04-25-2012, 03:53 PM
OK, this debate can get heated but it's a good discussion to have so here are my 2 cents on the subject.
I had a piston style on my 9x20 lathe and it worked OK. Then I got rid of that lathe and got my current lathe, a 14x40 lathe, and bought a Phase II piston style QCTP for it. It seemed, again, OK. I kept reading about how much better the wedge style is so when they were on sale at Enco with a 20% discount code I bit the bullet and bought one figuring I could just sell the one I didn't want to keep and not lose too much money. I LIKE the wedge style much better than the piston style. To me it just feels like it locks the tool holder more securely. I don't know if it actually does but it seems to. So I kept the wedge style and sold the piston style. I don't regret it at all.
Now a friend of mine bought the wedge style for his lathe, the exact same lathe that I have, on my advice. He did not like the feel of it at all so he bought the piston style and likes it much better than the wedge style so he sold the wedge style. Both were Phase II brand so go figure.
YMMV
Ed
I had a piston style on my 9x20 lathe and it worked OK. Then I got rid of that lathe and got my current lathe, a 14x40 lathe, and bought a Phase II piston style QCTP for it. It seemed, again, OK. I kept reading about how much better the wedge style is so when they were on sale at Enco with a 20% discount code I bit the bullet and bought one figuring I could just sell the one I didn't want to keep and not lose too much money. I LIKE the wedge style much better than the piston style. To me it just feels like it locks the tool holder more securely. I don't know if it actually does but it seems to. So I kept the wedge style and sold the piston style. I don't regret it at all.
Now a friend of mine bought the wedge style for his lathe, the exact same lathe that I have, on my advice. He did not like the feel of it at all so he bought the piston style and likes it much better than the wedge style so he sold the wedge style. Both were Phase II brand so go figure.
YMMV
Ed