If you want the short answer: the JET JWL-1221VS is the best wood lathe for bowl turning for most people, because it pairs a full 1 HP cast iron headstock with a variable speed range that drops to 60 RPM, so you can rough out an out-of-round blank without the motor stalling.
Bowl turning is the hardest thing you will ever ask a wood lathe to do. Spindle turning a pen or a chair leg puts a clean, centred load on the spindle, while cutting a side-grain bowl blank puts heavy side-thrust and torque on the motor, the bedways, and the stand at the same time. That is why so many machines that turn beautiful pens stumble when pointed at a rough blank, and why the wrong first lathe ends up on a resale site within a year.
We compared 11 machines across the full price and size range, from a small benchtop learner to a 20 inch swing machine built for 16 inch salad bowls. Below you will find the swing, motor size, speed range and spindle thread for each one, plus a plain verdict on who each machine suits.
If you already own a machine and want the wider picture, our wood lathe buying guide covers the general shortlist, and our earlier roundup of bowl-turning lathes goes deeper on the beginner end of the market.
Top 3 Picks for Bowl Turning in 2026
Every Lathe at a Glance in 2026
This table lists all 11 machines in the order we recommend them. The swing figure is the advertised maximum diameter over the bedways, which is always a little more generous than the bowl you can realistically turn.
| Product | Specifications | Action |
|---|---|---|
 JET JWL-1221VS |
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 VEVOR 12 x 18 |
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 Delta 46-460 |
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 PSI KWL-1218VS |
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 Powermatic 3520C |
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 Shop Fox W1836 |
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 hightall MC813 |
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 Grizzly G0842 |
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 MECHINHUB 8 x 12 |
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 MECHINHUB 12 x 18 |
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 CXRCY WL460-12VF |
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1. JET JWL-1221VS – Best Wood Lathe for Bowl Turning Overall
JET 12″ x 21″ Variable-Speed Woodworking Lathe, 1 HP, 115V 1Ph (JWL-1221VS)
- Low speed range drops to 60 RPM for rough blanks
- Quiet smooth running with real torque
- Heavy cast iron build and accurate centering
- Digital readout plus spindle lock and 24 indexing positions
- Digital readout can read wrong under low line voltage
- Speed dial feels cheaper than the rest of the machine
- Included tool rests need filing and polishing
This is the machine most first-time bowl turners should look at, and it is the one we keep coming back to. The motor is a full 1 HP, not the 3/4 HP you find on smaller benchtop machines, and the three belt ranges run from 60 RPM up to 3,600 RPM. That 60 RPM floor matters more than any other number on the spec sheet.
Roughing out an 11 inch side-grain blank is unbalanced work. Run it fast and the chuck wants to walk off the spindle, the stand starts to rattle, and you get an airborne workpiece. Run it at 100 RPM and the same cut is calm and safe. The ratchet-style belt tension system means you can shift ranges without reaching for a wrench, so you spend your time cutting rather than adjusting.
Owners on the AAW forum rate the JET 1221 as the best entry point in the class, and the long-running complaints are about small things rather than structural ones. The speed control knob feels lighter in the hand than the rest of the machine, and the supplied tool rests need a little filing before they sit comfortably against a gouge.
Two things are worth planning around. The digital readout can display the wrong RPM when your supply voltage sags, so treat it as a guide rather than a laboratory instrument. And the headstock mounting bolts do loosen, so check them with a wrench after the first few sessions and every few months after that.
What bowl work feels like on the JET 1221VS
At 12 inch swing it turns a 10 inch bowl comfortably and stretches for 11 inch. The forward and reverse switch is genuinely useful when you move to sanding, and the 24 indexing positions let you cut repeat features on the outside of a bowl without marking it.
Who should skip it
Skip it if your shop floor is bare concrete and you work at odd hours, because 121 pounds still transmits a low hum. And if you plan to turn bowls over 12 inches from the first day, this machine is the wrong size and you should be reading further down the list.
2. VEVOR 12 x 18 Wood Lathe – Best Value Bowl Turning Lathe
- Brushless motor means no carbon brush replacement
- Cast iron body and metal handwheels damp vibration
- Wide 150-3800 RPM range with no gear changes
- Strong sales ranking in the power lathe category
- Tool rest finish and alignment vary between machines
- Motor mounting bolts arrived barely tightened
- Documentation contains warnings rather than instructions
This is the value pick, and it earns that label on the motor rather than the sticker. A 1 HP brushless DC motor is unusual in this class, and because there are no carbon brushes to replace you avoid a maintenance item that trips up owners of older universal motor machines.
The 150 RPM floor is higher than the JET’s 60 RPM but still low enough to work an out-of-round blank down slowly. Above that you get a continuous range to 3,800 RPM with no manual belt changes at all, which is pleasant when you move from roughing to sanding and polishing in the same session.
What holds it back is consistency rather than capability. Owners report tool rest finish and alignment that varies from machine to machine, and more than one person found the motor mounting bolts barely tightened out of the box. Set the tool rest square before you make your first cut.
There is also a small cluster of reports of the variable speed control failing after about a month. The rating of 3.9 across more than 500 reviews is the lowest average here, and it reflects real variance, not a fundamentally flawed machine. If you want the cheapest sensible route into bowl turning, this is it.
How big a bowl will it actually turn?
The 12 x 18 inch work area translates to roughly a 10 inch bowl with a faceplate mounted, and about 8 inches of turning diameter when you use the tailstock for support. That covers most first projects comfortably, including the 8 inch salad bowl size people turn most often.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you cut dense hardwood like walnut or maple with a sharp gouge and heavy depth of cut. The lower-powered variants bog down under exactly that kind of aggressive work, and a motor that bogs is a motor that will heat up and wear faster over a few years.
3. Delta 46-460 – Best Midi Lathe for Oversized Bowls
- Largest swing in the midi class at 12-1/2 inches
- Full 1 HP motor handles unbalanced turning
- Quiet running from 250 to 4000 RPM
- Reverse rotation is useful for sanding
- Switch and controller box have arrived cracked from packaging
- Spare parts can be slow to source through service
- Included tool rests feel light in the hand
If you are moving up from a small benchtop machine, this is the one most turners end up owning. The 12-1/2 inch swing over the bed is the biggest in the midi class, and it translates to a realistic 11 inch bowl rather than the 8 inch ceiling that frustrates people on smaller machines.
The 1 HP motor is coupled with a patented belt tensioning system that sets correct tension at every speed shift, which means consistent torque delivery across the range rather than the slip you get on a loose belt. Reviewers consistently describe it as quiet and vibration free from 250 to 4,000 RPM.
Two practical notes. At 97 pounds it is heavy, and if your shop has stairs you will want help moving it into position. And the reverse function, which is the first thing many buyers cite as their favourite feature once sanding season arrives, comes as a proper reversing switch rather than a wiring job.
The repeated complaint from long-term owners is service. Damage to the on/off switch and controller box on arrival is reported often enough that you should inspect both the moment the crate opens, and parts can take time to source through the service centre.
Whether it fits your accessories
The drive spindle is 1 inch by 8 right-hand thread with a number 2 Morse taper at both headstock and tailstock. That is the most common combination in the industry, so faceplates, chucks and live centres you already own will very likely bolt straight on.
Who should skip it
Skip it if bowl turning is a hobby you will do twice a year. You are buying a 5 year warranty and a machine built to be handed down, and those two things do not make sense unless the craft is going to stick.
4. PSI Woodworking KWL-1218VS Turncrafter – Best Rated 12 Inch Midi Lathe
PSI Woodworking KWL-1218VS Turncrafter 12″ Variable Speed Midi Lathe
- 4.5 star average with 77 percent of reviews at five stars
- 12 inch swing with 18 inch between centres
- 1 HP induction motor with two wide overlapping belts
- Cast iron base at 106 lb gives a steady cut
- Single 3/8 in spindle bore limits chuck options
- Only 1-5/8 in of tailstock quill travel
- Thin review base means limited long-term feedback
This midi lathe has one of the strongest average ratings of any machine we covered, and the reason is straightforward: an induction motor, a cast iron base, and 106 pounds of mass doing the work of keeping a cut steady. Induction motors hold torque far better than the small universal motors found on cheap benchtop lathes.
The two belt ranges of 500 to 1,800 RPM and 1,950 to 3,800 RPM overlap slightly, which means you can carry a speed across the shift without a gap. Twenty-four indexing positions with a spindle lock make it easy to cut evenly spaced flutes or ribs on a finished bowl.
The real constraint is the small 3/8 inch bore through both the spindle and the tailstock. It suits smaller faceplate work and light-duty chucks, but if you already own a collection of 1 inch chucks you will not be able to use most of them.
Tailstock travel is also short at 1-5/8 inches, which is fine for tightening a rim or supporting light work but tight for a larger bowl supported at the tailstock end. Plan to turn bowls faceplate-mounted and use the tailstock for light support only.
Its place in the size classes
This sits in the middle of the midi range, so it suits a turner making 8 to 10 inch bowls who also wants to knock out spindles and small table legs on the same machine. The bed stretches to 18 inches between centres.
Who should skip it
Skip it if accessory compatibility drives your decision, because the 3/8 inch bore is the one specification that could make it useless to you. Also skip it if you want published long-term durability reports, since only 84 reviews exist for this model.
5. Powermatic 3520C – Best Lathe for Large Heavy Bowls
Powermatic 20″ x 35″ Variable Speed Woodworking Lathe, Reversible Wood Turning Machine, 2 HP, 220V 1Ph (3520C)
- 726 lb cast iron build damps vibration on big blanks
- Exceptionally quiet running with digital indexing
- Movable magnetic control box positions anywhere on the bed
- Riser blocks allow standing height adjustment
- 726 lb needs a hoist or several people to assemble or move
- 220V single phase means a dedicated circuit
- Cord arrives unattached and must be wired to a plug
This is the machine you buy when bowl turning is the whole point rather than a side activity. Twenty inch swing across the bedways and 35 inches between centres cover the large salad bowls, hollow forms and gunstock shapes that smaller machines simply cannot hold between the centres and the tool rest.
The 2 HP motor runs from 15 RPM to 3,200 RPM through a fully enclosed variable frequency drive. At 15 RPM you can move a gouge across a 16 inch blank with the workpiece barely turning, which is the only sane way to find the round on a big piece of green wood.
Owners with years of use describe the machine as near indestructible. Digital indexing gives you repeatable position for cutting symmetrical patterns around a bowl rim.
Be clear-eyed about the setup, though. This needs a 220V single phase circuit on its own, the power cord arrives unattached and has to be terminated at a plug, and the machine is heavy enough that assembly realistically needs a hoist or several people.
What the mass buys you
That 726 pound frame absorbs the side-thrust that comes from cutting end grain at diameter. It also means the machine is not going anywhere when a blank goes out of balance, which is worth considering before you work near it with a large piece mounted.
Who should skip it
Skip it for a basement shop or a first serious bowl project. A dedicated 220V circuit, a floor rated for the load, and the sheer logistics of moving a half-ton machine are real costs that only make sense if you will use it for years.
6. Shop Fox W1836 – Best Compact Benchtop Lathe With a Digital Readout
- Digital RPM readout and electronic variable speed at this size
- Compact benchtop footprint from an established brand
- Two overlapping speed ranges
- 85 lb bench weight suits a small room
- 3/4 HP bogs on heavier cuts
- Universal motor lacks induction torque
- No riser or stand for standing work
Sometimes the right answer is a machine that fits in the corner of a small room. This 12 by 15 inch benchtop lathe weighs 85 pounds, runs on a standard 110V circuit, and still gives you electronic variable speed with a digital RPM readout, which is a genuinely rare combination at this size.
The two ranges, 500 to 1,800 and 1,000 to 3,800 RPM, overlap so you can cross the shift without losing speed control. The 12 inch swing handles a 9 or 10 inch bowl, which covers the majority of household bowl work.
The 3/4 HP motor is the limit. It is a universal motor rather than an induction unit, so it has less low-speed torque, and it will bog when you take a heavy cut in dense hardwood. The 500 RPM floor is also higher than you want for a genuinely out-of-round blank.
Where it fits in the house
This is the machine for an apartment workshop, a garage bench, or a spare room where a full midi lathe would be in the way. It is built as a benchtop machine and it works at bench height.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want to turn large or heavy blanks, and skip it if you work standing up, because no riser or stand is included. It is a small-shop machine and it does not pretend otherwise.
7. hightall MC813 – Best Budget Mini Lathe for Small Bowls
- Low entry cost for a cast iron benchtop lathe
- 360 degree rotatable forged tool rest
- Spare belt and a second tool rest included
- Cast iron body keeps vibration low on small work
- 8 x 12 in capacity limits work to small bowls
- 1/3 HP motor is underpowered for harder blanks
- Small owner base limits long-term reliability data
This is the cheapest sensible way to find out whether you like woodturning. The cast iron body gives you more than the thin steel plate you would get on a hobby machine of the same money, and the 360 degree rotatable forged tool rest is a feature most beginners do not realise they need until they have used a fixed one.
Speed control is infinitely adjustable from 750 to 3,200 RPM, which sounds good until you put a bowl blank on it. Seven hundred and fifty RPM is far too fast to safely work an out-of-round blank of any size, and that means this machine is really for spindle work and small balanced pieces.
With an 8 inch swing you are looking at a 5 or 6 inch diameter finished piece, which is a small fruit bowl or a cup rather than a salad bowl.
What the spare belt gets you
A drive belt is a consumable, and a spare in the box means a snapped belt does not end your session. The second tool rest does the same job for the rest itself.
Who should skip it
Skip it if salad bowls are the goal, and skip it if you cut anything harder than softwood. Learn on it, then move to a midi lathe once you know what you want to make.
8. Grizzly Industrial G0842 – Best Lathe With a Copy Attachment for Bowls
Grizzly Industrial G0842-14″ x 37″ Wood Lathe w/Copy Attachment
- 14 inch swing handles bigger bowls than most midis
- 37 inch between centres covers long spindles and posts
- Copy attachment included for duplicating work
- Good power for the class at 3/4 HP
- Tailstock and tool rest need a wrench to adjust
- Tailstock mounting has too much play for fine alignment
- Legs are described as flimsy and top-heavy
Two numbers set this machine apart in its class: 14 inch swing over the bed, and 37 inches between centres. The swing gives you a realistic 12 inch bowl, and the length means you can also mount spindles, table legs and long posts on the same headstock.
The included copy attachment lets you duplicate work without measuring twice, and on bowl work that means matching a rim profile or cutting identical decorative features across several pieces. That is a real time saver once you are making a series rather than a single bowl.
Owners are genuinely split on this one. The enthusiastic reviews describe solid build, easy assembly and good power for the class. The critical reviews concentrate on adjustment: both the tailstock and the tool rest are moved with a wrench rather than by hand, and the tailstock mounting has enough play to affect alignment on a finished bowl.
Several reviewers also report legs that are too light for a 170 pound machine, and one owner reported the lathe flipping. If your floor is not dead flat, shim the legs before your first bowl cut rather than after an incident.
Copy attachment limits
The copy device reduces between-centre distance to 32 inches, which suits short spindles and small repeated pieces. Anyone hoping to copy a full 14 inch bowl profile will find the attachment too limited for the job.
Who should skip it
Skip it if fine alignment matters to your work, because tailstock play is the one issue buyers complain about most. Read the reviews carefully before you commit, because the good and bad experiences here are more extreme than on any other machine in this list.
9. MECHINHUB 8 x 12 Mini Wood Lathe – Best Starter Lathe With a Full Accessory Kit
- Complete turning kit in the box including faceplate and centers
- Infinitely variable 750-3200 RPM control
- Cast iron body with solid steel base and headstock
- Good entry point for learning bowls and cups
- 1/3 HP bogs on anything beyond light cuts
- 8 x 12 in capacity limits piece size
- One machine arrived with no manual or serial number
What separates this machine from other small lathes in the same bracket is the box contents. You get goggle, knockout rod, wrench, Allen key, two solid tool rests at 4.3 inch and 7 inch, a 6 inch faceplate, a spur center and an MT1 live center. On a larger machine you would spend that money separately.
The cast iron body with a solid steel base and headstock keeps vibration low for pieces this size, which matters more than you would expect when you are learning to take a continuous cut.
The limiting factor is the 1/3 HP motor. It is adequate for small balanced work, but real removal of material from a bowl blank will bog it down. The 750 RPM floor also means you cannot work slowly enough to safely rough out anything genuinely out of round.
Documentation is thin, and one owner reported receiving a machine with no instructions and no serial number. Check both before you start, because a warranty conversation without either is an argument you will lose.
Is the accessory kit worth it?
Yes, for a beginner. A 6 inch faceplate and two tool rests would set you back meaningfully on a bigger machine, and having a live center and spur center in hand saves a first project from stalling on logistics.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you want to turn bowls bigger than about 5 inches across, and skip it if you already own a full set of turning tools, because the extras will not change what the machine can actually turn.
10. MECHINHUB 12 x 18 Digital Display Wood Lathe – Best Digital Readout for the Money
- 12 inch swing and 18 in centres give real bowl capacity
- Digital RPM display across three speed bands
- Quiet operation reported in reviews
- Good value for a first benchtop machine
- Digital speed control failed on one unit and its replacement
- Tailstock can twist the headstock when tightened
- Motor feels underpowered against its rating
This is a step up from the 8 by 12 machine in the same family, and the extra swing is the reason to consider it. Twelve inch swing over the bed with 18 inches between centres gets you a 10 inch bowl rather than a 5 inch one, which puts it in genuine bowl-turning territory.
Speed control is infinitely variable from 650 to 3,800 RPM across three bands of 650 to 1,450, 1,250 to 2,850 and 1,600 to 3,800. The 650 RPM floor is the highest on our list, so this is a machine for shaping rather than for slow roughing of a wild blank.
The reviews are shared across the 8 by 12 and 12 by 18 variants, so treat the specific feedback with some caution. Within that, the recurring negative is the digital speed controller, which failed on one unit after four months and again on its replacement.
The tailstock is the other issue worth knowing. Owners report that tightening it can twist the headstock and throw the workpiece off centre, which is a problem you will feel immediately as runout on a finished bowl rim.
How it compares to the JET on the same job
The JET 1221VS gives you a noticeably stronger motor, a much lower speed floor, and a review base more than thirty times larger at a higher rating. This machine competes on its digital readout and its dimensions. For a first bowl machine with a limited budget and patience for a possible controller failure, that can be a fair trade.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you intend to rough out green wood or burl blanks, because 650 RPM is not a safe starting speed for that work. It suits smaller dry blanks turned at moderate speed instead.
11. CXRCY WL460-12VF – Best Accessory Bundle on a 12 Inch Lathe
- Spare drive belt
- goggle
- LED lamp and organizer included
- Cover-down belt change avoids screw disassembly
- Digital display plus faceplate locking button
- Cast iron keeps the machine steady on medium work
- Very small review base
- Generic manufacturer listing and Chinese origin
- 3/4 HP will not power heavy cuts on dense hardwood
The reason this machine earns a place is its bundle and serviceability. You get a spare drive belt, safety goggle, magnetic LED lamp and a tool organizer in the box, and the cover-down belt adjustment means changing speed bands does not require a screwdriver or a rebuild.
A faceplate locking button is a nice touch that most machines at this level skip, and it matters on bowl work where a faceplate that creeps changes your diameter. The 12 inch swing and 18 inches between centres put it in the same practical class as the Delta and the JET, just with much less power behind it.
Speed control runs 650 to 3,800 RPM in three bands, so the same caveat applies as with the other 3/4 HP machines here. The 3/4 HP will not power heavy cuts in dense hardwood, and 650 RPM is too fast to rough an unbalanced blank safely.
The honest limitation is evidence. With 25 reviews and a generic manufacturer listing, there is no long-term ownership history to draw on, and service is likely to mean replacement rather than repair. Buy it as a first machine you might outgrow, not as a lifelong one.
What the bundled extras actually save you
The spare belt and goggle are the practical wins, since a belt is the consumable most likely to end a session. The LED lamp clips to the bed and lights the work without a clamp in the way of your tool handle.
Who should skip it
Skip it if warranty support matters to you, because a generic manufacturer listing means parts and repairs are a gamble. It is a solid first benchtop machine, not a machine to build a workshop around.
How to Choose a Wood Lathe for Bowl Turning
Swing is not the same as your bowl diameter
Swing is the maximum diameter the headstock clears over the bedways with the tool rest removed. The largest bowl you can actually turn is smaller, because you still need clearance for the tailstock, the banjo and the gouge handle. On a machine with 12 inch swing, expect a realistic 10 inch bowl, and on a 20 inch swing machine expect about 16 inches. This is the single biggest source of disappointment for first-time buyers.
How much horsepower you actually need
Treat 3/4 HP as the floor for side-grain bowl work and 1 HP as the sensible target. Below 3/4 HP, turning a bowl becomes frustrating rather than merely slow: the motor bogs on a heavy cut, the workpiece slows, and the gouge catches. Our full reasoning on torque versus horsepower is covered in the buying criteria section of our general wood lathe guide.
Variable speed and the low-end RPM rule
Fixed-speed machines with stepped pulleys force you to change belts to change speed, and the slowest setting is usually far too fast for rough work. Look for electronic variable speed that reaches 300 RPM or lower. Only the JET 1221VS, with a 60 RPM floor, and the Powermatic 3520C, at 15 RPM, drop that low. Everything else here starts between 500 and 750 RPM, which is fine for shaping a balanced blank and unsafe for a wild one.
Lathe size classes and the bowls they turn
Mini lathes with 8 inch swing handle 4 to 6 inch pieces and are for learning. Midi lathes with 12 inch swing handle 8 to 11 inch bowls and are what most people actually buy. Full-size lathes with 16 to 20 inch swing handle 14 to 16 inch bowls and beyond, and they need a proper floor and usually a 220V circuit. Our earlier bowl turning lathe roundup goes into the size question at more length.
110V versus 220V
Ten of these eleven machines run on a standard 110V or 115V household circuit, so you can plug them into an existing outlet in a garage or basement. The Powermatic 3520C is the exception and needs a 220V single phase circuit on its own. Adding that circuit means a panel check, a permit in many areas, and an electrician, so factor that into your plans before you choose the largest machine.
Spindle thread and accessory fit
Check the headstock spindle thread before you buy, because it decides whether your existing chucks and faceplates will fit. One inch by 8 TPI is the standard and appears on the Delta, the Turncrafter, the Grizzly, the Powermatic and the MECHINHUB machines here. The 3/8 inch bore on the Turncrafter is the exception, and it rules out most larger chucks.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best lathe for bowl turning?
The JET JWL-1221VS is the best all-round choice. It has a full 1 HP cast iron headstock, three speed ranges reaching 60 RPM for safe roughing of out-of-round blanks, and a 12 inch swing that turns a realistic 10 inch bowl. For bowls over 12 inches, the Powermatic 3520C has the swing and torque but requires a 220V circuit.
What size lathe is best for bowl turning?
Match the lathe to the largest bowl you want to make. A 12 inch swing midi lathe handles bowls of about 10 inches, a 14 inch swing reaches 12 inches, and a 20 inch swing professional machine reaches roughly 16 inches. Remember that swing over the bedways is always larger than the finished bowl because the tailstock and banjo need clearance.
How much horsepower do I need for a bowl turning lathe?
Treat 3/4 HP as the minimum and 1 HP as the right target for side-grain bowl work. Below 3/4 HP the motor bogs under a heavy cut, the workpiece slows, and the gouge is more likely to catch. Large green wood blanks or hollow forms need 2 HP and a 220V circuit.
What are the best lathe speeds for turning bowls?
Rough out an out-of-round blank at 100 RPM or slower, below the resonant speed where the workpiece tends to wobble. Once the blank is round, work up in stages and finish shaping between 150 and 400 RPM. Aim for 300 RPM or lower as your lowest available speed so slow work is possible at all.
What type of wood lathe chuck is best for bowl turning?
A faceplate is the usual choice for bowls because it gives positive gripping across the whole face, which keeps a heavy blank from shifting. A one piece jaws chuck works well on smaller blanks and mounted upside down. Either way, check the headstock thread first, since one inch by 8 TPI is standard but a few lathes use a 3/8 inch bore.
What is the best wood for bowl turning?
Start with green wood such as birch, maple or cherry straight from the tree, because it cuts far more easily than kiln dried stock. Beech is the traditional choice in Britain and is very forgiving. Bowl blanks must be turned with the grain running vertically so the finished sides are end grain. Avoid very dense exotics until your motor can handle them.
Which Wood Lathe Should You Buy?
The JET JWL-1221VS is our pick for the best wood lathes for bowl turning in 2026. It is the rare machine that is genuinely good at spindle work and genuinely good at bowl work, with a 1 HP motor, a 60 RPM floor and 121 pounds of cast iron underneath it.
Buy the Delta 46-460 if you want more swing than anyone else in the midi class. Buy the VEVOR 12 x 18 if budget is the deciding factor. Buy the Powermatic 3520C if you are turning bowls over 12 inches and can wire a 220V circuit. Whatever you choose, check the lowest speed the machine reaches before you buy, because that number decides whether roughing out an unbalanced blank is a calm process or a stressful one.
If you are still unsure, borrow a lathe from a local turning club before you commit. It is the fastest way to learn whether you like the craft at all, and it costs you nothing.