WEN Mini Benchtop Wood Lathe, 8-Inch by 13-Inch with Variable Speed (LA3421)

This was my first lathe, I had been interested in woodturning for a while but didn't want to drop several hundred on a nicer lathe if I wasn't going to stick with the hobby.This is a good entry level machine for someone who wants to try it out but isn't sure if they want to fully commit. If you're OK being limited to small projects for a bit, this lathe is fine. But I would caution against buying a bunch of accessories for it, the MT1 taper is uncommon and you will not be able to use these accessories on other lathes if/when you upgrade. I turned some pens on this lathe and considered keeping it just for that purpose after I upgraded to a larger lathe but I got rid of it because once you start turning on a really decent lathe, this one seems like trash. In all, I turned on this lathe for like 2 months before outgrowing it - bear this in mind, if you think you're going to like the hobby, just spend that money on a real lathe.Pros- Price- Works as advertised- Good option for someone who is just wanting to see if they like woodturningCons- MT1 is uncommon and largely not available in accessories- Size of the tool rest base is also uncommon, so you can't buy replacement tool rests- Turning mechanism on the tailstock is trash- Tightening down the tailstock doesn't do much to keep it in place- Doesn't offer lower speed RPMS- Tailstock doesn't slide off at all if you want more clearance when turning unsupported- Small swing, can't turn much larger than maybe 6" realistically- Lightweight... comparatively

Great little lathe! I didn't want to spend 700-1000 dollars on a midi lathe for my first go at this.It is solidly built, and the motor has good power for small projects.I've already reached some of the size limitations on this thing and am looking to buy a larger lathe in the near future. But that being said, I highly recommend this lathe for beginners.For the price, this little lathe is hard to beat a great way to learn and get you started in wood turning.

Tgis is a good small lather for the price. It isn't a mini-lathe in the sense of the old Dremel moto-lathes or the newer little Chinees aluminum ones, but is bigger and more heavily made. I'd call it mid-sized. It seems well made and performs well. I can find only one downside right now, and that is the motor, which is a Chinese DC unit which has low torque at the lower rpms. With that in mind it's a good buy.

Good lathe for anybody who wants to just turn small projects. I've made a bunch of stuff on this thing so here are the pros and cons.Pro: It's cheapCon: If you try to take off too much wood at once, the lathe slows down and stops.Pro: Because it slows down whenever you try and work too fast, it sort of teaches you to take your time and not rush your projects.Con: It's not as fast as a big lathe, and catches are usually really big. At one point my tool kicked back so badly it broke my nose. Just a reminder to go slow and take your time.Pro: It's under 200 dollars so if it only lasts a year or so, it's not as big a deal as it would be if a big lathe didn't last that long.Conclusion: it's a good little machine, but it's not meant to last forever. It's expendable. It's a learning lathe, hence the low price and performance issues. All in all, if you are just starting out, this is perfect for you. But maybe if you want to professionally turn wood, maybe upgrade sooner rather than later.

It’s a really solid first lathe for entry into the craft. One of the pins did fall out of the tightening handle but it was a very easy fix. I’ve already turned dozens of things and it runs great. The variable power knob makes it super easy to adjust speed. Some people will tell you a display for rpms is a must have. It’s not. Speed is a feel thing, finding the max speed for minimal wobble for odd shaped pieces. I love it and so far Wen hasn’t let me down.

I have had this lathe for 2+ years but only used it 2 months of that time. I bought it initially to do wood rings made from veneers as well as pens. It work fine for those 2 things. However, I recently got back into wood turning small pieces and after 1 week it is shot. It is NOT any good for wood turning at all. Sure you'll get a week of somewhat acceptable use if you turn the RPM way up but the motor has no power and it soon burns out. Anything beyond rings or pens and you are wasting your money, time, and last nerve.

Got this lathe for Christmas from my awesome gf. Bought some carbide tools, harbor freight 4 jaw chuck and lathe stand, pen mandrell from psi, and a few other odds and ends. So far this has been an awesome little lathe to get me back into turning. Like other reviewers said, if you're planning to do large bowls , you'll need something bigger. For pens, stoppers, openers, ect, this is perfect.

a great starter item. The bar upon which you rest the tool snapped clean off when the tool caught a knot (I have a review about said tools though, too). It snapped the bar clean in two. I wished it came with bolts to fasten it, I had to find others for that.