Grizzly G4000 vs G0602 benchtop metal lathe

• The garage circuit is the constraint. At 9 A on the listing, 125 percent is 11.3 A, which a 15 A breaker and 14 AWG copper cover on paper. The G0602 asks for a 20 A circuit.
• You move the lathe. At 294 lb shipping, our rule gives 382 lb with a base, which sits under the WEN 500 lb base. Lighter machines are easier to get through a door and onto a bench.
• Your parts are small. An 8-3/4 in swing over 19 in between centers suits small shafts, bushings and fittings, which is what most first projects are.
• You want to spend less on the bench. Less weight means a less demanding bench. Check the workbench rating against the lathe, not just the top size.

• You want the extra swing and length. 9-1/2 in over 22 in between centers is the larger envelope of the two. It is a step up, not a different class.
• The bench is long and shallow. The G0602 footprint is 47-1/2 x 12-1/2 in, so it suits a deep shelf-like bench along a wall. The G4000 is 16 in deep.
• You have a 20 A circuit available. The 13.6 A listing figure is 17 A at 125 percent, which points to a 20 A breaker and 12 AWG copper.
• The lathe will stay where it is. At 432 lb shipping it is a permanent resident. A move means a 562 lb base calculation and the VEVOR 1500 lb base.

The two footprints look different but cover almost the same area. The G4000 is 16 x 37 in, about 592 square inches. The G0602 is 47-1/2 x 12-1/2 in, about 594. Our layout engine gave both a floor share of 2 percent of a 12 x 22 ft bay. What changes is which wall dimension you spend: the G4000 is deeper, the G0602 is longer and shallower.

That matters for the bench you put under it. A bench 14 in deep with a 48 in run holds the G0602. The G4000 wants about 16 in of depth and about 37 in of run. In a garage the length of the wall is usually the scarce thing, since cabinets, a water heater and the car's door swing are all competing for it.

The lathe is also not the whole footprint. You stand in front of it, and you need to reach the tailstock and the headstock end. Our layout engine used a 30 in operator halo for both. The fit sheets show each bay: G4000 and G0602.

Our layout engine placed each lathe alone in each of our six standard bays, then with a sedan parked and walk-around clearance, then with the clearance removed to test storage. The results for the two are identical.

A benchtop lathe is the rare shop machine that does not need a stock lane. Round bar goes in the headstock end, so the car and the lathe can share a one-car bay if the lathe sits along the back wall. That is a better result than any table saw gets. The weight, not the footprint, is what hurts you.

The listings give shipping weights of 294 lb and 432 lb, a gap of 138 lb. Both are bench lathes that arrive on a pallet. Even the lighter one is not a two-person lift onto a bench, so plan an engine hoist, a pallet jack and a helper, or set the lathe on a low, strong stand and build the bench around it.

The bench is where the weight lands. Amazon titles give load ratings for a few garage benches, for example 2000 lb for the Betterhood 70 in and 3000 lb for the VEVOR 72 in. A rating is a total, spread across the top, so check the listing for how the rating is meant to be used before putting one concentrated load on it. Add tooling, chucks and cutting oil to the lathe weight, and keep the lathe over a leg.

If the lathe has to roll away, use our rule of weight times 1.3: 382 lb for the G4000, 562 lb for the G0602. The first fits the WEN 500 lb base; the second needs the VEVOR 1500 lb base. The mobile base sizing calculator does the sum for your own numbers. A lathe on wheels is a vibration problem as well as a weight one, so lock the base or lower the machine onto feet before cutting.

The two lathes differ by 4.6 A on the listings: 9 A for the G4000 and 13.6 A for the G0602. At 125 percent the G4000 is 11.3 A and the G0602 is 17 A. The first points to a 15 A breaker and 14 AWG copper, the second to a 20 A breaker and 12 AWG copper, under the 60 C column of NEC Table 310.16. Our engine's own NEC table calculation for a 30 ft run gives 20 A and 12 AWG for both, so on a long run the G4000 wants the 20 A circuit as well.

Putting the lathe on a dedicated 20 A circuit is the plain answer for either one. A lathe starts under load more often than it looks, as the chuck and workpiece have inertia, and a shared circuit with a compressor or a heater trips. The workshop amps calculator sums everything you plan to run at once, and the 240V explainer is there if you later add a bigger machine. A licensed electrician should confirm every circuit from the nameplate.

Metal chips are sharp, hot and fast, so safety glasses are not optional at a lathe. Add hearing protection, because a lathe in a closed garage is louder than it feels. Roll long sleeves up, keep hair and jewellery clear of the chuck, and leave the chuck key out. If you cut a lot of material that makes fine dust or oil mist, a respirator belongs in the kit; the GVS P100 respirator and safety glasses are the catalog picks.

Both lathes are benchtop machines for small metal work: bushings, pins, spacers, small shafts. The envelope is 8-3/4 in swing and 19 in between centers on the G4000, and 9-1/2 in and 22 in on the G0602. Before you buy, list the biggest part you expect to turn. If it fits the G4000 with room to spare, the larger lathe buys you weight and amps, not capability. Our lathe and mill roundup and the machine shop start guide cover tooling and what to buy first.

G4000 if you want the lighter, easier machine and have a 15 A or 20 A circuit; G0602 if the extra swing and length matter and you can give it a 20 A circuit and a stronger bench. The two cover the same floor and fit the same bays beside a car. The G0602 costs you 138 lb, 4.6 A and a bigger mobile base. Choose it for a reason you can name in inches, not because it is the larger number. Have a licensed electrician confirm the circuit either way.