Nova 46301 Comet II Variable Speed Midi Lathe Bundle with Nova G3 COMET II Reversible Chuck, 12in x 16.5in, Nova Silver

No issues at all. Make sure to break in the motor. I know the first thing you want to do is open it up and mount a blank. But the unit is shipped with new motors that have not been broken in. Make sure to run the motor for at least 30 minutes to get the brushes worn in. That will help the longevity of the motor. I am a hobby wood turner, this unit fits everything I want it to do. The forward and reverse feature is awesome. Makes for a perfect finish when sanding if you go both ways. Also the variable speed control is beyond amazing to have. It has the three different belt settings for adjusting speed also but I haven't needed to change it. With the belt on the middle setting it is more then enough of a variance in speed for me. Overall I love this lathe, I would recommend it to anyone

This lathe was a definite upgrade from the 60-year old one we have been using. The fit and finish are not perfect, but certainly very good. Everything is as advertised and the reversible chuck that comes with the lathe is of high quality. If you need a light to medium duty lathe, this is an excellent buy.

I would label myself a very serious hobbyist, on a budget. The variable speed is great, the bed extension is worth the money, and the belt changes are very convenient. Once screwed to the bench, the lathe does very well with vibration.I have had . This lathe two months and some issues have popped up. The tailstock quill threads have begun to bind up-- it is hard to put any pressure on the workpiece, so i will need to have that replaced.The low speed paired with the motor would seem very powerful, but because of the small pulley on the motor there is always belt slippage in the 9-12 inch diameter range. All other speeds and diameters work very well.I won't be sending the lathe back, I like it, but it is not without issues.UPDATEIts dead. The motor died mid spin tonight, and I am without a lathe. I am within two years but the motor warranty is only for one. Reduced to one star.

Great little lathe. After setting it up I noticed the bed was cracked on both sides. It did run smooth and quite and worked. I didn't turn anything on it because of the crack. Sent it back and bought a Jet. The Comet II is a lot quieter than the Jet. Amazon didn't have another one in stock or I would have just replaced it.

I wish I had never purchased this lathe. When it works it does its job as expected but.....The first thing that happened, and this is partially my fault, is that the drive belt flat spotted. I called service (which is not easy to reach) and they sent me a new belt gratis.Changing it proved impossible. The manual gives you a step by step but you'll need a snap ring pliers. Off to the hardware store. The main shaft then has to be tapped out which proved impossible. Maybe If I had a hydraulic press it would have been doable. Finally, with the help of a 5 pound sledge, it was disassembled and the belt replaced. Reassembly was impossible. The mainshaft would not go back in place.I called service and they were nice enough to send out a whole new front of the lathe. Another trip to the hardware store to get the right sized large Allen wrench and some sweating and cursing got me turning again.It was fine for 3 months.Yesterday I was turning a large, unbalanced blank at the slowest speed. I heard a pop and the lathe went to full speed, injuring my hand and almost falling off the work bench before I could grab the plug.So now the speed control doesn't work at all and I have badly bruised fingers.A call to service determined that the variable speed control was fried. They nicely told me they'd send out s new one. The only problem is that the speed control is hard wired into the motor. When I pointed this out they offered to send me both the speed control and the motor since they are certainly not plug and play.I've got to say the guys at service have been very helpful and when it works I love the lathe but I either got a lemon or the design is very poor.The fact that that the speed control goes to full speed as a default if there is a problem is extremely dangerous.After 3 years with this lathe my original opinion stands and, in fact has gotten worse. The quill stroke is very short and normal mt2 accessories do not fit the quill excepte very short ones. Tech support has gone from poor to nonexistent.

Beginning turner, bought this after some classes at Woodcraft and a lot of research for a midi lathe. Great lathe and chuck, great price. Very pleased. First one that arrived looked like it was dropped off the loading dock, bedways were cracked. Excellent Amazon service cross-shipped a replacement and paid for the return. Don't forget to read the manual and break in the motor before using.

This is an excellent mid-sized beginners lath. It can handle most pieces that I am turning now. It might be slightly under powered for some of the larger, heavier pieces that I turn. I like the reversing feature of the lath. I can really put a nice smooth sanded finish on the pieces I turn.

The sharpening tool attachment to the Nova lathe is a wonderful idea, however, the poorly designed tool rest which is not angle adjustable makes the whole attachment ineffective and worthless. Save your money. It is unusable except maybe for a scraper. The rest received is totally flat unlike the picture which shows a canted front. The one received is shorter and cannot be bent to be usable at all.