Reddit reviews Bed Extension for Excelsior Mini Lathe MC-1018
We found 2 Reddit comments about Bed Extension for Excelsior Mini Lathe MC-1018. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
Are you talking about this one: http://www.harborfreight.com/5-speed-bench-top-wood-lathe-65345.html ? It is variable speed, you just have to stop and change the belt to a different pulley. (though that's not electronic like you said)
The best thing about this lathe is that it's the same lathe a handful of manufacturers sell so you can get parts and accessories pretty easily. For instance I got a bed extension so I can turn table legs on it now.
You can expand the spindle capacity on the HF using a bed extension like this one. I also started with the HF and then upgraded to a Nova 1644 to get a bit more power and swing. The biggest drawback for a beginner is the limited speed range. It would be a near perfect machine if it had lower rpms.