bad news about the axminster at1628vs

jim1950 · 1 Sep 2017

can anyone tell me bad things about the at1628vs lathe? I'm hoping to buy one but very hard to find used and from all I read online its the perfect lathe.
At the moment looking to turn 350mm dia. over the bed.

Fire_frogs · 1 Sep 2017

I've been looking at those. I've been told it's almost identical the the twister lathe Simon hope uses ?! I've not heard anything too bad but am still trying to find others to compare to. Have you looked at the killinger stuff? That is meant to be very good as well but German made! I will follow this feed to see what gets thrown up .

dcmguy · 1 Sep 2017

I've been assessing, for myself, the relative merits of the Axminster 1628 against quite a few other lathes. If you're looking for 'bad news' then it's a matter of interpretation whether 'news' is good or bad ...but it's not difficult to make comparisons on the specifications of various machines.

I've not turned on any lathe except a Jet and some Records, so definitely not.on the Axi 1628. Everything I hear suggests it's a very good lathe for the money. You'd do well to talk to people who had one but decided to trade up to find out why.

Obviously vs the Axi 1628 you can pay more money and get bigger and/or better lathes (and worse!) and you could pay less money and maybe get a lathe that suits your needs better than a 1628.

Here are some questions that might make you want to spend less..

- Do you need 2hp
- Do you need a rotating headstock (or a sliding one)
- Do you want a different length warranty (including possibly longer)
- Are you really going to use the capacity of the 1628 or could you accept less diameter for the long term
- Do you need Axminster quality or would you be ok with lower (or possibly higher)
- Is it going to be too heavy to move around

Here are some questions that might make you want to spend more
- would you like a longer guarantee
- would you like higher quality components
- would you like more turning capacity
- would you prefer a fixed headstock or just a sliding headstock
- would you prefer a more flexible working height
- would you like a substantially heavier machine
- would you like stainless steel bedways
- would you like a tailstock tilt away or equivalent
- do you mind a machine made in China

My overall opinion, without having turned on one, is that it looks like an excellent lathe under £2k ... but the record maxi is similarly priced and offers more 'stuff' in some ways ....and then there's the axi2030 recently on sale at £2500 and as you go up the price range there are all sorts of flexibilities available.

Robbo3 · 2 Sep 2017

Here is what I wrote back in Oct 2013 (wow, I didn't realise I'd had it that long) & I still stand by what I said.

The price has risen considerably since then. If I were in the market now, the best value for money is the Record Maxi 1 M33 thread with a 21" swing over the bed as opposed to the 1628s 16", @ £2000, sometimes less.

- axminster-1628-v-s-woodlathe-t74016.html?hilit=1628
"Having upgraded to the AT1628VS I have two minor gripes.

There is a cooling fan for the electrics, permanently on whilst the machine is powered up (probably the noisiest part of the lathe), meaning that it has to be unplugged/switched off if you leave it for any length of time, & secondly, the display panel attracts dust like a there's no tomorrow. Although there is a thin polythene covering, it soon gets tatty & the dust gets underneath. I may try a screen protector, the type that is used on mobile phones & tablets.

As to the weight (96kg), I had to get two strong friends to carry in the lathe bed with the headstock centralised & the tailstock removed - & I used to be able to carry 50kg bags of cement. It was then rested on a workmate with a couple of offcuts of wood to adjust the height so that the legs could be fitted. They need to be lined up fairly acccurately for the bolts to engage the threads tapped into the underside of the bed. The lathe then had to be inched into position, one end at a time. I would estimate the legs to weigh 40kg each, or perhaps a bit more. Considering that it's only 710mm between centres/1150mm overall, that's some weight compared to lathes with a longer bed (Jet 1642 = 1760mm/200kg).

The legs make the centre height 1160mm (45 1/2") approx, which I like but others may not.

The headstock on the AT1628VS both swivels & moves along the bed where as the Jet 1642 doesn't look as if it swivels (but I'm willing to be corrected on that).

The AT1628VS is my third lathe, The first was the small 12" Record RPMSL which is still going well in the hands of a friend. The second was the Draper WTL90 which has served me well for a number of years & is currently for sale only because it couldn't cope with the large size of the timber I am now being offered.

IMHO, what this lathe offers is probably the best value for money at the bottom end of the heavyweight lathe market. 400mm capacity is a hefty chunk of wood - & the size can be increased to 870mm with the addition of a bed extension.

It will take a better turner than me to stretch this lathe's capabilities."

jim1950 · 2 Sep 2017

Thank you all for the replays, you've give more to think about now. The dia over the bed I think may be a must for me also I like the idea of the of head stock turning. I went to Olivers wood turning shop not to long ago and his main lathe is the Ax not sure if its the 1628 or its bigger brother but he can't praise it any higher and he has a mixture of lathe in his workshop.

Phil Pascoe · 2 Sep 2017

I think most people look at a swivelling head and think great I can do large work outboard, when its greatest benefit I've found on a day to day basis is that you can turn your work just a couple of inches which can save a lot of backache.