Long Over-do

I have been using this lathe for almost a year now. This is the kind of item that will make an ordinary turner into a a great turner. Easy to setup. Very easy to get the setting I like to use. Once it is setup the way you like it, it holds those settings until you change it. Very consistent end products. This is a great lathe, better than a lot of more expensive machines.

A Great Lathe

I wanted to step up to a more powerful and versatile lathe. I was hoping to find an American or Canadian made model. However, I found that not only were there very few but what was available, I couldn't afford. I researched the mid-range lathes and finally decided on the Penn State 12" Midi-Lathe. The powerful 1 hp motor never stalls and the digital speed readout, along with variable speed control makes consistent turning not only possible, but a joy. All the accessories are well engineered and machined, unlike other imported lathes. The lathe body has no rough external edges and the handles at either end allow one to heft this 50+ pound puppy to the work bench. There was a hole in the box when delivered and I found the tail-stock was mis-aligned by 1/8" after I completed the quick and simple assembly. A quick call to Penn State Customer Service put me in contact with "Joe". BINGO! A new tail-stock was on the way. Just that easy. No quibbling. If you're ready to move up, give Penn State quality a try. You won't be disappointed.

First Lathe

I'm a newbie turner. This was my first lathe and I've been turning for the past 2 months. I really enjoy my lathe. The digital readout is a great option. I never need to change my belt to the low setting which I new would have been a pet peeve of mine having to switch it back and forth. 300 RPM is plenty slow enough to apply CA glue to the blank I'm finishing. The only issue I have is the slop in the tailstock when drilling my blanks. I'm able to line it up with minimal effort to prevent my drill bit from over rounding the hole. But for the options and getting a 1 HP motor the price is exceptional. I'm sure there are better lathes out there, but you are going to pay for it. This is a great lathe for beginners and experienced alike.

PSI Commander Performance!

I waited about 4 months for my Commander 12 and it was worth the wait. I was thrilled with the lathe. Very smooth quiet motor and turning. It is very nice solid cast iron. I'm thrilled with the variable speed and most of all; the technician (Joe R.) was very helpful when I ran into trouble with it. I was heartbroken to have problems 4 months after I bought it and expected it to be a hassle to get it fixed. The tech said the design had been reworked and they would ship me the parts right away to replace the old parts. I couldn't believe how easy they made it. Be assured, PSI takes care of you after the sale.

Indeed a fine beastie

I have been using my TC 12 for about 2 months now, it replaced an early Delta midi (very early, serial #46). I concur with Mike Posey's comment on the weight - I was planning to bolt it down to my lathe table but as the rubber feet aren't "bolt through" I experimented with using the feet and just placing it on the low friction top. It hasn't moved a fraction of an inch in the 2 months, even with uneven turnings up to 8 inches (haven't tried 12 yet), and there is no significant vibration passed to the table because of the rubber feet. As I am totally happy with my purchase I'm going to cite the negatives - if a review is completely glowing it is not properly informative. There is a bit of play between the tailstock and the ways - being an hours drive from PSI I took my tailstock back and their fine factory man, Joe Roberts, found me a closer fit from the stock. It still has play. I wrote my guru, David Ellsworth of hollow turning fame, and he told me that even the "thoroughbreds" often had that problem - I should learn the right "twitch" when locking down the tailstock. I have learned the twitch, and reduced it with a bit of reinforced packing tape (Scotch brand). I also had a small problem with the point to point height of the tailstock and headstock - I was able to raise the tailstock with the same tape. The digital speed readout is a great plus, but you will find it take a bit of time to cycle up and stabilize. At first I thought it was the motor, but then my ear told me it was just the readout. Although I realize it is good practice to turn down the speed before starting up, when I'm stopping it momentarily to check a turning I leave it at speed. The motor comes right up to speed when I turn it back on, the readout delays. There are a few chips in the finish of my TC 12, but that is only aesthetic. I thought the lamp a bit useless (as I have the PSI Big Gulp Ultimate Hood installed at the headstock end - I recommend that - if you install it as pictured in the catalog you have to remove it every time you want to remove the tailstock, but the mounting is narrow enough to fit under the headstock spindle without interfering with the tool rest banjo, you just have to trim the ends of the plastic wing nut), but then found it quite convenient for re-mounting a piece to a spur drive, getting the spurs into the same "slots". The suggested location of the tool tray is in the way of the tool handle when hollowing - but PSI put alternate drilling in the bed so it can be at the headstock end - I suggest that, although there is minor interference with the lamp. I am wracking my brain for further negatives. The speed readout gets a bit in the way when working with a spur drive at the headstock end of a small piece, but that is easily solved with a 2MT to 2MT extension - and I'd prefer to keep the readout. (It is not a problem with a chucked piece, the chuck moves the piece enough away from the headstock). The spindle lock mechanism, as supplied, was "short threaded" so it couldn't be properly bolted down. The good Joe Roberts replaced that for me, and now that PSI is aware of the possibility I'm sure it will be no problem. There was a small misalignment of the headstock as it came, a simple loosening of the bolts and a bit of a "tweak" got that lined up. That takes care of the negatives, and each has been solved. Now to further positives. The access to the drive belts is outstanding - loosening one finger bolt allows you to lift the entire cover of the belt compartment, and with a nice sized door at the bottom you have two hand access and full vision. Shifting the belt is no more than a 30 second operation (and, given the wide speed range for each pulley, an operation you will seldom perform). This is a well designed machine, both in features and functionality. I looked at both the Delta and Jet 12" midi lathes as well as the PSI. Each of the three have differing "extras". The Jet has a bit more spindle length, the Delta a half inch more swing (and a reversing motor, apparently for people who can't figure out to hold the sandpaper under the piece as they say "it is useful for sanding"). Looking at the combination of features, and neglecting that the TC 12 is a bit cheaper, I found the match of features of the PSI to be best for my turning. [May I point out that my work is mainly bowl and hollow form turnings from natural wood, but I also do spindle "project" work as "bread and butter".] The only question was the quality of the PSI TC12, and that question was answered positively when I started working with it. A few chips in the finish are trivial compared with the functionality and features, a few "tweaks" to get it going are also trivial. I now have a lathe that I will work with for a long time (I hope a long time, being 75 I can't be too sure of that ). Best, Jon Jonathan W. Murphy Englishtown, NJ

Great lathe

Easy to put together. Good weight. Great speeds,very easy to adjust no guessing. every thing I was looking for & I looked for a long time. I know you will love this too. Thanks Penn State.

Mixed feelings

Decided I wanted this lathe last Spring. After months on waitlist and backorder, finally got the lathe in early October. Put it together and plugged it in (on a Friday), power controller popped and died. Had to wait until Monday to call for support, called at 4:00 Central and was told I had to call when Tech Support was there. Finally got Tech Support, they sent me a new controller (ten days later it arrived). Hooked it up and the lathe worked great for about 12-15 hours of use. While sanding a piece the lathe sped up to full speed. The controller had no effect. I now have a two speed lathe, fast and faster. Tech Support sent a new rheostat for the controller, no joy. Called, and called, and finally got Tech Support on Monday afternoon, the tech sounded like he was swamped with issues and finally said he would send a replacement controller (again) and that I would have it by the weekend. It was not in the mail on Saturday. When it was working it was really nice, good and heavy, stable platform. The only concern when it was working was that the belt seems a bit stretchy, when using a forstner bit to bore holes for peppermills, as the bit bites into the wood, the spindle slows noticeably, then speeds back up, then stabilizes speed. I think I will really like this lathe when it gets over its controller issues, but right now all it is good for is turning pens, not the bowls and peppermills I had planned on as Christmas presents. I will do another review after it works for a while.

This thing is a beast

I tested the prototype any was very impressed. The body of the lathe is quite heavy, so no vibration. I gave this lathe a beating for a couple of days and never let me down. The 1hp motor is very powerful and smooth. The motor also has plenty of torque at low speeds for roughing out green bowl blanks up to 12" that are out of balance or have interrupted cuts. I really enjoyed this lathe especially with the digital readout which the coolest feature for any turner. The indexing head was also a great.