8 Best Benchtop Metal Lathe

Every woodworker knows that the key to a beautiful piece of furniture is sanding. Sanding can be laborious if you have never done it before, but sanding becomes easy and enjoyable with the best bench metal lathe. With this tool in your garage or workshop, you will be able to make any project look perfect quickly!

1 - Shop Fox M1049 9-Inch Bench Metal Lathe

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Pros

  • 10" swing
  • The use of three jaw self centering chuck
  • A 1/16 hp spindle with variable speed range
  • A 4" maximum swing
  • Inbuilt 110v power switch for safety purposes

Cons

  • You need to have a reasonably large work surface around it
  • It can also be difficult to torque when trying to cut large stock because the knee-jerk reaction of the lathe will be downward
A bench metal lathe is a versatile machine that can turn wood and other materials into cutting tools, sporting goods, small parts for appliances, and more. Unlike traditional wood-turning operations with hand tools or a foot pedal, the Shop Fox M1049 9-inch bench metal lathe lets you quickly size up your project by offering multiple turning diameters in one do-it-yourself toolset. Turning provides an efficient way to create circles from readily available round stock material like wood blocks or steel bars.

2 - Hengwei Mini Motorized Lathe

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Pros

  • It is easy to assemble
  • It has a built-in variable speed foot pedal
  • Very affordable for a bench metal lathe ($200!)
  • It can do just about everything you need a lathe to do and more, from milling intricate pieces of wood, cutting metal rods into exact lengths
  • It has template attachments for precision grating. It's pretty versatile with all those features built-in!
  • It won't slow down when cutting thick material like sheet metal or 4x4 wood boards due to its high torque engine

Cons

  • The only disadvantage of the Hengwei mini metal lathe would be its size
  • If you want to do a lot of detailed work but need that detail, then your options are to either get a larger lathe or modify the project plan beforehand

3 - WEN 3455 Bench Metal Lathe

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Pros

  • The price is affordable compared to other lathes on the market
  • It's lightweight, making it easy to transport, store or work on small projects
  • Easy height adjustment with variable speed control from 1-230 RPMs
  • You can control it along with metal speeds set by the user between 0-2800 SFM
  • It comes fully assembled, which means no complicated assembly is required

Cons

  • Not nearly as popular among professionals in the industry as some other brands
  • There are some complaints about quality control as some people received defective lathes and missing parts from the factory
With the WEN 3455 Bench Metal Lathe, you'll have all the tools you need for shaping metal. This 16" benchtop lathe offers a powerful 220V motor with belt drive and 15 speeds. Tools like a faceplate, tailstock, standard live centers (2), and hardware are included in your purchase, as well as one 4" wrench. The work light also helps you see what's happening while machining metals you've cut from sheet stock materials up to 12". Get yours today!

4 - Grizzly Industrial G0602 Bench Metal Lathe

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Pros

  • The design and manufacture of this machine guarantee years of dependable use for the home hobbyist
  • It has a 3/4 HP single-phase induction motor
  • It has a variable speed control from 600-3500 RPM and will turn pieces up to 17" in diameter
  • It's made with precision tolerances to keep it square
  • The machining ops are done on CNC machines that produce all gears, axis drive shafts, keys ways, and bearings, so there are no burrs or burs and ensuring a good alignment without the need for much adjustment.

Cons

  • It does not come with an instruction manual
  • You cannot use it without mounting it permanently on something like a bench floor or tabletops
The Grizzly G0602 is a precise metal turning machine with all the features of our best-selling model, the G0601. It has a powerful 1/2 horsepower variable-speed motor to go when you want. Vary speeds from 10 RPM for finishing stock down to 3000 RPM for roughing out tough cuts. All machines have a magnetic base and tailstock taps for offhand turning or faceplate work, plus we've got an arsenal of accessories like live centers, chucks, sleeves, and plenty more on tap (for lathes that are tapped).

5 - Roeam Versatile Bench Metal Lathe

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Pros

  • It is a versatile bench metal lathe that you can convert into other types of machine tools
  • These machines range from manual drill presses to lathes to vertical and horizontal boring mills
  • The versatility of this benchtop lathe means we may purchase less equipment in the future by integrating an inexpensive tool into our workshop
  • Has depth on both face and backside jaws for clamping material in three dimensions
  • Great durability

Cons

  • It is primarily designed for low production rates
  • No fast milling and turning capabilities
Quality and efficiency are the hallmark features of the versatile Roeam Versatile Bench Metal Lathe. It can do many jobs, from metal fabrication to cutting to engraving. It even boasts several specialties like general-purpose turning or live center turning, also known as spiral turning. These lathes have built their reputation for precision design in workshops around the world. The rugged construction makes it possible for this lathe machine with adjustable speeds and feeds up to 6500 rpm to technically "walk" a job from one operation to another. It gives users high-speed capability without sacrificing accuracy or durability. Other features include changeable hand chucks, variable spindle speeds up 12000 rpm, and an ergonomic safety clutch that reverses any lost motion.

6 - Shop Fox M1015 Bench Metal Lathe

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Pros

  • The perfect lathe for a beginning machinist
  • It can do most of the work that other benchtops or floor-type lathes are capable of doing
  • Digital readouts for both depth and speed
  • Replaceable tool bits
  • It has a powerful 1/3 HP induction motor and spindle speeds up to 3000 RPM

Cons

  • The tooling is not as good or as strong
  • The workpiece load is not quite as balanced
  • It's hard to get a lot of detailed work done in a short period
The Shop Fox M1015 Bench Metal Lathe is the perfect tool for any aspiring craftsman or machinist. This lathe features a powerful 1 HP motor with 11 variable speeds, all adjustable down to 200 rpm, which means it can handle jobs from lumber mills to small parts production. It also comes with a set of useful accessories: 2 chucks, an indexable .001"-127" metal dial indicator (M36), and a parallelism gauge kit (NGK19).

7 - Grizzly G4015Z Combo Bench Metal Lathe

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Pros

  • It has a maximum swing of 8" and headstock torque of 70 ft/lbs
  • The gear ratio is 220:1
  • It has parallel feed dials at both ends of the cross bed slide
  • Its overall dimensions measure up to 34½" in height by 37"
  • It has a horsepower of 1hp

Cons

  • This lathe is not capable of tackling as much work due to its smaller bed/li>
  • It can be too big for some
The grizzly G4015Z is a benchtop metal lathe that manufacturers built to last. With 175 total horsepower and automated feeds, the G4015Z allows you to prepare any finished or unfinished part of the workpiece before turning it on the lathe spindle. The compound rest adjustment capability provides accurate height settings for turning and cross-sliding with a simple release.

8 - Erie Tools Mini Bench Metal Lathe

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Pros

  • Unique Design
  • It allows you to make precise rotational cuts that would be very difficult for a power tool
  • Reduced risk of injury
  • The Mini-Lathe will do aluminum, brass, bronze, or steel up to 3/8 inch thick
  • It has its own set of cutters on the included tool rest

Cons

  • Bench size limits functionality in terms of turning larger or smaller workpieces
  • Blade wobble making it challenging to accurate cutting edge angles - this can be solved with sharpening or higher quality blade but may not be ideal for some people when deciding to buy the lathe A bit tricky to mount, and alignment instructions are not included on all models
Erie Tools is the micro lathe that will take your work to the next level. Creating anything from complex parts, decorative metal connections, and more with a single handheld mini-lathe has never been easier. With variable speed range, wide handle grip for comfort, and upgradable clamping system, this little wonder makes custom jobs even more affordable.

If you've been having a hard time figuring out how to get started with more complex projects, we have the solution. A metal lathe is an invaluable tool that you can use for various operations to make tubular objects or customize them. Our top 6 choices are designed so that they are easy enough for beginners and powerful enough for experts alike. Best of all, these tools come at very affordable prices, which means you won't break the bank if you're starting! Have any questions about what might work best? Let us know through the comments below.

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