rayaldridge Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 I've about decided to get a Brent C, and Bailey Ceramics up in NY has a good deal on the wheel. In your experience, are they good folks to do business with? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted April 8, 2015 Report Share Posted April 8, 2015 look at the posts about fixing a brent wheel before you decide. bailey is good about helping inexperienced people and fixing anything that is wrong so maybe you could consider their brand of wheel. they often have sales. and shipping sales. call jim bailey and ask him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Yes, they are very good to deal with. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Yes they are vey good folks I have had a Brent model c for over 4 decades . I also have a model CXC and a B and an A All good wheels.You will be pleased. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pres Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I have used the Brent C, B, CXC. Bought the Baileys for school, with the 1 hp motors. I bought myself a CXC. All of the wheels with the same hp range act much the same from either Bailey or Brent. I like the Bailey larger splash pans, but am happy with my tighter CXC one. In the end, it is a matter of personal preference. At the same time, if you don't have much preference you will probably end up liking what you get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marcia Selsor Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I have a lot of bailey equipment. Pugmill, slab roller, extruder and wheel. Their service is the best. I have had less than good service from other manufacturers when I was teaching. Marcia Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy Eberhardt Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 I have a lot of bailey equipment. Pugmill, slab roller, extruder and wheel. Their service is the best. I have had less than good service from other manufacturers when I was teaching. Marcia Marcia, can I come live with you? You have all of the best toys! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 For the same money you could get a Skutt/ Thomas Stuart Classic with the SSX Drive upgrade. Smoother, better torque, larger splash pan. I recommend the cast tub rather than the plastic. Don't be fooled by horsepower. The Skutt 1/3hp will handle as much or more than the Brent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted April 9, 2015 Report Share Posted April 9, 2015 Bailey is a great company. We had scads of Brent wheels when I was working at MassArt. The older ones were really good stuff. At NHIA we have a lot of Brents also, Cs and CXCs. Still good. I have my own CXC that has been in constant use in my studio for almost 40 years. Love it...... except for the noise. In all that time, for repairs, I have only replaced one rectifier diode in the power supply (easy stuff, being a general class ham radio operator). Not even any belts needed. I never use a splashpan...... they come off all the wheels I use.... even when demoing in classes and workshops. In the classroom at NHIA I like the Shimpo Whispers we have....... specifically for the quiet they give in a classroom setting. But I find they are lacking in torque for throwing large pieces (30-35 pounds and up). best, ........................john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 (Shimpo Whispers we have....... specifically for the quiet they give in a classroom setting) When I was doing demos in Molokai last year they had a room full of whispers-they where super quite and worked great to talk over-they had a few issues that would not like as my own wheel but for the classroom they where a good choice as a demo wheel as John nailed it aagin above. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted April 11, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 Thanks, everyone. It's been pointed out to me by a couple of kindly people that the Brents are noisier than some. I'm not sure I could stand a lot of noise, having thrown all my life on kick wheels. The Bailey wheels claim to be quiet, and I like the tray system. They also have a 10 year warranty, which will probably last me to the end, since I'm older than dirt. I'd like to establish a relationship with the Bailey people, since they are the closest Standard distributor to our place in the North Country. So I'm leaning in that direction now. Anyone care to comment on the Bailey wheels? I know John doesn't like the non-removable trays on some of them, but they sell a wheelhead extension that brings the wheelhead above the edge of the tray, so you can use big bats. It's basically just a thick bat you plop down on the aluminum wheelhead, and which has bat pins of its own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 I will add that they are not that noisy-try one out then decide. I think Bailey makes the best slab rollers on the planet-I now knowing of their wheels- but will add they make solid well thought out products. I am bitter with a non removable splash pan-how about going there and testing a few showroom models?? The trip would be worth it. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted April 11, 2015 Report Share Posted April 11, 2015 yes, go talk to Jim Bailey. while you are there, you could check out the new building down the street where apartments are available for artists. this conversion of a factory to homes for artists is a new one for Kingston. someone did a similar thing in Corning many years ago. wonder how that worked out?? i used a bailey wheel when i demonstrated the quick trim at NCECA in tampa a few years ago. VERY nice wheel. i do not use a splash pan either but that one has a solid feel to it and if you really want to have wet mud all around you, it has a drain hole to clean it. ugh........... save money on the tray system and build your wheel into a tabletop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chantay Posted April 13, 2015 Report Share Posted April 13, 2015 I bought the Bailey XL a year ago. It is wonderful. Took a while to get use to the permenate splash pan. Easy to clean. Put a bucket under the drain and wash out with a wet sponge. I throw a with very soft wet clay so it works for me. Very quiet. The noise was one of the main buying factors plus the warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted April 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2015 I ordered the Pro-XL today, along with a few accessories and a stool. I'll let you know how I like it. Someone upthread mentioned that as I'm inexperienced with power wheels, I'd probably like whatever I got. Might be true. I'm just getting too old for the kickwheel, I fear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted April 25, 2015 Author Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 My Bailey Pro-XL arrived a couple days ago, and so far I love it. It is seriously quiet. If I stand up when it's running, I can't hear it, and I have very good hearing. Even with my ear almost against the wheel head, the sound is barely detectable. Thanks, kind folks who advised me that I might find some other wheels too loud. There were a couple minor issues with the assembly instructions. Apparently things have changed since the last batch was printed. The most annoying omission was the stuff about installing the "small belt guard." I spent the better part of an hour rooting though the packing material in search of the item shown in the instructions, before I realized they'd decided to integrate the small end of the belt guard with the large end. The rubber caps that protect the legs were pretty much destroyed during shipping, but everyone who told me that Bailey was a great company to deal with were absolutely right. A quick phone call resulted in a promise to send new end caps. Everyone I talked to at the company was extremely pleasant and helpful. So I'm wildly excited to be using a power wheel after all these years. Already I can see that my productivity is going to go up a lot. Tomorrow I'll try to install my Giffin Grip on the new wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldlady Posted April 25, 2015 Report Share Posted April 25, 2015 great news! hope your eyes are really good to work with the giffin grip. make sure all three grips are set at the same place in the row of notches. if it seems to not be round when you trim things, check that again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rae Reich Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 I ordered the Pro-XL today, along with a few accessories and a stool. I'll let you know how I like it. Someone upthread mentioned that as I'm inexperienced with power wheels, I'd probably like whatever I got. Might be true. I'm just getting too old for the kickwheel, I fear. Ray, You might still like to use your kickwheel for refining of large forms or the other meditative parts of some pieces. My bats fit both so I can move a bigger pot to set up a while and wait for refinements and go back to the power wheel for more work. Kicking up the Lockerbee and it's natural winding-down put me and the pot in a different place, for finishing. Rae Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest JBaymore Posted June 29, 2015 Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 I think Bailey makes the best slab rollers on the planet- Mark, The Bailey slab rollers are nice for sure...... but you should see the slab roller stuff available in Japan. I drool. Two problems. One,... they don't sell them in the USA. Two...... the pricing is astronomically expensive even THERE (claywork prices support it)... let alone adding import duties and shipping. best, .................john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rayaldridge Posted June 29, 2015 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2015 Rae. I've still got the Lockerbie. When I got it, I had to drill and tap the wheelhead so the pins would fit the bats from my old Brent wood kickwheel. The new Bailey wheel uses the same spacing as the Brent, so that's good. There is something to be said for kickwheels, for sure. But the more I use the power wheel, the better I like it. Maybe I'm a heathen at heart. Or just tired. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark C. Posted July 2, 2015 Report Share Posted July 2, 2015 The best thing I can say about kick wheels is I do not have to use them. They are to large and heavy and slow. I used to think they where good for learning on but power wheels work fine for learning. My feeling is the kick wheel works best in a powerless location(Alaska outback?)and thats the best it gets for them.I would not take a free one.One could make a case for one as a banding wheel but again thats alot of space compared to a small banding wheel. Mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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