WEN 12-in x 18-in Wood Lathe

Starter Lathe

Great size for new wood turners

Avoid at all costs

I purchased this as a starter lathe to see if woodturning was something I was interested in. Set up was easy, and so was operation. The problem is quality. Motor overheated and sheered gears. Unit is dead after less than 10 hours use. Company doesn't respond to warranty requests.

A good lathe to learn on

I have a laguna 18/36 but when I sold my shop and brought it to my house, realized I did not have a 240 volt outlet to use it on. I bought the Wen to give me something to turn with until I could sort out my electrical issues with my other lathe. The Wen obviously does not have the power or capacity of my bigger lathe, but it does a fair job on smaller items for a very fair price. If you are just starting out with a lathe, this one is worth considering. Once you feel confident in what you are do...

Maybe you'll have better luck

Plugged in the lathe and it does not work. Still trouble shooting but pretty bummed.

Great tool

I purchased another brand same size as this WN 12-18, which turned out to be complete junk. So I was skeptical about this lathe, but now that I have used it, this is my recommendation to anyone wanting a bench top wood lathe. The motor is rated at 4.5amps which equates to 1 hp. So don't be fooled by what some of the brands tell. Also the hardware is very stout and the machine has run very smooth since day one. You can't go wrong on this one.

Great lathe for the price

This lathe is great for the price. It has an even bed and easily adjustable motor belts. The lathe runs evenly and is moderately quiet. I'm happy with my purchase.

Changing speed is a little awkward. Not difficult

value for price is excellent

Great little lathe!

This is a great benchtop wood lathe. It's large enough to do many different turning projects and it is compact enough to use in the tightest of home woodshops. It has an MT2 spindle which works with several different kinds of accessories. It is quiet and has virtually no vibration. The five (5) speeds give it a great deal of versatility.