There are so many things to look forward to with pottery making. The way the clay morphs to your will, its enticing smell, and the satisfaction of creating beautiful and artistic products.
With these mesmerizing thoughts, you might make a trip to the nearest store to get your very own pottery wheel.
However, once you get there, you will realize that picking the right pottery wheel is much more complicated than it looks. Especially for beginners!
Not only are there many brands of pottery wheels available, but they all also have varying functions and qualities that cater to different clientele. There is also the looming issue of budget!
It is very important that as a beginner, you get your hands on the perfect pottery wheel for yourself, as that can make or break your new hobby.
On the other hand, if you have a bit of experience, this article may be much more useful: Best Pottery Wheels 2024
Table Of Contents
List Of Best Pottery Wheels For Beginners 2024:
No need to panic, as we are here to help! We have done thorough research and compiled a list of the best pottery wheels for beginners to review pottery wheels for you.
So let’s get started!
IMAGE | PRODUCT | RATING | PRICE |
---|---|---|---|
Pottery Wheel For Beginners |
9.1
|
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ZXMT 9.8” Electric Table Top Pottery Wheel |
9.2
|
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KKTECT Portable Pottery Wheel For Adult & Kid Beginners |
8.3
|
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MindWare Pottery Wheel for Kids And Beginners |
9.1
|
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YaeTek 25CM 350W Electric Pottery Wheel Machine |
9.3
|
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Mophorn Pottery Wheel 25CM Pottery Forming Machine |
9.2
|
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Mophorn Electric Pottery Wheel 25CM Pottery Forming Machine |
8.7
|
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Clay Boss Pottery Wheel |
9.6
|
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Mophorn Pottery Forming Machine 25cm Pottery Wheel |
9.3
|
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Mont Marte Signature Pottery Banding Wheel |
9.5
|
Check on AmazonRead Full Review |
And if you’d like a complete guide on how to use a pottery wheel, feel free to visit this article: Simple Steps of Using a Pottery Wheel (And What Mistakes to Avoid).
1. Pottery Wheel For Beginners
One of the best beginner pottery wheel options for kids, Pottery Wheel for beginners by Mindware is geared up to let your child’s creativity blossom.
It is strong, durable, and comes with a lot of added features like paintbrushes, air dry clay, and safety stop feature, etc. that make pottery making fun and easy to learn!
Key Features:
Foot Pedal: With a speed that goes from 68 rpm to 92 rpm, this machine teaches young learners how to control pressure without making a headache or a mess for their parents.
Motor: The safety-stop feature stops the machine when great pressure is applied. This not only means no overheating of your machine but also teaches kids how and what amounts of pressure to apply.
Pottery Tools: These fun plastic tools act as a get-started pack for your kids while teaching your child the basics of pottery. They can also be placed on the wheel’s frame, making them difficult to lose!
Paints and Paint Brushes: These make your kid’s pottery lessons more bright and colorful and might instill a love for painting too!
Specifications:
- Weight: 1 Pound (6.25 pounds shipping weight)
- Dimensions: 15 x 16 x 3 inches
- Recommended Age Range: Seven years and up
- Motor Speed: 68 rpm on slow, 92 rpm on fast
- Voltage: 110 Volt
- Easy for children to use
- Lightweight and portable
- Great tool for learning basics quickly
- Safe for children to use
- Adapts its direction according to your needs
- Not many instructions provided
- The motor can be loud
2. ZXMT 9.8” Electric Table Top Pottery Wheel
The ZXMT 9.8” is a small professional machine that performs a variety of tasks for a range of users. These can include home use, at school, or in your very own studio.
Ceramic DIY enthusiasts will love not only the machine but all the features and additional items with it.
Key Features:
Portable Size: It’s tiny and can be connected anywhere. This makes it flexible and ideal for use anywhere.
Durable: Made of industrial-strength materials, this pottery can withstand any rough handling and can still work smoothly!
Home-use: It takes less than 60dB noise, meaning it’s pretty quiet for home use. It also works easily at low power and rated voltage of 110 V.
Safe: With its three-wire and single-phase leakage protection device, this machine is safe for any beginner.
Flexible Use: It has a varying speed of 0-300 rpm and reverses rotation as well, giving you more control over your products. It also works in a variety of scenarios, be it at pottery schools, studios, home and pottery bars, etc.
Specifications:
- Color: White + Orange
- Material: Metal + Aluminium Alloy
- Wheel Diameter: 9.8”
- Rated Voltage: AC 110 V
- Speed: 0-300rpm inorganic speed
- Size: Approx. 16.54 x 20.47 x 13.78”
- Easy to use for beginners and professionals
- Works anywhere i.e. at home, school or workshops
- The metal frame makes it durable
- The safety switches can cause saviors from any damages.
- The bottom does not come sealed
- It does not have a hole for bat pins
3. KKTECT Portable Pottery Wheel For Adult & Kid Beginners
If you want to give your craft enthusiast friend or child a gift that can hone their creative cravings, is beautiful and small enough to carry around, and will make pottery learning so fun, then go no further than the KKTECT Portable Pottery wheel for Adult and Kid beginners.
It has tons of neat features that make it one of the best options for beginners.
Key Features:
Strong Motor: The strong motor that comes with this machine enables the wheel to work at speeds between 0-1500 rpm. This speed is adjustable and allows a very practical and flexible use to create amazing high-quality products.
Wide Use: It can be used anywhere, be it at your pottery school, home, or your pottery barn. It’s small but professional, so it satisfies a range of users. Beginners will love it!
Appearance: One of the KKTECT’s best selling points is its small size, enabling it to be carried anywhere. It also has a beautiful appearance, making it ideal as a gift for your beginner friends and kids!
Easy to use: With its adjustable speed and dual turntables that meet a new user’s needs, this machine is a great option for first-time users.
Metal Frame: This makes it durable and makes it avoid any rusting.
Specifications:
- Brand: KKTECT
- Model Number: LG-1320
- Product Dimensions: 15 x 15 x 10 cm; 610 Grams
- Item Weight: 610 g
- Rated Voltage: DC12V
- Material: Metal
- Easy to use
- Beginner friendly
- Adjustable speeds make it very flexible to use
- Its build-up makes it durable and strong
- Makes little Noise
- The design can be considered to be too small
- Motor can be very powerful in comparison to its size.
4. MindWare Pottery Wheel for Kids And Beginners
Another pottery wheel that is so simple and easy to use that it takes up a spot on our list of best pottery wheels for beginners.
It’s one of our go-to products to buy for young learners and their parents to create fun and beautiful crafts.
Key Features:
Air-dry Clay: This means that no oven is needed, making it very safe for your kids.
Safety-stop Feature: This stops the machine’s motor in case too much pressure is applied. This saves the core from overheating and teaches beginners about pressure control.
Multi-directional Switch: With this switch, you can change the direction. This means that both left-handed and right-handed people can take a crack at it.
Multiple Tools: Your pottery-making journey does not end with just the form. With a huge tool kit provided, you can ornament your pottery in any way you like to produce a beautiful and memorable craft.
Easy to learn: With simple switches and a helpful guide, beginners can immediately get the hang of this.
Specifications:
- Product Dimensions: 18 x 15 x 5 inches
- Item Weight: 6.15 pounds
- ASIN: B06XX19KZ4
- Manufacturer Recommended Age: 7 years and up.
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer: No
- Department: Unisex-child
- Manufacturer: MindWare
- Easy to navigate through it
- Simple enough to set up
- Beginner-friendly
- It comes with a lot of decorative tools like paint brushing and carving utensils
- Safety switch stops it from overheating
- Suitable for kids than adults
- Does not spin fast enough for some pottery making activities
5. YaeTek 25CM 350W Electric Pottery Wheel Machine
If you want a machine that is suitable for your professional ventures and your little experimentation at home, then the YaeTek 25 cm Electric Pottery Wheel Machine is for you Not only does it have reliable working, but it is also another great starter pottery wheel to help you get started on your artsy journey!
Key Features:
Safe: With its single-phase and three-wire access leakage protection, you don’t have to worry about any dangerous malfunctioning.
Wide Application: Can be used by professionals and beginners alike in various environments like school, urban entertainment pottery making, and industrial level studios.
Adjustable Speed: You can easily change the speed according to your preference with a change of pressure on the foot pedal.
Low Noise: No one likes a noisy machine that disrupts your pottery session with a head-splitting headache. This pottery wheel, in fact makes very little noise to give you a comfy and quiet experience for you and your colleagues/ family.
Changeable Direction: With its forward and reversible direction, you can change the settings according to your requirements.
Compact design: With a wheel diameter of 9.8”, this tiny machine is portable and can be used anywhere!
Specifications:
- Color: Orange
- Pottery Wheel Diameter: 25cm/9.84”
- Rated Voltage: AC 110V
- Power: 250-350W
- Speed: 0-300r/min inorganic speed
- Forward and Reverse direction Of Rotation: 500x400x450mm
- Noise: <60db
- The Motor: Advanced brushless motor
- Machine Material: Metal + Aluminum Alloy
- Size: Approx. 42 x 52 x 35cm/16.54 x 20.47 x 13.78′
- Easy to use
- Can be used by professionals and beginners
- Safe to use
- Quiet and comfy to use
- It does not have bat pins
6. Mophorn Pottery Wheel 25CM Pottery Forming Machine
Another awesome device that is one of the best beginner pottery wheels, the MopHorn Pottery wheel, is a beautiful machine that is easy to work with, easy to understand, and has a wide range of applications, too!
It comes with great features and an amazing design to help you, new learners, to get started on a high.
Key Features:
Sleek Design: The design is, hands down beautiful, which makes one want to work with it.
Practical: It has sufficient working space on a wheel of 9.8” and has a compact structure that enables it to be used anywhere.
Hand and Foot Pedal: The foot and hand pedal enables you more free reign over how you want to use the machine. The adjustable speeds also add to the flexibility of the overall application.
Changeable Direction: Both left-handed and right-handed people can have a go on this machine due to its reversible rotary direction.
Mud Shielding: The enclosed design prevents any clay from penetrating into the interior parts or the fuselage. The ABS is also easily cleanable that makes the maintenance of this machine much easier!
Safety Precautions: The single-phase, three-wire leakage protection ensures safe usage.
Specifications:
- Rated Voltage: AC 110V
- Wheel Diameter: 25 cm (9.8″)
- Speed: 0-300 r/min infinitely variable
- Rotate Direction: Positive/negative
- Working Noise: <60 dB
- Gross Weight: 14.3 kg (31.5 lb)
- Package Dimensions (L x W x H): 53 x 40 x 38 cm (22″ x 16.1″ x 15.7″)
- Quiet Operation
- Portable and can be used anywhere
- Attractive design
- Can be used by professionals and beginners
- The construction can be small
7. Mophorn Electric Pottery Wheel 25CM Pottery Forming Machine
If you are looking for a machine that is not only pleasing to look at visually but also has a smooth functioning and is easy to maintain, then look no further.
The MopHorn Pottery wheel has many credible features that make it an ideal pottery wheel for beginners.
Key Features:
Gorgeous Design: The ergonomic design and use of bright colors make it not only a delight to work with but a treat to look at as well!
Foot Pedal: This gives a great hands-free experience while enabling you to control the speed to give you great flexibility while dealing with the clay.
Changeable Direction: It can rotate either clockwise or anti-clockwise, making it suitable for a wider range of users.
Safety Precautions: Single Phase three wire device makes the machine ready for any high influx of current while ensuring that the user is not harmed.
Detachable basin: The ABS basin can be easily removed for further cleaning. Maintenance of the machine is made easier because of its mud shielding aspect and enclosed design that allows no clay to penetrate the machine and ruin it.
Motor: The speed can go up to 300 rpm and, along with the brushless motor, ensures that little noise is made.
Specifications:
- Rated Voltage: AC 110V
- Rated Power:350W
- Wheel Diameter: 25 cm (9.8″)
- Speed: 0-300 r/min infinitely variable
- Rotate Direction: Positive/negative
- Working Noise: <60 dB
- Gross Weight: 14.9 kg
- Comes with an additional shaping toolset for further refinement of pottery
- Compact and easy to carry around
- Beautiful and bright appearance
- Makes little noise
- Has a wide range of applications in various environments
- Easy to clean
- Does not have a very strong engine
8. Clay Boss Pottery Wheel
A device that is durable, easy to use, and performs smoothly. Yup that is what you’ll get if you opt for the Clay Boss Pottery wheel.
These fantastic features, along with its other cool aspects are the reason why it’s a great choice as a beginning pottery wheel.
Key Features:
Adjustable Speed: You can control the speed of the wheel with the help of a handy pedal that allows you to go anywhere btw 0-240 rpm
Extendable Legs: Say goodbye to backaches and bad posture. This feature helps to change the height of the wheel to 19.5”, which allows you to change from a sitting to a standing position and vice versa.
Steel Wheels And Table: First-time users tend to go a little overboard while pounding—however, no need to worry. The table and wheel of this strong pottery wheel are made out of steel that helps make it sustain many different types of loads.
Tabletop: Being made of plastic, you can easily rest things on it.
Detachable: While moving, you can remove some parts like the foot pedal to ensure that little harm comes to the more delicate parts.
Load Sensing: This allows the machine to identify when you’re going over the load limits to ensure that you don’t damage it.
Specifications:
- Weight: 8 Pounds
- Dimensions: 5 x 17.1 x 15 inches
- Wheel Head Size: 14 inches
- Centering Capacity: 100 pounds
- Warranty: 5 years
- Lengthy warranty
- Durable to use for a long time
- Easy to use
- Great for use for professionals and beginners
- Heavy and not easy to move around
- Fixed splash pan reduces flexibility
9. Mophorn Pottery Forming Machine 25cm Pottery Wheel
Another product from Mophorn, this device also is a perfect choice as a beginner pottery wheel. It is great for home use or for professional use like teaching at your school.
It comes with a knob that makes it ideal for storage and allows easy usage.
Key Features:
Appearance: It has a sleek exterior with the body given spray treatment. The structure is compact while being detailed enough to provide you with a smooth and functional experience.
Wheel: The 9.8” wheel is made out of an aluminum alloy that not only gives it strength but also allows the pottery makers to draw large bits of clay, more easily.
Dual Direction: You can choose the direction of your choice easily from a clearly located switch. Thus both right-handed and left-handed people can use this device.
Safe: Single-phase three-wire system of the device ensures that the pottery wheel switches off in case of a major flux of voltage/current.
Motor: The brushless motor installed not only reduced any noise emitted but also gives you an adjustable speed of up to 300rpm.
Foot Pedal: The pressure exerted on this controls your speed, allowing you to work more efficiently with your clay. The large bearing area also adds to the flexibility of the machine.
Specifications:
- Rated Voltage: AC 110V
- Rated Power: 350W
- Wheel Diameter: 25 cm (9.8″)
- Speed: 0-300 r/min infinitely variable
- Rotate Direction: Positive/negative
- Working Noise: <60 dB
- Gross Weight: 14.2 kg (31.3 lb)
- Package Dimensions (L x W x H): 22″ x 16.1″ x 15.7″
- Wide range of applications for home and professional usage
- Comes with a shaping tool kit to allow more experimentation with clay
- Quiet to operate
- Allows both shaping and throwing processes.
- Knob model ensures more storage
- The construction can be small some people
10. Mont Marte Signature Pottery Banding Wheel
Another awesome beginner pottery wheel, the Mont Marte Signature Pottery wheel is ideal for craft lovers and ceramic enthusiasts.
It has various design features that make operating it not only fun but also a pleasure.
Key Features:
Sturdy Design: The cast iron body makes it deal with any pounding or overloading without a hitch.
Compact Design: With a 7” size, this machine can be installed anywhere without any problem whatsoever.
Smooth turning: This allows you to keep an eye on your work from all sides without disrupting the form of your craft.
Heavy-Duty Bearing: This makes it durable and ensures that it lasts for a long time.
Wide Applications: It is suitable for a range of activities like ceramics, sculpting, spin art, etc.
Specifications:
- Brand: Monte Mart
- Size: 7” x 4.1”
- Base: Non-Slip rubber
- Compact design so easy to carry around
- Easy to use
- Ideal for decorating
- Durable to use
- Can be too small
Buying Guide:
Before you decide to jump on the bandwagon and invest in something expensive only to find out that is not what you wanted, we recommend you do some research.
You need to consider various aspects and do a detailed survey of what you want from your pottery wheel. Let’s look into some of them.
- Wheel Head
- Motor
- Quietness
- Portability
- Directionality
- Leg Extenders
- Material
- Customer Service Support
- Warranty
Wheel Head:
This is the part of the pottery wheel that does most of the work, where your work comes to life.
You need to make sure that the wheel head is
- Of an appropriate size
- Removable as well.
- Made of rust-resistant material
- Capable of turning at varying speeds.
If it starts making a grinding noise, then you may have to get it replaced or oiled by professionals for maintenance.
Motor:
A motor will determine the smooth functioning of your device and how much clay your device can actually handle.
Usually, a horsepower of ½ HP or 1 HP is preferred. But for beginners, ⅓ HP works just fine too with throwing pieces weighing around 50 pounds.
Another helpful tip is that you should know that all motors are not equal. If two devices claim to be of the same HP, then the bigger motor is the more powerful one.
Quietness:
This is also a very important aspect to look into as it determines your comfort and ensures a relaxed atmosphere for you and your colleagues/ students to work in.
For a classroom, a noisy machine may not be that much of an issue, but with a home studio, you don’t want something that your family might chuck out of the window!
Portability:
Smaller machines are good for moving around if you like changing your work environment. They are also good for taking to exhibitions. Usually, electric wheels are small in size and can be used anywhere.
Directionality:
The reversal of the direction allows you a choice between throwing in the clockwise or anti-clockwise direction. This can either be done with a switch or manually. Some machines don’t have this feature at all.
Leg Extenders:
If you are more prone to backaches, then we recommend looking for a machine with leg extenders that can change the height of the machine.
This allows them to stand while molding the pottery instead of crouching over it.
Material:
The material of choice determines how long your machine is going to last, which is obviously something you want from your purchase. Steel, Aluminum alloys, and different brands of plastic are used.
Among these, steel makes the most durable products. It is also heavy, thus making your pottery wheel more stable. However, if you want a more portable and lighter product, then go for aluminum.
Customer Service Support:
You need to ensure that the company you’re going for has helpful staff, because even the best of machines can come with a problem.
Having efficient and professional customer service means that you will get your problems solved in a jiffy!
Warranty:
These usually range between 2-10 years. If you are careful with handling your device, then having a shorter warranty is no issue.
But if you are buying it for more rough usage, i.e., for a classroom where it will be used constantly and by many different types of people, then we recommend buying one with a lengthier warranty.
Conclusion:
As a newbie to this field, it can get pretty overwhelming to figure out what is the best pottery wheel for beginners and which one will best cater to your growth and experience.
The first machine can be the most important investment in your career or hobby. So nailing it the first time is crucial.
Hopefully, our list helped you overcome some of these difficult ambiguities and help you get your machine-partner for life!
After working on these wheels, the biggest problems amateur potters face is cleaning the wheel. Luckily, we’ve got just the article for you: How to Clean a Pottery Wheel – A Short and Easy Guide.
Happy crafting!