Proxxon 37020 DB 250 MICRO Woodturning Lathe

This thing is exactly what I was looking for and it didn't disappoint in the least. Plenty of torque for my purposes, good adjustability and speed range, and not too loud so as to upset the neighbors right across the sidewalk (I think). Also very fun and satisfying to use. I use it for making rings. I have some carbide-tipped hand tools and I have no issues shaping down square ring blanks (which are only 1" in width max) of any hardness, and even soft metals like silver can easily be shaved down a bit. I'm sure it would also be great for pen making, though it does struggle a bit if you need to do very hard woods -- if you were to do an entire (say 5") very hard pen blank it would likely take longer and might wear down the motor a bit (maybe take breaks?) but you could still easily get the job done if you go slow. So far it's been in use for a couple of months on and off, getting used at least once a week for a few hours up to 3 times a week, say 4 hours each. I've had no issues with it. The only thing I will say that could be better is the tailstock -- it is pretty jiggly and when it's not secured with the thumbscrews it's pretty much useless. I thought I could use it for drilling but that's a no-go. Maybe if you're doing very soft wood it wouldn't be an issue but it just wiggles too much for drilling anything I tried. Other than that it's fine for securing your piece for turning. I don't have a decibel meter but I would say the noise level at max speed is on par with a small handheld vacuum. If it is too loud you can always lower the speed from 6 to about 4 and that dramatically reduces the noise. I work out of a garage that's right across a sidewalk from apartment complexes and I feel comfortable running this thing without disturbing anyone. I would say I could even run it late at night on 3-4 and have no issues. Note that in my garage there's a gap between the roof and wall so any noise basically goes right through to the other side. Overall this is a great purchase, honestly one of the best I've made and I don't regret it in the least. Exactly what I needed and I don't see myself replacing it until it breaks.

This is a very good entry-grade lathe. I am a miniaturist and am using the lathe to craft tiny spindles for chairs and stair rails. It's powerful and consistent. I did purchase a self-centering chuck which has definitely upgraded the experience for me. I expect to be using this tool for many years.

This is a nice little lathe. I enjoy the form factor and aesthetics. It’s has been capable enough, albeit a little anemic in terms of the depth of cut you can actually take. I use it for pen turning. I think the max you could do is probably something the size of a little top. Other than that, the motor is just going to stall out. The reason for the two stars is really the collets. At this price, you are somehow getting cheap, plastic, injection molded collets that don’t even come deburred. The hole in each collet also doesn’t even look circular. They are just good enough to get dimensions off of to reverse engineer and fabricate better collets out of metal. But, that requires a metal lathe. You shouldn’t have to make your own collets in the first place, but on top of that, metal work is an entirely different set of skills. If the abhorrent collet quality wasn’t enough, they don’t even include a 1/4” or at least one that is close enough, to accept the most common pen mandrel size. At least here in the US. Again, this basically makes custom collets a requirement to render this lathe functional for the single discipline of wood turning you could justify its existence for. Unless you’re REALLY strapped for space, are able to turn new collets, and/or really like Proxxon, I’d avoid this. All three of those traits do apply to me, so I’ll probably keep it, but honestly, the ArtyMaster lathe you probably found while shopping for this lathe is likely a better value for the price. Additionally, I was hoping for a nice quiet motor such as the ones I’ve come to expect from this brand. It’s definitely not the loudest I’ve ever used, but for the power it’s delivering, it’s a little loud for my taste.

This is a Great micro lathe. We were immediately impressed with how quiet and fast the lathe is. It works beautifully. My son has been using it to turn miniature dollhouse vases, bowls, plates, cups, etc. He is able to use it inside without any loud noise. We are using this lathe with the jaw chuck that fits it. Proxxon 27026 Three Jaw Chuck for the Lathe DB 250 The two together work great and makes it easy to turn anything. We have several Proxxon products and we are totally blown away by the power, and ease of use that all their products have. We have never been disappointed by their quality. Thank you for selling such great products and standing behind your name.

AMAZING!

During the holidays I was looking for miniature wooden ornaments, and I kept thinking if I had a lathe I could make my own. I considered a lot of different models, but I passed over this one because frankly I had never heard of this brand. I'm glad I came back to it though, because it is perfect for small objects. It's also compact, packaged in a box measuring about 20x6x4 inches, which is great for me because I really don't want to leave it in the garage all summer. The lathe is well made (in Belgium!) and runs smoothly, but there's still some room for improvement. I knew absolutely nothing about woodturning, and the entire operating instructions take up just two columns in the booklet. The wording can also be confusing, such as when it refers to the same part as a "check key" in one place and a "centring (sic) key" in another. It also refers to a "knurled screw" on the tool rest, when it actually just has a plastic knob. Speaking of the tool rest, that knob can get in the way of your chisel, and as someone else said, it's only 2 3/8" in length, which means you have to stop and slide it over sometimes. The fact that this lathe comes from Europe may explain why the collet chucks are oddly sized: 5/64, 7/64, 5/32, 15/64, 5/16, and 13/32. Those are close to U.S. dowel sizes, but if you want to turn a 3/16 or 1/4 inch dowel, the chucks won't hold them. A "drive spike" is included for dowels that are too large for the chucks, but you have to use the 13/32" collet to hold it in the drive spindle, which isn't mentioned anywhere in the instructions. I have put the lathe away for now and placed an order for the Proxxon three jaw chuck, which is supposed to work with dowels anywhere from 1/16 to around 1 inch thick, but that's more money that I wasn't planning to spend. Along those lines, if you're like me and just starting out, you'll also need chisels. I bought the Proxxon set, and even though they're made in China they seem to work well, especially on the birch dowels I've been using. I've also ordered the book "Learn to Turn," and I'm hoping that my further expenses will only be for wood, at least for a while.

Round stock preferrable! Clutch/belt drive slips if to aggressive on the square cubes. Obviously soft wood was much easier on the machine but I lathed RED OAK without much of an issue. Sharp knives is a must.

Bought it as an open-box item to save money but it turned out to be incomplete “all accessories missing” also no packaging material and box was torn on the side. After returning I found out I'll have to wait 30+ days to get a refund. I hope this review helps.