Every chuck has a maximum RPM; diameter is not initial critical factor. Advertisement specifications give speed ranges, and the material; there are cast iron chucks, semi-steel, and forged bodies. There isn't anything intrinsically wrong with chucks, most large lathes have them; along with suitable speed range.
Tooling my Square Dial with 6", 8" and 10"'s. They cover 3, 4, 6 jaws, 5C and a happy accident in #215's. It's all about part size juggled with feature size. i.e. Big part with a little bore? Use a mill! Little part, high speeds = little chuck.
I wouldn't go that route so far in a geared head, without lots of speed selections. While lots have a pyramidal speed progression, some of those 'steps' just don't look right, usually in the span ~ 950-1200.
That's also where leveling is important, not only a straight bed, but equalized load bearing on the feet.
A stickler for that; no matter a lathe, mill, radial drill, shaper, punch press, shear, even a pedestal grinder.