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Reviews

Grizzly H8259 Wood Lathe Review for Woodworkers

Grizzly H8259 Wood Lathe

Are you into the hobby of turning tiny pieces of wood to stunning pieces of art? If yes, you must be looking for a lathe machine. A competent and effective lathe machine can ease your difficulty and help you get the desired shape and size of the wood with great precision. Grizzly H8259 Wood Lathe has the potentiality to become your constant companion in woodworking. It comes with powerful motor, variable speed and adjustable leveling. All these features have made this thing a tough competitor to its counterparts.

Don’t decide to buy too early!  We are going to offer you a detailed discussion on the efficacy of this product. you will be able to make the right decision by the end of this article. Go through the discussion to know what we have recommended for you.

Who should use Grizzly H8259?

This product is suitable for the DIY enthusiasts who likes to do woodworking as a hobby. This tool is equally effective for the professional woodworker and other wood turners who performs small-scale woodwork. This tool can turn a wooden product instantly with excellent precision. The Grizzly H8259 would do the decent wood lathe projects for beginners, you should use a powerful wood lathe for bigger projects.

Key Features of Grizzly H8259 Wood Lathe

The Grizzly H8259 Wood Lathe includes some distinct features that you need in a wood lathe. The key features are as follows.

1. ½ HP Single-Phase Motor with 110 Voltage power

The single phase HP provides decent power to make smaller objects, such as bowls, pen, and spindles. 110v power ensures you enough voltage power it can operate.

2. The 18-inch distance between centers

The extra space spared by this machine makes it convenient for you to form and use greater pieces of wood in the machine. This is an above average feature that you wouldn’t expect in a mini lathe machine!

3. Variable Speed

This feature lets you work on your project with variable speed. You just need to change the speed by manipulating the belt to another pulley.

4. Tailstock Travel

This feature provides this machine to work on lengthwise in the center of the workpiece. It is used in the center of this machine.

5. Adjustable leveling Feet

The leveling feet let you stabilize and adjust the level of the machine with ease. You can make this machine fit your needs in no time.

Specifications at a glance

  • Product Dimensions: 33 x 17 x 12 inches
  • Item Weight: 77lbs
  • Size: 10 inch
  • Tool Rest Size: 6 inch
  • Model Number: H8259
  • Motor Power: ½ HP
  • Voltage: 110V
  • Speeds Available: 826, 1205, 1713, 2422, 3337 RPM
  • Includes: Tool Rest, Live Rolling and Spur Center, Wrenches
  • Type: Grizzly H8259 Wood Lathe
  • Amps: 7
  • Phase: Single-Phase
  • Using for: Forming, Shaping, making an object
  • Origin: USA

Pros

  • Sturdy Build
  • Variable Speed
  • Adjustable Leveling Feet
  • Necessary items come with the package
  • Affordable Price

Cons

  • Good for smaller projects only
  • Not easily portable
  • Motor tends to get hot, but a break will solve it

Our Findings

Enough with the theoretical discussion. Its time to put this thing into the test and find whether it complies with the specifications claimed by the manufacturer. Read on to know what we have found.

1. Performance

I was using a different lathe for past one year, but it didn’t live up to my expectation. I had issues with the old one, so I decided to buy a new one for my next projects. After a thorough research I bought Grizzly H8259 Wood Lathe, and it was actually worth the money. The motor was very sturdy and powerful, and the performance of this tool was absolutely up to the mark. But, due to extended use for a long period of time it overheats sometimes. That’s an issue to worry about, but it’s inevitable when using this kind of tool. This is an excellent tool that can shape and cut wood accurately and quickly.

2. Usability

Grizzly Lathe tool is easy to use. I turned a good piece of timber into a nice bowl within a few minutes by using this lathe machine. It functions properly without any major issue. It comes with great adjustability to produce the intended shape and size of the product.

How to use and maintain the Grizzly H8259?

Learning how to use this product is great, but it requires maintenance. The later section will follow the basic usage and maintenance of Grizzly H8259 Wood Lathe.

1. How to use a Wood Lathe: Basic Wood shaping

  • Lift a block on your lathe
  • Put one end into the jaw
  • Center the other end on the dead center
  • Turn on the lathe and with low speed
  • Watch the block and Place a short wood on the tool support bar
  • Try to make a hammer-shaped handle
  • Against the rotator block, press the blade gently with a wood
  • Put pressure on chisel gouge
  • Move it along by cutting a basic circular shape
  • Stop the wheel and examine the cut you just made
  • Restart the lathe and do the chisel gouge step again

2. Maintaining the product

  • After finishing work with a wood lathe, clean and vacuum the machine
  • To remove rust from the machine, use cloth with a suitable lubricant
  • If the belt appears to be tearing, it needs to have a replacement

Customers Feedbacks

It has achieved an overall rating of 4.2 stars out of stars on amazon. This score refers to the popularity of this tool, though some people shared their unpleasant experience of using this tool. Some of them rated it low due to the internal motor issue and fewer swings. Anyway, it has the capacity to adjust leveling feet that makes your work easier as you need and basic motor with which you can turn smaller object with ease.

Our Final Thoughts

Maybe you are waiting for our final verdict, so do we. We recommend using this tool to every DIY enthusiasts. And, for the professionals, you have to consider the few defects it has such as the internal motor heating issue. If you can compromise that, Grizzly H8259 Wood Lathe is the best pick at this price range. Hope this will help you make a well-informed decision while buying your wood lathe. All the best for the purchase.

FAQs

Q: What is the maximum size bowl you can turn?

Ans: The Maximum bowl size should be less than 10 inches. You will get a certain loss in final diameter if you use more than 10-inch bowl.

Q: What should be the measurement of wood to fit in a lathe?

Ans: The measurement of the wood should be maximum 18 inches.

Q: Can I make a pen, pencils or turn bowls with this lathe?

Ans: You will need a mandrel to do this. Make sure you don’t tight quill too much on the machine’s tailstock. It will bend the mandrel. For making a bowl with this, you need to buy chucks.

About the author

Brent Butterworth

A Professional Woodworker & Custom Furniture Builder

Brent lives in Wisconsin and is a woodworker, custom cabinetmaker, interior consultant, and a freelance writer who got the opportunity to write several magazine articles for different publications on home improvement and woodworking. He’s always amazed at the depth and breadth of woodworking all over the globe, and feels proud to be a part of this great effort. Brent has built everything one can imagine, from unique art furniture to different types of home furniture to canoes and even a sailboat.

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