Pottery Wheels for Beginners - Amazon Budget Wheel with Solid Frame REVIEW 

Yeah! That's Great Farukan. I'm glad it helped out. It's a great wheel. She's going to love it!

I'm in your boat now. Was it a good purchase does it still work?

@@cbboy1265 Yes, still going strong, she got a kiln and can now cook the pottery she makes, go for it!!

REALLY! That's fascinating. If you get a chance snap a picture and send it here. I'd love to see that. Ebikes. I thought about trying to make one of these little wheels here. Wow, that's very interesting.

Thanks man! I feel like i haven't been very good with them lately :(. I'm glad to do these reviews. I'm excited the price is dropping on all these formerly expensive pieces of equimpent. I just saw an extruder for like $200 on Amazon. They are usually upwards of $500. I think it's great that ceramics is becoming more accessible to those of us not blessed with loads of $$$ :)

That's great! Yes I think you can get really good in a year. They key of course is practice... but the practicing is the best part in my opinion. I hope you get hooked Soso :). If you can find a pricy one at a good price that sounds like a good idea. But I'm kind of with you. I like going the cheaper way at first to learn then spend more on an upgrade as my skills improve. Let me know how it goes! -mj

Go for it PatchworkHeart. I can almost guarantee you wont regret it. it is one piece of equipment I think most people who love the craft should have at home - you can just get so much more practice time at home than you can at a studio. Let me know how it goes!

yahoo! that makes me happy Joanne. Thanks for sharing. Yeah I'm really glad these budget wheels are making pottery more accessible. I think a lot of people are learning how fun it is to throw! thanks for sharing! -mj

Yeah! I'm excited for you Erica! Watch out though... it's VERY addicting. Three years ago I was doing something completely different than pottery on the other side of the world... but I got sucked in by the wheel and life hasn't been the same since :) Have fun and send me any questions you have!

Hi Jeanette. I'm glad it was helpful. This is a good wheel. It's no skutt but it's no skutt price tag either. I'm so glad the price is dropping on these budget wheels and a world of wheel throwing is opening up to those who otherwise would not be exploring pottery! Let me know how it goes!

Woo hoo! Way to go. How is it working for you Jason?

Go for it! It's a great hobby but watch out - it's addicting :). Thanks -mj

I'm so glad Aiycha! Good luck! -mj

Is that how they do it D. Jensen? I didn't realize there was a scooter engine in there! That's fascinating

That's a good idea. Thanks for sharing Jamie. I've thought about doing the same for this wheel. I think if it had 3 feet instead of 4 it would steady better as well.

Wonderful! I'm glad it helped, Amal. Let me know if you have any questions! -mj

Thanks Gareth. It's a great wheel for the price and for those looking to get into throwing. I still stand by it. They do occasionally send lemons but Amazon's return policy is excellent for those instances. Thanks again.

Thats exactly where Im at. I just got the version with the remote pedal, used from Amazon Warehouse, for $78. It seems a little underpowered, but I also have no experience with using a wheel.

Hi Shan. It's still going strong! It doesn't get as much usage lately as I haven't been teaching as much but it's still a champ. Check out the newer version though in one of my videos. They fixed many of the things I didn't like about the first version. - mj

Glad you liked it Ricarte!

yeah it's really easy to get addicted Gabriel. That's my story too. When I bought a wheel everythig changed for me and i got a lot better. I didn't have a kiln the first year I had a wheel btw. At first I just didn't fire. Then I fired with a friend... then i broke down and bought one. So don't think you have to buy the kiln right out of the gate. I hope your prof will let you fire there. Otherwise I would check with local potters to see if you can pay them to fire with them. That's a great option too. Let me know how it goes! -mj

cool! Let us know how it goes. The tiles work great. I'm so glad I found them. they make bats really cheap for production pottery. I'm coming out with a new video in the next week or so for a 3d printed solution to help make the ceramic bat system easier for folks. stay tuned! Thanks for sharing Anna! -mj

it depends. I use my clay boss daily. I love it. but it doesn't move. It's really heavy. I use the blue ones - the Shimpo Aspire wheels, all the time for teaching. And I take them with me places wen I need to do a demo somewhere. So i guess it depends on what you're looking for. one is portable and the other super-durable. they are about the same price... the clay boss is a little more. if i were just starting out though i would probably get a shimpo aspire. In fact that's what i did. I have purchased 3 of those shimpo aspires so far. Good luck my friend! shoot me any questions you have. -mj

Thanks Ixchel! I'm glad it was helpful. Do you have any other pottery questions?

Yeah! Way to go Michelle! That's great. Yes I would agree with everything you say here. It's no shimpo but for the price point it's the lowest barrier to entry for those exploring throwing on the wheel. Way to go!

Hey thank you Adriana for watching! I'm glad you liked it. -mj

Hi leaf lee. This wheel is still going strong for me. But I do not use it as my everyday wheel. It's mainly used when i have classes or my kids friends come over to throw. Regarding the electronics - please see this thread's comments. Marcel (above) has some concerns about the electronic wiring of this wheel. I have not experienced any problems with it but I'm not an electrician. I have found it to be a reliable wheel and a great value. Thanks Leaf!

Any time!

Hey Josh, thanks for the encouragement. Yeah, I really like these inexpensive machines. They are defintely not the best but they are so accessible for those trying to break into a new craft and just get some reps at home. I have'nt spent much time on Reddit. What are they saying about these machines? Thanks for contributing here Josh! -mj

@@OutpostPottery basically anyone like me (who is just starting or limited access) posts about these machines it’s met with very seasoned potters who tell them that these will electrocute you, or that it’s somehow not real pottery, that it’s a waste of money (even though Amazon has a good return policy, whatever), and whenever someone posts their own positive review the same seasoned potters tell them they shouldn’t even make a review until they’ve had it at least a year or that they’ll inevitably burn their house down. It’s just skepticism at every direction.

Gotcha. Thank you for bringing this up Josh. This is good. I want to munch on this for a while and respond. I think there is something really profound going on here. it seems to me that studio pottery has really been the domain of the universities for a long time. It was largely taught, person to person, "caught not taught". The house rules or studio rules of one potter became laws and conventions in other studios. Now pottery is being given broadly to the masses via the internet and financial barriers to entry are dropping. More people are getting into it on their own and learning from the youtube, more brains are hacking problems and some conventions are being challenged. I think there is so much to gain from learning from these voices who have invested decades into this discipline. To not listen to expert would be foolish - reinventing the wheel and wasting time. I try to get around experienced potters every chance I get to learn the tricks. HOWEVER, I also think there is going to be a lot of innovation by challenging some conventions (like you have to have an expensive wheel in order to get reps and get addicted to pottery). Sure a $1500 wheel is better than a $150 wheel. Of course. But I would not have gotten into this craft 4 years ago if the cost was $1500 for a wheel. I bought the cheapest wheel i could find for $400 then and that thrust me into this world that has now become my vocation and such a joy in my life. I bet we have 10x the number of potters in the world today than we did a decade ago because of 1. lowered barrier to entry costs and 2. teaching on the internet. All these new potters challenging and testing our assumptions built over teh 50 years or so may lead to some really exciting new stuff. Sorry, I'm rambling. I'm going to munch on this a while, Josh. THANK YOU for bringing this up! These are great topics to explore. Feel free to shoot more thoughts my way. Hopefully others will join in the dialog. I think this is a much bigger conversation about innovation when distributed over many rather than knowledge held by a few.

You bet Al Shaeer! Are you guys in the Emirates?

Thanks for the encouragement Marco! This potter's wheel is actually for adults I believe. They are not marketing it for kids as far as I can tell. I just happen to have a lot of kids and they have friends so I wind up teaching kids more than adults. Good question Marco.

@@OutpostPottery ok. Thank you!

I actually do prefer the orange wheel - mainly because I don't care for the digital interface as much. I also like the big splash pan on the Orange wheel with one caveat. If the Orange wheel were my only wheel I wouldn't like it as much because I can't use the giffin grip with it. Since the splash pan is fixed to the wheel I can't fit the Giffin Grip on there. Soon someone is going to make a smaller version of the Giffin I'm sure. But the three legged budget wheel verses the orange one here are almost the same. When I look underneath the parts are virtually identical.

@@OutpostPottery Thank you very much for your reply.

Hey Paulo. Yes! I would watch this video to get a better understanding of the factors in choosing a wheel. I did this video for people just like you looking to get into pottery. I hope you like it! - ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VUYpdCQ2Q70.html -mj

Haha! Obi Outpost here - not sure how much help I'll be though. Judging by your language I think you might be more knowledgeable about the electric issues than myself :) When I got mine, I just checked to make sure the switch was over to the 110 side instead of the 220 side. Living overseas, I've fried so many electronics that way. There may be a neutral spot in the middle of the 110/220 toggle switch. I would just make sure you have it on the 110 side before you plug it in. You probably tried this already but that's all i can think of Michael. Let me know how it's goes! I hope you didn't get a lemon, but it does happen sometimes. -mj

i dont' think so. you will need some pottery tools but your main tools are your hands :). i wouldnt' go overbaord at the beginning. just enjoy and get some of the basics down. i woudl get a good sponge, maybe a few ribs and a wire tool. -mj

Hi, i will purchase the orange one bc the grey one has a digital hand level and that is just a big no to me

Hi Susana. I bought the orange one on Amazon in the US. What country are you shopping from? I'm with you on the touch screen. that feature is not a winner. it's not too bad once things are set but you don't want to be fiddling with it at all when yo're throwing. Thanks Susana

I would probably buy this one over the grey one. But if i could get the gray one without the touch screen i would probably do that. i have a lot of friends who throw standing up. They put their wheels on top of cinder blocks. I sometimes prop my wheel up slightly with 2x4" wood blocks or strips of wood. Just be sure all 4 legs are in alignment. 3 points define a plain. 4 points is harder to get a plain flat / ie a flat base - so the wheel might wobble a little. Just try to keep the feet all flat on the floor.

@@OutpostPottery Thanks for answering. I am currently living i spain and got a yellow one but its exactly like the orange one. I really like it. Hugs from spain

Hey Joshua! Sorry for the late response. In order to make it a fully functioning pottery vessel you will need to fire it in a kiln. They are expensive so you probably don't wnat to purchase one of those early on. I usually recommend people who want to get into pottery that they purchase a wheel first. Then, spend a few months just learning the basics of throwing on the wheel. The first few months you probalby wont make anything you are super proud of in the long run but it will give you a good idea of if you want to get into pottery. Often, especially if you're in a city, there will be local studios with kilns who will let you fire with them for a price. I woudl go that route at first. But for me the joy was in learning to throw - it was my therapy for many many months... now years :). Thanks for asking this Joshua. I think a lot of people have this question. -mj

Hey J. White. I'm not really sure about this? I don't know a way to turn a wheel that only goes in one direction the other direction. You might be able to rig it up, but I would be nervous about it coming apart (if i did it i mean :). I would probably send it back but you may be more techinically inclined in this stuff than me. Please let me know if you find a way. Are you a lefty? Is that the issue? Good luck! -mj

Thanks Carl. I'm glad you got the Brent C. That's a great wheel!

@@OutpostPottery I like it but I really would have bought a budget wheel had I found your videos first it would have got me started much cheaper God Bless and thanks again for sharing for others interested in pottery

@@cre2919 The high priced professional wheels retain their value you could always resell and purchase one of the budget ones there seems to be quite a demand for wheels at the moment I am waiting for a new shimpo aspire to come back instock to replace my kick wheel.

​ @Shannon Pawlikowski True but I am going to keep trying and I think if I can get pretty good I will be glad I have it. I have been looking for you to make more videos did you decide to stop?

Yes! I think if you can get one with a removable basin that would be better. Can you send the link here? I'd love to see it!

Hi Michaela! If you're going to be taking the pottery wheel from place to place you should consider the Shimpo Aspire (Shimpo company is also called Nidec I believe - out of Taiwan). They run around $500 USD which is less than the Shimpo RK but more than the Amazon Budget wheel. I think the Shimpo ASPIRE is the best wheel for travel. I have two Aspire wheels here in the US and one in Malaysia and they make it in both 230 and 110 voltage. I think you might be in an 220 area ya? The Aspire wheels are great to learn on, and great to travel. You can probably save a little money by getting the Hand Crank speed control instead of the Foot Petal. I think it's a little easier to learn with a hand crank than petal. I have an 8year old who loves the Aspire.

Sorry Hana it's been so long since i've been on here! I wouldn't worry abou the color of teh clay before it's fired. Most likely any of those colors will burn out in the bisque fire and you will be left with white porcelain. That's my guess. I often have discoloration when i'm working with slabs and wood but it always burns out in the fire. Let me know how it goes! -mj

@@OutpostPottery thank you very much

Hey Libby. Generally, I would recommend you buy a wheel first and spend a few months just learning the basics before you get a kiln. Electric kilns are one of the most accessible, both financially and ease of use, ways to get into pottery but they are a big expense. I paid about $1300 for both of my kilns but there are other associated expenses in a kiln purchase - like upgrading your electricity and putting in new electric plugs in your studio. you don't need any of that to learn the basics and actually get pretty good on the wheel. I'll try to make a video on kilns soon. Thanks for asking Libby!

@@OutpostPottery Thank you! 😊

Hey MJ! I'm sorry I'm just now getting to these comments. There is a chance you got a lemon and the wheel head is off. Are you using enough water? Sometimes when throwing my students don't use enough water to keep things lubricated and the drag against their hands will pull the clay off center. That's one thing that comes to mind. In general I would say keep practicing! Dont be discouraged! It will be worth it when you get good at centering and you're able to throw on the wheel. Maybe watch some more videos on centering as well. Centering is one of the hardest parts with pottery and takes a LOT of practice. When you find that peaceful center and the clay settles in it's an awesome thing! I hope that helps MJ. Let me know how things are going! - (the other mj :)

Hi Noura. I'm sorry I was so long in answering this thread! I think it IS suitable for beginners learning clay - especially those on a budget. However, please read other posts in this thread because there are those who disagree with me and you should hear their thoughts as well. Some others commented that there was a newer version of this wheel with a removable splash pan and it was roughly the same price. If you have the option to get that one, i would because it is nice to be able to take the slash pan off to wash and also it's nice to put a giffin grip on there if you need to which the attached splash pan didn't allow for. Let me know if you take the plunge! or if you have any questions!

So far I have bought two of these Chinese wheels and both have had a small wobble. Extremely frustrating...

Oh no. i'm sorry Ashley. You are the second person on this thread who has had an issue with the wheel. I'm not sure percentage wise what that translates to but if you're in that percentile, it really stinks regardless! I wouldn't try to fix it yourself, personally. I would return it and get another one. I see here that it's been 4 weeks since you sent this comment (sorry for the delay!). What did you do and how did it go? Please leave your experience here as it will help everyone who is looking at this wheel. Thanks Ashley!

I'm sorry to hear this David :( that would really burn me up. I just remembered something about this wheel. it has 4 legs/feet instead of 3. With this wheel specifically you have to make sure all 4 are in alignment. pottery wheels usually have 3 legs because 3 points define a plain. Any 3 points will always be in perfect alignment in a plain. BUT add a forth and you are likely to be slightly off on one of the points. if you're legs aren't perfectly in alignment, or if your ground is slightly uneven, it will wobble. my experience is that this was not from the wheel head or shaft but rather teh feet. Did either of you find this to be your experience? Please give your input. Thanks for contributing!

Ashley, I just remembered something about this wheel. it has 4 legs/feet instead of 3. With this wheel specifically you have to make sure all 4 are in alignment. pottery wheels usually have 3 legs because 3 points define a plain. Any 3 points will always be in perfect alignment in a plain. BUT add a forth and you are likely to be slightly off on one of the points. if you're legs aren't perfectly in alignment, or if your ground is slightly uneven, it will wobble. my experience is that this was not from the wheel head or shaft but rather teh feet. Did you find this to be your experience? Please give your input. Thanks again!

Hi Tadhgah. These links from the description are working for me. Do they not work for you? amzn.to/3kYo1VD amzn.to/3nSwziS amzn.to/3m1FD49 amzn.to/3fw9CyW These may be affiliate links. I can't tell. I've had a lot of trouble with the whole amazon affiliate thing. I haven't gotten it to work yet.

Sure April. This is the exact one i bought on Amazon, though many are very similar to this and probably made at the same factory - just given a different white label. www.amazon.com/dp/B083Z3DG5K?tag=outpostpott07-20&th=1. It's an affiliate link so if you wind up buying, I think I will get a small commission. Hope that helps!

So sorry to just see this Rowan. I'm not so good at these comments yet. I experience a slight tap per rotation on some of the wheels but it's not a thud. i would look underneath and see if there is anything on the belt. You should be able to see it easily if you flip it over. -mj

oh yeah it can do taht much for sure. i think it's listed at like 25 lbs or something. It's more clay than I usually throw for sure. you won't have any trouble with 1-2 kgs. -mj

Hey Colin. Do you notice that the wheel head and shaft are not firmly attached? If you're wheel head is moving around that's not good or normal. However, I would say keep practicing and watch some more videos on centering before you send it back. Centering is one of the hardest parts with pottery and takes a LOT of practice. Dont get discouraged. When you find that peaceful center it's a beautiful and addicting thing :). Let me know how things are going! -mj

That’s a really good idea!

That is a good idea! I'm struggling to think how we could do it, though. Removable splash pans usually have like a little lip / clipping structure that the splash pan slides underneath and around to keep it in place. That splash pan needs to be somewhat fixed while you're throwing or it will be bumping up against the rotating shaft - making a lot of racket and friction. I think it's possible for someone with the handle "EngineWelder." :) I'm just not sure how to do it. If you can weld and work on engines I'll bet you can rig something nice up here. I just looked at my other budget wheel, from the other video - the gray one. It attaches the splash pan with a small disk, floated about 2mm above the wheels body. I think you could probably 3d print something like this or cut it out of wood or metal to do the same thing. I think this is possible and it's a good idea, if you want to use a giffin grip on this wheel. I don't think it would be worth it to you though if your goal is to just clean up a little faster. Honestly, the speed of cleanup is not much longer with this fixed splash pan. Great thoughts Engine Welder.

I'm sorry I'm just responding to this, Samantha. Yes, for sure send it back and get another one. You can't throw on a wobbly wheel head. No way. I'd send for another one. You do get lemons sometimes from these factories. Thanks for sending this and so sorry I was slow on the repsonses. I need to check this more often. -mj

Hey Toni. I think this wheel and similar models are the best wheels out there in that price range at the moment. I think this model is a great value and a great way to try out throwing. Also, I think you're wise to just jump in and buy one and learn from videos. That's how I learned and you and your girlfriend together would probably pay as much for the class as you would for the wheel.. My only hesitation on this one is that I have only had it for a few days and not a year+ of wear and tear like the others. Yeah, this wont be your heirloom pottery wheel, passed down to generation :) but it's a great way to get addicted... I mean get started :)

Hey Jon. Good question. Without a kiln the only thing you can really do is practice. But this is probably the thing you will need to do the most at the beginning. I threw probably 200 or so cylinders before I fired anything. I built a little rack on my wall and put the unfired (called "bone dry") pieces up there so I could see my current best pots. Eventually I got better and wound up with a rack of about 100 or so that I wanted to fire. At that point I called a friend on the island I was living on and gently drove those brittle bone dry pieces to his studio for firing. That was my experience. Kilns are expensive - starting at around $1200 usd. So i would recommend getting good at the wheel, then firing with someone in town or nearby, then when you're really in, take the plunge and buy a kiln. Of course if you got the cash and you already know you're going all in you can go buy one straight away. Mine are Olympic kilns and I love them. I have two of the same model - about 3 cubic feet each and i can fire about 50 mugs at once or 300 small glasses (glaze fire). Anyhow, sorry if that's TMI too much info. shoot me any other questions you got! Thanks for asking Jon.

@@OutpostPottery thanks for the response! So with our early practice pieces, if they are not worth firing, do we recycle that clay somehow? Or just let them air dry and hold on to them? Would this be the wheel you’d recommend for an early total beginner? Any beginner clay you’d recommend? Appreciate all your great content!

you can totally recycle them. that's what i do now. But i did not do that at first. At first, they were all precious to me and i put them on my shelf to look at and learn from. Now i just toss them in the water bucket if i don't like something and recycle it. i actually like the idea of throwing recycled clay better than throwing new clay - something redemptive about it i guess... like a second chance. in terms of recommending a wheel for total beginners - what I would do myself is get a cheaper wheel to learn the basics. that's what I did do actually, and i fell in love with it and started getting more wheels. i have 6 wheels now but i use them to teach people as well. my clay boss is the wheel i use the most. Regarding clay - i would call around to find a local clay supply store and see what's available. I would recommend going with a "mid-range clay" - something that is "cone 5 or cone 6" (that's temperature it fires at). I would recommend going with a white clay rather than red because red clay will turn everything in your house or studio red - tons of iron in it. im in texas and my go to clay body is "cinco blanco - cone 5 stoneware" from Armadillo Clay in Austin Texas. You will wnat to get something with GROG in it... grog is tiny pieces of fired clay mixed into the clay to help it stand up better on the wheel. it makes throwing and learning to throw easier. You'll love it Jon. Good luck my friend! and have fun! -mj

@@OutpostPottery thanks so much! Really looking forward to it. Last beginner question.... so when you had your first pieces on the shelf to learn from, what did you finally do with them if you didn’t fire?

Oh man Tom. I'm sorry I've been MIA on this thread. The removable tray is a plus. But a wobbling wheel head is not good. It's hard to say without seeing it how much of an issue it woudl be but if you can see it wobbling up and down more than like 1/8th of an inch on the sides then i would take it back for sure. that would not be good for throwing on. i've noticed a slight wobble on one of my budet wheels. I can't remember which one. It has not bothered me or the students at all but it is very slight. almost not noticable. Let me know how it goes. Sorry to be so slow on this thread here Tom. My apologies!

@@OutpostPottery No worries. Thanks for getting back to me anyway. I ended up buying another which seems much better so far.

my students seem to prefer the solid. i do'nt like the LCD panel on teh 3 legged one so i would probably agree - though the 3 legged one feels like a better design to me. thanks for asking! -mj

I don't know. It's a pretty great wheel for the price. I would say just hours spent practicing :). How is it going now Susan? Are you getting better?

Still needs work, not anywhere as good as you lol.

I think I remember that happening at one point. But I don't notice it now. Is it still doing that Bosch after a few days of use? -mj

Hi Glenn. Could you reply with a link to the 14" 450w wheel? I know about the 11" wheelhead one and just finishing up a review of it. I'll post it tomorrow or Monday. But I haven't seen any budget wheels w 14" wheelheads and 450w motors. That would be great! Thanks for seeing this! -mj

Throwing off the hump is centering a big hump of clay on the wheel, then pinching off a little at the top and throwing it into a pot. I did a video on this not long ago. Here it is so you can see what it looks like: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-CHjcmlpkW-8.html. Good question Chris!

You bet Charlie! Yes. I'm in the US so it's a standard 3 pronged US plug. -mj

Hey Hippie Club 420. Since this model doesn't have bat pins you really are left with using make-shift bats. Check out my video on bats. I would recommened throwing a thin layer of clay - like 1/4" (3mm) and then putting a ceramic tile or wooden bat on top of it. That's the way i usually throw with bats and it requires no bat pins. That's what I'd recommend. Hope that helps!

Yes, that's normal. There is a slight texture on most wheel heads - like a serrated rib that has cut grooves of concentric circles into the surface of the wheel head. It's not that way on the Shimpo Aspire - its wheel head is smaller and smoothe and I don't think it's really meant to be thrown on. that wheel seems to be designed to mainly throw off the blue bats provided, but all other wheels I have have this same texture on the wheel head. You're good!

@@OutpostPottery ok phew! Thanks for the response

Here is the link. You need to put your name and email in and they will send you the pdf for download. The link is also in the comments he posted. ru-vid.com?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVFENVdpRWVWdzdQd3d0ZWIxMlVITlJpcGNTQXxBQ3Jtc0trRnJMMmYyZXdhTFVhWnhqNjV6STRGSnFTVzByb011dVkxVkp0a1hfTXZadjJlYlF5Y3FWVzYxZ0RSLUc5U3dTQktVS0x5blB3TjdYX29uNlZOYWxpSFN0T0xtdFhzNHNhRVJPMHdTV0o3cWJFR2dFdw&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.outpostpottery.com%2Fpotterywheelsforbeginners

@@laneyschumanboys240 thank you, I just did that now... Thanks to this link! Can't wait to get one!

@@samanthanicholson9015 you are welcome!

Hey yall. Sorry I was slow on the draw here. Thanks Laney for sending this to Samantha. That was really kind of you! I appreciate it -mj

The Clay boss is bigger, stronger, and heavier. It's a work horse. I have one and I did a review on it in this same playlist. I recently did a video with a friend of mine who has taught me a ton about clay. He has two clay bosses and has had them for a long time and has never had to fix either of them. That's my experience too is that the clay boss is a solid machine. It's not very portable though. That would be the downside - and the price is considerably more. But if you have the money and if you're looking to do pottery for a while I would go with the Clay Boss. I love mine. That's what I use everyday.

I bought a similar machine as a complete beginner, be warned the wheelhead does spin fast, but the torque is weak and not sufficient for someone to easily throw pots. If you do not already have the skill to throw pots this machine will make it harder for you to learn! The other thing is that these machines are mass produced in China and usually supplied by agents outside of your country, they are prone to mechanical failures. Make sure you buy through Amazon or Ebay where you have some protection for a return or replacement machine. Mine broke down within the first hour of use... The next point is that compared to the known brands of 'beginner wheels', these cheap wheels will not allow you to throw larger pots. Somewhere on RU-vid is a video of a German craft potter just about making a 'medium sized' pot on one of these machines - he's very skilled. He decided these machines would not be a good buy for his students who attend his classes, the reasons being that the machines are not sturdy and wouldn't allow the student to progress past the very basics of pot throwing - mugs, cereal bowls and pencil holders. I'm saving my money for a decent secondhand wheel because there's no way I can progress (at home) to making fruit bowls and larger vases, etc. on the cheap wheel that is reviewed in this video. I would also point out that in the same time period this video was put up, other RU-vid potters also gave favourable reviews to these machines with no substantial criticism of their disadvantages. (The machine has the advantage of having a small foot print, being very light in weight, easy to clean and relatively cheap.) My advice is if you wish to progress with throwing please be patient and save for a secondhand Speedball or Shimpo etc. Good luck!!

@@kadensmike8190 Thanks for this review. First off, I'm really sorry to hear your experience with your wheel breaking in the first hour of use! Dang, that's a bummer and I hope you did have some protections. I agree that buying on Amazon or Ebay where you can send stuff back is better. Also agree with you on these wheels not being for throwing big stuff. I beleive the literature from the manufacturer put the limit at around 20lbs, but I've never tried throwing more than 4 or 5 lbs on this wheel. Also, i agree with you on these machines are factory made in China and probably have a failure rate higher than shimpos (I believe Shimpo is now owned by Nidec and manufactured by Taiwan). However, I do use this wheel specifically with my students every week and it is still standing. My students are all between 7-12 years old and are not throwing anything larger than 1 pound or so but I wouldn't say they are especialy careful with the wheels either :) Perhaps part of the problem is with throwing big stuff on these wheels as you pointed out? But as with many goods manufactured in mainland china i would imagine there is a higher failure rate but that doesn't necessarily mean that every item is a dud. Mine doesn't seem to be. I agree 100% that a shimpo aspire or a speedball is a better machine to learn on if you can afford it. One point you made was that there were a lot of potters who came out with reviews at a similar time without much listing of their downsides. I can assure you i didn't confer with anyone else in my review and I tried to give an accurate account of the pros and cons. I guess where I stand on these budget wheels is that they are not quite at the same quality level as Shimpo or Speedball but the cost being so low makes them a better value for me and my students. i'm actually about to buy another budget wheel on Amazon that I think is a great value. Really, if we can get a heavy flat wheel spinning fast enough then we can throw a pot. I often cringe (for their safety) when i see these amazing Indian potters spinning a tire or wheel filled with cement - so unsafe but they are crazy good working with these primitive tools - amazing! i would say go with what your budget can afford for learning. On another note, I love my speedball and wouldn't trade it for any other. I never move it because it's pretty heavy and I don't teach on it for that reason but it is a workhorse and i dont' think you will regret that wheel at all. Thanks for the comment Kaden.

Hey Hannazyoo. I would make this decision based on 1. how much are you going to want to move this wheel. Will you be taking it with you anywhere. I would take mine to the mountains with me when i was learning to throw. You can't do that with the clay boss but you could with this budget wheel. 2. what's your budget. You can break 2 of these budget wheels and buy a 3rd for the price you can buy one clay boss. 3. how committed are you to this venture? If your'e just learning - dabbling - experimenting, what I would do is buy a cheap wheel on Amazon or someplace where you have some protections from manufacturing defects. Then if you decide you like it and you want to stick with it, buy a better wheel like a clay boss. on the flip side - if you know you're going to stick with it and you want to jump right into a great wheel that your'e not going to be moving much, go with the clay boss. Mine is a beast - a total workhorse. I'm on it everyday and I love it. It cleans up easy, is really powerful, quiet enough for me... love it. It's my favorite wheel for everyday use. i don't think you can really make a bad choice here :) enjoy my friend, but watch out. POTTERY IS ADDICTING!!!! :)

That's awesome. Are you still digging it? Could you send the link to the one you got? I think this would be a better wheel if you could take the splash pan off.

@@OutpostPottery Yeah ive not had any problems so far but ive only been a shimpo a coupla times so dont have much to compare with the first link i post is the direct link i bought although it seems like the product has changed its got a lcd display for some reason (but this version doesnt come with the hand lever) - www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B085SVZ2DD/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 heres another one with a removable splash pan also seems to come with some extra tools hope this is helpful - www.amazon.co.uk/TOPQSC-Pottery-Forming-Electric-Independent/dp/B07WK1MJYX/ref=bmx_4?pd_rd_w=lioPh&pf_rd_p=13e7ba2a-1d6a-493d-bf19-81cf5aeecf66&pf_rd_r=9H03PW8ZQA5Z9JS6RXCB&pd_rd_r=9b5c5857-d82f-43ff-ae30-64ae6b7bb511&pd_rd_wg=vtVMv&pd_rd_i=B07WK1MJYX&psc=1

Please read my comments further down in this comments section. I was a beginner potter who bought this wheel (twice from different suppliers) and there are severe limitations with these machines which this reviewer has not revealed - it's the more disappointing since they have put affiliate links for sale of the machine. All the models of Chinese pottery wheels that you see on Ebay and Amazon are basically the same machine/design; they differ only on the tools and foot/hand control and paintwork on the body. Do not pay more for a model - you will not be purchasing a better quality machine. My advice is don't buy one of these machines if you are looking for a machine that will allow you to throw pieces weighing more than a 2-3 pounds of clay, or if you a complete beginner because the torque on these machines is low and it will make it difficult for you to practice centering and pulling the basic shapes... If you are fairly wealthy and have older children who might amuse themselves with this machine then this is an alternative to babysitting fees and it will give you a few hours peace. :-)

Appreciate your input Kaden. I disagree that a beginner can't learn on these wheels. I teach young kids on these wheels weekly. But I don't disagree at all that these budget wheels aren't as good as wheels triple or quadruple their price. It's their value that attracts me to them. That people can get started in pottery for $150 is amazing. When i was in college the cheapest wheel i could find was over $1k. And thus i didn't not buy one... got into a different field, and left pottery for 20 years... bummer for me :( Wish the barriers to entry would have been lower for me back then. I'm not sure how to measure torque but if you'll tell me I'll try to compare the shimpo aspire and this wheel for you. I think you might be onto something with the amount of weight centered being the problem. I never threw anything larger than 4 pounds the first couple years I was throwing, and I've never thrown anything larger than that on this wheel either. I don't necessarily think that makes it a bad beginner wheel though. May I ask how your wheels broke? Was it in trying to center and throw large pieces? I'd love to hear your experience for the sake of those wanting to learn and considering this wheel. I love my shimpo aspires. I own 2 in America and one in Malaysia. Super portable, great wheel! If I'm going to do a demo somewhere far away that doesn't have a wheel, the aspire is my goto. But $500 for the aspire is a lot harder to cough up than $150 for a budget wheel. so I still think this wheel may be a better value for some. Also, I think I've made about $25 so far from the affiliate links :) I'm definitely not promoting this wheel for the money, my friend. Just want to be helpful to those looking into this discipline which has been such a beautiful addition to my life. Thanks for participating Kaden. Please relay your experience for the audience.

​@@OutpostPottery I think you will find yourself in a minority of non-beginners who recommend these machines to adult beginners. Until a few months ago when Chinese manufacturers pushed these wheels the reviews from people who bought these wheels were invariably critical! I don't doubt these machines would be suitable for children under 13 to explore basic pottery skills, but for adults and teenagers who are more discerning and who expect to progress quickly these are not good wheels for beginners to pick up pottery skills, if they were then pottery centres everywhere would be using them to teach beginners - they aren't! My experience is as I described above: I bought one of these machines as a keen beginner earlier this year (2020) because I wanted to practice at home in addition to the pottery class I took. It appears I had a 'knack' for wheel throwing and managed to throw several pots in my first pottery class, but I found it hard to emulate my experience on the budget machine which broke after my session with it. At that stage I wasn't sure if it was my lack of skill which was responsible for my inability to centre the clay and make a decent pot on the budget wheel. I wondered if I'd just been lucky in the first pottery class using the more powerful wheels at the school. So I quickly bought a second budget wheel which was a slight variation of the first wheel. My experience was equally bad on the second wheel - it was very hard to centre a small clump of clay and it I applied pressure to restrain the clay in the horizontal plane the machine actually moved sideways. I had to make the clay much softer to enable me to shape the clay into cylinders and bowls. The drawback was that although my skill was progressing to enable me to throw slightly larger pots (i.e 3lb rather than 1.25lb) the softer clay meant it was more of a challenge maintaining the structure of larger pots because I lacked the skill to compensate for the softer clay - vases which featured bellied-out, collared-in forms collapsed. After five weeks of using the school wheels I realised it was the budget wheel that was presenting obstacles to my progress. I doubt many children under 13 would have been able to work out how to overcome the problems associated with the budget wheels and for that reason I think they would not be a good choice for children who had a talent for wheel throwing and wished to take up wheel thrown pottery. I agree the cost of reliable wheels prevents low income beginners from enjoying wheel thrown pottery. In the UK, where I live, pottery is almost exclusively a pastime enjoyed by middle-class people - blue collar households are unable to afford the equipment. Even so, pottery has had a resurgence for hobbyists due to a popular TV show (The Great Pottery Throwdown) and secondhand wheels/kilns are over-priced and quickly snapped up, and new entry level equipment is soon bought after the retailers receive the equipment. This is why it is such a pity these budget wheels are not better quality and have a workable torque - they could allow young adults from poorer backgrounds to get started in pottery and earn a modest income from mugs and small bowls.

@@kadensmike8190 hey Kaden, Thanks for highlighting your challenges with this weel. What is the strength of the motor in your version. I have notices it comes with 250, 300 and 350 W. Maybe this makes a difference, once the whole machine is somehow fixed to something stable?

I'm no electrician Fountainwell but i am interested in this. I've had some doubts and concerns about this since we are basically sitting on and touching metal and water plugged into an outlet! Please elaborate! Thanks for jumping in here.

Fountainwell - can you elaborate? Have you looked into more expensive wheels and have they seemed like a much safer choice in your opinion? Thanks for your insight.

Hi Louella. It definitely shouldn't wobble. However sometimes when you're learning it feels like it's wobbling when you're learning to center. Are you experienced in throwing or just getting started and learning? If you think the unit is defective the I would return it. You dont' want to keep a wobbly lemon :)

@@OutpostPottery I mean the actual wheel itself, thanks for responding

Hey Carina! sadly, not yet. I did a workshop with Simon Leach a few weeks ago and he doesn't like the giffin grip so i had to tap center - i got faster during hte workshop but i'm still sold on the giffin :). we should make an alternative that works well. Thanks for asking! -mj

Ok I just wondered. Lol was hoping! I did see Amazon has a $59 knock off Hey I’m near Simon leach hoping to go there sometime a workshop with him would be amazing!!!!

He's a really great guy. I really enjoyed getting to know him a little bit. Truly a living legend in this space as well. i would highly recommend a workshop with him if you get the chance! -mj

Thanks, I’ll certainly try. And as for the Griffin Grip I think I will just save up! I center ok but my clay doesn’t always want to hold my pieces down then the fly 😳

I have seen low cost alternatives to the Griffin grip on Ali Express. They are smaller and fit this size wheel. I looked at the Griffin Grip and the standard one looks too big for this wheel.

Thanks Chris. I would say mostly youtube taught. One caveat though is I did take pottery in college. I made a few things I was proud of... maybe one or two on the wheel, but I never really got good at centering. I bought my first wheel Oct 27, 2017. Then I was off to the races. Another Caveat though is that I've had some GREAT teachers. In Malaysia i was out at Dr. Shamsu's studio often. I also got to meet some of the best of the best in Malaysia and Indonesia while I was living there. And once I got back to the States I started visiting studios and learning from everyone I could. Susan Kennedy at MCC, Niko Wassenberger at Baylor and MCC and Paul McCoy at Baylor have been huge local experts that's i've learned from. Also Lucas McCain in Fort Worth, Texas has probably helped me the most consistently. We all stand on other's shoulders in pottery. Nothing new under the sun in this ancient discipline :)

haha. me too Carrie. I'm glad you liked it!

The machines are mass produced in China, but supplied by various outlets originating in China - there is no brand as such. I suspect factories make the machines (with small variations) based on a kit/list of parts. See my comments elsewhere on the comments section - the machine has some advantages, but also has severe limitations.

Hi @jubethewalrus. Here is the exact one i used in the video www.amazon.com/dp/B0874S5XR6?tag=outpostpott07-20 But Kaden is correct. They are all very similar - probably exactly the same and from the same factory.

He is using a joemamaq382 it's a pretty great mic serch it on RU-vid

This is the one I bought a while back. It has both a headset and lav mic but I mainly use the headset. The lav mic doesn't seem to be as high of quality. www.amazon.com/dp/B07GR2RZCS/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_7GGcGb0Y3ES4V?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Wireless Microphone System,KIMAFUN 2.4G Wireless Microphone Transmitter/Receiver Set with Headset /Lavalier Lapel Mics, Ideal for Teaching, Weddings,Presentations,School Play,G102 by KIMAFUN Learn more:

I'm forgetting the exact vender i bought from on Amazon - it was like yae ... something. but most of these machines come from the same or simliar factories. there isn't much variety in the designs. in general, if all the elements look the same they probably are the same. -mj

Haha. That's great. Watch out though - it's highly addictive! -mj

Really! That's fascinating. Thanks for sharing this Jonathan!

If you have the budget (roughly 4x the price) AND if you don't intend to move it around much, THEN i would go with the clay boss. mine is a reliable work horse. I love it. The orange budget wheel is the best if your on a budget and you want to learn the basics and see how you like pottery. They are both good wheels. I doubt the solid budget will last as long as the clay boss. Mine still works great coming up on a year later BUT it's construction is clearly not what the clay boss' is. Hope that helps!

yikes! yes, do that if the wheelhead is wobbly - for sure!

@@OutpostPottery they still didn't want to get it back, the weeks of fussing hopefully they'll send a replacement. I think I may just ask for $ back, I bought the vevor unit :( now I have to wait

Yikes! thanks for contributing Marcel. I have looked under the wheel but i don't know what i'm looking at. Do you have this wheel Marcel? Can you tell us what needs to be done or what the risk is? I have not had any trouble with it but I am very interested in this. Also, what is the EU body that certifies electronics? You said this item is not certified there? Thanks for helping out!

@@OutpostPottery No, I don't have these but I wrote an article about it on my website: translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=how.dreamsofthemind.com/index.php/electrische-draaischijf

@@OutpostPottery And in Europe you need this kind of certification to sell any electrical equipment. It named CE and it is obligated. certification-experts.com/ce-marking/electrical-equipment/

Marcel, I tried to view your link but it doesn’t appear that it can be translated to English in the Google translator. Could you perhaps send a different link or let us know how one could fix the electrical dangers if there is a way? Thanks

@@briandixon1947 Will you try it again? I fixed the translation into English, but it is not high quality ..:-) This is the first video of tree. In the second I will explain some new information about the power supply. In the last chapter I will explain how I repaired the pottery-wheel.

no. it is great for kids. my kids learned as early as 6 years old on wheels like this. it's great for kids and probably the right price level for something you are letting your kids use ;) at least with mine. have fun with those littles! they dont stay like that forever. -mj

That is hilarious and awesome! Well done. -mj

Hi Katie. I'm not sure what you mean. This wheel and those like it on amazon are the best cheap wheels i've found to date. Let me know if you have any questions about it. Thanks for contributing. -mj