy to use for even left-handed woodturners also. This is the best full-size wood lathe for bowls turning.
Moreover, it has a 360 degrees swivel head that allows the user to turn the workpiece in any direction of his choice, hence, making it comfortable and easy to use.
It is suitable for long projects (especially workshop work) because it has an extendable bed. Additionally, it has a 16-inches onboard turning capacity that makes it ideal for bowl turning. These lathe reviews show that this is the best full-size wood lathe for beginners as well as professionals in their available budget.
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Why we Love it:
- This lathe comes with an ergonomically angled control panel.
- It comes with a powerful motor.
- Variable speed function
- 3-phase output
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Comes with a control knob. | ❌ Expensive |
| ✅ Highly durable | ❌ Build quality could've been better |
| ✅ Strong and stable | |
| ✅ Portable | |
This wood lathe comes with various excellent features and is the best full-size wood lathe for turning bowls. It has a powerful 2 hp motor and operates on 220 volts.
It has a speed change feature, you can adjust its speed according to your project or need. This lathe can convert one phase input into 3 phase output, therefore produces significant torque even at low settings.
It also has a control knob with a rubber grip for comfortable operations. Its steel constructed body makes it more strong and stable.
It is lightweight (452 pounds) that makes it portable i.e. you can it anywhere with you. At the same time, this lightweight is a negative point too, as it cannot perform operations on large heavy projects.
It offers low as well as high-speed range according to your projects. Also works smoothly and quietly.
Its reviews show that this is the best wood lathe for the money.
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Why we Love it:
- Ideal for turning small bowls
- Easy to use and Handle
- 3 hp motor
- Variable speed feature
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Flexible lathe | ❌ Not ideal for turning large-sized objects. |
| ✅ The headstock can rotate 180 degrees | |
| ✅ Affordable | |
This lathe is easy to install and use. It comes with a 3 hp powerful motor that operates on 230 volts. It weighs around 496 lbs.
It has a variable speed that allows the user to change anywhere between the range i.e. 100 to 3200 revolutions per minute. Additionally, you don’t need to fiddle with the belts to change their speed. It means you can operate it with minimum knowledge of lathe operation.
This wood lathe also allows you to mount additional weight on the shelf between the stands to make it more stable. It offers 22 inches swing over the bed and 16 inches under the tool rest. Moreover, its headstock can rotate 180 degrees making it more comfortable to rotate the workpiece while working.
Besides its plus points, you should notice that it has a smaller tool rest i.e. not suitable for turning large bowls or other large diameter objects.
In short, this is the best wood lathe for the money that any woodworker can buy.
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Why we Love it:
- 3 hp motor
- Variable speed feature
- Lever-action feature
| Pros | Cons |
| ✅ Forward/reverse spindle control | ❌ Relatively Heavy |
| ✅ 22" Swing over bed | |
This Shop Fox W1852 Wood Lathe comes with a 3 hp powerful motor that operates on single-phase power. It runs on 220 volts. This lathe weighs about 584 lbs.
It offers 22 inches swing over the bed and 18 inches swing over tool rest. Additionally, it has 42 inches distance between its centers.
It comes with the feature of variable speed that ranges from 100 RPM to 3200 RPM, hence can turn small as well as large wood workpieces. It also has an electronic variable speed controller along with a digital readout (that gives you the exact reading of the speed).
Furthermore, it produces a significant amount of torque that helps in operating it at all speeds. Also consists of a forward and reverse spindle control.
Lever action is available for tailstock, headstock, and tool rest to position your workpiece quickly. Hence, it is the best full-size wood lathe for beginners as well as professionals.
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Buying Guide
Here are some questions that may come to your mind before making a purchase.
Let’s dive in
What should I look for when buying a wood lathe?
You should keep into consideration the following things before making any purchase:
Its base, motor specifications, headstock and tailstock, tool rest, swing over bed, Power switch, and RPM.
What is the best wood lathe for turning bowls?
Here are our top 3 picks:
- Jet JWL-1440 VSK Wood Lathe
- Grizzly Industrial G0462-16″*46″ Wood Lathe with DRO
- Jet 719500 JWL-1640 EVS 1.5 hp 115 V Lathe
Which one is the best full-size wood lathe for the money?
The best full-sized wood lathe for the money is Shop Fox W1758 Wood Lathe. It provides all notable features at an affordable price. Also, it is the best lathe for professionals who want to take their woodwork to the next level without breaking their bank.
What is the best full-size wood lathe for beginners?
Grizzly Industrial G0462-16″*46″ Wood Lathe is the best full-size wood lathe for beginners because it is easy to set up and use. So anyone with basic knowledge of lathes and woodturning can operate it.
References:
More than a place to do woodwork: a case study of a community-based Men’s Shed
Wood Lathe
Doug is a master woodworker with over 15 years of experience in the craft. Doug's passion for woodworking began at a young age, watching his father build furniture and learning from him the skills and techniques that have made him the expert he is today.
Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned woodworker, Doug's blog is a must-read for anyone looking to improve their skills and knowledge in the craft.
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