Rockwell lathe on oak stand.
The old Rockwell lathe above is my second lathe. It has served me well for some years, but it had some issues. I have turned many a knob and chisel handle on this old machine. Because of it’s weaknesses when some shop money became available I decided to sell it and buy a new one.
The new Jet lathe.
After doing some research I settled on the new Jet 1221 with the stand. I gave up some length between centers but got a lot more machine. It is heavier and more robust and on the stand it is much more solid than the old Rockwell. It has variable speed. A feature that I really like. It is so quiet in operation that I can actually hear the tool cutting which is great feedback as to how the tool is working.
Though I did loose more than a foot of length between centers if I do get to turning furniture legs I can add a bed extension and a base extension and have more length than I gave up.
My only complaint is the soft start feature. I’m not a patient guy. When I turn the spindle on I don’t want to wait for it to get up to speed. This, however is a minor drawback I will learn to live with.
Overall the Jet is a great machine and I have no regrets on it’s purchase. Highly recommended.
As always, thanks for stopping by and feel free to leave a comment.
Plane Shavings Blog 
Congrats on the new acquisition.