Grizzly IndustrialT25920-12" x 18" Variable-Speed Benchtop Wood Lathe

This is the first time I have ever had a wood lathe, so I am not at all an expert in this field but this lathe ( in my opinion) is very good lathe for the beginner. Very easy to put together and plenty power enough for small projects. But don't just take my word for it because like I said it's my first one but I like it a lot. My son has been working with a lathe for a while and he said that he was very impressed with the quality.

As I have learned a few things, I wish it was a little bigger. I am a beginner and it has suited me very well.

First off, if I could I would have given the lathe 4.5 stars. I have been a wood turner for many years and been very content with my old mini lathe which is the ‘little brother’ to this model. But as I have moved to some larger projects and to bowls I felt I needed to step-up to a larger lathe. As my space is limited I knew I needed to keep to the midi lathe size and specs. I looked at a lot of lathes, some less expensive and others much more expensive but all seemed to have the same or similar specifications. I decided to go with the Grizzly T25920 because of several factors. First I have purchased from Grizzly in the past and been pleased with those purchases. I have found the quality and fit and finish of Grizzly products to be a step above other companies. And their prices are hard to beat with the quality. I also knew that I needed a lathe that would handle bigger blanks which this one will do with the 12x18 size. But one of the biggest features that sold me on this lathe is the variable speed control. My old lathe had several speed settings but I required moving the drive belt to different pulley configurations. This lathe has a high and low range and within those ranges you can make adjustments using the speed control knob. I cannot stress how having this amount of control over the speed makes turning so much more precise and gives you control that you do not have with a lathe without this feature. The fit and finish is excellent with the head and tail stock meeting in perfect alignment and this lathe purrs like a kitten. The more powerful motor makes turning the larger projects much easier. Now why did I want to deduct a half star? Two things, first one of the feet was missing and this meant that I could not use it right out of the box until I got a replacement for the missing foot. And as I unpacked the lathe on a Saturday and Grizzly Customer Support is closed on the weekends it was Mon day before I could contact them and get the missing foot on the way. They did get the foot to me within 2 days which was nice. And there was a second issue. When I unpacked the lathe there was a small piece of plastic in the box. It looked like a piece from some kind of clip and was obviously from something on the lathe but after several inspections I did not see anything that looked broken. I mentioned this to my wife and she agreed that it looked like something broken and we did one more inspection and it was a good thing we did. This time I removed the upper access door on the headstock and low and behold we discovered that the piece of plastic came from a broken clip that kept a wiring bundle out of the way of the upper pulley assembly and the speed control indicator mechanism. As the clip was not something that was offered as a replacement part I used a wire tie to secure the wiring bundle and keep it out of the way of the moving parts. An easy fix but if I had not looked that last time and had turned on the lathe I have no doubt that the wring bundle would have gotten caught up the pulley or speed mechanism and been ripped to shreds! So if you find something like that BE SURE to look carefully. I am still VERY pleased with this lathe and would recommend this to anyone that is getting into wood turning or ready to graduate to a more robust lathe with more features.

This is my first purchase of a wood lathe. The lathe was reasonably priced with the shipping included. I received the lathe a few days after completing the purchase and it took less than a half hour to read through the manual and set it up. It worked as advertised right out of the box and it has been one of the easiest tools to learn how to use. The lathe is very stable with little vibration and has not stalled on the woods that I have used for learning/practicing including kiln dried red oak and hard maple. Recommended.

Excellent item for beginners

MThis is a great tool. If You are new at working with a lathe or even if you’ve worked with one for many years this is a nice lathe. This is a Quality tool made by a quality compan. If you think you might wanna turn some longer spindles, there is an extension available. This is the right lathe to buy. I own and have owned a lot of Grizzly Tools. They hold their value and they are so well made! I love Grizzly tools!

Had the lathe start to slip on a Saturday and called CS. Didn't really expect anyone on the weekend, but a guy answered right away. Although he couldn't answer a technical question, it was a set screw on the pulley, it was good to know the company is putting in the time. After I found the manual, it shows the screw I fixed it and then the tool rest height adjustment screw stripped. Called on Monday and another CS guy took my information and had a replacement on the way. 5 star CS, unfortunately I feel like for $500 the set screws could be made better. 9 months and I have had to scavege parts from an old Delta lathe to keep this overpriced disappointment going. Cheap plastic parts soft metal on the toolrest. This is my first and last gryssly product. They say buy American, well make a decent product! My Wen lathe has never failed, I mistakenly thought I was stepping up in quality, I was wrong! $500 for a green paint job. Fool me once...

It’s built with heavy cast-iron and made to last. Unfortunately, the 3/4 HP motor is woefully weak when carving any hardwood. I would have gladly upgraded to a stronger motor, but there are no upgrades.