Jet vs. Grizzly

I don't want to start something here. Well.....yes..I do.
Ennyehow, I got in a friendly PM exchange with a member who is selling a used Jet 16-42 lathe. I declined his offer as too high for used and because I could buy the identical G0632 item from Grizzly, new, for about the same money. He responded that he had looked into the Griz and found features inferior to the Jet. Well, OK, I suppose that's possible. He said the bed on the Griz was steel and not cast iron like the Jet. That raised my curiosity because I visit the Grizzly store half a dozen times a year and have never seen a steel bed lathe there. And, even, my entry level $325.00 (at the time) Grizzly G1067Z has a great cast iron bed on it. I wrote to Jet customer service. The reply from and Aundrea said, "(the Grizzly has a steel bed)." A similar request to, and from, Grizzly said, "The bed of the G0632 is made of precision-ground cast iron."
No other features that might distinguish one from the other could be identified. Jet did say theirs had an indexing head and Grizzly didn't. The Grizzly does have an indexing head. I am distressed that the Jet rep. would state outright lies and wrongfully knock a competitor in that manner. For several hundred dollars less, relatively local pick-up for me and previous excellent good customer service experience, I'll be going with the Grizzly. If I get full price for my tractor (that's where the lathe funds are coming from), I have been considering also getting a Jet Mini VS. Now, I'm going to explore other brands first.

frank,
have you read the comments on amazon? here`s for the jet;
http://www.amazon.com/708360-JWL-1642EVS-2-Horsepower-Electronic-Woodworking/dp/B00064NGRO

and here`s for the griz;
http://www.amazon.com/Grizzly-G0632...1-1878806?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1192832833&sr=1-20

it seems as though nobody at amazon has reviewed the grizzly lathe? and the discription from grizzly says " precision machined steel bed and cast iron legs ensures stability and minimal vibration."
is it possible that somehow lines have been crossed? you may want to investigate a little more before cutting a check.......

[edit] copied from the grizzly site; "The bed is precision milled steel for strength and durability and heavy cast iron legs can be easily adapted for adding more mass. "

Frank,

With Denise's interest in lathes, I've been reading and comparing in preparation for the eventual purchase of a 'real' lathe for her.

As tod correctly points out above, the Griz does NOT have a cast iron bed, so the Jet rep was correct. But it does indeed have an indexing pin, so they were half wrong. (To me, the bed is more important than an indexing pin ).

Anyway...you may want to have a read through this article from Fine Woodworking. They compare the Jet 16-42 with the big brother of the Griz lathe you're considering. The one you're looking at isn't even in the same class as the Jet since the Jet beats out the bigger Griz...at least from what I can determine.

Just more to consider before you write that check...
- Marty -

Frank, if you are going to spend that kind of money, the obvious choice is the Nova 16-24. If you get it without the bed extension, I think you can pick it up for around $1000, and then get the extension later?

I know you are a big time Grizzly fan, no problem with that, but if I were you, I'd look around a little more.

Cheers!

Marty Walsh said:

Frank,

With Denise's interest in lathes, I've been reading and comparing in preparation for the eventual purchase of a 'real' lathe for her.

As tod correctly points out above, the Griz does NOT have a cast iron bed, so the Jet rep was correct. But it does indeed have an indexing pin, so they were half wrong. (To me, the bed is more important than an indexing pin ).

Anyway...you may want to have a read through this article from Fine Woodworking. They compare the Jet 16-42 with the big brother of the Griz lathe you're considering. The one you're looking at isn't even in the same class as the Jet since the Jet beats out the bigger Griz...at least from what I can determine.

Just more to consider before you write that check...
- Marty -

Click to expand...

In an e-mail Grizzly said it is a cast iron bed. As for the 'big brother' Griz lathe. It is an over rated bummer, IMHO. Lots of features but still relatively underpowered and won't go slow enough for big hunks. I'll do more looking into this in the a.m. Oops, no I won't, be gone to a day long turning demo.

Stuart Ablett said:

Frank, if you are going to spend that kind of money, the obvious choice is the Nova 16-24. If you get it without the bed extension, I think you can pick it up for around $1000, and then get the extension later?

I know you are a big time Grizzly fan, no problem with that, but if I were you, I'd look around a little more.

Cheers!

Click to expand...

I'll certainly check it out. Does it come with a base?

Frank,

I know you're not quite as cheap as me. I need to squeeze those dollars till the eagles grin. So I've looked into features pretty closely, even though I'm strongly leaning towards building my own.

This is one of those rare cases where everyone's right. If you don't mind messing with belts to change fixed speeds, that sub-1000 nova is about the best deal out there. I wouldn't even think about that big old honking cabineted grizzly, it's all hat and no cattle. But the next step up is the lowest cost big variable speed lathe you're gonna get: the G0632. You need 220 in the shop to play that game. Yes, you can get similar features on the jet for a few hundred more... but by the time you pay those few hundred, you're in the range of the nova dvr-xp, which is what I would get if I had that kind of money lying around. From there, it's a long way to mustard, and I'm not sure if the extra juice can justify the jump. No offense to mustard fans, I'd love to have one, I just know I'm not going to have that kind of money, at least not for the next many years.

Anyway, if I were you, I would look pretty hard at that 632... I know you have a 642 lying around, and that *does* have a cast iron bed. I wonder if the headstock is interchangeable?

Thanks,

Bill

Marty, the Grizz lathe in the FWW article is an older generation lathe, so it's not really germane to the question. The G0632 Jet clone is a whole 'nother animal. It looks pretty decent on paper, but I don't know how it compares in the real world.

The MODEL G0632 16" X 42" VARIABLE SPEED WOOD LATHE
MACHINE DATA SHEET says

Construction
Bed Construction....Precision Ground Cast Iron

Or you can call.

Customer Service #: (570) 546-9663

Yep. *And* the headstock swivels...

Thanks,

Bill

Here is the specs from the Griz webpage on the G0632:

* Motor: 1-1/2 HP, 220V, 3-phase with single-phase frequency drive
* Power requirement: 220V, single-phase
* Swing over bed: 16"
* Distance between centers: 42"
* Heavy-duty, precision machined steel bed and cast iron legs ensures stability and minimal vibration
* 1-1/4" x 8 TPI RH headstock spindle
* Spindle variable speed control with digital readout
* Speed range, high: 0-3200 RPM low: 0-1200 RPM
* MT#2 spindle & tailstock tapers
* Spindle bore: .445"
* Overall dimensions: 77-1/16"L x 22-1/16"W x 47"H
* Approximate shipping weight: 440 lbs.
# 30° direct indexing using 1 indexing hole
# 10° indexing using all 3 indexing holes

It sure doesn't look like a bad lathe for the money but not sure how the steel bed would stack up against a cast iron bed. By the way we aren't getting the G0462 mixed up with the G0632.

Bernie, I am talking about the G0632 EVS.
There does seem to be confusion about the bed. Every lathe I have ever seen at the Griz store has a cast iron bed. The specs. quoted do say milled steel. The e-mail I got back from Grizzly said, "The bed of the G0632 is made of precision-ground cast iron." Amazon, and others state milled steel. It may just be from lack of knowledge by the ad copy writers. I dunno. I'll go with what the Griz tech people tell me. Plus, next time I'm in Springfield, MO I'll go in and check it out in person. If the cookie jar is full enough, I might bring one home.
Bill, I have a friend who will do the 220 for me. Another who renovated his shop and has a big coil of appropriate wire he will give me. Cost should not be much more than a beer and lunch.
Stu, from what I can see, that Nova 16-24 would be a step down for me. Lightweight, spindly legs and limited size. It's slowest low speed is faster than the Griz, which is a soft start from 0 RPM. The belt change would be undesirable. All it has going for it, IMHO, is the Nova name. Not in the running.
The G0632 is 440 pounds and has built in shelf supports for adding more weight. I now have two 60 pound bags of sand that I would add, bring it up to 560, not far from Bill's Robust in weight.
My decision is not yet cast in cast iron but based on favorable experiences with Grizzly in the past, fact that the store is somewhat local, price compared to competition, etc. I have a feeling once old red (the tractor) is sold, I'll be heading north with the pick-up.

Honestly Frank, I do not know why you bother to ask

Your mind looks made up on going for the green, and I guess as you have been treated well by them and like their tools, that makes sense as well.

I certainly hope it works out for the best and that Grizzly has started to make as good a lathe as some of their other staples, like their tablesaws.

Best of luck.

Stuart Ablett said:

Honestly Frank, I do not know why you bother to ask

Your mind looks made up on going for the green, and I guess as you have been treated well by them and like their tools, that makes sense as well.

I certainly hope it works out for the best and that Grizzly has started to make as good a lathe as some of their other staples, like their tablesaws.

Best of luck.

Click to expand...

G'mornin' Stu
I'm off to a fund raising breakfast at the high school then a day long demo event by my wood turning club.
This thread started because of the claim that the Griz G0632 had an inferior steel bed compared to the Jet 16-42 cast iron. That question is yet to be answered fer certain, fer sure. Yep, my old stubborn mind can close, at times. But, until I see the Griz lathe in person (they didn't have them in yet last time I was up there) and settle the overall quality issue, my final decision will not be made.
I'm fairly certain the facts will come down to the Griz being cast iron. That's a personal opinion based on the notion that it wouldn't be efficient, or economical, to have two different materials coming off the assembly line for products that are identical other than paint color. And, as I said, I have never seen another Griz lathe with anything but cast iron. (their little, tiny el cheapo mini-mini excepted)
Off to eat. See y'all later.

Back from our woodturning club demo day. In e-mail, I had a reply from Grizzly about the confusion over the cast iron/steel bed issue. Here is their reply:
"We appreciate receiving your reply. Unfortunately, there is a catalog error for the G0632. The lathe bed is made out of precision-ground cast iron; therefore, the information that Amazon and others may have is the same that is in our catalog. We make every effort to be exact with our photography, specifications, and copy. We also hold prices for as long as we can. Sometimes errors do occur and we apologize for them. We reserve the right to make changes and correct errors to products and specifications at any time. We also reserve the right to limit quantities and change pricing. Thank you for your understanding."

Frank that is where I got the above from the G0632 Variable speed lathe. I guess if Griz says it is cast then I guess it is so. They need to change their website if that is true. Good luck on your lathe buy Frank.

I don't know anything about either lathe other than what I've read. But after reading these posts I have a question. Why would one lathe with a cast iron bed be any better/worse than a lathe with a steel bed? Powermatics, which seem to be one of the most popular higher end lathes have a cast iron bed while the much raved about Oneways and the new Robust have welded steel beds.

Curt asked the very question I was getting ready to ask. Why is cast iron considered better than milled steel? (And he brings up valid points about high-end steel-bed lathes.)

Frank, considering the Griz is semi-local with negligible shipping costs, it seems like it'd be a good fit for your needs. Sounds like a pleasurable step up from your current lathe. I agree with your comparison between the Nova 16-24 and the G0632 EVS. I think I'd pay the bit more for the Griz just to get the EVS, let alone the extra weight it offers out of the box. The comparable Jet 1642 has more horsepower, but only you know if it's worth the extra several hundred dollars.

I'm loyal to no brand, but I'm happy with my Griz and Shop Fox purchases. The one time I got an inferior product (a bit for my mortiser), they promptly refunded the price plus shipping, and told me to keep the bit.

Vaughn McMillan said:

Curt asked the very question I was getting ready to ask. Why is cast iron considered better than milled steel? (And he brings up valid points about high-end steel-bed lathes.)

Frank, considering the Griz is semi-local with negligible shipping costs, it seems like it'd be a good fit for your needs. Sounds like a pleasurable step up from your current lathe. I agree with your comparison between the Nova 16-24 and the G0632 EVS. I think I'd pay the bit more for the Griz just to get the EVS, let alone the extra weight it offers out of the box. The comparable Jet 1642 has more horsepower, but only you know if it's worth the extra several hundred dollars.

I'm loyal to no brand, but I'm happy with my Griz and Shop Fox purchases. The one time I got an inferior product (a bit for my mortiser), they promptly refunded the price plus shipping, and told me to keep the bit.

Click to expand...

As for power, as far as I know, Griz only offers the 1 1/2 hp, 220V, 3 phase, model. Jet mainly advertises the 1 1/2 hp, 115V but does have the 22V although it seems to be almost a secret. If I lived near a retailer that sells Jet equipment I would certainly factor that convenience into the equation. I don't know if I'm brand loyal. But Grizzly has served me well. Bottom line, for me, is bottom line. I'm loyal to myself and my pocketbook.

I do have to add, I have talked to Tod about the Jet. He is a non-stocking dealer. Considering that Jet costs more and there would be shipping charges and warranty service would have to be telephone and mail, I would still have to come back to Grizzly as the best choice. I'm not happy about that as I prefer to do business locally and with friends.

Seems like lathes are like girlfriends, no one wants to hear anything negative about their main squeeze or their lathe. Buy what "turns" you on...