Wood lathe buying guide
Updated: October 2026
You are looking at wattage and trying to decide whether a bench in a UK shed can take a first wood lathe. A wood lathe buying guide that starts with the motor misses the measurements that decide the work: swing over the bed, then the distance between centres. After those, you need a speed control you can use, a spindle thread the listing or a review states, and a 230 V supply with a UK three-pin plug. Prices, and which listing is the top pick or the best value, stay on the [wood lathe comparison](/hub/workshop/wood-lathe). This page is the order of the decision.
You are looking at wattage and trying to decide whether a bench in a UK shed can take a first wood lathe.
You are looking at wattage and trying to decide whether a bench in a UK shed can take a first wood lathe. A wood lathe buying guide that starts with the motor misses the measurements that decide the work: swing over the bed, then the distance between centres. After those, you need a speed control you can use, a spindle thread the listing or a review states, and a 230 V supply with a UK three-pin plug. Prices, and which listing is the top pick or the best value, stay on the wood lathe comparison. This page is the order of the decision.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Capacity | Speed control | Mains as listed | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Proxxon Proxxon DB 250 | 40 mm swing, 250 mm between centres | Electronic, about 1,000–5,000 rpm | 220–240 V | 8.8 | about £187.28 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Einhell Einhell TC-WW 1000/1 | 280 mm, 1,000 mm between tips | Four speeds, 890–2,600 rpm | 230 V; UK review says a European two-pin plug | 6.6 | about £169.95 | View offer |
| Best value |  KATSU KATSU 100775 600 W | 600 mm length, 250 mm diameter claimed | Stepless, about 800–3,000 rpm | n/a | 5.4 | about £74.99 | View offer |
On this page
Swing and bed length
Thameside Woodturners put swing over the bed first, because a blank that will not clear the bed never becomes a finished piece. A 40 mm swing, which the Proxxon DB 250 states, is model masts, pens and clock parts. A 70 mm diameter and 180 mm between the clamps is the same tiny class. A stated 250 mm diameter and 600 mm between centres is a small spindle lathe, if the rest of the spec is real. A stated 1,000 mm bed is for longer spindles. Bowl diameter is swing, not bed length.
Desk machines here sit under about 3 kg. Bench listings around 8–9 kg claim about 600 mm. Heavier beds, around 22 kg, claim about 1,000 mm. None of that is a cast-iron midi. The class split is on the mini lathe vs midi lathe page.
Speed and spindle thread
Low speed is for a large or unbalanced blank. Speeds of 4,000–10,000 rpm belong to beads and pens. Variable speed is not always a dial. On the long-bed KATSU, the only UK review says you move a belt, even though the bullets list four rpm figures. A belt is a poor match if the lowest speed is already in the thousands and the blank is wide.
The modern UK hobby pattern, as Thameside describe it, is an M33 × 3.5 spindle, with tapers such as MT2. These listings do not state M33 × 3.5. The KATSU 100776 review describes a ¾ inch thread. A matching four-jaw chuck fitted, and it was not in the box. The Proxxon uses collets from 2 mm to 10 mm.
UK mains
UK mains are 230 V, and a domestic plug has to be a BS 1363 three-pin plug. The Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 are the frame for that plug. A 110 V table, a 120 V table, a 12–24 V bullet, a no-plug line, or a European two-pin lead is a buying problem.
One desk lathe specifies 24 V DC. The Winbomgo table says 110 V. FesmTek’s bullets say 100–240 V and the table says 120 V. Bonvoisin’s bullets say 12–24 V, while a United States review says 110 V AC. The KATSU 550 W table says no plug. The Einhell table says 230 V, and a UK review reports a two-pin plug. Confirm the plate before you switch on. If the listing disagrees with itself, leave it.
What the budget still has to cover
Entry prices here run from about £28 to about £75. The mid band is about £120 to about £170. The Proxxon at £187.28 buys a 230 V model lathe, not extra swing. Record’s DML250 was £279.99 with a 254 mm swing. That figure is context, not a row in this set.
As a rule of thumb, add a face shield, turning tools, and often a chuck. The Association of Woodturners of Great Britain treats a visor as impact protection. It does not filter dust. Who each machine is for sits on the best benchtop wood lathe page.
Products Compared editorial team, 16 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.
Common questions
What does swing over the bed mean?
Swing over the bed is the largest diameter you can turn over the bed. It is separate from the length of the lathe and from the distance between centres. A 40 mm or 70 mm swing is pens, beads and models. A stated 250 mm diameter is a different class of spindle, and a 1,000 mm bed still does not tell you the bowl diameter. Read the swing figure before you compare wattage.
Is electronic speed worth more than a belt?
Electronic speed suits you when you change diameter often and you want a low start without moving a belt. A belt is workable for similar spindles if you stop to change pulleys, which is what the only UK review of the long-bed KATSU describes. It is the wrong control when the lowest published speed is already 3,500–5,000 rpm and the blank is wide. Variable on a title can mean either system.
Should a new lathe be M33 × 3.5?
For a new UK hobby lathe, turners on a UK Workshop thread prefer M33 × 3.5 because chucks match and adapters add overhang. Thameside describe that thread, with MT2 centres, as the modern pattern. Do not copy it onto this comparison. One UK review describes a ¾ inch spindle. The Proxxon uses collets. If the listing does not state the thread, your existing chuck may not fit.
Can I use a European plug or a 110 V lathe in the UK?
A UK domestic supply is 230 V with a BS 1363 plug. A 110 V or 120 V table, a 12–24 V bullet, a missing plug, or a two-pin lead is a reason to leave the listing, or to have a competent person sort the supply first. Do not use a travel adaptor. The Einhell is listed at 230 V and a UK review still found a European two-pin plug.
When is a £75 lathe the wrong saving?
It is the wrong saving when you need a known 230 V plug, a stated thread, or review evidence that the machine runs true. The £74.99 KATSU states 600 mm by 250 mm and has no star line in the file. That can be a rational first bench lathe if you accept an unreviewed listing. It is a poor saving if you needed a bowl, or a plug you can check on the page.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, checked against the amazon.co.uk prices and stars dated 16 October 2026. Shelf prices can change.
- HSE WIS28: Safe working at woodworking machines (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE WIS23: Wood dust — controlling the risks (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE: Hazardous substances in woodworking (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- HSE INDG271: Buying new machinery (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Thameside Woodturners: Choosing a lathe (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Association of Woodturners of Great Britain: Woodturning safety (retrieved 16 October 2026)
- Electrical Safety First: DIY tools (retrieved 16 October 2026)