Jet 1642Evs or ??

Mike Turner

Member
Messages
361
Location
Laurinburg NC
I sold my Jet 1442vs and now am looking/ trying to decide what I can get and the best time...sale etc. Is there a comparable lathe to the Jet 1642? The 1642 is the max of what I can afford and dont have enough for it yet but am working on it...
When do the Jet 1642 usually go on sale? I can drive 100 miles to Woodcraft in Charlotte NC and avoid shipping but would still have sales tax...Probably cheaper to pay the shipping than driving..

I need the same size basically as the 1642 between centers especially cause I will use it to make flutes and a lot of them are 30" long.
 
Reportedly the Grizzly 16x42 and 18x47 are competitive feature/quality wise and a little (err quite a bit, the jet stuff has gone up a couple hundred since I was looking) better price wise. I have no personal experience with them, but haven't seen a lot of dislikes on the forums.. Note this isn't an endorsement pro/con as I've never seen one, only the specs and forum comments for whatever they're worth...

G0632 16" x 42" Variable Speed Wood Lathe
$1,495.00

NEW! G0733 Heavy Duty Wood Lathe 18" x 47"
$1,695.00
 
I have the Jet 1642 and am very glad to have it. With that said if my budget was very tight I would also look at the Grizzly. Havs heard a lot of good things about them.
Dennis
 
Mike, I suspect the best deal on the Jet would be from The Tool Nut. They seem to beat anyone's prices, even with shipping included.

I've heard both good and bad things about Grizzly lathes, but haven't used one myself. Their 18x47 looks good on paper, but I've heard of some fit and finish issues. I have several Grizzly and Shop Fox tools that I like, but all of them have required some tweaking and work to get set up the way I wanted. Personally, I don't want to deal with that kind of thing with a lathe. On the other hand, Grizzly has great customer service.

It appears you're already headed that direction, but whatever you get, I highly recommend electronic variable speed. Once you've had it, you'll never go back to fixed pulleys or Reeves drives. :thumb:
 
Mike, I suspect the best deal on the Jet would be from The Tool Nut. They seem to beat anyone's prices, even with shipping included.

Word is that if you call them they'll often beat the website price by a few or throw in some options, worth a try anyway.

The Jet 15% sales seem to be about every 6 months, although I don't know if they're 100% regular or not.
 
We [Ben that is, and I get to use it when he isn't] have the Jet 1642 EVS 2hp. I can't say enough good about it. Smooth, accurate, well made, very solid and responsive. I haven't compared it to the Griz. Another thought to consider along with price is how well it holds its value. Jet prices have gone up, along with resale. It has been a very good tool investment, as well as purchase.

When he finally takes it to his own shop, I'll be hard pressed to work with a lesser machine, even though I am a bad turner.
 
Well I emailed The Tool Nut and asked was that his best price online on the Jet 1642Evs. He said yes....$2566 free shipping and no tax....Amazon.com has it $2299.99 and free shipping...That was best I could find it at.
 
I picked up mine off Amazon last Black Friday...price would make you cry. Subscribe to the Jet website and they'll send you sale info. The $2200 price is about the best you'll find anymore.
 
Reportedly the Grizzly 16x42 and 18x47 are competitive feature/quality wise and a little (err quite a bit, the jet stuff has gone up a couple hundred since I was looking) better price wise. I have no personal experience with them, but haven't seen a lot of dislikes on the forums.. Note this isn't an endorsement pro/con as I've never seen one, only the specs and forum comments for whatever they're worth...

G0632 16" x 42" Variable Speed Wood Lathe
$1,495.00

NEW! G0733 Heavy Duty Wood Lathe 18" x 47"
$1,695.00

I have the G0632 and it compares favorably with other brands at nearly double the price. It is nearly identical the Jet 1642.
The newer G0733 appears to be a really heavy duty affair. Unless you are going to be doing a lot of big-big stuff I don't see any point in having it. A friend in Florida has one on the way........with no way to get it into his shop. :eek: But, that's another story. I have several Grizzly tools and have been completely happy with all of them. Griz service is top notch. My planer is the only Griz tool that needed attention by the company. They initially installed a heat/overload shut-off that was way to sensitive. They changed mine out with a smile.
Some folks are anti-Grizzly because their tools are made in China or Tiawan. News flash: Jet and Grizzly tools come off the same assembly line in the same factory.
 
Mike I have the early version of the G0733 and it has given me good service. It came with a few aww chit things but they are easy to correct. As far as I can tell the only difference between the G0733 and G0698 is the color. I have had mine going on two years. I do a lot of turning, check out my web site, Steercreekwood.com.
The problems I refer to are connecting aftermarket toolrest and chucks, the work around is simple and quick.
I'm not saying that the Jet 1642 isn't a great machine but for the money the Grizzly will do what the Jet will and more.
 
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