Best Pottery Wheel for Beginners?

[Rich S]

Hello!

I'm new to the forum, and pottery. My girlfriend is keen on it and has done a few courses, so for her birthday I've been looking into getting her a pottery wheel she can use at home. We don't have loads of space, but have a small spare room and a small balcony, both of which would be great places to set up a wheel. 

I just wanted to ask you guys if you had any recommendations for wheels that are good for beginners? What kind of price range should I be looking at and is there anything in particular I should keep my eyes peeled for when shopping?

Thank you!

Rich. 

[Chilly]

I can't advise on brands or models, but please, if you're buying it as a surprise, be very sure that it will be what she wants and needs. 

[Rich S]

Thanks Ann - don't worry, it's definitely something she wants. Planned to buy one herself but couldn't afford it, so she is definitely keen. 

[irenepots]

Pottery wheels aren't cheap.  I bought the Clayboss bottom of the line model, because it was the cheapest,  (about 8 years ago it was around $550 I think). and it was the type I had used in my pottery class so I figured it would last.    It works fine for me because I don't make anything very big on it.    With more than a couple pounds it slows  when I center the clay down.  I don't know if this is normal, but it's annoying.  Also don't know if this is specific to my wheel - the company sent me a new wheel head but that didn't change anything, and I didn't pursue it further.    I did use a 30 year old Skutt for a while and I liked that but couldn't get used to the way the wheel and pedal were set up.  Maybe if I were taller it would work.     I wish I could be more helpful but those are my 2 cents.   I think you should ask your girlfriend, lucky girl,  to research it and ask other potters for suggestions, since she's the one who'll actually be using it.   Good luck!  BTW where will she be firing her work?

 

[Hulk]

The fit can be important, as Irene and Chilly point out, hence test rides can be helpful - like shopping for a bike. Hence, if the user knows what fits already, test rides maybe do not matter.
I may never see a Cowley, Gladstone, Roderveld, or Venco here in California; we do see Brent, Skutt, Bailey (not sure if same Bailey as found in UK), Shimpo, Speedball, Pacifica, Soldner...

I'd pick the belt driven type over a cone drive; there's a breakdown in this article: selectingwheel (clay-planet.com) 

The speed control providing smooth/progressive and precise control, that's easy to get used to.
The controller on my wheel has several adjustments. I tweaked the max speed up a bit, and turned down the speed hold, for I prefer to feather the pedal in the rare case I'm exerting enough force to slow the wheel.

Adequate power can be important, as Irene points out.

And again, comfortable to sit and work at.

If perusing used, look for damage and wear.
Quiet smooth-running motor, good speed control, quiet wheel shaft bearings, level wheel head (does not wobble up and down or oscillate) - a bad belt should be easily fixed... Parts may be easier to find for newer models, popular brands.

My wheel's pedal is a massive alloy casting, which is too cold much of the year; I put a bubble wrap pad on it for insulation. It's a bit on the noisy side as well, however, it runs perfect, I like the built in heavy cast pan, the motor is plenty strong, and it should last a very long time. If buying new I may not have paid extra for the upgrades, Skutt Stephen Hill model;  lightly/barely used, however, at a good price, I'm lucky and still happy with it. 

[oldlady]

do not buy anything cheap if it is new.   do not look at ebay.   if any ad you see online says the word "machine" in the description, it is most likely one of the very cheap ones from china.   check the brand names if you buy a used one, which is almost impossible these days.  if it is used and not being sold by the previous user, be very careful and take someone who knows wheels with you.   sometimes children of a potter have no idea what they are selling, just that "a new one costs thousands so i am asking half that".    if it is described as being used at a school, is an Amaco and has 2 speeds, do not even look at it.  i am editing this because i forgot you are in london and probably will not see an amaco wheel.  it is still good advice for others who might be in the US and thinking about buying a wheel.

you might just give her a card with a handwritten note that you will shop together and get just what she wants.   it is a very personal thing to buy for someone else.  tell her that.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

I second what Oldlady says: unless you know she’s got something specific in mind, take her in to purchase, and help her get it set up.

If you think she’s going to be with it for more than a few months, definitely stay away from the EBay /Wish/other discount brand wheels. The forums and facebook groups are full of complaints about them breaking very easily, and they tend to have a lot of wiring related issues. There are those who defend their stalwart little wheels, but they tend to be the folks who just make a few pots for fun/relaxation.

[Mark C.]

Find out which are serviced on your side of the pond (England)ask other potters about this in the UK.Whats available and servicable in a unknown for us here on this side of the pond

[Bam2015]

Hello Rich and welcome!

How nice of you to do this, but I would suggest a gift certificate and let her pick out her own wheel unless you know what she prefers. She may have tried various wheels at a studio and has a favorite brand. It can be a personalized decision and  too big an investment to buy the wrong wheel. 

Betty

[Pres]

I often think about how lucky I was to have quite a bit of experience with different wheels before buying my own. I had worked on Randall powered kick wheels in the beginning, then Amaco two speed direct (yech) at the HS first year of teaching and a motorized kick Amaco. Then during summer courses at PSU I worked on Brent b and c models. The Brents taught me a few things about what I needed in the way of a wheel. The B's slowed down when I centered, as I am very aggressive, the C's would handle it to some degree, but I still felt they were not quite right. I liked the large open table top of the Brents, never really using a splash pan, as they did not have them, In the long run, I bought a Brent CXC, and have never regretted it. In 30 years there has never been any maintenance! This year however I am replacing the potentiometer as the flooding has made it pretty useless. A hard push down will get me medium speed, and that is about all. Try to control the speed and it stops. New Pot is on order.

 

best,

Pres

[Rich S]

Thanks for all your replies guys, very helpful. I think I will take your advice and go for a gift card, so she can be involved in choosing the right one. 

She'd only really be using it as a hobby, to make a few things now and then and relax, so probably wouldn't need something at the absolute top of the range (at least not to begin with). but I'll take her looking for one and we can make sure it's the right fit. 

Thanks again for all your advice!

[Pyewackette]

I own a Shimpo VL Lite and regularly use the Shimpo Whisper at the studio where I work.  I haven't actually used the one I own in YEARS (lots of moving, nowhere to set it up) but I don't remember having a problem with it.  The thing is it is very underpowered now compared to the Whisper.  The VL Lite tops out at 25 lbs of clay and I've been told by more experienced potters that I shouldn't REALLY expect to be able to throw more than about 15 lbs on it before it starts slowing down.  The Whisper says it can handle 100 lbs, and, again, I've been told that it will top out in practice before that (but I can't remember how MUCH before that, probably around 60 lbs or so which is a freakin' @*$#!* LOT of clay).

In short I have most likely already outgrown the VL Lite (which my son and I will be setting up here tomorrow so I can fire 'er up for the first time in almost 10 years). On the other hand - 15 lbs of clay is actually quite a lot.  Since I've started back I actually haven't thrown more than 5 lbs at once.  I hope to increase that forthwith but I've got lots of skills I need to re-develop before that.  Most likely I haven't actually outgrown the VL Lite, but I do feel confident that I WILL, in the next year or two.

The VL Lite is running $750 to $800 new; I've seen the Whisper listed at $1400 new.  The Whisper, btw, really is aptly named.  It is SUPER quiet, something you might appreciate a LOT in an apartment.  If you want to hear/see some typical wheels of other brands, here are a few:

Simon Leach's opinion of the Shimpo Whisper - He likes, and he knows a thing or two about pottery.

Tim See on the Soldner S series wheels - they don't come with splash pans.  You will want a splash pan. These are also good wheels.  I would ignore Tim See's snarky remark about the Whisper stopping with 25 lbs on it - that's not a thing to worry about with the Whisper.  Perhaps he was thinking of the VL Lite.

Hsin-Chuen Lin on a Brent - these are workhorses but they are LOUD.  I have worked on these in the past but it was long enough ago that I cannot for the life of me remember why I didn't like them.  I just didn't.  Possibly due to poor maintenance in the studio where they were located, but it might also just be the loud annoying whine they make.  Another Brent video.  Maybe the newer ones are quieter (or maybe they just made sure you couldn't hear them in that 2nd video LOL!)

Skutt/Thomas Stewart with removable wheel head - doesn't seem too loud, and that removable wheel head is sure handy for cleaning - and if the wheel is IN the apartment you WILL want it to be easy to clean.  These are SPENDY. But they seem like good wheels. The integrated splash pan should be very effective at keeping your clay detritus IN the pan and out of your carpet, and being able to take the wheel head off more than makes up for not being able to take the pan off to clean it.

BTW, you will need some mechanism for taking care of waste water.  You can't put clay down your drains. 

Stay away from anything smaller than the VL Lite. I think in an apartment situation the Shimpo Whisper would be the choice, or if that's too spendy, the VL Lite as long as you're good with the lower weight limit.  There are lots of good things about the Whisper.  It has good torque, it won't usually slow down under load, it is direct drive and super duper quiet.  The other wheels listed above are good too but they aren't all good in the same ways and I'm pretty sure they ALL cost (more) to (a LOT more) than the Whisper (except the VL Lite, that is, which is the cheapest of the bunch).

 

[Roberta12]

@Rich S  Even if your gf only wants to make a few pots for a hobby, if you buy a well made reputable brand, it would hold it's value if she decides to sell it.  With a good wheel, she may decide to do more than simply make a few pots for fun!  

[Pyewackette]

Here's a video of someone throwing on the Shimpo VL Lite.  I suggest just turning the sound off, its extremely annoying.  He talks over elevator music LOL!

My son hasn't shown up here yet to help me move it out onto the porch and set it up yet *grumble grumble grumble*.  I haven't turned it on in 8 or 10 years.  I guess we'll see how well the belt has held up to 7 years of being in a garage in the dry desert heat ...