I got this wheel after taking two terms of a wheel throwing ceramics and looking for a way to throw at home. I haven't tried more than 3 pounds yet, but I've had this for a few weeks and it's been working really well for me. I was happy to have found something that was actually affordable and of decent quality. Would recommend buying for throwing smaller items:)

I love my wheel it's small but it's portable you can bring it outside and enjoy the weather. You can prop it up on wood or cinderblocks to bring it up higher to you. Overall 10/10 would recommend.

I have always wanted to try my hand at throwing pottery. Although the standard advice is to take a class, I couldn't find one that worked with my schedule. So I purchased this wheel and some clay and found some great YouTube videos.

I have only tried throwing 3 or 4 times thus far, but I am enjoying the adventure.

Things I like about this wheel:
The price was right. It has a pedal to adjust the speed which is nice when your hands are covered in clay. I like the removable basin, makes clean up easier.

Things I don't like:
The wheel doesn't fully stop, even when you move the pedal to the lowest position. You have to flip the power switch if you want it to stop rotating completely.
There aren't any bat pins. I have learned very quickly how nice those would have been!
The pedal doesn't have any resistance to it, so it can be difficult to dial in your perfect speed. Lastly, the legs are very short. I needed to set the whole machine on a stand to raise it up.

Overall, I am happy with my purchase.

The wheel was packed well and there was no damage to the wheel when I opened it. It started up fine and has decent speed for a beginner wheel. I have yet to throw clay on it but will be trying it out hopefully this weekend. Price is right for a starter wheel. The cord for the foot pedal is a little short, but not super inconvenient. Tray is easy to put on and remove. The power cord is really short. Studios generally have electric halfway up the wall for obvious reasons so not sure why the cord is so short. I wound up purchasing an extension cord. I contacted service and they said any 3 core cord is fine (not true.) I found one that won't hamper the speed of the wheel while in use. The switch on the side of my wheel is yellow so it doesn't match the image exactly, but it functions as it should. Forward and reverse work just fine. There's no wobble in the wheel head and the pedal operates as expected. I did not receive tools with my wheel even though they're advertised as coming with. The power cord length and lack of tools earned it 4 stars. I'll update once I use the wheel for the first time.

Update:
I just attached a Speedball bat to the top using the clay method as there are no spots for pins. I didn't want to drill so I just took a small ball of clay and smoothed it onto the wheel head. After that, I took a tool and put a few intersecting lines to help the bat get a grip. Center the bat as best you can without putting too much pressure on. This might take a few tries. Once the bat is centered, give a couple of firm taps with the edge of your fist. This will lock the bat in place. :) There are YouTube tutorials as well.

Using an extension cord worked just fine to combat the short power cord issue. I got one that is rated for larger appliances and is 3 core. I just unplug when it's not in use. Will update again when I throw my first pot.

The other reviews seem pretty accurate.

For reference, I'm a beginner. I bought this wheel to practice outside of class & so I could make stuff on my own.

I only threw a pound of clay at a time and noticed that the wheel would slow down noticeably when centering. I still could center fairly easily though. Not a huge problem.

The wheel is SO SHORT! It must only be a foot tall. I had to prop it up.

Other than that, it works pretty well. I used it for about three hours today and didn't have any problems. It's definitely not as high quality as the $1800 wheel at school (obviously), but so far it seems like a great way for me to practice at home while I learn the basics / save up for a "real" wheel.

Overall, it's pretty good for the price. Again, I'm a beginner and have only used it for a few hours so far.