PSI TCLPRO Turncrafter PRO Midi 4 Amp 10-Inch Swing by 18-3/4-Inch between Centers 1/2-Horsepower Benchtop Woodworking Lathe

Reviews of PSI TCLPRO Turncrafter PRO Midi 4 Amp 10-Inch Swing by 18-3/4-Inch between Centers 1/2-Horsepower Benchtop Woodworking Lathe

1.) Good Quality Lathe for the Money
Reviewed by: Joe Sacher Indianapolis, IN USA
Rating:

When I was looking at lathes, I talked with many people who had tried and liked either the Jet Mini or the PSI Turncrafter Pro lathe. I could not find many that had used both, to get an idea of the differences between them. Now owning a PSI Turncrafter Pro and having taken a class and used a Jet Mini for 5 hours or so, I decided to summarize the differences.

Both lathes look deceptively similar. The PSI is 4" longer in the bed at 18", vs 14" for the Jet. The Jet also has one higher speed. The first 5 speed ranges seem to be very close. The beds look almost exactly the same, as do the banjo and steadyrest. The tail stock wheel contains a handle (just a steel rod) on the Jet, where the PSI is only a wheel. The handle does make adjusting the tail stock depth faster for far moves. The motor height adjustment is almost exactly the same. (EDIT: After posting this, I found the tailstock handle in the spare belt bag. It actually works a little better than the Jet, so this is definitely not a disadvantage.)

Quality wise, the Jet has a nicer finish and features. By this, I mean the machining is a little better cleaned up and parts are more thought out. The threads on my PSI headstock looked like there were cut and never touched again. There are burrs and sharp edges that I will be dressing down. While the Jet lathe I was using had been in use at the classroom for a while, I haven't noticed this on Jet minis out on display at shops either.

The major difference, which will affect daily use, are the belt access doors. The Jet has a nice flip open door for both top and bottom access. Although the spring handle setup for the bottom door seems a little strange to me, it works fast once you get used to it. The access to the belts are in exactly the same spot, but the PSI has a thumb screw to undo and then a little plastic piece which is lifted and removed. This piece has slits on the bottom that sits on bolts screwed in below the opening. The piece would be set down for the change then replaced. It makes for a piece to lose and takes over twice as long to change the belt speed as on the Jet. I will be replacing my plastic pieces with doors that have a spring clip, similar to the Jet's. Currently my access panels are off, because they are annoying to remove and replace.

The locking handle on the steady rest and the tail stock depth lock are both a plastic handles on the PSI. The operation is the same, both spring loaded handles which can be lifted to change position without rotating the bolt. The plastic handles don't feel flimsy, but I doubt they will last quite as long as the metal handles on the Jet.

Point to point, my PSI is slightly off (1/32" tail is closer to me than the head point). While a thin shim under the tail will fix this, I'm not sure if this is typical with PSI or not. My sample size is 1. I did not see this with the 4 Jet lathes I looked at.

I couldn't find any real difference in power or vibration between the two lathes. Both ran very smooth and had enough power for everything but the largest task. An out of balance, green, hugh bowl blank is a little much for a lathe this small. :)

I am still happy with my PSI purchase. After I spend a little bit of time to polish off some of the rough edges and I will have a nice lathe for about $100 less than the Jet. I don't see the loss of the high end (3800 rpm or so) on the Jet as too much of a problem. 3200 rpm is fast enough and both have the 500 rpm low end. But there is no doubt, the Jet is a better finished machine, with a few "upgrades" over the PSI. If I could have found the Jet on special for within $20-40 of the PSI, I would have paid the difference.

2.) JOB WELL DONE
Reviewed by: Dale Price MCALESTER,OKLA
Rating:

FIRST LATHE AND NEW TO TURNING WOOD. BOUGHT THE LATHE AFTER MUCH READING AND SEARCHING. A GREAT PRICE, AND THE LATHE WAS SHIPPED ON TIME AND I RECIEVED IT IN GOOD CONDITION. EASY TO SET UP AND THE HEAD AND TAIL STOCK MATCHED UP. HAVE TURNED TWO BOWLS AND THE MACHINE WORKED BETTER THAT EXPECTED, SPEED IS GREAT AND EASY TO USE. WOULD RECOMMEND THIS LATHE TO ANY WOOD TURNER EXPECIALLY A BEGGINER.

3.) Great product
Reviewed by: Rcm
Rating:

I did a lot of research on this lathe prior to buying one and it payed off, great lathe for turning pool cues and joint protectors which is all I plan on doing with it. I spoke with the guy from PSI before I made my decision and he was very helpful. I went with this model over the variable speed one because as has been pointed out from other users, to achieve variable speed, power is cut throughout the rpm range until it is at top speed.
Mine was finished fine and required no further machining, the extension bed matched perfectly and the 3 jaw chuck I purchased screws right onto the 1 x 8 tpi threads on the head stock. I have turned 1 1/2 x 30 inch stock that was no wheres near square with no vibration.
Only thing bad I can say about the lathe is: You will never find a steady rest that fits this lathe because of its 5 inch spindle center height and 1 1/4 inch distance between rails, I had one made for it. The plastic handle on the tail stock was broken clean off before I ever opened the box.
I would buy this exact set up again, the price and quality can not be matched in this price range anywhere. With the addition of the 3 jaw chuck, steady rest and drill chuck you can bore into your work with precision perfectly centered holes with no vibration because of the heavy cast iron parts.

4.) Save your $... buy PSI Turncrafter
Reviewed by: ryno Lowell, MA
Rating:

I compared this to the Jet Mini Lathe that seems to be the standard for this size lathe, and found this to be of comparable quality, and for $100 less? Great.

Solidly built, heavy enough to make vibration a moot issue. Not as nicely tooled or finished as the Jet Mini, but that doesn't affect the functionality. The Jet does have one higher speed, but who turns at speeds higher than 3200 RPM?

I have two negative points... The first quibble is one I've heard from other reviews about this lathe... changing the speeds is not the easiest, and the doors that access the pulleys are chintzy. Not a big issue, just an inconvenience.

The other point to make is that the toolrest that is included is WAY too small for any real spindle turning.

Save your money... buy this lathe instead.

5.) Best buy for the money!
Reviewed by: R. Nicholls
Rating:

This is my first lathe. I could have afforded to spend much more, but after reading the reviews decided that this was too good an opportunity to miss as a starter lathe. Have not been sorry! In fact I am more than pleased! Expected from what I had read that the finish would be crude and I might have to get my file to take off the rough edges. Not so. I had taken a class using a Rikon midi lathe and liked the way it worked. Could have bought one for $350 at a local store, but got my Turncrafter for $188 with fast free shipping! Only advantage of the Rikon is the ease of changing belt speeds, a 12 inch swing, and metal handles on the tool-rest and tail-stock locks (instead of plastic). Nice, but not worth another $162 !!

6.) Great 1st lathe
Reviewed by: R. Hicks Jacksonville, FL USA
Rating:

This has been a great 1st lathe. I have turned a couple of dozen pens on it and have not had any problems. The price was fantastic and the shipping was faster than indicated at the time of purchase. Extremely pleased.

7.) Solid fo Me
Reviewed by: Morrison woodrafts Orlanod Fl
Rating:

I am a new woodturner, but found this lathe to be perfect the many applications I use it for. Great price,solid piece of machanery.Would difinately reccommend to anyone doing small turnings

8.) Great lathe!!!!
Reviewed by: JZ Nevada
Rating:

This is a great lathe. I compaired it to my friends mini-Jet and it is basically the same unit. I would suggest this unit to anyone that is looking at the Jet or similar lathe. Great unit!!

9.) lathe
Reviewed by: William F. Wodrich Huson, MT
Rating:

Very easy to set up and use. You must sand off a few rough edges (cast iron is rough in spots) so you don't cut yourself in future use.
I was using the lathe 15 minutes after taking it out of the box.
Great product for the price!! Changing speeds is easy; just move the belt position and you turn the tail stock.

10.) Turncrafter Pro Midi lathe
Reviewed by: Bill Franklin
Rating:

The best bang for my buck. Simple, easy and tough as nails. Had some sharp edges but they were quickly removed with a file. Keep your tools sharp and have fun

11.) Great Lathe
Reviewed by: ACWD Los Angeles, CA
Rating:

I knew what to expect kind of when I purchased this lathe. When I got it, that expectation was exceeded by far. Minor assembly is only required. The drive and live center are great and if you are turning pens this lathe is dead on. Unlike lathes I have used in the past this lathe is perfect, I should have bought the variable speed lathe out of convenience. Other than that AWESOME LATHE. Great buy for a beginner or if you need to use in a small space.

12.) great fun!
Reviewed by: Joseph L. Eschman
Rating:

I received my lathe as a Christmas gift. It arrived in excellent condition. Some reviews that I read on this product stated that the Jet was a better quality. I can see what they mean. But functionally this is one smooth machine. I had so much fun with it on Christmas day that I was an hour late for dinner with my family! It works great! I am a beginner and intend on using my mostly for turning pens. I turned several today and my wife was amazed at the results. The machine is quiet, smooth ... I love it! Great product at a great price!

13.) Very nice for the price!
Reviewed by: Christian R. Mills Wyoming, USA
Rating:

I turn smaller and simpler things with my lathe, mainly pens, chess pieces, honey dippers, and wands. I don't turn anything as heavy as bowls. For the purposes I need it for, this lathe is outstanding. I had it shipped to me via standard shipping and all parts and the overall condition were as expected. There was no damage. There's plenty of power for what I'm doing with it.

Two critiques if I had to give any for anyone considering this lathe:
1)Access to the belt is behind the lathe, which is cumbersome if you plan on changing speeds often.
2)Takes a few seconds to get up to speed if the belt is tight. I recommend loosening the belt when not in use, and when "warming it up."

14.) Great small lathe
Reviewed by: C. Mitchell
Rating:

Solid, very easy to set up lathe, that fits in a relatively small area. At 75 pounds this is not portable, but doesn't require a large shop. Headstock/tailstock lined up perfectly. My 14 yo son has no problems with it. He used the same type of lathe at school. We are both VERY pleased with the quality AND the price.

15.) Wood Recreator
Reviewed by: Wood recreations Salem, IL USA
Rating:

My PSI TLCPRO Turncrafter arrived as scheduled and in excellent condition. Set-up was a snap and only took a few minutes. Very quiet and smoothe operation. I'm affraid the machine is outdoing the man for now but it's my first real woodworking lathe and like everything it takes practice. Quite pleased with the equipment.

16.) Perfect for the Rod Builder....
Reviewed by: Matthew R. Elrod South Carolina
Rating:

I am a custom fly rod builder, and this lathe fits the bill perfectly. I turn my own cork handles, and this works great. The best part is, that it was WAY less than the JET lathes that I was considering. The finish may not be as good, but the function is flawless so far.

17.) Great Starter Lathe
Reviewed by: Matt South Bend, IN USA
Rating:

I am new to wood turning and this lathe allowed me to start without investing an incredible amount of money into a lathe. It has exceeded my expectations. After looking at previous review I thought I might have to do some dressing on some of the threads but everything on my lathe was finished very well. Overall a great lathe to start on.

18.) Outstanding Lathe for the money
Reviewed by: Robert Carpenter
Rating:

I have used many lathes (ie. Jet, Grizzly, etc). Even though there is nothing wrong with those lathes, this lathe has all the same features as those other lathes. I think they come out the same assembly line, just go a different way because of some minor flaw. Everything about the Turncrafter Pro lathe feels the same as the others, except the plastic handles for the tool rest and tail stock locks. I have read where people have complained about them because they break. Well, I haven't broke one yet and I use this lathe almost everyday. You don't have to crank it down, they will not move when you are turning. Overall, for st least $150-$200 cheaper, you couldn't ask for a better lathe. Free shipping through Amazon too!

19.) PSI Turncrafter
Reviewed by: wood carver Wasilla, Alaska, USA
Rating:

Lathe arrived in good shape except the lock for the tool rest was broken. I had a metric bolt the correct size to use in its' place. The lathe works well and am having a ball making wood bowls from native Birch. They are beautiful. Also turned a rolling pin from a glue-up lamination of four different hardwoods. Am really enjoying it.

20.) Hard to beat for the money
Reviewed by: Bill Lefeber La Conner WA
Rating:

First of all the specs were accurate. The dimensions were true. With a little tuneup and adjusting it was as advertised, except for the 1/2 horse motor. Don't expect half of a horse in that little motor. The value is still good for dollar spent.

21.) Very pleased with lathe and service
Reviewed by: Lewis B. Hayes
Rating:

While I've never used another lathe, this one exceeded my expectations. For less $$ than Jet or Delta, I don't think the PSI delivers less functionality. I did have a problem with the casting of the tool rest, but I got fantastic service from Penn Sate Industries even though I bought it through Amazon. They mailed a replacement the day I called and got it the next day, with no charge for shipping and no requirement to return the other one. The head stock and tail stock were less that 1/64" off alignment so there was really not much to setting it up. I got this model rather than the VS one mainly because the VS model's slowest speed is higher (600 rpm vs 500 rpm as I recall), and I wanted the slower speed for larger turnings. The only real thing that didn't exceed my expectations was the manual. I wasn't really surprised, just disappointed. Manuals are not PSI's strong suit.

This is a wonderful way to get your feet wet in turning at a very reasonable cost. You will need to spend some additional money (ok, maybe you'll end up spending a lot of additional money) on turning tools and a sharpening system, but it doesn't have to be a lot. If you stay with it, none of the money is wasted (unless you buy really cheap tools), even if you progress to a full size machine.

22.) Excellent
Reviewed by: Morgan L. Garner Nassau, NY
Rating:

Wow, this is fun. I am new to the lathe market, so I don't know how much my review will help, but this lathe works great. it seems strong, and not overpriced. I have made a pretty candlestick out of a chunk of firewood, and am quite pleased.

23.) PSI TCLPRO
Reviewed by: A. Bova
Rating:

Ordered this for turning game calls,good price, free shipping,ordered it on a Saturday and it was on the porch Thursday. Hauled the box to the basement and it was running in 30 minutes. Very smooth operation. Everythings there, nothing broken. Good value for $159.

24.) Great Lathe for the price
Reviewed by: Jon Newman Austin, TX
Rating:

This lathe does everything it is supposed to do. It is as heavy as... so it does not really need to be fastened down. However, that is also a problem since you have to make belt adjustments from the back-side of the lathe which requires you to at least turn it around...if you do not have enough room in your shop to move around it. Otherwise, it does what I need to do and I am pleased with it.

25.) My opinion.
Reviewed by: joe miami,fl
Rating:

I am VERY new to woodturning. I received this lathe a few days ago and was very scared at first. The box looked like it had fallen out of the back of the truck and rolled down the street. horrible. The machine itself had one bent leg and one handle was broken clean off. The instructions are horrible and dont explain anything.

The machine itself is pretty darn good though. Looks like it would last for quite some time even though its pretty inexpensive. looks well built and once you figure out the set up, it work like a charm. very good for a beginner. despite the busted leg/handle im not even going to go through the hassle off returning it. Just going to get to work! I like this lathe and totally recommend it.

26.) PSI TCLPRO Turncrafter PRO Midi 4 Amp 10-Inch Swing by 18-3/4-Inch between Centers 1/2-Horsepower Benchtop Woodworking Lathe
Reviewed by: Foster Johns South Bend, WA
Rating:

good lathe so far but changing speeds is a bit difficult and the belt comes off the pulleys too easily.

27.) Nice beginner lathe!
Reviewed by: esmith607 NY
Rating:

After searching around I found a great deal on amazon. Not only was the price on the lathe excellent but the shipping was amazing. This is my first lathe and I am very pleased so far. Had it up and running in 15-20 minutes. The motor is quiet and the stocks line up on the money. The only problem was the tool rest. It is very rough and a nice file down was in order to solve the problem. 5 minutes of your time, big deal. Great product and I look forward to start turning many projects in the future.

28.) Less than pleased !
Reviewed by: Glenn
Rating:

Being new to wood turning I decided to buy this small bench top wood lathe (PSI TCLPRO TURNCRAFTER PRO MIDI)for a special project I needed it for.

When I received it the box did not seemed damage in any way but when I began to set the lathe up on my work bench I discovered 2 out of the four socket head cap screws were bent so badely I could not use them.

The cover that allows you access to the built had a broken corner so the screw would not hold it in place.

I also discovered the belt was put on inside out, this required me to disassemble the shaft unit to correct the problem. I had to use a block of wood and hammer to drive the shaft out per the instructions to turn the belt around!

Also, one of the handles on the locking levers was broken so it doesnt have the hadle part to it.

Everything looked new and not used and returned but I can't explain the obvious damaged product I received.

I beleive this is a "QUALITY CONTROL ISSUE" from the manufacture and not a shipping problem.

I did call the manufacture who offered to send me the replacement parts I needed but I needed my receit to fax to them which I do not have (I bought this on line through Amazon).

I bought 2 new SHC screws to replace the bent ones, adjusted the belt, adjusted the locking bolts the best I could and used the lathe for my special project, it worked fine.

I have a few more parts that I must turn to complete my project and I'm sure the mini lathe will do fine.

29.) TLCPRO PSI
Reviewed by: C. Allen
Rating:

This lathe is good for the money. The toolrest that comes with it is a piece of junk. It broke the same day I got the lathe PSI made me send it back. Delivery confirmation confirmed they received but after almost two weeks I had heard nothing, I called and they said they couldn't find it but would ship a new one off. Needless to say the whole experience was horrible, my lathe sat with no toolrest for two weeks, brand new. I have little confidence if anything realy goes wrong with the lathe, but hopefully by then I will own a bigger and better lathe.

30.) Get the JET
Reviewed by: Kato
Rating:

Got this for Christmas from my wife.

Turned 2 pens and the motor quit working.
The tool rest is junk, it had a big burr on the top where the tools run across.
One of the handles was broke when I unpacked it.

Sent the motor, tool rest & handle back to them. Have not heard anything back from them.

31.) Seemed decent but mine had bearing issues!
Reviewed by: EZ somewhere, United States
Rating:

Mine had a head stock bearing issues. It had bearing noise and had trouble coming up to speed. Seemed to be pretty decent other than the bearing issue and you can certainly end up with a bad bearing on just about any machine.

Features of PSI TCLPRO Turncrafter PRO Midi 4 Amp 10-Inch Swing by 18-3/4-Inch between Centers 1/2-Horsepower Benchtop Woodworking Lathe

1.) 1/2-horsepower, 5-speed 500 to 3200 RPM;
2.) 18- to 40-inch turning capacity;
3.) Cast-iron construction;
4.) Includes 6-inch tool rest, spare drive belt, 3-inch faceplate, live tailstock center, #2 Morse taper spur center;
5.) Weighs 78 pounds; 3-year warranty;

Package Height x Length x Width: 33 in. x 33 in. x 17.2 in.
Package Weight: 80 lbs.