Lathe choice at £1000

[tsh2]

I'm currently learning to turn with a borrowed AW240WL which is temporarily in my garage, and pondering what to buy for myself as a long term investment. I had started to think that an AW355WL might be a sensible choice, but looking at Axminster's professional range I am starting to think that if I'm hoping to be using this lathe for the next 30 years I don't want to be replacing the motor too many times, and maybe there are some features which are going to be worth paying a little bit extra for. Looking for a benchtop machine (I think), but not short of space.

So far my 'must have' list looks like this:

• M33 Spindle (will eventually be buying hardware in EU)
• Induction, 750W or more, VFD
• Multiple speed ratios
• Reverse

New or nearly new - what should I be looking for or avoiding? What do people value or regret after upgrading to this price range? 333mm between centres seems a little bit limiting, but I'm not sure I really want to spend close to £2000 which is what Axminster are asking for their larger semi-pro model.

The forum helpfully provided this outgrown my lathe thread, which had escaped my earlier searches.