I have been taking a pottery class at the local art center, and wanted to be able to throw at home to make my class time more productive. Like most students, I wasn't ready to invest $700-$1500+ in a professional wheel, so I began exploring other options. I chose this wheel because of the larger wheel size and the more powerful motor, as well as the adjustable legs and reversible motor (I am a lefty).The wheel comes in at 13.5 inches, not the stated 14". No bat pins (though I knew this going in). I will be adding bat pins in the near future. I don't really like the feeling of the grooves of the wheel when my hands make contact with it. It feels abrasive, like a friction burn, if I keep contact longer than a few seconds, and I prefer bats, so this was really an upgrade I was expecting to make, anyway.I was able to adjust the leg height using a vice grip, but it wasn't effortless to get the pins out or back in the new position. The adjustment only gave me about 3+ extra inches of height, which still makes it necessary to purchase concrete blocks to get a good working height (so if the adjustable legs are the reason driving your purchase, this feature won't matter much in the end).I have not figured out how to make the splash tray snap together while on the wheel, though it does go together when it's off the wheel. I have used painter's tape to keep the gaps closed, and to be honest, I would rather do this than try to figure out how it goes together, since it kind of works for me. It takes only a few seconds to tape, and I don't have to struggle with the splash tray while removing or replacing.Even with the more powerful motor, the wheel doesn't spin as fast as the professional wheels I learned on, but definitely fast enough so I can throw anything I want effectively. I don't throw large heavy items, but this wheel has no trouble handling 3 lbs of clay, which is the largest thing I've thrown on it, and it probably can take much more. I don't know how the larger m
Karen S 
