I must admit, I like a belt head or a geared head. The electronic varispeed is cheaper to make and that’s the only advantage.
You just cannot beat having a motor running at full chat, geared well down for low speed torque and control cutting big diameters and large screw threads (which are the ones one is most likely to have to cut. Littl’uns have taps and dies.
I agree that changing belts on pulleys is a tad awkward, or can be, but you get pretty used to it. At least the belt always goes on. With a geared head you sometimes have to hit the jog switch to nudge it if a couple of gear teeth are dead in line.
I don’t know if its in budget, but that Chester Craftsman is tremendous value. Good size, plus a gap. Good range of speeds and feeds, do all the screwcutting you want, well equipped. Belt head – no varispeed thank god, and a norton gearbox. moderately compact, tee slotted x slide so you can mill up to a point. Not sophisticated, but difficult to beat for a modeller. the Warco equivalent is hte BH600/900
Edited By meyrick griffith-jones on 17/12/2009 17:52:32