carole62 Posted February 28, 2016 Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 Has anyone had any experience with the Steven Hill Skutt wheel that you can share with me? I have been reading for months now about the various pros and cons of all the different wheels here on the forums. I would like to find a used wheel, but I have asked professors and ceramic artists at the local college and studios about finding a used one. All the suggestions they have are the same as those I figured out before I asked them. In our area, finding a good used wheel is very difficult and some of them said near impossible. After reading quite a bit, I believe the Steven Hill Skutt wheel offers quite a bit to make it a good wheel for me. I found one at the Big Ceramic Store for $1365. This includes their upgraded SSX drive, leg extensions and a wheel head shaft extension. I know it only has a 1/2 hp motor, but when I have read about wheels I have come to believe that this size motor would be fine. Not sure it is??? Any opinions here? I think I want the adjustable legs. I have only used a kick wheel and now use a brent C or CXC or B or Classic at my college classes. I can tell the difference between C and CXC and the B and Classic. I like the Brents even with abuse they take. I put the booties on the highest possible level to keep my back in a good position, but the stools at the college are so crappy that I cannot get a good ergonomic position on any given day. I believe the wheels are not very well maintained as they whine at a variety of annoying pitches and the foot pedals have their own individual minds. I like the brent wheels ok, but the noise really gets annoying (my class is from 9:00-2:30) I am not sure a new brent would make all this noise. I believe the infinite adjustability on the skutt could really help me get a good position at home. This wheel is only $20 more than the Brent CXC without the leg extensions which would add another $249 making the Brent much more money. I am not making a purchase right away. I am still searching daily for a used wheel that would serve my purpose and allow me to get the leg extensions. Everything I've read has left me with the impression that I should consider this a one time purchase, that most wheels will serve me well and make good pottery If anyone using this wheel can comment on it, that will help me with my research and decision making process. Thank you, Carole Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted February 28, 2016 Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 I have never seen one of these wheels but after looking at one online any wheel with a leg lift kit will do the same job. You can search thru the main forum page and read all about threads that deal with standup wheels and homemade leg lifts. Most wheel manufactures offer a leg lift so stand throwing is possible . You can make the lift with wood or cement or even heavy pic pipe.I suggest you Pick the wheel from its features not the leg kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carole62 Posted February 28, 2016 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 Thank you. I guess I was less than clear. I really like the skutt wheels and this just happens to have the legs which I find an added bonus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted February 28, 2016 Report Share Posted February 28, 2016 This wheel (skutt )looks like it can do it all-its made for production so It should last your lifetime_i;m not buying all the Steven Hill Hype but thats my issue not yours (made the color of splash pan to match his clay(give me a break whats that got to do with anything important to you or me) I almost choked up on this hype but I will look beyond the marketing hype even though its neck deep-I'm a tall guy and can see over it. Even though its all marketed towards workshop folks where the money seems to be these days since slip casting bunnies is fallen out of vogue. The wheel looks solid and extremely height adjustable. I'm a Brent fan but they are more noisy than some - I think you you will like this wheel . Neil here on this board has a bunch of these Thomas Stuart wheels and he is most happy wth them. Skutt bought out this line line of wheels and name branded them themselves a few years back ( little history). Maybe I should consider rating equipment instead of making pots for people too use I will make this my 1st review I give this wheel 4 stars out go 5 since its untested by me-plenty of power with that motor Hype is a 10 star out of a 5 star limit as they went to far One small note in the photos they show Steven with a brick under the foot pedal-this is a poor solution -its to small for that pedal-just use a piece of wood the right size with another one for your other foot as well. So on photo follow thru I give it 1 star-as they thru this photo shoot together without thinking about daily real use. I could never work on Madison Ave. Maybe next time they could shoot the photos on a small tropical island with no power source or shade? or behind a red mustang to appeal to mid life crisis folks-hey maybe a career in the ad market could work for me? I'm just getting silly now Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted February 29, 2016 Report Share Posted February 29, 2016 I've got 11 TS/Skutt wheels in my studio. 10 are 1/3hp, one is 1/2hp. I have never needed the extra power of the 1/2hp. The 1/3 can handle 75 pounds. I regularly do 50 pound planters on them. I also find that they are plenty smooth without the SSX drive. If you've got the money to spend, then sure, get the upgrades. But if you need to stick to a budget, the base models work great. I recommend the built in splash pan because the wheel is heavier and more solid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Craig Posted November 1, 2016 Report Share Posted November 1, 2016 I had a Skutt "Thomas Stuart" for 5 yrs and finally sold it for half what I paid for it. It had the SSX drive, large removable splash pan, extended height wheel head etc. The motor was smooth and powerful plus I liked the large removable splash pan as well as the fact that the wheel head was easily removed. The wheel head on most other brands I've used locked into place over time and couldn't be removed. If you're consistently throwing large amounts of clay up to 75+ pounds then the Skutt can easily do it. But the days of me throwing macho pots have long passed. The game changer for me was the excessive noise that the motor made. I've thrown on nearly all the different brands of wheels but the loudest is the Skutt. It's a high pitched whine that becomes unnerving over time. When I called Skutt tech about it they told me that the noise could be lessened by running the wheel at the highest rpm, reversed, overnight. The tech said that that would even out the brushes on the motor. The fact that they had a work around told me that I wasn't the first to complain about the noise. Nevertheless, I took the advice and ran the motor wide open over night and it did help lessen the noise for about 2 weeks. The noise was so loud and distracting that I couldn't hear music or the news through my sound system in my studio. That plus the fact that I have tinnitus only exacerbated the problem. Eventually I had to sell the wheel and bought a Shimpo Whisper. I love the Shimpo and haven't missed the Skutt at all. The Shimpo also has an easily removed wheel head but the splash pan isn't very well designed so I built another better splash pan for it out of Lexan. I intend to stick with my Shimpo now for the duration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted November 1, 2016 Report Share Posted November 1, 2016 A couple of my TS wheels have had a whine to them, but it can be easily remedied in a matter of seconds with one of THESE. You simply open the access panel on the side of the motor and use this tool to sand the rotating surface ever so slightly. Faster and easier than running the wheel for days. TS wheels use very large motors, much larger in physical size than any other brand. They take a little time to break in some times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Johnson Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 subscribed....I've been thinking about a Skutt next year... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 If you like the TS I would suggest looking at the Bailey Wheels. During my research I had decided in the TS then stumbled on Bailey's pottery wheels. I got one instead and really like the additional features they offer not found on the TS. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 If you like the TS I would suggest looking at the Bailey Wheels. During my research I had decided in the TS then stumbled on Bailey's pottery wheels. I got one instead and really like the additional features they offer not found on the TS. T Respectfully, they're different animals. Totally different construction and motor sizes. I'm not saying Bailey doesn't make a good wheel, but the large splash pan is the only similarity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pugaboo Posted November 17, 2016 Report Share Posted November 17, 2016 Sorry, but for what I needed I compared the Steven Hill Signature model and the Bailey ProXL and ended up getting the the Bailey. I didn't need the 150 pound rating, 100 is more than I will ever use. They both have 1/2hp motor, large built in pans, but I liked the cleaning slot on the Bailey. I realize wheel choices are very personal and this is simply my opinion and experience. I used a Steven Hill wheel at a class and really liked it. The price was quite a bit different and for my needs saw no reason to spend more for something that I would never need. I used the savings to buy the ST1 potters stool. T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Johnson Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 Hmmm....I guess I never researched the Bailey wheels. Looks pretty sturdy from what I'm reading. I like the features, a drain, one-piece pan. Respectfully, they're different animals. Totally different construction and motor sizes. I'm not saying Bailey doesn't make a good wheel, but the large splash pan is the only similarity. So Neil what are the specific differences? I know nothing about the Bailey's... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted November 21, 2016 Report Share Posted November 21, 2016 Totally different construction methods and motor sizes. The TS wheels are a one-piece cast aluminum body with either a built in pan or removable one piece plastic pan. Super heavy and solid. I prefer the built in pan. It's heavier, and really easy to scoop out with a sponge. I can't imagine ever using a drain hole. I imagine it would just clog with clay? The Bailey is a melamine top (resin coating on particle board) with metal frame. TS uses large industrial motors that give you more torque with less HP. The 1/2HP Bailey handles 50 pounds, the 1/3HP TS handles 100 pounds. I can't find any information on the Bailey controllers, but the TS controllers have 5 adjustments so you can really dial in how you want it to feel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Johnson Posted December 21, 2016 Report Share Posted December 21, 2016 ...still thinking about which to order, probably the Skutt Legend 1/3HP. I really like the idea of the industrial looking one piece solid pan, but in my studio, taking the pan to my sludge bucket and sink makes more sense. One concern I have is the height of the wheel head vs. the height of the pan. I often use large slump platter molds that fit on the wheel, and trimming bats that are larger than the wheel head in diameter. I suppose I'd need the removable pan for such. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted December 21, 2016 Report Share Posted December 21, 2016 The buildt in pan for me is a deal breaker due to the way I work. I like the freedom of a pan on or off. dealing with large bats without a spacer that overhang any pan is a plus. I just remove the pan . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Johnson Posted December 21, 2016 Report Share Posted December 21, 2016 Have you ever used that extension gizmo? If that made the head clear the pan, that might work. I guess that's what its for, no? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted December 21, 2016 Report Share Posted December 21, 2016 All may wheels are Brents and the head does not come off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted December 21, 2016 Report Share Posted December 21, 2016 Have you ever used that extension gizmo? If that made the head clear the pan, that might work. I guess that's what its for, no? I have one of those. Works like a charm. I can use any size bat with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rex Johnson Posted December 22, 2016 Report Share Posted December 22, 2016 Have you ever used that extension gizmo? If that made the head clear the pan, that might work. I guess that's what its for, no? I have one of those. Works like a charm. I can use any size bat with it. Neil, so it does make the wheel head higher than the splash pan? That right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted December 22, 2016 Report Share Posted December 22, 2016 Have you ever used that extension gizmo? If that made the head clear the pan, that might work. I guess that's what its for, no? I have one of those. Works like a charm. I can use any size bat with it. Neil, so it does make the wheel head higher than the splash pan? That right? Yes. You can fit a 15" bat without it, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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