Has anybody every purchased a harbor freight English wheel is worth it and does it work decent I'm on a budget thanks
man we just talked about this at your house, do a search, we would have to work on it to make it work right...
Nope, nobody's ever bought one...ever...they just display them in the store with a price tag for the hell of it...and we've never discussed it on here either...hell, none of us even know what an English wheel does, except for those British blokes...sorry...
Don't do that again, or we'll take you down to HB and run your finger through an English wheel... and you'll squeal.
I looked at one yesterday in the store in Richland, Wa and it would do for me even if I had to do a few modifications. There was a guy on Ebay selling some nice looking wheels to put on your own English wheel but I just checked and he hasn't sold any for quite a while. The HF unit is probably best viewed as one of the learn with and outgrow units unless you modify it to meet your needs. One of these days when it's on sale I'll be looking for the how to modify one threads.
Lots of people buy them, but I can honestly say that I've never heard a good review from anybody who knows much about english wheels. The frames are flimsy (way too flimsy), and the runout on the upper wheel and anvils often leaves them un-usable right out of the box. Many guys have to cut the yokes apart so they can weld them back on straight so the wheels meet on the same plane, the adjuster is sloppy, etc, the list is endless. A reasonable comparison would be buying one of those 110 volt welders that can't generate enough heat to weld anything. I don't know where you are located, but it would be a big advantage if you had the opportunity to try out a real english wheel first. I'd suggest signing up at one or all of the metalshaping websites, as these guys are having metalshaping events all over the place these days (Texas included), where rookies are quite welcome to drop over to try the equipment out first hand. If you luck out and find an event near you, I guarantee that you will never be tempted to look at the HF stuff again. While you are on the sites, you'll also find lots of valuable details to be aware of before buying a wheel. If you don't have them around already, I'd suggest taking that same money and buying a nice set of hammers, slappers, and dollies instead of one of those wheels. You'll still be using them to do the same thing many years from now, and you will be much happier with them in the long haul. Ken
You could always build one instead of buying it.... Built Not Bought... Hmm, where did I get that idea from???
check out some Lasse videos and you'll understand why an english wheel is not a harbor freight item...
be better off with the one that Ian Berkey has...he said it works pretty good and doesnt brake the bank.
im doing a search in just a min, but where did you find him stating what one he has? i love his work by the way.
Geeze. I'm still on the first post trying to figure out where each sentence starts and finishes so I can understand the question. If, indeed, it is a question ...
I haven't built one of these yet, but it seems like a great way learn a bit about an english wheel without having to buy a pos out of the gate.
I made my own out of some tubing I bought from the metal yard and some ball bearings from a scrap yard along with the receiver hitch tube from a trailer hitch and it works good. So well that I have started a second one for a larger project I have in mind.
I got mine from a blacksmith who realized he'd never use it. It was new in the box and came with an extra upper wheel. The frame is decent, but I welded up all the bolted joints to make it stronger. I also welded the big HF planishing hammer to the backside of it and added a big 1/4" thick bridged gusset between the two. I also put two wheels on the legs so I can lift up one end and roll it around the shop easily. The dies and upper wheel need to be polished to keep from marring thin material. The fixtures are a little loose and the tension clamp is hokey, but with a little work it's a good unit. There's tons of information on the internet about upgrading these E-Wheels. Lots of folks would rather build their own, but for the price of the dies and upper wheel, you can buy the entire HF E-wheel with the dies and still have money leftover for lunch. For a guy who uses his occasionally, it's a good deal and it will get the job done without breaking the bank. I've learned my lesson in buying expensive tools only to find out I don't use them enough to justify spending a fortune on them. I've played with a friends Lazze and really couldn't tell the difference between the two. That's just my two cents.
I think the guy you're referring to is Joe Andrews from Hoosier Pattern. I bought an upper wheel and lower anvils from him, and I can attest that they are truly the shit! The claim he makes is that his wheels will have .001" of runout or less. I checked mine as soon as they came: 2 had .001" runout, 3 had .0005 runout, and the other two were dead nut! They're nicely hardened, so the wheels actually shape the sheetmetal, not the other way around. And I even ran some low grade stainless sheet through mine. If you find him selling, I HIGHLY recommend his wheels.
Racrdad got one from northern tool, a little more $ than horrible freight, but its a nice wheel. Here is a picture of it in MY garage! WHAT???? Somebody had to try it out!!!!