Craftsman  3-Speed Mini Lathe (22106)

First time using this lathe one of the tightening handles snapped off and the tool rest came loose and now rocks when turning

I bought this lathe 2 years ago when my kids (13 & 12) wanted to learn to make pens. It arrived with 2 of the knobs broken off but since I opened the package (how else would I have kown?) I couldn't send it back without paying shipping. Since it was a small problem I fugired I'd just live with it. When the belt broke I tried to call in and get a replacement part. The model number isn't on the lathe anywhere.  It MIGHT be on the red label you see in the picture but that fell off in about a month. sorry - can't order a part without a model number.  Yes, I see it on the website but  I can't help you.  I found a vacuum cleaner belt that worked for over a year (longer then the original, BTW)

Do the smart thing - pay a little extra for a decent product that has a history of good support.  Wish I had. I'm now disposing of this and buying a Jet mini lathe.

This was my first lathe, so it offers a decent introduction to woodturning.  But as other reviewers note, there are many problems.  The rest comes loose, the pen mandrel does not fit standard bushings, and the parts are not great quality.  Perhaps most irritating, though, were the instructions, which are absolutely incomprehensible unless you are already an accomplished woodturner.  (And if you were, you would not buy this lathe!)  If you know you plan to work on the lathe a lot, I suggest you spend more and get a better quality lathe.

I bought this lathe to get back into turning in a very space limited workshop..and I regret it. On one hand it's a light and nicely finished lathe, on the other hand some of the shortcuts are just not accpetable.

Mine came with the drive pully cover cracked and a bearing started going out on the 2nd day. The tool rest is aluminum and the turning tools will gouge it. It's going back to Sears this week.

If this is a true 1/3 horse motor I'll eat my wood shavings..I can easly stop it by hand.

Also being #1 MT means finding a drill chuck for the tail stock is a lot more difficult than the more common #2 MT.

In short I think you'll find that getting a more powerful 1/2 horse cast iron bed lathe from Jet or Rykon or even the nicer Harbour Freight one will do you better.

When I first plugged in the lathe, the only activity was a buzzing sound, no movement whatsoever. I returned it to Sears, and after quite some time and trouble, I received a new one in the mail. It too was broken, but to make a long story short, I finally got it fixed and was ready to use it for the first time. At first, it wasn't bad for a low-budget mini lathe, however, the belt broke after no more than 20 or 30 minutes of using it. Although I haven't given up yet, I cannot find any replacement belts, thus the machine has been sitting in my garage ever since. I'm usually more satisfied with Craftsman products, but not this one. I should have waited until I had a bit more money and gone for the gusto. Based off my experience, I would NOT recommend this product.

Craftsman, please send me a replacement belt. I've looked everywhere.

For the price, it's a nice lathe.  My son and I have had a good time turning pens and mini baseball bats with it.  It does, however, have some issues (that can be dealt with easily if you know ahead of time).  The pen mandrel does not fit the 7mm brass insert, and most pens I've turned are 7mm.  I got another mandrel from Woodcraft, so it wasn't a huge deal.  You can also sand down the mandrel if you want.  The only other issue is the drive belt.  It snapped after turning about a dozen pens or so.  Again, not a huge deal.  I ordered more from Sears Parts Direct.  But, go ahead and order extra belts when you buy this product....it will save some time.  Overall, I'm very pleased with the lathe.  Especially since I'm not ready to drop several hundred or thousands of dollars on a lathe....at least not yet.  For the beginner and casual user...I highly recommend this product :D

Matt Moore

Mechanicsville, Virginia

I love this little lathe.  It is compact and has all the features that i need to make small projects for the weaving accessories that  i am designing.  chould not have been so cheap and poped for the variable speed.

I think the Sears Craftsman Mini-lathe has a lot of potential. It is such a shame that Sears saw fit to discontinue the model!   In the hopes that other current owners might be interested I have developed an alpha version kit of parts which locks into place into the lathe bed without requiring any modifications of the original lathe itself.  My retrofit is composed of a compound slide having both traverse and crosswise screw feed which could be turned either by manual cranks or by CNC motors.    Please contact me at i_am_useful#at#yahoo#dot#com if you are interested in having me develop this further and possibly purchasing a kit or complete plans from me.    You should also check out my website, aule.ganoksin.com/blogs/  to learn more about me and my efforts to improve the human condition.  

Just wondering if this lathe is ok for turning small metal parts ( 5/16'' - 1/2'' diameter), brass, bronze ect?

This lathe is priced at about half of what others are on the market. I have used this lathe a friend of mine has it and it runs very smoothly. The belt did break but like the other man said he went to a local hardware store and found a better belt. The machine is used for at least 3 hours everyday. I turn wheels on it and the occasional pens when i get bored. If you are looking for a good mini lathe at a good price then i would recommend picking one of these up as i am going to be doing so first thing tomorrow morning. I have also used Jet lathes and they are great as well but the craftsman will allow you to slide into the turning hobby and the Craftsman name will allow you to get a good portion of your money back if and when you decide to upgrade.