Video Review
Vevor pottery wheel full review, reaction to my first cheap pottery wheel
I test the Vevor "36cm" 450w pottery wheel from Amazon. Pleasantly surprised at what it can do but I have a few small concerns. Great for beginners but will it hold up in the studio?
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Testing a Budget Pottery Wheel
I saw the 36cm Vevor pottery wheel on Amazon a while ago and was intrigued by the $212 price tag. “Surely, this cheap pottery wheel won’t be able to perform as well as my full size wheel,” I thought to myself.
It cost way less than just about any other “normal” wheel that I was familiar with. But it looked a lot more like a real pottery wheel than those plastic kid’s wheels you get at Walmart that barely center clay.
Buy from Amazon:
The price seems to fluctuate from around $200 to $270.
I was in the market for a couple used / cheaply acquired pottery wheels for my studio. I didn’t need top of the line studio wheels but I needed something powerful enough to teach someone how to throw pottery. If you watch the video above you can see my reaction and full review for the 36cm Vevor Pottery Wheel.
Below you can find a summary and some notes about my experience so far.
Specifications for the 36cm Vevor Pottery Wheel
- 36cm wheel head (actually a little less than 35cm)
- 450w motor
- Forward and Reverse switch
- Includes foot pedal to control wheel speed
- Metal body and legs, aluminum wheel head
- 0-300 RPM listed speed
- No holes or bat pins included
This is the biggest pottery wheel made by Vevor. There is now an updated version of this wheel available with similar specs. All the other Vevor pottery wheels that I’ve seen on Amazon.com are smaller, have a smaller wheel head and only a 350w motor but also cost less.
What I Like
- Great price (compared to typical wheels by Brent, Speedball, Shimpo, etc.)
- Good size (smaller, easier to move than more standard sized wheels)
- Pedal offers good speed control
- Successfully centered 6 pounds of clay
Issues and Concerns
- Short (would be at an uncomfortable height for most adults unless modified)
- Quality control (grease or oil stain on underside by motor, metal work on body has a few flaws)
- Pedal is mostly plastic (slips around on floor, how long will plastic gears last?)
- Wheel speed slows down some while centering more than a few pounds of clay
Additional Thoughts and Modifications
Caster Wheels
As mentioned, the wheel is a little short. Much shorter than how I normally throw. So I made a little dolly / cart with some wood scraps and 3 caster wheels. This adds about 4 inches of height and makes the wheel really easy to move around. Now I can store it under a table and wheel it out when someone needs it.
Rubber Pad for the Foot Pedal
The first thing on my to-do list is to get a rubber or foam mat for the foot pedal. It slides all over the concrete floor when I try to use it. I’ll probably try shelf liner foam first and see how that works. If that is too slippery when it gets dusty I may try rubber feet.
Bat Pins
Adding bat pins is the second thing on my to-do list.
I don’t like the grooves on the wheel head. They are enough to leave what feels like blisters on some of my fingers and make wiring a pot off the wheel a little less smooth. Even if there weren’t any little grooves I would add bat pins for the convenience of using bats.
Final Thoughts
Overall, I was impressed with how well this cheap Vevor pottery wheel performed. If it can last a few years I would consider it a good value. I think it will fit into my studio nicely as a beginner pottery wheel. It would make a good gift for a beginner potter or a first wheel to start a home studio.
I plan to order the updated version with adjustable legs and see if it performs just as well.
Related: Get yourself some pottery supplies to go with a vevor pottery wheel!
