Glen Lochan Posted June 4, 2010 Report Share Posted June 4, 2010 Greetings all.......I am in the process of setting up my home studio. In searching for a new wheel, there are so many options.....all of which are advertised as the best ones available. Obviously I want the best wheel for the best possible price. I'd appreciate feedback from recent purchasers. Thanks, Jerry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted June 4, 2010 Report Share Posted June 4, 2010 I am very happy with my Bailey wheel. It wasn't super expensive, and after 8 years it hasn't given me any problems. I really like the oversized splash pan, it holds lots of trimmings! However, if I had an unlimited budget (which I don't) I would have bought a Thomas Stuart. Of all the wheels I've ever tried, it seemed like the most solid. I would not recommend a Pacifica. We have these in my classroom where I teach. It is a good wheel except for a very flimsy splashpan. The splashpan will crack easily, and the clip that holds it down will pop off. I have a mixed review about Brents, which we also have in my classroom. They are solid and dependable, but really loud!! -Mea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Lochan Posted June 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2010 I am very happy with my Bailey wheel. It wasn't super expensive, and after 8 years it hasn't given me any problems. I really like the oversized splash pan, it holds lots of trimmings! However, if I had an unlimited budget (which I don't) I would have bought a Thomas Stuart. Of all the wheels I've ever tried, it seemed like the most solid. I would not recommend a Pacifica. We have these in my classroom where I teach. It is a good wheel except for a very flimsy splashpan. The splashpan will crack easily, and the clip that holds it down will pop off. I have a mixed review about Brents, which we also have in my classroom. They are solid and dependable, but really loud!! -Mea Thanks, Mea, that's helpful. Happy throwing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Lochan Posted June 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2010 I am very happy with my Bailey wheel. It wasn't super expensive, and after 8 years it hasn't given me any problems. I really like the oversized splash pan, it holds lots of trimmings! However, if I had an unlimited budget (which I don't) I would have bought a Thomas Stuart. Of all the wheels I've ever tried, it seemed like the most solid. I would not recommend a Pacifica. We have these in my classroom where I teach. It is a good wheel except for a very flimsy splashpan. The splashpan will crack easily, and the clip that holds it down will pop off. I have a mixed review about Brents, which we also have in my classroom. They are solid and dependable, but really loud!! -Mea Thanks, Mea, that's helpful. Happy throwing! Which model do you have and what HP? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlCravens Posted June 4, 2010 Report Share Posted June 4, 2010 I have a Creative Industries Clay Boss that I'm happy with. People don't talk about them much. I've searched and searched for reviews, and I can't find anything negative about them from people who have actually used them. I received great customer service from CI when it first arrived with a bad controller board, and they quickly replaced the controller with no fuss and sent me a free bat for my trouble. They've since been bought by Speedball, so I can't say if their customer service is the same. I've thrown on an old Shimpo cone-drive and I really prefer the Clay Boss over the old "stick shift" Shimpo. I've more recently thrown on Brent and Skutt/Thomas Stewart electrics (the 1/4 and 1/3 hp entry-level models, I believe), and while the Clay Boss is certainly louder I don't find it inferior. The wheel-head is a bit different... it's a composite plastic on top of a steel frame. It works well and cleans up easily, but it's not the head that everyone else uses. When I center and put a lot of pressure on the wheel, the motor deepens in pitch a lot... it sounds like it's slowing down, but I've timed it and it doesn't change speed. When I'm working, it maintains a consistent speed, and the pedal stays set where I put it. The wheel itself is heavy and stable, so it doesn't slide across the floor. basically, it does everything I expect a pottery wheel to do at a price I found more palatable. I can't say anything about durability... I haven't used it enough to put real wear on it. The CI wheels come with a 5-year warranty, and they are sturdy... they seem comparable in construction to higher priced wheels I've worked on. And I've never heard anybody say that they're unreliable... I would think that if they're really inferior, being a couple hundred dollars less than the low-end of other wheels, that we would hear complaints about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glen Lochan Posted June 4, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 4, 2010 I have a Creative Industries Clay Boss that I'm happy with. People don't talk about them much. I've searched and searched for reviews, and I can't find anything negative about them from people who have actually used them. I received great customer service from CI when it first arrived with a bad controller board, and they quickly replaced the controller with no fuss and sent me a free bat for my trouble. They've since been bought by Speedball, so I can't say if their customer service is the same. I've thrown on an old Shimpo cone-drive and I really prefer the Clay Boss over the old "stick shift" Shimpo. I've more recently thrown on Brent and Skutt/Thomas Stewart electrics (the 1/4 and 1/3 hp entry-level models, I believe), and while the Clay Boss is certainly louder I don't find it inferior. The wheel-head is a bit different... it's a composite plastic on top of a steel frame. It works well and cleans up easily, but it's not the head that everyone else uses. When I center and put a lot of pressure on the wheel, the motor deepens in pitch a lot... it sounds like it's slowing down, but I've timed it and it doesn't change speed. When I'm working, it maintains a consistent speed, and the pedal stays set where I put it. The wheel itself is heavy and stable, so it doesn't slide across the floor. basically, it does everything I expect a pottery wheel to do at a price I found more palatable. I can't say anything about durability... I haven't used it enough to put real wear on it. The CI wheels come with a 5-year warranty, and they are sturdy... they seem comparable in construction to higher priced wheels I've worked on. And I've never heard anybody say that they're unreliable... I would think that if they're really inferior, being a couple hundred dollars less than the low-end of other wheels, that we would hear complaints about them. Thanks, Carl....also helpful. When you mentioned the composite wheel head, I assume you're talking about the Clay Boss? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarlCravens Posted June 4, 2010 Report Share Posted June 4, 2010 Thanks, Carl....also helpful. When you mentioned the composite wheel head, I assume you're talking about the Clay Boss? Yes, the CI "Boss" wheels (Clay Boss, Big Boss, Boss Elite SQ) have a composite plastic wheel head. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEP Posted June 5, 2010 Report Share Posted June 5, 2010 I am very happy with my Bailey wheel. It wasn't super expensive, and after 8 years it hasn't given me any problems. I really like the oversized splash pan, it holds lots of trimmings! However, if I had an unlimited budget (which I don't) I would have bought a Thomas Stuart. Of all the wheels I've ever tried, it seemed like the most solid. I would not recommend a Pacifica. We have these in my classroom where I teach. It is a good wheel except for a very flimsy splashpan. The splashpan will crack easily, and the clip that holds it down will pop off. I have a mixed review about Brents, which we also have in my classroom. They are solid and dependable, but really loud!! -Mea Thanks, Mea, that's helpful. Happy throwing! Which model do you have and what HP? Glen, My Bailey wheel is the ST-50. When I bought it is 2002, it was their least expensive model. It has a 1/2 HP motor. I think this model is currently named the PRO-50R, with the extra large one-piece splashpan. But it looks to be essentially the same wheel as the ST, which has a smaller, two-piece splashpan. (the smaller, two-piece splashpan was not available in 2002, I would have considered it!) Anyhow, the wheel has been used very heavily, especially in the last four years. And it has been trouble-free. Hope this helps, happy throwing to you too! -Mea Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SShirley Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 I have two Clay Boss wheels, one is several years old. It was my first electric after using a kick wheel for a long time, and it was hard to get used to. It seemed to have two speeds, STOP and WHEE! But I have gotten used to it. The splash pan is pretty flimsy, but I like that it comes off pretty easily. It does fill with water pretty quickly though, and has overflowed a few times. There is not much room on the "deck" so I have to have a table next to me to put hold my water bucket and tools. The second Clay Boss is one that I got recently at a garage sale, and it is newer, but I don't know how much. It has a much smaller splash pan, and fills even quicker with water. Apparently making the splash pan smaller gave more room on the "deck", so there is space for a water bucket. Both of them have the same kind of wheel head, which seems to be teflon coated or something. The clay doesn't stick real easily sometimes. (But I use my torch on them and haven't had anything bad happen, so I didn't think they were plastic.) And both of them have persnickity speed pedals, but I have gotten used to it. The clay studio at the local college has a bunch of Axner wheels, and they have REALLY bad splash pans. They don't come off to empty and they are thin brittle plastic and so they are broken and cracked and a pain to clean. Also, the motors are noisy and some of them seem a little weak. Sylvia Pittsburg, Kansas I have a Creative Industries Clay Boss that I'm happy with. People don't talk about them much. I've searched and searched for reviews, and I can't find anything negative about them from people who have actually used them. I received great customer service from CI when it first arrived with a bad controller board, and they quickly replaced the controller with no fuss and sent me a free bat for my trouble. They've since been bought by Speedball, so I can't say if their customer service is the same. I've thrown on an old Shimpo cone-drive and I really prefer the Clay Boss over the old "stick shift" Shimpo. I've more recently thrown on Brent and Skutt/Thomas Stewart electrics (the 1/4 and 1/3 hp entry-level models, I believe), and while the Clay Boss is certainly louder I don't find it inferior. The wheel-head is a bit different... it's a composite plastic on top of a steel frame. It works well and cleans up easily, but it's not the head that everyone else uses. When I center and put a lot of pressure on the wheel, the motor deepens in pitch a lot... it sounds like it's slowing down, but I've timed it and it doesn't change speed. When I'm working, it maintains a consistent speed, and the pedal stays set where I put it. The wheel itself is heavy and stable, so it doesn't slide across the floor. basically, it does everything I expect a pottery wheel to do at a price I found more palatable. I can't say anything about durability... I haven't used it enough to put real wear on it. The CI wheels come with a 5-year warranty, and they are sturdy... they seem comparable in construction to higher priced wheels I've worked on. And I've never heard anybody say that they're unreliable... I would think that if they're really inferior, being a couple hundred dollars less than the low-end of other wheels, that we would hear complaints about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kansas Posted June 7, 2010 Report Share Posted June 7, 2010 I have an electric kick Lockerbie and a Bailey ST-50. The Lockerbie isn't pleasant to move (especially on stairs), but it's bulletproof and it's quiet, especially with the motor off. The Bailey is a good lighter-weight wheel that I haven't had a bit of trouble with. What kind of pots (size and number) do you make - now and five or ten years from now? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LGHT Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 I would get a Soldner. I have tried just about all the other wheels out there and hands down the Soldner was by far the best in control and power. I picked up the P200 and I can say the wheel has an enormous amount of control even under a lot of torch. Plus the wheel is made very durable, made by hand in the USA and doesn't have any plastic parts and is very reliable. My instructor has had his over 20 years and hasn't done anything to it since although they have had to replace the wheels at the school 3 times now. I have tried the Brent and the CXC is a nice wheel with lots of power (if you need to center 100 lbs of clay), but once the clay is centered your really don't need all that power. What you do need is control and what I like about the Soldners is the amazing foot pedal and the extra sensitivity they have that makes a huge difference if your making things like bottles and need to really slow down the wheel to shape the narrow top of the bottle. It's pretty hard to describe how much more responsive and sensitive the wheels are. If you haven't already sat down at a Soldner wheel and tried it's foot pedal PLEASE try one out before you make any decisions. I have yet to have any of my buddies try my wheel and say it's not the best wheel they have every used yet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hansen Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 The Soldner is very nice and quiet. I talked with the guys who build them and they were very happy that they are allowed to build the best. I have a nice Brent which works fine for me. I had a problem which I traced back to the Plasti-Bats. That is another story. The wheel is great. i threw on an old Lockerbie when I was at school, a very fine heavy wheel in this case with no motor, at the time I didn't need one. h a n s e n Greetings all.......I am in the process of setting up my home studio. In searching for a new wheel, there are so many options.....all of which are advertised as the best ones available. Obviously I want the best wheel for the best possible price. I'd appreciate feedback from recent purchasers. Thanks, Jerry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest LGHT Posted June 8, 2010 Report Share Posted June 8, 2010 The Soldner is very nice and quiet. I talked with the guys who build them and they were very happy that they are allowed to build the best. I have a nice Brent which works fine for me. I had a problem which I traced back to the Plasti-Bats. That is another story. The wheel is great. i threw on an old Lockerbie when I was at school, a very fine heavy wheel in this case with no motor, at the time I didn't need one. h a n s e n Yeah, when I first got my wheel I also called because I had a few questions about lube and belt replacement and was given the number to the guy who makes them. He walked me through how to tighten and or replace the belt in case I ever had any problems and how to lube the wheel if ever needed. Since most of the parts used are actually car parts and fairly simply I'm sure my soldner wheel will out last me. Plus it's nice to pick up the phone and actually talk to the person who makes them, in english! Ohh and yeah I had the same problem with my plati-bats I just gave away about 10 of them! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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