3 Best Metal Lathe

Nothing excites me more than being at home with my tools doing various projects to improve my home and make it beautiful.

In fact, DIY projects are some of the things I do to pass the time with my kids. One tool that comes in handy for most projects is the metal lathe since I work mostly with metals and other materials.

With their main use being the shaping of thick heavy metals, having a good quality metal lathe in your garage is necessary for all your metal fabrication needs.

This will take your DIY projects to the next level.

With various tool manufacturers in the market, it can be challenging to identify the best metal for your metal fabrication needs.

However, this should not worry you, as I understand the challenges and difficulties of selecting or buying the best metal lathe.

In this review, I will mention some of the best metal lathes that are proven to stand out from the rest in terms of performance and to satisfy your needs.

I will also mention some of the features that make them the best. Below are the 3 best metal lathes one should look to buy.

Grizzly Industrial G8688-72’’ x 12’’ Metal Lathe

This is a quality metal lathe for your do-it-yourself projects at home. The lathe is relatively small but doesn’t underestimate its performance as it ranks at the top.

When it comes to prices, this is slightly more expensive compared to other metal lathes, but it is worth it, thanks to its features and versatility.

Key specifications

This metal lathe is small and compact and has various replacement accessories that improve its functionality. It also has some features on larger lathes, perfect for various projects.

Key features

• It is powered by a powerful1/3 horsepower motor
• It has a variable speed spindle that enables one to set the speed and change the speed to whatever they want.
• It has a chip tray and splash guard that collects the debris of materials, thus preventing the workspace from becoming untidy.

Pros

• It is small and compact making it convenient for your home garage
• It comes equipped with various useful accessories.
• It is durable.

Cons

• Can be unsteady when working on huge thick metals, meaning it’s only suitable for medium tasks.

Why I have included it in the list?

Its performance is top-notch.

Central Machinery Precision Mini Lathe

If you are looking for an affordable small-sized metal lathe, this is the one to get. For its small size, you get a high-quality lathe that suits a home workshop and its needs.

It is a top performer compared to other almost equally priced metal lathes and is great for making bushings, turning metals, making metal prototypes, and models.

Key specifications

• The Central Machinery Precision Mini Lathe is versatile as it allows one to choose between manual mode and automatic mode, enabling one to choose a setting that suits them most.
• This metal lathe features a 3/4 horsepower motor which is surprisingly more powerful than other highly priced machines.

Key features

• It has a variable speed control knob that allows you to easily adjust the spindle speed to the one you prefer most for your projects.
• To improve the safety, the chuck guard is equipped with a micro switch.
• The machine boasts an impressive thread range of between 12 to 52 threads per inch.

Pros

• It’s very affordable, and comes packed with great useful features.
• Can be used to accomplish various tasks with ease because of its great horsepower.

Cons

• It is not very useful for large demanding projects.
• Lacks when it comes to cutting tools.

Why I have included it in the list?

It is cheap and very affordable. It would not stretch you financially to buy one, and for that price, it is quite powerful and can handle all your projects.

Shop Fox M1015 6-inch by 10-Inch Micro Lathe

For those who don’t want to spend much and don’t want to take the cheapest metal lathe in the market, the Shop Fox M1015 6-inch by 10-Inch Metal Lathe is the right machine for you.

Key specification

This metal lathe is one of the most durable machines among small metal lathes available and can fit in your garage space or anywhere you want to place it.

Key features

• It has a convenient easy to use control panel that is conveniently placed for easy access and has a number of functions that enable one to operate the lathe with ease.
• It comes with various accessories that may include the three-jaw chuck and other selections that are used for various purposes.

Pros

• Its parts are durable and can last a very long time without the parts breaking or experiencing problems.
• Its small compact size makes it convenient to be placed in any space you have available for your projects.

Cons

• Learning to fully operate the machine is quite difficult and requires some time.

Why I have included it in the list?

It is durable and a good option if you don’t want to spend on the very expensive options.

So, what are the 3 best metal lathes?

All the above metal lathes are great and function very well, but my 3 best metal lathes in the order from best are:

1. Central Machinery Precision Mini Lathe
2. Grizzly Industrial G8688-72’’ x 12’’ Metal Lathe
3. Shop Fox M1015 6-inch by 10-Inch Micro Lathe

If I had to pick one metal lathe from the mentioned ones, I would go for the Grizzly Industrial G8688-72’’ x 12’’ Metal Lathe because of its efficiency when working on various projects.