Grizzly G0698 18 x 47 Lathe

Rich Aldrich

Member
Messages
296
Location
Manistique, Michigan
Here I sit, waiting for the final deal on selling my gun as I deliberate over which lathe to buy. I am not concerned about liking it even though I havent turned anything yet. This will change before I buy a lathe.

This Grizzly really has my attention. I realy like the Jet 1642 which is a safe buy. However, the look and features of the Grizzly G0698 are intriguing. It can turn up to 18" dia (actually a little smaller since it wont start out round).

I know there are a lot of people who dont like Grizzly lathes, but this one seems quite different. It is similar to the Laguna and Busy Bee, but with improvements. It looks as robust as a Jet with a little bigger capacity. It is 2 hp and has true variable speed. Unless I missed it, the only thing I see different is the Grizzly does not have a spindle lock on the head stock. There are stops where the chuck goes into the head stock spindle.

Anyone have experience with this lathe yet or know of someone who has?
 
Rich i've been following your posts on here and a couple other forums.:) The reason is i'm thinking about this same lathe. I have the grizzly go462 and for the money i think i have a good lathe. the main complate i have with this lathe is the same gripe most folks have with most asian lathes the handles. I know it's no big deal for most. (me included) I no that a couple folks here have the 16" go632 and really like them so maybe they'll be able to help ya out, as there basically the same lathe
Steve
 
Rich I haven't chimed in because I don't know either lathe. One thing I will say is that turning 2" bigger is not a big deal. With my Nova I can turn 16" well 15 1/2". If I turn outboard I can turn up to 29". On the Jet if you slide the headstock to the end of the lathe you can turn however big you want. But the one thing I have found I still have every bowl sitting for sale that I turned in the last 3 yrs that are over 16". I have about a 10 or 12 that are 16 1/2" to 20". They just don't sell. The best selling bowls for me are from 10" to 14". I am not trying to talk you out of the grizzly as I do have a couple of grizzly tools that are pretty good tools for the money but I would not rule out the Jet for 2". Just some food for thought from a different perspective.
 
Wow! Sweet! I want one. Are they even selling them yet?

Other question: do you have 220 in your shop? Will your existing chucks, etc. fit this machine?

Looks pretty nice from here... I'll never be able to afford mustard, but that seems more reachable.

Thanks,

Bill
 
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Whoa!

That seems like a pretty sweet machine at that price! I agree with Bernie, the extra 2" shouldn't be the deciding factor. But all things considered, it certainly looks like an awesome deal. In fact, if I didn't already have a Nova 1622-44, I would absolutely consider getting that one. Of course, it doesn't have a track record yet, and that always freaks me out a little. But if you trust Grizzly to back up their product, then I think it's a go.

That said, you can't go wrong with a Jet 1642, even though it's more money.

Hutch
 
Just too much in Rich's post to cover in a few words.
As for the 'Asian' comment. Please note, the Grizzly and Jet lathes come out of the same factory in Taiwan. http://www.geetech.com.tw/sp.html
The new G0698 is not likely to have any experience comments on the forums yet as it has just been introduced. The specs indicate it is a bigger, more powerful lathe than the G0632 (which I have) and at a lower price. The on-line catalog calls this an "introductory" price, indicating it will rise later. Search around here and you will find considerable discussions on the Jet 1642 and Griz G0632. They are near identical tools.
As for the 18" capability, that is important only if you want it. Most of us equate bigger with better. It is an individual matter.
Let us know what you decide.
 
For that big a lathe, I'm rather surprised they didn't go to 1-1/2"-8 spindle threads & MT#3 for the spindle taper. An eighteen-inch blank is a LOT of meat to swing, and 1-1/2"-8 is pretty common in larger lathes.

Not many of us actually have reasonable access to blanks that large, though... I daresay most turnings are 12" or smaller. There's not a lot of MARKET for larger bowls, either... most folks don't have places to PUT the huge ones. Coffee table? It won't go on a shelf (12" max standard) without serious overhang. Cat'll just get in it & knock all the coffee mugs down. :)
 
For that big a lathe, I'm rather surprised they didn't go to 1-1/2"-8 spindle threads & MT#3 for the spindle taper. An eighteen-inch blank is a LOT of meat to swing, and 1-1/2"-8 is pretty common in larger lathes.

Not many of us actually have reasonable access to blanks that large, though... I daresay most turnings are 12" or smaller. There's not a lot of MARKET for larger bowls, either... most folks don't have places to PUT the huge ones. Coffee table? It won't go on a shelf (12" max standard) without serious overhang. Cat'll just get in it & knock all the coffee mugs down. :)

The PowerMatic, Nova and lots of others have cut-outs and end-of-bed capabilites for large bowls. I believe platter turning is getting very popular. A friend even built a special lathe for platters up to 'Oh-My-Gosh!" in diameter. It is more machine for less money, I find that hard to criticize.
 
Oh, don't get me wrong - I think I'd love to have a lathe with that sorta' capacity, and I were to buy one that size I'd go with the Griz. I'm just surprised with the smallish spindle, and I doubt I'd use all that capacity very often. Even here in Vermont, I don't run across good blanks that size every day. It'd be different if I had a bunch of old-growth hardwoods on the property.
 
Tim
It is hard to fathom, heavily forested, Vermont not having big trees. Dunno. :dunno: Haven't seen the place since childhood.
The Ozarks have quite a few big trees. I could easily find turning material 3 to 5 feet in diameter, much in nice Walnut. Even if I had a lathe that could swing stuff that big, I wouldn't be able to handle it.
BTW, methinks an 18" piece of wood suitable for a platter would not overstress a 1 1/4" spindle. I'm not a mechanical engineer but my finger in the wind test says it would be OK.
 
Ok I aint got no fancy lathe in fact its from having bought a total piece of junk that i learnt what a decent lather should have.

So i have to be different and ask why not a Nova DVR XP.

The way i look at it is you aint gonna have this lathe for a short time. You are upgrading here and parting with a long held treasure to fund the new acquisition. So why settle for risk in a unkown new product.

When i consider the stretch of an extra $1000 to the Nova over the time of use its a non issue to me. Not that i have the wherewith all to fund such a purchase now.

Just i look at this like a mattress. You gotta sleep on the thing every night or most nights if you aint on the couch.

Work out the cost of each nights sleep on a good bed over a period of say 5 to 10 years and then its immaterial what the mattress cost within reason.

Same for the lathe. I purchased a cheapy cause it was a present at the time and had to be bought in a hurry with no shopping around or research. Made a huge mistake but it served its purpose and still does work to an extent provided you aint trying to fit one part into another.:(

But when i next turn the corner with a tool budget its gonna be my last purchase and in the value for money line i feel the Nova DVR is the way to go.

Now if you hit the lotto between the time of your post and reading this then of course One way and Big Yellow is another story.

There are features in the Nova that are well documented by those that have them here and I particularly like some of the safety issues and the speeds.

As they say in the classics "the bitter taste of poor quality lingers long after the cheap price" just ask me.

Hey i am just trying to stretch your thoughts. Even if you financed the extra $1000 over 2 years to me it would be worth the difference in the pleasure between the different machines performance. And then there is all the expertise that is available to give you advice cause the user base is already there.

Its like Saw Stop table saw today versus the rest.

Best of luck this aint an easy one.:D

Oh and a parting shot, to my knowledge the Nova aint made in Taiwan but in New Zealand.
 
For that big a lathe, I'm rather surprised they didn't go to 1-1/2"-8 spindle threads & MT#3 for the spindle taper. An eighteen-inch blank is a LOT of meat to swing, and 1-1/2"-8 is pretty common in larger lathes...

The Powermatic 3520 and the Robust lathes all have 1 1/4"-8 MT2 spindles, as do pretty much all the other lathes in the 16" to 24" swing class. (I can swing something like 38" off the end of my 3520 with the dropped bed extension supporting the tool rest.) I don't think think it'd be undersized on this Grizzly model.

Rich, if I were in your position, I think I'd be going for the green. The money you save will buy a few needed accessories like a chuck and grinding jig.

And Rob, at the risk of starting an argument here, should the need arise, motors and VFDs are easier to replace on the Griz/Jet/Powermatic models than the DVR. The DVR is an excellent lathe, but in the price range Rich is looking at, I'd still recommend the Griz.
 
Thanks for the comments and different view points.

Bernie, I agree that the extra 2 inches is probably not a big deal, especially with your experience.

I have expereince with Grizzly, as I own a G1023 table saw. It has been a good saw. Customer service has always been very responsive. I like the idea of being able to buy more accessories up front with the money I would save with the Grizzly.

At this point, I will probably go with the Grizzly, pending the outcome of a guy on the AAW forum. I plan to order by the middle of February and he should have his lathe by the end of January. That is not much time, but enough to get the gist of how he likes it.

I also have to rely on gut feel as to what I feel comfortable with - I want this to be the first and last lathe I buy, but you know how that goes. I feel that buying the Jet is a low risk proposition. On the other hand, the only piece of equipment that I have had issues with is my Jet 6" jointer and I received no help from Jet. The locking mechanisim for the fence broke, so I redesigned it and had a local machine shop make the replacement parts. It was a terrible design and the replacement parts were 4 to 6 months out. Jet would not consider looking at my design to remedy their problem either.

Now you get the idea of how fickle I am when I buy a major piece of equipment. I will keep you posted as to my decision. In the meantime, if you hear anything that might be of interest, let me know.
 
When I was looking I also looked at the Grizzly...I think the one I was checking out was the size just below what Frank bought.. don't remember number now... it was some cheaper than the Jet that I bought, but the Jet was coming up on sale and the discount made up the difference. I couldn't get the Jet 1642... I was thinking I would turn outboard and the logistics of having to slide the headstock to the end of the ways wouldn't work in my shop... I have my lathes set up in an "L" shape with the 1014 being the little portion of the "L" and the 1442 perpendicular to it... with the 1642 I would have been turning with my back against a wall... but I liked the Grizzly and thought long and hard about going that route. I think the one Frank bought is the first size that had the EVS control, but also think it was 220... I don't have 220 in my shop, so I was looking at the lower sized. I'm very happy with my Jet 1442, haven't turned outboard yet, but can get up to a 13 1/2 + bowl on the spindle.
 
The Powermatic 3520 and the Robust lathes all have 1 1/4"-8 MT2 spindles, as do pretty much all the other lathes in the 16" to 24" swing class.

True story? Now I'll be up all night revising my paradigm... :) :) :)

I hadn't realized they were that common. 'Course, it's been a while since I've actively drooled over a Stubby or a Collegiate or that sorta' thing. Ah, well.

Come to think of it... a 1-1/4" axle stub on a trailer carries a HUGE amount of weight, under shock loading. Yeah, that'd work fine. :)
 
Tim, the big Oneway lathes do have a MT3 live center, but even they use a MT2 on the spindle. Their spindle is 33mm, which is about halfway between the 1 1/4" and the 1 1/2" spindles. I'm not up to speed on the Stubby or Collegiate, but I'd say 1 1/2" is the exception, not the rule.

Neal Addy put together a great list of lathes. You can see there are a lot of 1" and 1 1/2" spindles out there.

http://www.nealaddy.org/pub/Lathe_List.html

(Looks like Stubby is using 1 1/4" nowadays, too.)
 
Tim said, in part: "I think the one Frank bought is the first size that had the EVS control, but also think it was 220..."

Yes, it is EVS and will run very slowly with excellent torque for big hunks. It is 220. A friend wired 220 into my box and I ran, essentially a long extension cord from the box to the lathe.

And, Vaughn said, in part: "... should the need arise, motors and VFDs are easier to replace on the Griz/Jet/Powermatic models than the DVR."

Yes, true. I am reminded of an experience a friend had with his Nova. Out of warranty, the motor, or something inside the very complex head, went bad. He shipped to Nova for repair. Came back still not working. This eventually involved four back and forth shippings at considerable expense (that head is quite heavy) before it was properly repaired.
That is not an across the board indictment of Nova equipment or service. But is a reminder that just because it's expensive is not a guarantee of perfection.
"Stuff" happens.
 
................That is not an across the board indictment of Nova equipment or service. But is a reminder that just because it's expensive is not a guarantee of perfection.
"Stuff" happens.

Kind of like getting a Grizzly product that is busted, broken missing parts, needs four calls and 5 UPS packages to get your "Brand New" machine working :D

NOBODY puts out perfect tools, but I've seen a LOT more non-working out of the box Grizzly products than I've seen broken after years of use Nova products, but this is all just anecdotal anyways :wave:
 
Kind of like getting a Grizzly product that is busted, broken missing parts, needs four calls and 5 UPS packages to get your "Brand New" machine working :D

NOBODY puts out perfect tools, but I've seen a LOT more non-working out of the box Grizzly products than I've seen broken after years of use Nova products, but this is all just anecdotal anyways :wave:

Stuart,

Jet is not a Saint in this department either. The only Jet I own is a 6" jointer and it has been a vibrating piece of crap from the start.

However, the first issue I had was I broke the fence lock (which sets the angle) the first time I tightened it. I am 5'6" and weight 140 lbs soaking wet - not your typical muscle man. Jet said they would have replacement parts to me in 4 to 6 months. There was an obvious flaw in the design of these parts - there was so little metal left in the one cross section where the bar from the fence goes through, there was no strength left. Being an mechanical engineer, I decided to redesign the fence lock and had our local machine shop make the parts. No problems with it now. I tried to sell the redesign to Jet, but they would not answer me. If anyone has a problem with their jointer fence lock, I will gladly give you a copy of my drawings so you can have a new one made.

Jet did not lend a helping hand on the vibration issue, so I put a Power Twist belt on it. I still have chatter marks on edges and faces from it.

As far as I am concerned, whatever I buy, it is mine and the warranty means nothing.

At least when I bought my Grizzly tablesaw, Makita planer, Bosch SCMS, ShopFox bandsaw, etc, there were no issues. (see the lack of brand loyalty)

Sorry about the rant.
 
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The link below is the only reveiw that I have seen on the G0698.

http://www.aawforum.org/vbforum/showthread.php?t=6877

It is favorable, but it is only one.

If I had the money, I would probably buy the Jet. However, I am in the situation where I could buy the Jet with some help from the family funds and let it sit until I got the money to buy some tools, sharpening jigs, etc.

If I buy the Grizzly, I will be in business right away.
 
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