ronfire Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 I have been looking for decent used wheel for a while so now . Might be time to just spend the money and buy new. My Estrin wheel is difficult to center large 15lbs of clay and will stall it out. I hope to throw 25lbs of clay and more to make some vanity sinks. What would you recommend? Was thinking of a Shimpo VL Whisper but am open to advise. Will probably purchase this winter when in Arizona as the prices are far better than in Canada. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 I liked the whisper, all the Brent's and all of the skutt/ts wheels I tried. I don't think you can go wrong with any of these 1000-1500 wheels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 Whatever you decide to get, it would be a good idea to find out what the customs duty or tariffs would be on anything you plan on bringing back. There may not be an advantage unless the price you pay is phenomenal... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 Skutt/TS wheels have the most torque- the power to keep rotating under load. It's not all about horsepower. The Skutt 1/3hp models will handle as much as a Brent 1hp. The Whisper wheels have some of the lowest torque ratings due to the type of motor they use. They work well for what most people make, but I would try one before hoping to put 25 pounds on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusPots Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 That is a big motor on the Skutt. I like big motors. I'm wondering what the drive mechanism is? Probably a V belt? Besides the motor quality, the gearing will have a lot to do with the torque. There's a limit to how small a drive pulley can be with different belts. The only other issue I've had with my Pacifica was the main bearing. Don't know why manufacturers would cut that corner. If I can get to add a second wheel, I'll definitely consider the Skutt now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 1 hour ago, CactusPots said: That is a big motor on the Skutt. I like big motors. I'm wondering what the drive mechanism is? Probably a V belt? Besides the motor quality, the gearing will have a lot to do with the torque. There's a limit to how small a drive pulley can be with different belts. The only other issue I've had with my Pacifica was the main bearing. Don't know why manufacturers would cut that corner. If I can get to add a second wheel, I'll definitely consider the Skutt now. The Skutt is belt drive. The motor is very large for its HP rating, so it runs cooler. Their controller is also really good, with 6 different adjustable settings so you can really dial it in for your throwing style. The Whisper is direct drive, no gearing, so that limits the torque a lot. There used to be a wheel on the market, the Max Wheel, that was gear driven, not belt, and it had a craploads of power. It felt very weird, though, not at all like a belt drive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 I love my Skutt, I even have the cheapest one and it's amazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Min Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 9 hours ago, JohnnyK said: Whatever you decide to get, it would be a good idea to find out what the customs duty or tariffs would be on anything you plan on bringing back. There may not be an advantage unless the price you pay is phenomenal... If the wheel is manufactured in the US then under Nafta there are no duties but what get's us on this side of the border is the exchange rate. The pottery supply place in BC doesn't sell Skutt wheels so just to compare prices I looked at the Shimpo VL Whisper. In CAD dollars and bought in Canada my local place sells it for $2039, I found it online in the US for $1199, with free shipping, so with todays exchange rate that comes in at $1578 (actual exchange rate is going to be higher if it's put on a credit card). If it's for personal use then when you bring it across the line you pay provincial and federal sales tax on it the same as if you bought it in Canada and that's it. If it's for a business then it's a royal pain doing all the paperwork and sorting out what provincial or federal tax might need to be paid. There is also the cost of what the parcel pickup place charges for receiving the shipment but that's usually pretty reasonable. Where it does get tricky is if the wheel isn't made in the US or isn't one of Canada's "preferred" trading partners, then there can be tariffs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyK Posted June 25, 2019 Report Share Posted June 25, 2019 1 hour ago, Min said: If the wheel is manufactured in the US then under Nafta there are no duties but what get's us on this side of the border is the exchange rate. The pottery supply place in BC doesn't sell Skutt wheels so just to compare prices I looked at the Shimpo VL Whisper. In CAD dollars and bought in Canada my local place sells it for $2039, I found it online in the US for $1199, with free shipping, so with todays exchange rate that comes in at $1578 (actual exchange rate is going to be higher if it's put on a credit card). If it's for personal use then when you bring it across the line you pay provincial and federal sales tax on it the same as if you bought it in Canada and that's it. If it's for a business then it's a royal pain doing all the paperwork and sorting out what provincial or federal tax might need to be paid. There is also the cost of what the parcel pickup place charges for receiving the shipment but that's usually pretty reasonable. Where it does get tricky is if the wheel isn't made in the US or isn't one of Canada's "preferred" trading partners, then there can be tariffs. Thanks for the clarification, Min. My experience with was bringing electronic equipment into Canada for testing TV broadcast antennae which the company I worked for back in the early 70s built, installed and tested. I had spent a week in London, Ontario, waiting for the equipment to go through a customs broker. In the meanwhile, I was talking with one of the riggers who owned a Corvette that he said he had to pay a 50% import duty on to get it into Canada...but that was long before NAFTA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronfire Posted June 27, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2019 Just found a Pacifica GT 800 for $600 and a Brent CXC for $500. Was thinking of the Brent but cant get a reply to the add and is an hour closer drive than the Pacifica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusPots Posted June 27, 2019 Report Share Posted June 27, 2019 The Brent has a reputation for being noisy. Apparently, that drives off some people. I can tell you from experience the Pacifica has an excellent pedal response. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted June 27, 2019 Report Share Posted June 27, 2019 3 hours ago, ronfire said: Just found a Pacifica GT 800 for $600 and a Brent CXC for $500. Was thinking of the Brent but cant get a reply to the add and is an hour closer drive than the Pacifica. That's a steal for a CXC! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ronfire Posted June 29, 2019 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2019 The seller led me on. Right from the start I said I will be there as soon as it fit her time to purchase the CXC When she finally set a time and I called to say I was on my was her reply was I had another person that showed interest first so they will come by to see it. If they don't buy you can then purchase it. She never said there was another person ahead of me so I did not pursue the Pacifica wheel I was interested and when I then went to my second choice it was sold. So still don't have a wheel. Working on a Shimpo VL whisper but the owner is slow to return my calls but she assured me that she would not sell it to someone else and it would be available next week...Guess I will have to be patient and wait. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Callie Beller Diesel Posted June 30, 2019 Report Share Posted June 30, 2019 @ronfire I would also be very careful about trying to import anything with electronic components myself. At one point, the Brent CXC needed to be rewired to meet Canadian electrical code, and that work needs to be done before it crosses the border. I own the model C for this reason. I do not know if this is still the case as I made my purchase a decade ago, but Mike from Ceramics Canada told me he has had to bail out a couple of folks with the number of a knowledgeable electrician willing to meet someone at the border to do the work. edited to add: those electrician rates aren't cheap at that point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFP Posted July 11, 2019 Report Share Posted July 11, 2019 How is the Skutt better than a Shimpo? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
liambesaw Posted July 11, 2019 Report Share Posted July 11, 2019 4 minutes ago, MFP said: How is the Skutt better than a Shimpo? Well... In general the skutts (even their cheapo model) have an oversized motor, lots of torque and a great quick remove wheelhead and splash pan, also great speed control, even without the ssx upgrade. But they're loud. Shimpo has 4 current models, they're all fairly anemic but work great on smaller things. 1/2hp but they switched to a direct drive on the wheelhead which means a loss of torque over belt driven models. They are all very quiet though, you can hear yourself swallow while using them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFP Posted July 11, 2019 Report Share Posted July 11, 2019 Hmmmm. I am thinking that Shimpos aren't the same as they were 40 years ago. My shimpo has always done everything I needed with the exception of the peg system for bats. If I ever get a new wheel ( doubtful), I want one with a peg system. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CactusPots Posted July 12, 2019 Report Share Posted July 12, 2019 On that quick remove wheel head on the Skutt: Is it possible to get a second wheel head? I use the Hydro Bats. The 2 smallest sizes use a different bat pin spacing from the other sizes. An adapter plate is necessary with the smaller bats. The adapter plate holes wear out and have to be dealt with. I'd rather have a separate wheel head. I'll want power if I upgrade. I'm just starting to throw large size since finally getting the Pacifica to run on 4 belts for the first time ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S. Dean Posted July 13, 2019 Report Share Posted July 13, 2019 5 hours ago, CactusPots said: On that quick remove wheel head on the Skutt: Is it possible to get a second wheel head? I use the Hydro Bats. The 2 smallest sizes use a different bat pin spacing from the other sizes. An adapter plate is necessary with the smaller bats. The adapter plate holes wear out and have to be dealt with. I'd rather have a separate wheel head. I'll want power if I upgrade. I'm just starting to throw large size since finally getting the Pacifica to run on 4 belts for the first time ever. https://www.theceramicshop.com/product/20076/skutt-wheel-head-14/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MFP Posted July 13, 2019 Report Share Posted July 13, 2019 Kyle at Spokane Pottery Supply has a Brent Wheel for sale for $450. I know nothing about the model etc. All I saw was that it has the peg system and a large wheel head. If you are interested I can give you his number Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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