Long-term Review Oneway 1224

Chris Barton

Member
Messages
294
Location
Brentwood, TN
Hi Folks,

Nearly a year ago I bought a new Oneway 1224 to replace my Jet VSmini. I have had many questions over that period of time asking me if the Oneway was worth the money and if there were any issues that I noticed so, I thought I would post a short review of my baby lathe.

In general the fit and finish of the Oneway is superior to anything else I've seen. Now, that's not to say that the other machines I've experienced aren't great machines but, compared to PM (my other lathe is a PM 3520a), Nova, Jet, Stubby, Vicmark, Woodtek, General and Rikon, the Oneway is noticeably superior. The motor is very nearly silent, very strong and has not only electronic speed control but, electronic braking as well.

The locking mechanisms for the Oneway are very strong and so easy to use that they can actually be a nuisance. The weight of the handles alone are enough to lock them in place when I would try to move the tool rest or tail stock. The 1224 has both a MT2 headstock and tailstock, unlike the larger Oneways that have a MT3 tailstock, which I see as an advantage. The downside to the tailstock is that it uses a keyway lock to secure the travel of the center and this faces up where dust and wood chips can easily clog the mechanism.

Another big plus for this machine is the integrated steel base. The lower frame of the lathe is made from 1/4" steel and this lowers the center of gravity and makes the lathe very rigid. In it's OEM format, two plywood shelves are available for tools and such but, I found them to be wood chip collectors and made drawers to fit the spaces and these have worked very well to hold tools and accessories.

I mounted my 1224 on wheels and the leveling tabs that are OEM perfectly fit a set of locking casters I had. I find that I turn most anything that would normally fit on a mini/midi lathe on the Oneway and use my 3520a mostly for larger bowls, spindles longer than 24" and HFs.

Now, the big question, "is it worth the money?" For me the answer is yes. At the time I bought it the price was about $2.4K delivered which, was just about the same as I paid for the PM. Sometimes I find tools sized for the job to make the job a joy and the Oneway has fit the bill perfectly. Now, if I could only afford one lathe then the choice would be easy; PM3520b. The Powermatic is the best lathe on the market for the dollar cost averaging over time.

Let me know if I there are any questions that I might be able to answer...
 

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Hi Bernie,

The locks work fine and most of the time I don't even use them. Truthfully, I haven't turned anything that's been so unbalanced that it would move around. Additionally, it has enough mass that it takes a fair amount of inertia that you have to work to move it. My PM3520a is also on casters, albeit larger casters. I wouldn't do it any other way.

I also remembered another comment after looking at my own post (old-timers disease). One negative to the Oneway lathes is the inability to use the knock out bar on the tailstock. You have to use the self-ejector.
 
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