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Coronet Herald v Axminster AT350WL

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John D Smith:

 I always get any Bearings I need from a local Bearing shop as long as you know the number no problem they are much cheaper and most of the time better quality.
                                                  Regards John

Mike313:

--- Quote from: GBF on March 12, 2020, 10:32:15 AM ---Axminster without a shadow of a doubt.
A far superior lathe much more power.
I tested the Herald and I own 2 of the Axminster lathes and I know wich I would buy.

Regards George

--- End quote ---

Excuse my ignorance here please but, given that both lathes have (I think) a 1HP motor, how is the Axminster lathe much more powerful. Is it something to do with the belt ratios?

Woodcrafts:
I have used both lathes and there is not much to choose between them on the basic specs. ( I should point out the motor powers are the same. In fact Record give the full spec of 1kw input, 750W output for the motor, whereas Axminster just state 750W without stating if this is input or output power.)

That said, the one big reason I would go for the Herald is that it has a swivelling headstock. This facility is not just for turning big bowls, it is extremely useful for turning items where you want to work more comfortably. When hollowing out boxes, or turning small bowls, you can swivel the head a little so you don't have to reach over the bed of the lathe and the tool handle is also clear of it.

The Herald also has a more substantial motor mounting plate compared to the thin steel plate of the Axminster, and the motor does not fill up with shavings. It also has a proper Emergency stop button, positioned in a sensible place.

One thing I do like about the Axminster, and is somethng I do, where possible on all the lathe conversions I do, to have a remote control box, allowing you  to position ON/OFF, FWD/REV and Speed control close at hand, wherever you are working on the lathe.

Bill21:
I’ve got the earlier model AT1416VS and it’s been very good. Unlike many other lathes it has a proper inverter drive rather than a cheap speed control. A friend of mine bought a RP lathe and returned it after having to fit three speed controllers and two motors. Many clubs and pro demonstrators use the Axminster so that speaks volumes. It also has a slightly larger bowl capacity than you might expect for its modest size. I can appreciate the earlier comment about swivelling the head (on the coronet) but you really don’t need to on the Axminster as you can easily remove the tailstock and work from the end, I do it all the time. There’s a lot to like about the Axminster that may not become apparent until you actually use it, one handed tailstock removal for example.

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