Item : B0000225RT Customer Reviews I second the desire for accessory sources by .. W. W. Wager () Great lathe, I have the A model and B model envy. I'd like to get the B model banjo and dust hood, but haven't found a source for the parts. Also a shorter 6" tool rest (there are third party sources for this). In short, you can't buy more lathe for the money. Best service I've ever gotten-anywhere, for anything!!! by .. D. A. Sherman (parker, co USA) I'm not going to add much to my review about this lathe. You get the picture that it's a very good lathe, nearly perfect. I will say it's built like a tank, in fact maybe overbuilt, except it's impossible to overbuild a lathe. I may go through a motor in my lifetime (although I doubt it), but someone will be doing things on this lathe 200 years from now and beyond. I mean that. It's well-designed, they refused to cut corners (at the expense of my ease in moving it a few inches at a time!) and it's a darn fine lathe. But all lathes today are good lathes. To me, what separates the good from the truly great is customer service. I had great conversations with bright people when I was hooking it up, and I bought a spindle extender from them a few weeks back. The only "flaw" in design is the head is so huge (again, solid) that it's hard to get in close to it when doing pens. So I bought a 2" spindle extender, problem over. Except it came with 1, not 2, screws. The factory didn't blink, they sent a whole new extender, and quick, and COURTEOUS!!! I can't remember the last time that happened, but I'm 52 and it was a while ago. Buy anything Powermatic makes with the utmost confidence. I see they have 1 "A" model left (that's what I got) and for the money, shipped, it's almost criminal how cheap it is. Put a 50 cent mirror on the wall behind it (or don't, I have the feel for it now anyway) to read the spindle speed and you have the "B" model, for 2 grand less. Oh, by the way, I love the color!!! Wood chips go great with it! Great lathe Great Price Lots of Power by .. Joseph M. Connors (Scottsdale, AZ) First make sure that you have 3 helpers as delivery was right to my door and the rest is up to you. With the motor/headstock and tailstock taken off I still had 500lbs or 600lbs weight of the bed. No bouncing across the room like my Jet 236. Setup was easy. I chose 220 single phase and was turning in 2 hours. The off button does not turn "all the power off" so put a switch in line. Lots of power. I turn bowls, trays and such it has a 20" limit. I will have to buy the setup for outboard turning unless I come up with a better setup. Mine is by a window for natural lighting the digital speed numbers are visible on the one side of the headstock while the on/off, speed controls are on the opposite side. 2 mirrors helped. Everything You Can Ask For by .. Ed Morris (Central Missouri, USA) I won't continue with all the well-deserved praise for this lathe since the other reviewers have definitely made the point. What I will say is do your homework to find the best price, then call ToolCrib (Amazon) and use their price-matching guarantee. I saved about $75 by checking SouthernTool.com first, which also offers free shipping. ToolCrib delivers to the ground, unlike alot of curbside delivery options where you're expected to get it off of the truck. This is HUGE considering you're dealing with a peice of equipment that weighs in at around 700 lbs. Did I mention that I love this lathe? Rock solid, quiet, smooth,...oh yeah, I wasn't going to repeat what everyone else says... Enjoy! Exceeded Expectations by .. J. Green (Wilderville, Texas) It is a pleasusre to review the Powermatic 3520A, a tool that truly exceeds all expectations. The Powermatic is an upgrade for me, intended to replace an antique Rockwell Model 46-111 that suffered having only four speeds and a 5.5 inch swing over bed. The upgrade is dramatic having passed a severe test by successfully turning a fourteen pound green mesquite log that made the Rockwell lathe dance across the shop floor. By comparisson, the Powermatic just stood there running as smooth as a raw egg floating in a bucket of warm oil; not even a ripple. Torque at low speed proved to be most impressive and very useful in my turning projects. Additionally, the adjustments to the headstock, tail stock, spindle and tool rest can all be accomplished with one hand. What a surprise; not even once did these adjustment require the use of a wooden mallet that remained within easy reach of the Rockwell lathe. Manual speed change was also found to be without difficulty and the guard assembly demonstrated to be a welcome addition. However, a few criticisms were discovered. It is assumed that the finger guide on the tool rest is nothing more than a straight edge; big deal. The digital speed readout leaves a lot to be desired in that it is located on the backside of the headstock and requires a factor of nine on low speed and factor of twenty-four on highspeed to approach the actual rpm. Located directly below the digital "speed" readout are a wonderfully tempting set of buttons; however, the instruction manual states that they should, "..never be pushed at any time". Especially disappointing was the discovery that an indexer must be purchased as an optional accessory. Even the old Rockwell has a locking indexer that could be readily engaged and disengaged with my handy mallet. Powermatic would be advised to incorporate the locking indexer into the handwheel. Furthermore, while making improvements it would be further suggested that the tool support remaing bare metal where the hand tools make contact; just above the finger guide! Overall, I like the five star rating and consider the Powermatic 3520A to be a real bargain, especially if one considers the cost per pound.