Vevor Lathe Chuck

Lathe chucks are foundational tools, much like good vices are on milling machines. Given that a 3 and 4 jaw chuck will hold almost everything we turn, it really pays to own the best chucks you can afford.

Good chucks grip better, more accurately and more consistently. Lock down on a work piece with a Rohm, Pratt Burnerd, Samchully or Kitagawa chuck and you'll see what I mean.

If you are patient, you can often buy a high end chuck for just a bit more than a cheap import chuck. I only own top tier chucks, all of which came from eBay for around 25% or less of their retail cost. Decide what you want and wait for it; it will eventually show up.
 
Vevor is bottom barrel, minimum-finish parts. They are cheap, because they save their money by not finishing/checking their stuff. They are fantastic 'kits' for the price, but they are all going to need work.

For something as precise as a chuck, I probably wouldn't go with them.As Huub says, Sanou chucks have been great for me.
I can say with relative certainty that the Sanou and Vevor checks are exactly the same. I have both and see no difference aside from the name.
 
I can say with relative certainty that the Sanou and Vevor checks are exactly the same. I have both and see no difference aside from the name.
Good to know. I've not had a Vevor chuck, but am basing it on the other equipment I've purchased from them which are far from finished. I've had 2 machine vises from them, a storage cabinet, and a arbor press, each are 'barely functional' (the vises were 20 thou + out over the length of 4 inch vises!).

I know many of the same names come from the same 'factory', and some brands buy the 'higher end stuff', while companies like Vevor seem to get the bottom-of-the-barrel left overs. You MIGHT end up with usable, but note that a dozen other companies have had 1st choice.
 
Lathe chucks are foundational tools, much like good vices are on milling machines. Given that a 3 and 4 jaw chuck will hold almost everything we turn, it really pays to own the best chucks you can afford.

Good chucks grip better, more accurately and more consistently. Lock down on a work piece with a Rohm, Pratt Burnerd, Samchully or Kitagawa chuck and you'll see what I mean.

If you are patient, you can often buy a high end chuck for just a bit more than a cheap import chuck. I only own top tier chucks, all of which came from eBay for around 25% or less of their retail cost. Decide what you want and wait for it; it will eventually show up.
I suspect you would never notice a difference on lathe like my 1931 South Bend 11. If you are buying a Chuck for your Monarch I would agree.... you might see a difference if you spend the big bucks and get a good one. The thing is, not everyone has Monarch 10EE or other industrial lathes. Many "hobby" Machinists have old Craftsman, Atlas, South Bends, Logans, or some Chinese light weight lathes. When your spindle is 1.5" in diameter (or even less) a good solid chuck is will make little difference. In fact, depending on the chuck, and the amount of overhang they could actually make matters worse. This is the Hobby Machinist Forum right? There is no doubt in my mind that Vevor or Sanou are nowhere near the quality level of the chuck you mentioned but have you ever tried one. I will say, I was pleasantly surprised at the quality. Not only are they fairly well made but they open up possibilities for many... who ever thought you could find a usable 5" chuck for $58 (what I paid for my Sanou). Personally I think the Vevor and Sanou have their place and are also a good value but I'm not running a production machine shop either.
 
Good to know. I've not had a Vevor chuck, but am basing it on the other equipment I've purchased from them which are far from finished. I've had 2 machine vises from them, a storage cabinet, and a arbor press, each are 'barely functional' (the vises were 20 thou + out over the length of 4 inch vises!).

I know many of the same names come from the same 'factory', and some brands buy the 'higher end stuff', while companies like Vevor seem to get the bottom-of-the-barrel left overs. You MIGHT end up with usable, but note that a dozen other companies have had 1st choice.
Yeah, I agree for the most part but it is hit and miss. I have two Vevor mill tables for a drill press. The castings are really nice but the lead screws and brackets are terrible. I also have a sheer for sheet metal... it works great but the rod cutting function did not. And last, i have a Vevor drill sharpener that is shockingly good. I think Vevor buys from hundreds or maybe even thousands of factories and just puts their name on the product.
 
There is no doubt in my mind that Vevor or Sanou are nowhere near the quality level of the chuck you mentioned but have you ever tried one?

As a matter of fact, yes, I've used cheap Chinese lathe chucks before. Haven't owned them but have used them on other people's lathes before so I think I sorta know what I'm talking about. I'm just giving you a perspective that many of the more experienced guys have learned over the years, that's all.
 
As a matter of fact, yes, I've used cheap Chinese lathe chucks before. Haven't owned them but have used them on other people's lathes before so I think I sorta know what I'm talking about. I'm just giving you a perspective that many of the more experienced guys have learned over the years, that's all.
I tend to agree... in many cases it's worthwhile buying the good stuff but I have seen people go out and spend 20K on the good stuff and never utilize it. Then there are people like me that can't afford the chucks that cost more then my lathe that do great things with what they have or can afford. In fact, between my mill, drill press, saw and lathe I probably only spent 3k
My point it, if somebody getting into this hobby thinks he has to have a $400 chuck to make his lathe usable he might never get into the hobby. And then there is the learning curve.... these small lathes and mill teach you things about setups and rigidity you can not learn on the big industrial machines. For example, my first try at doing cutoff on my Logan was a shocking disaster but I could go to a friends shop, slap a blade in hid monarch 10EE and part off all day without issue.
 
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