Best Small Lathes of 2026

A 12-inch swing is what separates this WEN from the 8- and 10-inch minis here. That number is the maximum diameter the lathe can clear over the bed, and it is the difference between pens and small bowls. The 18-inch between-centers capacity gives you room for longer spindles, too. The 4.5-amp motor and five speeds from 520 to 3,400 rpm are sensible for a bench that turns a mix of stock rather than only pen blanks. The MT2 tapers and 3-1/8-inch faceplate also mean standard accessories are easy to find.

This is the small lathe we recommend first for most woodturners. It gives up the compactness of a true mini, but the extra swing is the thing you notice when a bowl blank will not fit on a smaller machine. The 70.3-pound body is heavy enough to sit still on a bench, and the 4.5-amp motor has enough grunt for the kind of small bowls and utensil handles that make a mini feel limiting.

Where it asks for a little planning is the bench. It is not a machine you tuck into a cabinet after each session; at 70 pounds, it wants a dedicated spot with room for the blank to spin and for you to move the tool rest. The reward is a lathe that handles more than pens without stepping into full-size floor-model territory. For a garage shop that turns a bit of everything, that is the right trade.

Two inches less swing than our top pick buys a noticeably more compact mini, and that is the case for the RIKON 70-105. The 10-inch swing and 18-inch between-centers capacity still cover pens, bottle stoppers, tool handles, and small bowls, while the 1/2-hp motor and five-speed range give it more authority than the tiny high-speed units here. We like that it feels like a compact machine rather than a toy.

The RIKON feels like a dedicated pen lathe. Its footprint is easier to live with than the 12-inch WEN, and the controls are simple enough to learn on. The compromise is capacity: a 10-inch swing is fine for small bowls but will not take the wider blanks that the WEN can. If you know your work is mostly pen blanks and small spindles, that is a trade worth making.

We also appreciate the five-year warranty and the included live center, spur center, and 6-inch tool rest. Those are the bits that let you start turning without a second order. For a bench where pens are the main event, this is the more focused machine.

The 2-inch chuck is the first thing we look at on a kit this small, and the ArtyMaster's is usefully wide for pens, bottle stoppers, and little handles. The box also includes a drive center, live center, drill chuck, three turning tools, and the wrenches, so it is closer to a ready-to-turn package than most minis here. The 96-watt motor runs on a 24-volt supply, and the spindle has an MT1 taper and a 0.4-inch through-hole.

At 17 pounds, it is easy to move from a shelf to a bench and back, which is the point of a compact wood lathe for a spare room or apartment. The infinitely variable speed control is a real convenience on small work; you can slow it down for a delicate cut without stopping to move a belt. The UL-certified supply is a sensible detail on a machine that lives indoors.

This is a kit for pen turners, stopper makers, and anyone who wants a complete little setup without hunting for a chuck. The included centers and tools make it easy to start on small work, and the 17-pound body is easy to store. We recommend it when the blank is already small and the bench is short on space.

The 13/32-inch through-bore is the detail that makes the Proxxon DB 250 a micro lathe rather than a scaled-down pen lathe. It lets you feed small stock through the spindle, which is handy for repeat work and for holding slender pieces that would be awkward in a chuck. At 5.74 pounds, the whole machine is light enough to lift with one hand, but the aluminum-profile bed and adjustable tool rest give it a more planted feel than the cheapest high-speed minis. We recommend it for miniature turnings, rings, and tiny parts where precision matters more than capacity.

The 100-watt motor is not a bowl motor, and the work envelope is tiny even by mini-lathe standards. What it does have is a quiet, smooth-running spindle and a tool rest that adjusts in height and swings through 360 degrees, so you can get the support close to small work. The included collets, drive center, live center, and faceplate are the right starting set for micro turning.

This is a specialist's lathe. We like it for miniatures and short batches of little parts, not for a beginner who wants to turn a salad bowl. The two-year warranty is a reasonable safety net for a machine in this class. If your work fits through a 13/32-inch bore and you value a small, quiet footprint, it earns its place.

This is the only machine in the group that is built to cut metal, and that changes the shopping question. The VEVOR has a 7.09-inch swing over the bed, 13.78 inches between centers, a 4-inch three-jaw chuck, and a 550-watt motor. For small metal parts, bushings, and light facing and turning, that is a useful benchtop package. The digital speed display and automatic power-off switch are practical touches on a machine that can do real damage if a workpiece comes loose.

We treat the VEVOR as a lathe to check and tune on arrival, not a turnkey precision instrument. The headstock and ways can arrive out of alignment, and the machine rewards someone with a dial indicator and patience. Those are fixable setup issues, but they are not what a first-time machinist wants to discover mid-project. The motor and capacity are the reason it earns a place; the setup is the price of buying metal capacity at this end of the market.

If your work is wood, stop here and choose a wood lathe. If you need to turn small metal parts and you are willing to do the setup, the VEVOR is the only real option here. It is also the heaviest machine in the group at 103 pounds, so plan a permanent bench.

A top speed of 10,000 rpm tells you what kind of machine this is. The Winbomgo is a tiny high-speed lathe for beads, pen blanks, and small craft pieces. Its 100-watt motor and seven speeds from 3,500 to 10,000 rpm are set up for light cuts and polishing, and the four-jaw chuck and included tools let you start on small work without a separate kit. At 4.18 pounds, it takes up almost no bench space.

That light weight is convenient, but it also means you need to clamp or mount the base before you turn anything. The high spindle speeds are great for small diameters, and the included saw blade and turning tool add some versatility for craft work. The machine's footprint is tiny, so it stores easily.

We see this as a budget entry into tiny turning. The seven speeds give you enough control for beads and pen blanks, and the small body is easy to store. If your projects fit in the palm of your hand, it is a low-cost way to start; if you need more capacity, the WEN is the better buy.

The limit of what this lathe can turn is also the clearest description of who it is for. The Jinegelela is a 3.98-pound mini for beads, small wooden parts, and soft craft materials, with a seven-level power adapter instead of a full speed dial. The aluminum base and compact 14.33-inch body make it easy to set on a desk or workbench, and the low weight means you can move it out of the way when the project is done.

It comes with an adapter, power cord, Allen wrenches, and ball fixing pins, but the included kit is basic. The machine is intended for light passes on small pieces. The seven power levels give you some control over speed, though the range is not the same as a variable-speed wood lathe with a low-speed torque band.

The appeal is the entry point. For a craft hobbyist who wants to turn a few beads or small handles without dedicating a bench to a 70-pound machine, it is small enough to store and simple enough to try. The aluminum base and compact footprint also make it less intimidating than a full wood lathe.

We recommend it only for genuinely tiny work. If you want to turn pens or stoppers with a proper chuck and centers, the ArtyMaster is a more complete kit. If you want bowls, neither of these is the right purchase. The Jinegelela earns its place as an ultra-compact craft lathe, not as a general-purpose small lathe.