Last Updated: July 30, 2019 (Refresh Now)
WEN 3420 8 by 12 Variable Speed Benchtop Wood Lathe
Last Updated: July 30, 2019 (Refresh Now)
7.4
SCORE
/10
Total Reviews
155
Old Reviews
3
Unverified
11
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5 meters
SIZE
Review Analysis - 141 recent, verified reviews
Detailed Mode
Ease of Use
25set, easy to use, simple, lathe, beginners
+100%
" ... I really like the value and ease of use. ... "
" ... Easy to teach not only the safety features but how easy to make any project look difficult to make as to how simply was to make. ... "
" ... The Lathe was fairly easy to figure out and use for someone who has never used one before or taken classes. ... "
" ... I love that it is so quiet and also easy to use. ... "
" ... Very simple to set up, quite pleased with product. ... "
" ... It came mostly pre assembled and easy for the rest. ... "
" ... also if there was a handle on both stocks that would make life easier ... "
" ... This also makes it safer for beginners. ... "
Product Reliability
18issues, week, month, motor, already
+33%
-67%
" ... Constantly stops turning. ... "
" ... Motor died after 4 hours of NON continuous use. ... "
" ... Turns out that the reason for the shake was that the live center it came with had already gone bad - in under 3 weeks. ... It was dead. ... "
" ... The tail stock is not very reliable. ... "
" ... The potentiometer used to control the speed of the lathe is faulty. ... "
" ... Its not broken, its just a horrible lathe. ... "
" ... I did try and reach out to them before leaving this review and I have now waited a few weeks but no response. ... "
" ... Broke 2 minutes into using. ... "
Price
18money, lathe, good, beat, wen
+89%
-11%
" ... For the money it's absolutely great. ... "
" ... Not bad for the money. ... "
" ... Good lathe for the price ... "
" ... And for the price? ... It can't be beat. ... "
" ... This is a trade off for the price and portability. ... This is another price trade off and for me isn’t a big deal. ... With all that it is still a great tool for the price. ... "
" ... For the price, this lathe is super hard to beat. ... "
" ... Great for the price. ... "
" ... It works fantastic and is a great value for such a low price. ... "
Build Quality
16tool rest, lathe, locking, banjo, wen
+31%
-69%
" ... Broke 2 minutes into using. ... "
" ... It's a little wiggling/putzing around, but eventually I've gotten it lined back up. ... "
" ... When he tightened the rest, the cast iron rest broke. ... "
" ... First all the clamps you really have to get into them to get them tight and even then they still want to come loose. ... "
" ... but within a 3 weeks, it developed a bad shake, and the banjo (the part that holds the tool rest) would vibrate loose when trying to round out a block if the piece wasn't already close to balanced. ... It as about a 6" bowl, and the shake was so bad that I had to hold the banjo handle down with one hand to keep it from shaking loose and cut the blank to round with one hand. ... "
" ... Overall seems well built, but the locking seems to be a design flaw. ... "
" ... the only issue i have is with the tail stock when you really get to tightening it down it seems to fail as it becomes very difficult to turn. ... "
" ... first time I used it it bent on me. ... "
Fit
12tighten, tailstock, stock, tail, locking
+58%
-42%
" ... The only thing keeping me from giving it a 5 star rating is there are no mounting holes to mount it to a bench. ... "
" ... I found that removing the spindle and mounting the block directly to the face plate greatly reduced this. ... "
" ... I'm planning on building a custom vent hood for the electric motor vents on the machine . ... "
" ... This is my first lathe and it fits all my greenhorn needs. ... "
" ... Nice small lathe, perfect for pens, my only issue is the tailstock will not tighten up. ... "
" ... Getting the wood to stay in place and spin properly takes some good measurements, time and practice, but it's relatively straight forward after that. ... "
Setup
9easy, setup, simple, easy to use, assemble
+89%
-11%
" ... Easy to setup and get turning right away. ... "
" ... It was very quick and easy to assemble. ... "
" ... Everything assembled well, set up easily, no issues like that. ... "
" ... Easy to use and setup ... "
" ... The initial set-up is very simple. ... "
" ... Took ten minutes to set up. ... "
Overall performance
8lathe, startup, speed, price, point
+75%
-25%
" ... The variable speed puts it a step ahead of the other lathes in this price class. ... "
" ... This lathe is a solid performer. ... "
" ... The variable speed control is great. ... "
" ... the delayed and gradual startup is wonderful along with the variable speed. ... "
" ... I have made over 100 pens on my WEN lathe and am very happy with its operation and performance. ... "
" ... I think this lathe is great had it for about a month and it runs really quiet and its super nice. ... "
Storage
8lathe, bowls, projects, making, cups
+88%
-13%
" ... Love the lathe - I don't have a dedicated space so I needed a lathe small enough to put away and get out while large enough to do more than token projects. ... "
" ... It says it is capable of up to 8 inch diameter projects, but I wouldn't if I was you. ... "
" ... This is a great lathe that is inexpensive, will turn small items like pens, cups, small bowls. ... "
" ... Ive made a couple pens, couple cups and bowls as well as a small waste bin for the bathroom. ... "
" ... works perfectly in the space i have for it. ... "
" ... I sen this on to become part of a maker space in a charter school, so since they sent a pic of a student using the lathe, i can only assume it is working well for them ... "
" ... Great for making things like bottle openers, pens, ECT. ... "
Size
7works, smaller, small, size, trade
+100%
" ... The lathe bounced everywhere! ... With some good clamps and patience, I was able to get it formed to a manageable size. ... "
" ... Works great for small projects. ... "
" ... Simple and Compact . ... "
" ... This is a trade off for the price and portability. ... "
" ... Good for smaller jobs. ... "
" ... Small proojects such as pens it works good for. ... "
Delivery
5arrived, well, time, one, amazon
+100%
" ... One word of warning: this was one of the rare purchases where Amazon TOTALLY messed up the delivery. ... "
" ... The unit arrived on time. ... "
" ... when it was shipped it was NOT treated with the care we would have hoped for . ... "
" ... I was surprised as the lathe arrived well packaged and about a week earlier than the estimated delivery date. ... "
" ... Arrived on time, looks and works well. ... "
Features
5lock, features, feature, make, easy
+100%
" ... Once the lock is running in the groove it works great! ... "
" ... The continuous variable speed feature gives the Wen the best value of all I looked at. ... "
" ... Easy to teach not only the safety features but how easy to make any project look difficult to make as to how simply was to make. ... "
" ... Great flexibility with the location adjustment prop, it really gets everywhere you'll need and I love the quick release/lock features. ... "
" ... This is definitely a safety feature appreciated by any lathe users that have had an off centered piece of stock. ... "
Comfort
5tool rest, tool, tightened, place, hand
+40%
-60%
" ... Unfortunately the tool rests sit too high. ... "
" ... When he tightened the rest, the cast iron rest broke. ... "
" ... but within a 3 weeks, it developed a bad shake, and the banjo (the part that holds the tool rest) would vibrate loose when trying to round out a block if the piece wasn't already close to balanced. ... "
Marketplace
4sent, replacement, one, delivery, contacted
+75%
-25%
" ... One word of warning: this was one of the rare purchases where Amazon TOTALLY messed up the delivery. ... "
" ... Thank you A +++++ ... "
" ... The seller has been very nice to work with. ... "
Hair
4tools, small, cut, sharp, little
+75%
-25%
" ... It does have a small 1/3hp motor but with sharp cutting tools and a little patience can cut some very hard wood. ... "
" ... As with most lathes it doesn’t come with cutting tools or personal protective gear, other than that it comes with the equipment you need to get started. ... "
" ... I have turned out 35 tops, 5 hair pins, 4 small vases and one ring bowl. ... "
Design
4tool, looks, design, seems, locking
+75%
-25%
" ... Nice design, looks good, problem with tool rest can be fixed by simply angling the banjo so that the tightening lever can be turned. ... "
" ... If you want somrthing that looks neat fornyour shop get this. ... "
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Specifications
Body
Size: 5 meters
Recommendations
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