JET 708358K JWL-1442VSK 14-by-42-Inch VS PRO Wood Lathe with Legs

Reviews of JET 708358K JWL-1442VSK 14-by-42-Inch VS PRO Wood Lathe with Legs

1.) High Quality, User Friendly Lathe
Reviewed by: Richard N United States
Rating:
I want this review to be helpful to all who may read it so I have divided my comments into four sections, 1) My motivation for purchasing the Jet 1442, 2) My experience with the packing and shipping of this heavy machine, 3) My thoughts on the assembly of the Jet 1442, and 4) My experience using the Jet 1442.

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My Motivation for Purchasing the Jet 1442

I have been looking for a heavy duty lathe for quite a while. I was looking for a lathe that was powerful enough to swing large diameter spindle and bowl blanks. I wanted a machine that was heavy enough so blanks that were severely out of round or blanks of uneven density would not cause the lathe to vibrate excessively. I didn't want a lathe that required 2 or 3 hundred pounds of sand bag ballast added to the lower shelf just to make it stable. It doesn't make sense to me to purchase an expensive machine and then have to add unsightly ballast just to make it useable.

I was looking for a lathe with variable speed motor so I could rough out large diameter, rough cut, unbalanced blanks at low speeds and still turn smaller diameter blanks at higher speeds. I was also looking for a lathe with a motor that had enough power so it would not bog down when cutting at the lower speeds.

After reading quite a bit of literature on the subject I decided limit my search to lathes with motors of 1 hp or greater and to ignore the many lathes on the market equipped with 1/2 hp or 3/4 hp motors.

I wanted a machine that had a wide footprint for stability and was heavy enough to dampen vibration when turning uneven stock. Therefore I limited my search by not considering any lathes with light weight stamped steel stands, and I focused my attention on machines with a heavy cast iron bed and heavy cast iron legs.

I also wanted a lathe whose headstock could slide the length of the bed and could rotate through 180 degrees for turning bowls off the edge of the bed so I did not consider any lathes with fixed headstocks.

Other criterion that was important to me was a machine with a large distance between centers so I could turn long spindles. I wanted an economical machine that either ran from, or could be wired for 220 volts which would reduce the load current by half and keep my electrical meter spinning at a much slower rate.

My search eventually led me to the Jet 1442. The Jet 1442 met all of the specifications I was looking for. It has a 1 hp motor, a sliding and rotating headstock, a sturdy tail stock, a continuous cast iron bed and a pair of heavy cast iron legs. The headstock, tailstock, tool rest, and bed weigh in at 200 pounds and the legs add another 160 pounds for a total machine weight of 360 pounds, so it can absorb a great deal of vibration. It has a variable speed motor that can be adjusted in 8 steps through a range of 450 to 3000 RPM. It can swing a 14 inch blank over the bed and a 10 inch blank over the tool rest. The user manual claims it can handle up to 42 inch long blanks. According to the literature you can also purchase a 20 inch bed extension, or a 57 inch bed extension with legs. This gave me a greater sense of security knowing that I would not be locked into a 42 inch bed should I ever need to turn longer spindles. So it gives me room for growth.

The Jet 1442 comes pre-wired for 110 volts but it can be re-wired for 220 volt operation. I also liked the fact that both the headstock and tailstock used MT-2 taper centers, and that the tail stock center travel was specified to be 4 inches.

I first saw the jet 1442 in the showroom of the local Quality Woodworking store and I was very impressed. It was a great deal more massive machine than pictures on the internet would suggest. I left the show room with a fairly high interest in this machine. My interest was tweaked further when Amazon.com began offering the 1442 on sale, with free shipping, coupled with a $25.00 off promotion. My interest was heightened even further after reading all of the very positive 4 star and 5 star reviews on the Amazon website by people who had recently purchased this machine. I finally made the decision to buy this bad boy after I checked my back issues of American Woodworker and found a product comparison article for lathes in the January 2003 edition (pages 88-97). In this comparison a total of 18 lathes were tested and American Woodworker awarded the 1442 the Editors choice award for lathes in the $800 to $1,350 price range. This article featured several of the 1442 attributes, which proved to be very informative and helped me to better understand the quality of the machine.

In all my pre buy research, I did not come across a single negative associated with this lathe, so I took the leap and purchased it. As an added bonus, the price I paid through Amazon was $209 cheaper than what I would have paid had I purchased the showroom machine. After I purchased the lathe the price through Amazon was raised by $157.51 so by placing my order when I did I actually saved $366.51. Every so often a good deal comes our way. In this case, this was my good deal.

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My Experience with Packing and Shipping

The packing for this heavy machine was excellent. The tool rest, headstock and tailstock came attached to the lathe bed. The entire lathe assembly was wrapped in a very thick plastic cover and packed in one carton. The carton consisted of a well built wooden pallet with a hardwood moisture proofed bed on top. The lathe bed was bolted to the moisture proof bed. The pallet was surrounded by heavy gauge cardboard. Extra thick cardboard stiffeners were added to the inside of the package and then the box was banded to the pallet with two steel bands. The carton was marked as being 215 pounds gross weight. The stiffeners were about 3/4 inch thick. They were so sturdy I decided to keep them and use them as protective pads for the top of my work bench.

The two legs were shipped in a separate heavy card board carton. They were each embedded in thick molded Styrofoam and packaged one on top of the other. This carton was marked as being 160 pounds gross weight.

The delivery truck had a lift gate and a hand operated battery powered forklift. The driver unloaded both cartons and wheeled them into my shop. Because the lathe reached my door step in perfect condition, and since this was the best delivery service I had ever experienced with heavy tools of this type, I gave the driver a big tip, and it was worth it. I have included photos of the packaging in the "User Supplied Pictures" section below Amazon's picture of the lathe

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My Thoughts on the Assembly of the Jet 1442

This lathe is a very heavy piece of machinery. If you buy this big boy I strongly suggest you have the help of one other person to assemble it. In my case, I just couldn't wait for another person so I did all the assembly myself. The assembly itself is very simple. There are only 8 bolts and 4 adjustable feet to install. What makes it difficult is the extreme weight of the lathe. There are a couple of tricks I used to get around the weight issue.

First I opened the carton that contained the legs. I turned it on end so the legs were standing vertical, and then pulled each leg out by rocking it forward and out of the carton. The legs are balanced enough to stand on their own so I left them standing on the side of the shop. I then removed the cardboard sides from the lathe carton, which gave me room to remove the tail stock, the tool rest and the head stock from the lathe bed. I then removed the lag bolts that held the bed to the shipping pallet.

Some time ago I built a heavy duty roll around that as luck would have it, was about 2 1/2 inches higher than the legs of the lathe. I lifted the lathe bed up onto the roll around and used it to roll the bed to the area of the shop where the lathe was to be located. I then added the adjustable feet to the legs and teeter-walked them into position beneath the lathe bed.

I placed scraps of wood under the legs to raise them up by about 2 1/2 inches until they mated with the lathe bed. I then bolted the legs to the lathe bed, and removed the roll around. I used two levels placed on the lathe bed, at 90 degrees to one another, and a hydraulic floor jack to raise first one end of the lathe then the other to adjust the feet for level. The floor jack made this leveling operation fast and easy.

I used mineral spirits to clean all the machined cast iron areas of the bed, head stock, tail stock and tool rest, and then I applied a light coat of Johnson and Johnson paste floor wax to keep these areas from rusting.

I then attached the very heavy headstock, the tool rest and the tailstock, plugged it in and verified it worked. Tomorrow morning my back will tell me if I should have had the help of a second person.

After I installed the drive center and spur center I moved the tail stock as close to the head stock as possible until the centers were almost touching one another. I had hoped that the center pins of the two centers would line up perfectly but they did not. The two were misaligned by about a 1/16th inch. I'm not sure how to adjust this and right now I'm not even sure if an adjustment is called for. I think I will seek out more experienced opinions before I do anything.

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My Experience Using the Jet 1442

My first use of this lathe was to turn a 5 1/2 inch diameter, 35 inch long fluted column with 6 1/4 inch pommels at both ends out of a glued up poplar blank.

After the column was turned I wanted to be able cut the column in half lengthwise to produce two identical half columns. To accomplish this I needed to make the blank so it was easily separable lengthwise into halves. I milled down 4 pieces of poplar stock so that all were of identical size. I then made two glue ups, each consisting two pieces of stock, to form the two halves of the blank. I then glued the two blank halves together with a piece of heavy brown wrapping paper in between the two. The brown paper created a "weak" joint that could be easily split with a blade and mallet after the turning was complete. When glue up was complete the blank weighed 38 pounds. It was 35 inches long, and 6 1/4 inches on a side, which is a pretty hefty hunk of wood.

I didn't want the blank flying apart when I started turning so for safety's sake I drilled 4 holes, 2 on each end in the flat part of the pommels and inserted 4, six inch lag bolts to add strength across the brown paper boundary and help hold the two section blank together.

I spent two days turning the column and two additional days of sanding it smooth. The finished column was close to being perfect. The two halves of the column remained glued together and there was only a minor indication of the two beginning to separate during the turning.

I was concerned about turning such a heavy and long piece using just the head stock and tail stock centers. I contemplated using a faceplate for greater strength but rejected that idea when I couldn't guarantee that I could get it exactly centered on the end of the blank. When turning pommels or coved ends on a column it is imperative that the blank be mounted dead center, other wise the square parts of the pommel and the round part of the column will be off center with respect to one another and it will result in a very noticeable error. Fortunately the four spur drive center and the 60 degree spur center with bearings that are supplied with the lathe worked great. I had no problem at all with this heavy piece coming loose.

During the turning of this heavy blank, there was absolutely no vibration in this very massive lathe. Before I started, I placed pencil marks on the shop floor that outlined the position of the lathe legs. When the turning was complete, the legs were still within the penciled outlines indicating the lathe had not moved even the slightest amount. Since I did not have to add any extra sand bag ballast to keep the lathe steady, this really made my day, and validated my decision to purchase this heavy machine over one of the lighter models.

I added the flutes to the column using a home built jig consisting of a cradle to hold the round column, with a router table and guide on top. I used a plunge router to route a flute the length of the column and I repeated this every 20 degrees around the column circumference. I simply rotated the column in its cradle until the flute line lined up with the center line of the router guide and then made the cut, and then repeated the procedure until all flutes were cut. I removed the 4 lag bolts and split the column lengthwise into two identical halves by forcing a thin blade in the brown paper intersection of the two column halves. Check out the pictures of this lathe and column in the "User Supplied Pictures" section below Amazon's picture of the lathe.

Other features to note about this lathe are:
1. The headstock has 12 holes on the spindle spaced at 30 degree intervals, and three threaded holes spaced at 20 degree intervals in the headstock casting. Using the supplied threaded indexing pin and a combination of these two sets of index holes allows the user to rotate and lock the piece mounted on the lathe in 10 degree increments.
2. The lathe has a variable speed control that can be adjusted when the lathe is turning. Variable speed is accomplished by changing the diameters of the motor and head stock belt pulleys, effectively changing the "gear" ratio between the two.
3. The headstock slides the entire length of the bed and can be rotated a full 360 degrees for turning bowls or blanks larger than 14 inches.
4. The lathe comes with a tool rest extension for turning bowls.

During the time I spent on this column project, I got to know and feel comfortable with this lathe. I am glad I invested the effort researching lathes because I'm pretty sure that I ended up with a high quality machine that will provide years of heavy duty use and more than likely will never have to be replaced by a "better machine". Would I buy this lathe again? The answer is a definite yes.



2.) Hard to Buy but Great Machine
Reviewed by: R. Brogan Saint Paul, Ks
Rating:
November 2009 - Update after five years in my shop. Still love it. The sticking speed control seems to have corrected itself (but occasionally blowing out the belt drive/transmission area doesn't hurt). I have used the machine mostly to make small parts for larger projects and a few fun vases. Would still recommend the machine to anyone.

I have been into "building things" for about 35 years and decided to add a lathe to my retirement shop about 1-1/2 years ago. At my stage of life I am not into buying cheap and then upgrading - especially with a piece of floor equipment. I did a fair amout of reseach and a coincidentally a couple of woodworkers magazines did reviews on lathes during this time. The 1442 did well in these comparisons.
I found that the worst part of this selection was actually looking at a 1442. Both of the local tool specialty stores were backordered and posts I saw on several sites reported slower production and higher demand than expected. One of the local dealers finally received one and I was convinced on site. Even the store owner said he couldn't believe Jet could provide that much lathe for less than $1000.
The 1442 provides a lot of value for the money. It is heavy and will require some help, or at least care, in assembly. Most of the machine is preassembled into large assemblies and it goes together easily. The cast Iron legs are optional but are an integral part of this machine's mass and are strongly recommended. Additionally, the legs provide cast-in lugs to add sandbag shelves if needed. The headstock and tailstock alignment was dead on out of the box. The motor and drive train are smooth and quiet. In fact, unloaded, it is easy to leave the motor on because it is quiet (I have old ears).
I am a novice turner but this lathe is a good teacher. It has plenty of power; it is smooth and very easy to operate. I did experience a bit of "stickyness" in the speed control handle but this went away. Otherwise I would consider this machine flawless.


3.) Big Iron !
Reviewed by: Joseph M. Cumbo Jr. Buffalo, New York United States
Rating:
Let me start this with letting you know I just bought this lathe. I had seen pictures of this on the web but was having a hard time finding it for sale anywhere. I did manage to finally find it at a local tool vendor.

This machine is massive, at least by what I'm used to. In the owner's manual it list it's weight as approx. 200 lbs. Then if you look in the manual it states the legs are optional.

I looked in the manual and it does not state the weight of the legs anywhere. I ended up calling Jet tech support and talked to a very helpful indivdual. I told him that I may be not as young as I used to be but the lathe sure felt heavier than 200 lbs. when I was carring the parts down my basement stairs.

He was kind enough to get the information for me while I waited. As it turns out the legs are an additional 163 lbs. for the pair of cast iron legs. This brings the total weight to 363 lbs.

It went together well with out a hitch. The fit and finish was fairly good. This is a lot of lathe for the money and the heaviest piece of equipment I have.

I'll check back in after I spend some quality time on my new lathe.
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Fast forward a little over 4 years....
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Well I originally wrote this review on February 7, 2003. Four years have passed and I like it just as much as the first day I got it. I guess the only thing I would like to see on this machine is to be able to slow it down to less than 500 rpm for when I'm working with large bowl blanks and I have the head turned 90 degrees and using included accessory tool rest banjo.

Other than that I still love this lathe!!!

4.) Best in Class -- No doubt about it. Highly recommend it.
Reviewed by: Steven Excell Lacey, WA USA
Rating:
There isn't another lathe like this in the "middle-weight" class. For a thousand bucks or so more, you can own a Oneway or Powermatic that doesn't do much more than this lathe will do.

With a 14" swing and 42" between centers, it offers plenty of turning capacity. (Two optional extension beds with an additional leg are available from JET if you need to turn longer spindles.) The fit and finish are exceptional.

The bed was totally flat to an almost mirror finish. The headstock and tailstock self-aligned to pin-point accuracy (using a #2 Morse-Taper-to-Morse-Taper alignment tool). The cast iron legs are so heavy, you can forget adding sandbags to anchor it down...you won't need them like you do with the sheet-metal bases.

The lathe arrived in two boxes. The bed, headstock and tailstock (plus accessories and instructions) in one box mounted on a wooden pallet. The two legs were in another box nestled in form-fitting styrofoam.

The 200-pound weight listed in Amazon's decription is the bed-box only. The legs weighed 160 pounds additional. I tipped the trucker $20 buck to unload both crates and wheel them into my shop (well worth it since we're talking almost 400 pounds of iron, packaging and hand truck!). Considering the weight, Amazon's "free shipping" offer on this heavy item during the Holidays was a real bargain!

I unpacked everything and had to make a special trip to the local solid waste landfill to get rid of the substantial packaging...triple-thick cardboard, metal bands, wood pallet, and styrofoam packing.

Actual assembly took about 1 hour primarily because I had to take time to read the manual, set up my saw horses and assemble it by myself. Two people could assemble it in 30 minutes at most.

Here are my tips:

(1) Use mineral spirits or a serious degreaser (from an auto parts store) to clean the thick anti-rust coating off the milled surfaces. The degreaser, plus a putty knife and paper towels, will speed the cleaning of the milled faces on the bed. The lock-down handles and a few other parts will need a wiping with the degreaser. Once the anti-rust coating is gone, wipe down all milled surfaces with oil (even motor oil will do), or use some auto wax to protect the finish from rust and staining -- and so your tool rest and tailstock will glide smoothly on the ways.

(2) A pair of adjustable, folding-metal Skil saw horses are a great help if you must assemble the lathe by yourself. Set the height about the same as the cast-metal legs with their levelers installed. Strip the headstock, tailstock and tool rest off of the bed. Set the bed on the saw horses...then add the legs. Then clean the bed's milled surfaces.

(3) I lost a lot of sleep deciding whether or not to build a one piece wooden shelf between the legs before I assembled my lathe. Since only 4 Allen-head bolts hold on one end-set of 2-legs, I figured I could add the shelf any time. When I do, I will use my metal saw horse to lift the bed off of my shop floor so I can disconnect the leg on the tailstock end and insert my shop-built shelf.

(4) It is advisable to have a buddy with you on delivery day to help with the unloading and assembly. I got lucky in that my trucker was a pro and eager to help. His reponsibility technically is to slide it to his tailgate for you to pick up. My trucker went above and beyond the call of duty. (He earned his $20 tip).

All in all, the JET JWL-1442VSK 14" x 42" Variable Pro Wood Lathe with the heavy cast-iron legs earns 5 stars out of 5. This was one of the few major purchases I've made in the past few years where I had no problems and was seriously impressed by the quality of the tool and the affordable price.

UPDATE: Looking for a rack to store my lathe turning tools, I found few options. It turns out that the heavy cast-iron legs on the JET lathe have an internal gusset where the legs are almost 12" wide on the outside. So I bought a length of 12-inch-wide white modular closet wire shelving and it made a perfect tool shelf. I installed it with the clothes-hanging lip upside down (sticking up) in the rear so tools did not roll off the back of my lathe. I had to use my bolt cutters to cut back the wire for the first six inches on both ends and I turned 1/2 inch of the wire up with a pair of pliers. I had to remove one pair of legs (on the light tailstock end) to pop the shelf inside the legs. The stout outer rods rest nicely on the JET lathe curved legs. Plastic end caps make the installation looking like factory original equipment (buy the end caps where you buy the shelving). Shaving and sawdust just fall through the wire shelf, and I always know where I left my turning tool! The white wire shelving is a perfect match for the white JET factory-paint finish. There is a drawing of this shelf on page 125 of the WOOD Magzine's 101+ Best Ever Workshop Projecy (2009).

ANOTHER UPDATE: I noticed that some reviews have panned the fact that the motor projects towards the bed limiting the bowl turning radius. It would be better if it projected the other way. However, the motor placement is not a problem for me since I use a Nova adjustable-chuck that projects my bowls clear of the motor. I also have a Longworth chuck that almost touches the motor and it allows me to finish the feet on most of my bowls.

5 years later, I have still very happy with this lathe and doubt I will ever "trade up" to a more expensive one.





5.) There are few negatives for this lathe
Reviewed by: R. T. Butler Eugene, OR USA
Rating:
Very few. Those who complain about the weight will love the weight when they try turning an out of balance bowl blank.

The biggest negative to this machine is the location of the motor. With it hanging out the way it does, you have to be very careful or very ingenious if you try to use compression chucks to finish off the foot of bowls. JET should have had the motor face the other way like on the 16" model.

The second negative, is that it's a reeves drive variable speed instead of a fully variable speed like the 16". If you never need to use speeds lower than about 500 rpm, it's not a factor, but if you push the limits of the machine with large bowl blanks, you'll want slower speeds than this machine will offer.

That said, this is a very nice lathe. For most users, it's all the lathe they'll ever need. I've had mine for 4 months now (it's my third lathe, replacing a Delta 12" piece of junk), and I love it in spite of the two faults it has. I've never owned a JET tool that I didn't like (wish I could say that about Delta), and the 1442 continues JET's reputation for providing professional grade tools for hobby level prices.


6.) Jet wood lathe is a substantial upgrade
Reviewed by: Joe Caputo
Rating:
I have owned a beginners lathe (Delta 12 x 36) for about 10 years and really put that lathe through its paces. I ordered the Jet as an upgrade lathe in order to produce more volume from my "hobby" shop and to get ready for retirement.
I was impressed when I opened the box but the biggest pleasure was using this machine - The 1hp motor is strong, silent and smooth - the unit is sturdy with little vibration.
I selected the Jet because the attachments from my delta fit (chucks, etc)- but after using the Jet this is the machine for me. If you buy this lathe you will like it -
I wanted a oneway but was hesitant because of the cost and the weight - The Jet comes with the optional legs (highly recommended) and weighs in at ~300lbs - You will need an extra set of hands to assemble this system so let your buddy have a turn... Good luck


7.) i got one
Reviewed by: David L Habener oklahoma
Rating:
Great Lathe, i had to go else were to make the purchase 'cause amazon won't carry this one. the Jet 1442. love the smooth operation, with a lathe vibration is nominal.
depending how you ballance your work. power is above good.
construction is fantastic all cast iron. easy to assemble.
I had mine up and pluged in in 10',, count em 10 mins.
comes with mt-2 drives so you can be turning almost out of the box, tool rest and tool rest extention. and face plate.

So with that said, if you get something else, you'll only be missing out on a fine machine

8.) Great lathe at a great price!!
Reviewed by: Matthew T. Taylor North Dakota
Rating:
I received my lathe on a Friday afternoon and within forty-five minutes it was up and running. The boxes are heavy so the truck driver helped me unload it. After it warmed up in the garage I put it together. The trick to doing it by yourself is to take the legs out of their box and set them aside, they are heavy. Then open the box with the lathe bed, headstock, tailstock, and tool rest and lift off the sides of the box. I took the headstock, tailstock, and toolrest off of the bed to make it lighter. After that I mounted the lathe bed to one leg at an angle and then lifted the bed and set the other leg under it and bolted it. When that was done, I placed the lathe where I wanted it and slid on the headstock, tool rest, and tailstock. After some degreasing and then re-oiling of the bed with a light coat of oil it was ready to go. This is the first wood lathe I have ever bought and I am sure it will be the last as it is built like a tank.

9.) Solid as a rock
Reviewed by: Sawdust Ohio
Rating:
I purchased this lathe because of the reviews. I couldn't be more satisfied. It is heavy and I took the pieces apart and carried it up to my shop above the garage. The legs are the same color as the rest of the unit unlike one reviewer commented. When I started it up I found it to be quiet and smooth. I set a nickel on edge on the unit and was able to turn it on and run it without knocking the coin over. Everything fit together well. Now I need to get some knives and start cutting something up!

10.) Jet 14" x42" Wood Lathe
Reviewed by: Wallace A. Perkins
Rating:
I am very pleased with this lathe. The quality,in all aspects, is outstanding. I did not relate to how heavy the machine was until I received it. Purchase with legs is highly recommended.
The speed change is a little stiff, but I believe it will improve as I use it.

11.) Really good value.
Reviewed by: Ron Aigner
Rating:
This lathe has really surprised me. I had decided on a Nova 3000 old style, not the DVR and had a problem getting one in a timely manor. Then opted for the JET my second choice. I was worried that I wouldn't like it as well, but it's much better then I had hoped for. Also the instructions are user friendly, go figure. This product won't let you down.

12.) Great product
Reviewed by: Greg M. Geiger
Rating:
I spent alot of time checking out which lathe I wanted to buy in this size. Most of my woodworking stationary tools are Delta but I didn't feel that they made a comparable unit in this category. After having this for a couple of years now I can still say this is absolutely a great purchase. Speed changes are effortless; heavy construction virtually eliminates vibration (even when I decide to turn large out of balance blocks). Easy set up, easy to use and high quality add up to a best buy.

13.) Great service
Reviewed by: woodpecker annville Pa
Rating:
I have had this lathe for several months and love it. This is my first lathe so I wouldn't know how to adjust a lathe to make it work correctly. Assembly was easy, even doing it without help. Turned my first piece within an hour. Worked great right out of the box. No adjustments needed. Shipping was great and the shipping company was excellent. As alway great job Jet

14.) Jet 1442 lathe
Reviewed by: O. Ray Kling Oklahoma City
Rating:
The Jet 1442 wood lathe has everything you need for turning as a novice or professional turner. It is very stable allowing for some off center turning. The variable speed adjustment is easy to use and increases the efficiency of the project.

15.) I own it & like it
Reviewed by: Charles Hargenrader Llivermore Falls, ME. United States
Rating:
I purchsed this lathe at woodcraft store in Newigton NH for $710 during a 10% off sale . It's been a good machine for small to medium work. I wouldn't recommend it for big work. ( turned a 15lb. burl on it but never again) As for the value for money--> I don't think that there is another lathe on the market that would come close. Jet did a great job for a small price.

16.) A nice heavy well built lathe
Reviewed by: Bobby Stanley Houston, TX
Rating:
I hope this review helps you with your purchase. A rating of five means to me that NO improvements could be made. I wanted a lathe to make pen and pencil sets. I also wanted to turn legs for furniture. The price of a mini-lathe with an extension bed and legs is substantial. I looked at the Jet 1236. It was a better deal than the mini with all of the add on's. The Jet 1442 has more power and weight.

I decided after reading other reviews that I wanted the Jet 1442. I ordered the 1442 and received it yesterday. There is much discussion about it's weight. The box quotes a weight of 160/155 (gross/net) pounds for the legs and 215/200 (gross/net) pounds for the bed. This makes the lathe weigh 355 pounds. It was packed very neatly in two boxes on a crate. The lathe is already put together. All you have to do it add the legs with 8 bolts!! The directions instruct you to take all of the stuff off of the bed to reduce the weight. My cousin and I just lifted it and put it on my workbench.

I do have some suggestions for the shelf that you can add to the legs. The instructions tell you to cut two 2x4's 55 3/4" long and put two pieces of plywood side by side for the shelf. I don't like the idea of splicing the plywood. I made a shelf with the given measurements, but added 4- 13" 2x4's for support with one piece of plywood 17" wide and 55 3/4" long. Put one leg on and put the shelf in and add the second leg. It is more work but the results are much more attractive and sturdy.

I love the lathe. It is extremely heavy and makes very smooth speed changes. There is a reason many people teach woodturning classes on this lathe. I highly recommend this lathe for pen turning, bowl turning, spindles, and furniture leg turning.

Only a few cons. I wished the speed handle was more to the left and the motor had a guard that prevented dust and chips from going right into it. I will make something to prevent this and to store my chisels on as well. I don't think you will be disappointed if you purchase this lathe.

17.) Not much better for the money
Reviewed by: Lathe Crusher Cincinnati
Rating:
I have had the 1442 lathe for about 9 months now. It's a great lathe for the money. Of course you can always say it's not big enough, but with 'big' comes a lot more money. The lathe is smooth and has enough power and a long bed. The headstock pivots and slides which is verry helpful.
I'm always a tough sell, so there are some drawbacks people should know about. When turning a bowl that is juat about 14" diameter, the motor can (since it's behind the headstock) get in the way of the tool rest when roughing out a piece. Usually it can be avoided, but a motor opposite the headstock or underneath the headstock would be great. I guess they need something to differentiate this lathe from the Powermatic. Also, don't count on using the tool rest extension very effectively. No matter how tight you lock it down, it will move with vibration. Other than those things, I really would recommend it to anyone wanting a lathe with more gusto than a mini.

18.) Worth the money !!!
Reviewed by: A. Hafer Milford De.
Rating:
I bought this lathe on site at my local woodcraft store. I looked at an ran the others their . The delta 46-715 was just as the others have said runout in the head ,and a very cheesy stand . Delta really missed the mark on this one ! Now with that said .. When I saw the jet 1442vsk with the castiron legs I was hooked . This is a very heavy lathe . The legs were 163lbs for the set and the lathe is 200lbs . The motor is smooth and very quiet . The head and tail matchet on the centers . The only problem I have is a sticky pin that locks the speed settings . I'm sure a little lube will take care of this or just more use . This is why I gave it a 4 .

19.) WORTH THE MONEY!
Reviewed by: Scotty Dallas, TX
Rating:
Took delivery of this lathe today and have it up and running which took about one hour. This time frame included re-drilling the holes for the feet to accommodate the larger rubber pads I had. The machine is heavy and has negligible vibration. The parts move smoothly along the ways and lock down securely.

My previous lathe was an old (green) Powermatic model 90 which I sold because, in my new house, I don't have 3 phase power. It would be unfair to compare this unit to the Powermatic but it does give you a point of departure in terms of quality. The Jet has two main failings: The castings are very rough in spots and the paint chips very easily, especially when the bolts which fasten the legs are tightened (a small bottle of touch-up paint would be a good idea). By the way, the legs are pure white in color and the lathe itself is off-white.

All this having been said, it is a lot of machine for the money and I believe it will serve me well. I recommend it.

20.) NOT a bowl lathe; some issues
Reviewed by: woodworker Pasadena
Rating:
I've owned and used a Jet JWL1442 for about 2 1/2 years. Although it does have some very good features, it also has some serious drawbacks which potential buyers should be aware of.

The worst feature, from a design perspective, must be the position of the motor. Mounted to the right of the mechanism (i.e. of the belts driving the spindle), the end of the motor extends into the area of the swing (actually, beyond the end of the spindle!), such that some blanks and turnings are blocked. This is especially evident when reverse mounting a large partly turned bowl, where the chuck is expanded into the interior of the rough turning. I have to use a spindle extender to clear the motor, a work-around not needed on most other lathes.

There is also a problem with the banjo design. Instead of being cast entirely in iron, these banjos have a steel end plate, secured with 4 cap screws. The problem is that the screws create a weak point, such that under heavy use, such as roughing bowls from large, oddly-shaped blanks, the screws break the cast iron. I do use it hard, to rough bowls from roughly-rounded log sections, and have broken that casting once so far in the process.

Also I should add that though I've gotten the spare parts I've needed, and so far quickly enough, ordering them has been problematic. Don't even bother to use their web site to order parts. It let me complete the entire process, then rejected me at the very end without any explanation. When I phoned in my order, their service rep acknowledged that it fails to work at least half the time. Several months later : no change. Contact them by phone if you want to save some aggrevation.

Other minor issues are that the 1 HP motor is not powerful enough, tending to stall frequently when turning large items aggressively (or even less aggressively). The stepped speed control is convenient compared with belts, but the lowest speed, 450 rpm, is not as slow as I'd like for some bowl turning. And this machine is not really heavy enough to turn large off-balance blanks without being bolted to the floor - not a biggie since I did that, and a common enough issue with many lathes.

Recently one of the locking levers on the banjo wore out. The inner part is steel and the outer part is aluminum, fitting together by splines on each part. Well, the aluminum part wears against the steel in use, and NOT so eventually, fails. Again, I tried to order this part on line, getting a message that they weren't able to complete my order, but would attempt to fill it manually (apparently their work-around for a disfunctional web site). I actually received the parts (I bought 2, at less than $7 each) about a week later, but they charged me almost $20 to ship these 2 very small parts, in a small padded envelope, which weighed less that one pound altogether. I think that charge was a bit excessive.

On the plus side, those big legs ARE pretty heavy, and their weight combined with the rest (this is the only machine tool I own which I needed a hoist to assemble, at ~380 lbs. total) should be plenty for anyone planning to just turn spindles (or SMALL bowls). The rotating head should be (I haven't actually used it that way yet) a great plus for turning larger-than-swing size objects off the side or end of the bed, though the outboard tool rest (which cantilevers off the banjo) is much too flimsy to be useful. I will have to build a separate tool stand. The (potential) ability to turn outboard really saves this machine for me, as a bowl turner, though I could certainly wish for an outboard tool rest that actually works.

Mostly, it boils down to the fact that this is really a spindle lathe, and NOT really a bowl lathe, though it tries. When I bought it, I had planned to mostly turn spindles for furniture. NOW, I'm WILD about bowls! It's not a bad lathe, and will serve me until I can afford an ideal, big VicMarc or OneWay bowl machine. But if you are mostly interested in bowl turning, I'd recommend a bigger lathe, and preferably one designed for face-plate work, if possible (Jet's JWL1642 would be much better, with its continuously variable speed control, a better placed motor, and more capacity, if you don't need to turn VERY big). All that said, for the price I paid (<$800 going on 3 years ago), this is a still pretty good machine.

Features of JET 708358K JWL-1442VSK 14-by-42-Inch VS PRO Wood Lathe with Legs

708358K Features: -14'' x 42'' VS PRO wood lathe with legs. -JWL-1442VSK. -Assembly required. -Dimensions: 1'' H x 1'' W x 1'' D.

Serious woodworkers will love the durable, stable, heavy cast iron platform of the 14-by-42-inch Jet 1442 Lathe. The 1 HP, 115-volt, single phase, 8-speed drive motor can be used right out of the box without having to add expensive high voltage circuits. The large capacity, 42 inches between centers, allows for the turning of up to 14-inch pieces of heavy stock. In addition to the 4-inch ram travel, the movable head slides effortlessly along the full length of the bed locking in any position required by the user. The head can be rotated 180 degrees for turning bowls or blanks larger than 14 inches. The variable speed drive motor can be adjusted in 8 different positions to provide speeds ranging from 450 to 3000 RPM. The operator can easily set the proper speed whether roughing, general cutting, or sanding. There is also an adjustable tool rest, which can be extended for turning bowls. Weighing in at around 200 pounds, the Jet 1442 lathe will stay balanced and in place no matter how large the project. I’m sure you’ll be amazed at just how quiet and how well balanced the 1442 is. --C. Dwight Barnett

1.) Wood lathe with legs; variable speed (450-3,000 rpm);
2.) Provides 14-Inch swing and 42-Inch turning capacity; 4-Inch ram travel on tailstock;
3.) Bed and legs constructed of solid cast iron;
4.) Includes lathe, tool rest, spur center, knockout bar, live center, spindle and indexing locks, wrench, legs;
5.) 119-Pound; 1-year warranty;

Package Height x Length x Width: 58.75 in. x 58.75 in. x 19.25 in.
Package Weight: 200 lbs.

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