Amazon.com Review

To woodworkers who know the reputation of Jet products, the merit of this 12-inch variable-speed lathe should come as no surprise. Start with the guts of any tool, the motor. Prewired for 115 volts and fully encased in a metal housing for longer life, its 3/4-horses turn material at 500 to 3,000 rpm, depending on which of the six speeds you select. The cast-iron lathe bed, headstock, and tailstock provide superior vibration dampening and durability, while the heavy-gauge steel components and stand give rigid support. Pivoting 90 degrees for outboard turning of up to 16-1/2 inches on larger projects, the MT-2 headstock protects a Reeves drive pulley system with which we made quick and easy speed changes. Down on the other end, the hollow tailstock allows for longer hole bores and houses a live center, a luxury standard on all Jet lathes not found in much of the competition.

You'll love the versatility that comes with 34-1/2 inches between working centers and a 12-inch swing capability over the bed (8-3/4 inches over the tool-rest base). All adjustments, whether extending the ram its full 2-1/4 inches or sliding the 12-inch tool rest, move fluidly and clamp down tight with little effort. Designed for use over the long haul, this tool has all the qualities professional woodworkers demand. --Justin Paul ... Read more

Features

• Pivoting headstock for outboard turning
• 3/4 hp single phase motor
• Six speed 550 to 3,000 RPM
• 34-1/2-inch work distance between centers
• Reeves drive plley system for quick speed changes

Reviews (11)

Best lathe for the money
After a great deal of research, and speaking to countless people in the wood turning community, I decided to purchase the Jet 1236. I'm extremely happy with nearly every aspect of the lathe from it's quality, to it's easy of use. It's a pleasure to work with and it's very stable. Admittedly, I built a very solid base to attach the lathe to, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. The instruction manuel, without a doubt, is the weak link in the system but easily gotten around. The switch could be in a better location but, in my opinion, not a big problem.

The beginners "Pen Turning Kit", with two tools, was an added feature which was very nice to have. Again, for the money, you can't go wrong with this lathe and you also have the well respected JET name.

Another Great tool form Jet
I purchased my Jet lathe when it went on sale at Woodworkers warehouse before they closed, And as many other have just for the fun of it I had no jobs line up for it at first but boy it was a great buy. As a starter on the lathe I cant not find one complant with this product. Do you have to weigh it down? well that is all on how much you are turning but when you have to place wood across the supports and toss what every you have that has weight on it. no problem. I have to say for the money Jet did Good on this one. (to any one who is thinking about turning, try it you wont be sorry ) As for your Turning Set besure to shop around the best price is not always the best package. I got my lathe with the Turning chisels and face sheild which in the long run ran me cheaper to get as a package. it may be cheaper for you as well. 4 stars being I got what I paid for.

A good value, "some assembly required"!
The lathe is an execelent value at $399. The manual leaves a lot to be desired. The lathe stand needs to be reinforced. I used four eight foot long 2"x 6" lumber and a bunch of plywood. What to do to make it more stable:
1 Go to the wmhtoolgroup.com website and look up the manual for the 1236's replacement, JWL1442. It will give you much more information than whats in the 1236 manual;
2 Build a shelf on the brackets with two 2x6s;
3 Bolt the bottom of the stand to two 2x6 stringers on the floor with cross bracing between the stringers ;
4 Build up the the sides with plywood;
5 Add weight to the stringers with either sand, cement, or bricks; (There is a photo of the 1236 lathe in R. Raffan's book TURNING WOOD, second edition. It has six bags of concrete on the shelf to stabilize it.)
6 You will need a bunch of 1/4" or 5/16" bolts or lag bolts the fasten all the reinforcements together;

Once you have stiffened up the stand you will have a very good lathe. The motor does not draw enough electrical current to compromise your home's wiring. It also includes a pen making kit including two tools, pen kits, wood, glue, finish, and a book on making pens. You can start turning as soon as you put the lathe together.

Best Under $1000 Lathe
I got this lathe just in time to take advantage of the Thanksgiving Day weekend and had a blast. This is my second lathe, and it is head and shoulders above the earlier one. Solidly built and very heavy. Due to lack of space in my shop, I mounted the lathe to a large bench rather than the included stand, so I had to remove the power switch from the leg of the stand and mount it on the bench leg.

I am amazed at how smooth and quiet this lathe runs. Due to the type of turning I do, I was concerned that the slowest speed was going to be too fast, but the lathe is rock steady spinning a very unbalanced turning blank at the slow speed.

Though the instruction manual could have been clearer, setup was quick, easy, and straight forward.

If I could change anything about this lathe it would be to add a detent to the speed control between the slowest speed and the next faster one. I would also add an electromagnetic power switch for safety and place it in a more convenient location.

Oh, and I split it into two boxes for shipping. Since it was easier for me to pick it up from the freight company than to arrange a delivery time with somone home, I had them hold it at the loading dock for me to pick up. They used a pallet jack to load it onto my truck, and I had to unpack the box to unload it. I was, however, able to lift it up onto the bench alone.

Misleading Ad
I ordered my lathe from the current Toolcrib catalog which offers a bonus which states "Includes a wood turning set, a $99.99 value". This implies that a set of chisels are being offered. Do not believe it. When my order arrived I found a pen turning kit,which was of little value to me. Chisels I needed and had to order a set costing $103.89 .Jet apparently does'nt know the diffence between a set and a kit. Now you do. ... Read more

Features

• Quickchange gearbox
• MT-2 tailstock taper
• 1-1/2-inch x 8-thread-per-inch spindle
• One year warranty

Features

• 410 Pounds
• 1 1/2 HP
• Variable Speed Control
• Cast Iron Head, Bed and Legs
• High/Low Speed Change Lever

Features

• Live Center
• Three piece chisel set
• Safety goggles
• Knock-out tool
• Tool rest

Reviews (2)

Great little lathe but limited manual
I am very pleased with the quality of the Mini Pen Lathe by Jet and other than the obvious limitations of a machine that is a small version of the larger ones, it performs well. I am disappointed that the paperwork with the lathe does not include information to order replacement or accessory parts. Also, it is listed as a two-speed lathe but the manual does not describe how to achieve those two speeds. It appears to operate on the higher of the two RPMs. If you have any interest in future lathe work that might require a slightly larger lathe, you should consider it at this time. Upgrading can get expensive, as I have found out.

Excellent Value
This pen lathe is the perfect tool if all you want to do is make pens and maybe a small box. you cannot turn anything larger than about 2" diameter but that's not the point of this little marvel.
Setup is trivial but the integrated wrenches for adjusting the toolrest and stop are clumsy to use. A wing nut would be better! (OK, kidding a little). Changing speed is a belt change that is easy to do but there is no hand wheel for manually turning the mandrel. This is a problem during finishing and sanding but is minor since you can turn it at the housing due to it's small size and inertia.

Don't but this lathe for the crummy tools in the box, however. Get a "real" set of chisels with this. What do you expect, though, when you can get these as low as $99 at times (on sale)?

You will need to clamp this down (and it has mounting holes if you prefer) but I use two 3" spring clamps and that's all the holding power it needs. ... Read more

Features

• 3/8" gouge, 1/2" skew, and 1oz. Insta-cure & pen glue
• Contains everything you need for pen turning
• Includes two 24K gold pen kits and two 24K gold pencil kit
• Also one Mont Blanc pen style kit and Mont Blanc style letter opener
• Pen mandrel, 7mm drill kit, Hut finish, Wood blanks (set of 5), Pen turning book

Reviews (1)

Jet disappointed me.
After recieving my 1442 Jet Lathe with a very good instruction manual, I really expected the same with other products I rec'd from Jet. However, for this kit, Jet purchased an instruction manual from a book store and the manual does NOT show how to use the items in the kit! Plus the manual uses jigs and other things to drill and press parts that aren't in the kit. The mandrel is not the same either. You would think a company as large as Jet could afford to have their own manual printed with the equipment as shown in the kit. I expected better! ... Read more

Features

• Variable speed from 750 to 3200 rpm
• Powerful 2/5 HP Motor quickly removes material
• Variable speed control with current feedback maintains constant speed under load
• Cast iron bed and headstock for stability and extreme durability
• Lock-off switch with removable key

Features

• 5-1/2" rosewood handles
• 1/2" oval skew
• 1/4" bowl gouge
• 1/8" parting tool
• 3-1/2" HSS

Features

• Hardened and ground gearbox
• Gap bed
• D1-4 spindle
• One year warranty

Reviews (1)

It would be great, but...
First of all I am not a home improvement enthusiast, The web site added that, Also you can't give anything less than a star to complete this form, I don't give it even a half of a brown dwarf. I work in a maintenance shop as a fabricator. It would be a great lathe for the price if it were somewhat accurate. The operators manual has you remove the 3 jaw chuck, clean it and inspect it. Then just put it back on and everything is good, wrong. Either it came out of round during this little clean up and inspection or some component's placement has caused it to be way out of alignment! So far out that you can see stock wobble. I have had this apart and together several times over the years attempting to get it true and have had it best with .005" wobble. The manual has no alignment instruction for the chuck. We use it for VERY COARSE, unimportant stuff. If Jet wants to send someone out to deal with it, fine, I won't be looking for them. I don't recommend anyone buy a Jet unless you are somewhat of an expert, someone that can take a sloppy lathe and make it good. ... Read more

Features

• Large capacities
• 8 speed selection
• 4" ram travel
• Moveable head

Reviews (4)

Hard to Buy but Great Machine
I have been into "building things" for about 35 years and decided to add a lathe to my retirement shop about 1-1/2 years ago. At my stage of life I am not into buying cheap and then upgrading - especially with a piece of floor equipment. I did a fair amout of reseach and a coincidentally a couple of woodworkers magazines did reviews on lathes during this time. The 1442 did well in these comparisons.
I found that the worst part of this selection was actually looking at a 1442. Both of the local tool specialty stores were backordered and posts I saw on several sites reported slower production and higher demand than expected. One of the local dealers finally received one and I was convinced on site. Even the store owner said he couldn't believe Jet could provide that much lathe for less than $1000.
The 1442 provides a lot of value for the money. It is heavy and will require some help, or at least care, in assembly. Most of the machine is preassembled into large assemblies and it goes together easily. The cast Iron legs are optional but are an integral part of this machine's mass and are strongly recommended. Additionally, the legs provide cast-in lugs to add sandbag shelves if needed. The headstock and tailstock alignment was dead on out of the box. The motor and drive train are smooth and quiet. In fact, unloaded, it is easy to leave the motor on because it is quiet (I have old ears).
I am a novice turner but this lathe is a good teacher. It has plenty of power; it is smooth and very easy to operate. I did experience a bit of "stickyness" in the speed control handle but this went away. Otherwise I would consider this machine flawless.

i got one
Great Lathe, i had to go else were to make the purchase 'cause amazon won't carry this one. the Jet 1442. love the smooth operation, with a lathe vibration is nominal.
depending how you ballance your work. power is above good.
construction is fantastic all cast iron. easy to assemble.
I had mine up and pluged in in 10',, count em 10 mins.
comes with mt-2 drives so you can be turning almost out of the box, tool rest and tool rest extention. and face plate.

So with that said, if you get something else, you'll only be missing out on a fine machine

I own it & like it
I purchsed this lathe at woodcraft store in Newigton NH for $710 during a 10% off sale . It's been a good machine for small to medium work. I wouldn't recommend it for big work. ( turned a 15lb. burl on it but never again) As for the value for money--> I don't think that there is another lathe on the market that would come close. Jet did a great job for a small price.

Big Iron !
Let me start this with letting you know I just bought this lathe. I had seen pictures of this on the web but was havinb a hard time finding it for sale anywhere. I did manage to finally found it at a local tool vendor.

This machine is massive, at least by what I'm used to. In the owner's manual it list it's weight as approx. 200 lbs. Then if you look in the manual it states the legs are optional.

I looked in the manual and it does not state the weight of the legs anywhere. I ended up calling Jet tech support and talked to a very helpful indivdual. I told him that I may be not as young as I used to be but the lathe sure felt heavier than 200 lbs. when I was carring the parts down my basement stairs.

He was kind enough to get the information for me while I waited. As it turns out the legs are an additional 163 lbs. for the pair of cast iron legs. This brings the total weight to 363 lbs.

It went together well with out a hitch. The fit and finish was fairly good. This is a lot of lathe for the money and the heaviest piece of equipment I have.

I'll check back in after I spend some quality time on my new lathe. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The JET 14-inch mini lathe packs the power of a full-size lathe into a smaller package. Powered by a fully enclosed, fan-cooled, 1/2-horsepower motor, the mini lathe operates at six speeds, ranging from 500-3,975 rpm. Spindle speed is regulated using a pulley system. Simply move the belt to the desired pulley groove according to the onboard speed chart, and lock it into place. No spinning job is too tough for this rugged little lathe. The lathe bed, headstock and tailstock are all made of heavy-duty cast iron, minimizing vibration and ensuring added strength, durability and worry-free operation. The tailstock includes a handle, spindle lock (to lock the spindle in place) and tailstock lock (to lock the tailstock in position on the bed). A removable safety toggle switch prevents accidental startup, while solid rubber feet provide added stability while the lathe is running. The mini lathe comes fully assembled in the box. too. A six-inch tool rest, live center, three-inch face plate, safety goggles, spur center and tooling knockout are all included. An optional bed extension (JET 708355) is available, as well, to increase the spindle capacity for larger spinning jobs.--Carl Thress ... Read more

Features

• Tailstock is hollow allowing long hole boring
• Heavy-duty cast iron lathe bed ensures stability and minimal operating vibration
• Quick release levers allow for easy & accurate positioning of tool rest and tailstock
• A 1/2-HP totally enclosed, fan cooled motor powers 6 spindle speeds ranging from 500 to 3,975 RPM
• Convenient adjustment handle to easily tilt motor while changing speeds

Reviews (20)

Very nice, rock solid lathe. WMH (JET) stands behind it too!
This lathe is a smooth, quiet running, rock solid machine. The hollow tailstock comes in handy for long boring. I haven't had any woble or offset from head to tail on this thing. The quick release levers are metal heavy duty stuff making adjustments easy. Changing speed via the belt is a snap once you adjust the bottom spring loaded knob. The safety key is a nice feature, as I have kids running around this place and don't need to be making extra trips to the hospital. Everything feels great, nothing feels flimsy or cheap. The rest and tailstock slide smoothly and easily. Plenty of power too. The bed extension makes for a nice future. Mine was actually damaged a bit in shipping. The spur center had been knocked loose and got damaged and some paint was chipped. The company immediately shipped replacements to me with no hassle.

Mini-Lathe, Max Performance
I got into turning after taking a pen class and got "the bug" for mini's almost immediately. My woodworking projects rarely require turning, so this acquisition is purely recreational for me. The natural choice was the Jet "mini". What's nice about this lathe is the optional extension kit which will allow you to turn much larger projects if you need to. I've really enjoyed turning small projects and they make GREAT inexpensive and personal gifts for people. Penn State Industries has some really great turning projects that go way beyond pens [...]. I also purchased the stand which is nice because you don't have to dedicate valuable counter space to it. It's no surprise that this tool won "Editor's Choice" in the December 2002 issue of American Woodworker.

money well spent
This is a great tool. The quality is first rate. Everything was set up ready to go out of the box, no adjustments needed. I was very suprised at how quiet it is. My 12 year old son has now discovered a new hobby in pen making with this...the only drawback I have found, is how much money I am now spending on pen making supplies. This is alot of tool for the money, I would buy another in a heartbeat.

surprizingly powerful little lathe
I purchased this little lathe with the bed extension included as a bare-bones means to turn spindles for reproduction shaker furniture.
I even did a restoration job turning 3" x 24" pieces of oak and I didn't have any trouble.

Consider investing in a longer and harder toolrest especially if you get the bed xtension to turn longer pieces. The short one supplied gets damaged very easily with the slightest bump in yout work. Perhaps for turning pens it's good enough.
The bed extension adds some weight and I built a pretty rugged stand out of 4x4's.

I unfortunately made this purchase before the significant price drop but I did get the bed extension included which makes it a little easier to swallow. The old price was around $300, That's actually what the new variable speed mini lathe comes in at. Given that price plus the bed extension plus the legs and you might be better off with the next step up (12' @ $575). Bowl turning and having heavier bearings and chuck capacity are the benefit.
But at $200 plus $50 for the bed is half of the full size lathe aforementioned.
If your going into this just starting or knowing up front that you're not going to do any heavier work then this is a pretty good option.
Take the saved money and invest in really good turning tools and keep them sharp. Do not get the cheap tool set. They are horrifying and you may get discouraged if you're just starting. 2 or 3 really good tools are like night and day. I recommend, Conovers "The Lathe Book"

More than just a "Mini Lathe"
I have only recently gotten the "Woodturning bug" so please bear this in mind on my following comments. I am one of those people that research items for long periods of time before buying. I have read all of the reviews of this lathe on this site, and have also read books and articles from "Fine woodworking" and other magazines. I have to disagree with most people that are saying this is just a "Mini Lathe", "Great for turning Pens". To quote from one of the books I recently purchased: " Although sold as a Mini lathe, the Jet Lathe is more of a Midsized Bench top lathe capable of doing 90% of any needed woodturning projects (With the bed extension)". This is quoted from one of the top woodturning experts in the country, Ernie Conover's "The Lathe Book: A complete guide to the machine and its accessories".
It is true that I cannot turn bowls or plates larger than 9 1/2 inches (I can stretch it to 9 7/8"), but personally I do not have a need to turn a 36" diameter Tabletop from a tree base.... You need a $7,000.00 (Lowest price) specialized Bowl turning machine to do that anyway. I have not found anything that I need or want to turn larger than this lathe is capable of.
The convenience of being able to break it down to turn Golf Tees, Fishing lures, Ornaments, Goblets, pencil cups, tool handles, most Candlesticks, Bowls, Plates, shorter lamps and most vases.... (Oh yeah and pens!). The list goes on and on. I only spindle turn longer items occasionally and assembly is a snap. I am not a commercial woodworker, I am an after work and all weekend enjoyer of cutting up wood into saw dust. If I were a commercial turner then I would not even be looking for anything in this price range, I would be looking for something with pneumatic plates and remote pushbutton speed controllers tied in with a CNC, with a 3 phase 480v/DC converter/rectifier built-in...(More money than any of us have machines).
To sum it up this is one of the best all around lathes on the market. If you don't believe it, just read a few good books and any decent woodworking magazine. ... Read more

Features

• Quick release levers
• All cast iron
• Variable speed
• Live center
• Rubber feet

Reviews (3)

JML-1014VS/JML-1014 ... to variable speed or not...
I had the non-variable speed version, JML-1014, and was just getting used to changing speeds with the belts when an Amazon special happened; so I went for it. I still think the JML-1014 is a great machine and would be satisfied if that's all I had. In fact, I prefer it's on and off switch design to the JML-1014VS and the fact that it's on the right instead of the left. Also the AC motor might be more reliable than the DC in the long run, although I'm just guessing. But the variable speed feature is truly icing on the cake. Turning a knob, as opposed to changing a belt pulley, gives you the option to make minor changes in speed where you could not before. Also variable speed is real handy, for instance, when starting off with a square blank and then cranking up the speed after the part is rounded off. Or when changing speeds after cutting and going to sanding.
I think the JML-1014 comes up to speed a little faster, probably a function of the JML-1014VS speed electronics. The JML-1014VS seems slightly quieter, probably due to the fact that the JML-1014 has a fan cooled motor. Neither issue is very significant.
All in all, you can't go wrong with either the Jet JML-1014VS or JML-1014. They're both great.

woodworker from ohio
I BOUGHT THIS LATHE AND IT THE BEST LITTLE LATHE ON THE MARKET AND I WOULD TELL ANYONE THAT YOU CAN'T GO WRONG WITH IT.

Jet's Counter Punch K.O.'s Delta
For quite awhile the original Jet mini-lathe has been a rock solid performer. For the money, no one else built a better small lathe. Eventually Delta got in the game and released its "midi"-lathe. For the most part the delta prodcut was every bit as good as the Jet. A few complained that the pulley's were tough to get to on the Jet, and a few complained that machining was hit or miss on the Delta. With both machines so evenly matched, the slightly lower cost of the Delta seemed to give it the edge. That was then...

Enter the JML-1014VS, Jet's electronic varible speed version of the its original mini lathe. This is a great machine that takes all the strengths of the original, adds varible speed control, and then lowers the price. This new model is (currently) listed for less than the Delta's pulley speed selected unit. This pretty much negates even the tiny edge the Delta had over the old machine. Jet also lowered the price A BUNCH on its orginal mini lathe to nearly half of the Delta product.

My only complaint about this new lathe centers around Jet's advertising of the varible speed system. From reading the specs, one would assume that to change the speed from 500 rpm to 3900 rpm, all you have to do is turn the knob. This simply isn't true. The new jet still retains 6 pulleys and a belt in the headstock. Depending on what pulley set you choose, you get either 500-1200rpm, 1100-2000, or 1500-3900. This isn't a fatal flaw, as most turners can find a suitable range for their work. What's most frustrating is that Jet seems a little misleading in their advertising.

The really good news is that this machine runs beautifuly! The headstock/tailstock alignment were dead on. It also runs very very smoothly and quitely. If I have anything else in the shop on (even a box fan across the room on the lowest setting) you can't hear it running. Vibration is non-existant until the RPM's are above 3000 or so. Even then, the vibration isn't detrimental to turning, you can just tell that its on when you put your hand on it.

Thank you Jet for putting out a great product and a great price! ... Read more

Features

• 420 Pounds
• 2 HP 230 Volt
• Variable Speed Control
• Cast Iron Head, Bed and Legs
• High/Low Speed Change Lever

Features

• 3HP, 1Ph, 230V Motor
• 1 1/2" Spindle Hole
• 14" Swing x 40" Centers
• 12 spindle speeds ranging from 40-1800 RPM

Features

• 1,015 pounds
• 2 HP, 1Ph, 230V motor
• 1 3/8" Spindle Hole
• 13" Swing x 40" Centers
• 8 spindle speeds ranging from 70-2000 RPM

Features

• 2 HP, 1Ph, 230V motor
• 1 3/8" Spindle Hole
• 13" Swing x 40" Centers
• 8 spindle speeds ranging from 70-2000 RPM

Features

• 2 HP, 1Ph, 230V motor
• 1 3/8" Spindle Hole
• 13" Swing x 40" Centers
• 12 spindle speeds ranging from 60-1240 RPM

Features

• Digital read out installed
• 3HP, 1Ph, 230V Motor
• 1 1/2" Spindle Hole
• 13" Swing x 40" Centers
• 12 spindle speeds ranging from 40-1800 RPM

Features

• Digital read out installed
• 3HP, 3Ph, 230/460V motor (Prewired 230V)
• 1 1/2" Spindle Hole
• 14" Swing x 40" Centers
• 12 spindle speeds ranging from 40-1800 RPM

Features

• Digital read out installed
• 3HP, 3Ph, 230/460V motor (Prewired 230V)
• 1 1/2" Spindle Hole
• 14" Swing x 40" Centers
• 12 spindle speeds ranging from 40-1800 RPM