I have a Rhode pottery wheel and love it but it's a bit of a pain to fully clean if I want to switch from stoneware to earthenware. My Rhode is wonderful and I'm very happy with it but it cost nearly €2,500. I thought I'd give this Vevor wheel a try after watching some YouTube videos and I'm completely impressed. It cost less than the stool that came with the Rhode.
Pros:
- It's powerful, it doesn't slow down even when centring 5kg+ of terracotta clay. Top speed is as fast as I'd ever use.
- It's very easy to clean, the splash tray is solid, secure and doesn't leak at all. Easy to remove and wash down too.
- It came with about €25 worth of turning tools.
- Could be a con, but it's quite small and needs propping up to be at a comfortable height (I use an old half pallet) -- does mean it's very easy to store out of the way when it's not in use.
Cons:
- It can be fiddly to set slower speeds. I got the foot pedal but have attached a small stick to the side so I can more precisely control it with my hand. I'd probably for that option from the factory if I was buying again. This only matters when I want a very slow speed for cleaning up the surface with a rib, it can take a little focus to get just the right adjustment on the pedal. For me, a very small inconvenience for such a good wheel.
- Not significant but you can see where money was saved, the welds are a bit ugly and the paint job on the body is a little uneven -- I don't know why I'd ever care about that though.
Would recommend, particularly if starting out. Use the money you save on a wheel to get a second-hand kiln!