PROXXON MICRO Woodturning Lathe DB 250, 37020 , Green

This thing is exactly what I was looking for and it didn't disappoint in the least. Plenty of torque for my purposes, good adjustability and speed range, and not too loud so as to upset the neighbors right across the sidewalk (I think). Also very fun and satisfying to use.I use it for making rings. I have some carbide-tipped hand tools and I have no issues shaping down square ring blanks (which are only 1" in width max) of any hardness, and even soft metals like silver can easily be shaved down a bit.I'm sure it would also be great for pen making, though it does struggle a bit if you need to do very hard woods -- if you were to do an entire (say 5") very hard pen blank it would likely take longer and might wear down the motor a bit (maybe take breaks?) but you could still easily get the job done if you go slow.So far it's been in use for a couple of months on and off, getting used at least once a week for a few hours up to 3 times a week, say 4 hours each. I've had no issues with it.The only thing I will say that could be better is the tailstock -- it is pretty jiggly and when it's not secured with the thumbscrews it's pretty much useless. I thought I could use it for drilling but that's a no-go. Maybe if you're doing very soft wood it wouldn't be an issue but it just wiggles too much for drilling anything I tried. Other than that it's fine for securing your piece for turning.I don't have a decibel meter but I would say the noise level at max speed is on par with a small handheld vacuum. If it is too loud you can always lower the speed from 6 to about 4 and that dramatically reduces the noise. I work out of a garage that's right across a sidewalk from apartment complexes and I feel comfortable running this thing without disturbing anyone. I would say I could even run it late at night on 3-4 and have no issues. Note that in my garage there's a gap between the roof and wall so any noise basically goes right through to the other side.Overall this is a great purchase, honestly one of the best I've made and I don't regret it in the least. Exactly what I needed and I don't see myself replacing it until it breaks.

This is a Great micro lathe. We were immediately impressed with how quiet and fast the lathe is. It works beautifully. My son has been using it to turn miniature dollhouse vases, bowls, plates, cups, etc. He is able to use it inside without any loud noise. We are using this lathe with the jaw chuck that fits it. Proxxon 27026 Three Jaw Chuck for the Lathe DB 250 The two together work great and makes it easy to turn anything. We have several Proxxon products and we are totally blown away by the power, and ease of use that all their products have. We have never been disappointed by their quality. Thank you for selling such great products and standing behind your name.

This is a very good entry-grade lathe. I am a miniaturist and am using the lathe to craft tiny spindles for chairs and stair rails. It's powerful and consistent. I did purchase a self-centering chuck which has definitely upgraded the experience for me. I expect to be using this tool for many years.

During the holidays I was looking for miniature wooden ornaments, and I kept thinking if I had a lathe I could make my own. I considered a lot of different models, but I passed over this one because frankly I had never heard of this brand. I'm glad I came back to it though, because it is perfect for small objects. It's also compact, packaged in a box measuring about 20x6x4 inches, which is great for me because I really don't want to leave it in the garage all summer. The lathe is well made (in Belgium!) and runs smoothly, but there's still some room for improvement. I knew absolutely nothing about woodturning, and the entire operating instructions take up just two columns in the booklet. The wording can also be confusing, such as when it refers to the same part as a "check key" in one place and a "centring (sic) key" in another. It also refers to a "knurled screw" on the tool rest, when it actually just has a plastic knob. Speaking of the tool rest, that knob can get in the way of your chisel, and as someone else said, it's only 2 3/8" in length, which means you have to stop and slide it over sometimes. The fact that this lathe comes from Europe may explain why the collet chucks are oddly sized: 5/64, 7/64, 5/32, 15/64, 5/16, and 13/32. Those are close to U.S. dowel sizes, but if you want to turn a 3/16 or 1/4 inch dowel, the chucks won't hold them. A "drive spike" is included for dowels that are too large for the chucks, but you have to use the 13/32" collet to hold it in the drive spindle, which isn't mentioned anywhere in the instructions. I have put the lathe away for now and placed an order for the Proxxon three jaw chuck, which is supposed to work with dowels anywhere from 1/16 to around 1 inch thick, but that's more money that I wasn't planning to spend. Along those lines, if you're like me and just starting out, you'll also need chisels. I bought the Proxxon set, and even though they're made in China they seem to work well, especially on the birch dowels I've been using. I've also ordered the book "Learn to Turn," and I'm hoping that my further expenses will only be for wood, at least for a while.

Bought it as an open-box item to save money but it turned out to be incomplete “all accessories missing” also no packaging material and box was torn on the side. After returning I found out I'll have to wait 30+ days to get a refund. I hope this review helps.

This little lathe super super good a lot of money, but well worth it it works really good little bit noisy but really good. I’d did not expected to be this good.