Brent CXC Pottery Wheel – OWNERS REVIEW – Buyers Guide
I have used the Brent CXC Pottery Wheel almost every day for over six years now.
I use it as my primary wheel and have come to love its smooth, durable turning action. The Brent CXC Pottery Wheel is a great wheel regardless of your skill level.
It has almost every feature available on any other wheel, making it very easy to use. With one of the top warranties in the pottery wheel industry, you can concentrate on a lifetime of creating beautiful pieces.
I’m Going To Show You The Features and Options that Make The Brent CXC Pottery Wheel One Of The Best Pottery Wheels money can buy.
Features and Options that I will use to evaluate the CXC:
- The Motor
- Wheel head
- Centering Capacity
- Forward and Reverse
- Foot Pedal
- Detachable Splash Pan
- Optional Accessories
- Price
- Warranty
- Maintainance
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Well-Built Wheel
The CXC Brent is a solid pottery wheel that stands 20 inches high with the splash pan, 21 inches wide, 27 inches long and weighs around 120 pounds. I have thrown on many different wheels over the years, and when I go back to my CXC, I can definitely feel the difference. It’s a friendly reminder of how well-built the Wheel is.
When throwing, I can feel the strength and durability of the wheel. Yes, this is a workhorse built to take a lot of pressure and last a long time with the proper care and maintenance. That’s why Brent’s motto is “built for life”
The Motor
The CXC has a powerful 1-horse power Motor that makes the wheel head rotate at 240 RPMs. When pressing down on the clay, the wheel won’t slow down because the motor has great torque (rotating force on the wheel). This is a big plus when centering your clay. In particular, you see an advantage in centering larger amounts of clay. This has been a good, reliable motor.
Wheel Head
The CXC has a solid 14-inch Aluminum Wheel Head. Pottery wheel heads range in size from 8 inches to 14 inches. That gives you one of the largest wheel heads on the market, so you never feel limited.
It may not matter much for a beginner, but a larger wheel head gives you greater freedom as you develop in pottery making. The wheel head is marked with parallel circles to help with centering the clay for both throwing and trimming. When you throw you can feel the quality of this wheel head adding to its appeal.
Brent also includes a 14-inch Plasti Bat and standard 10-inch holes with removable Bat Pins.
Centering Capacity
The cool thing about the CXC is how it can center up to 300 pounds. Now, I’d like to emphasize that while it gives you an advantage, many potters may never center more than 25 pounds of clay, but if you want to throw large amounts of clay, this wheel will do it.
Centering is the most important aspect of pottery making because it provides the base for forming your clay. The additional centering capacity gives you a more powerful motor to work with, which allows for the most demanding pottery projects. I don’t do it that often, but it is nice to be able to take on the bigger jobs with a larger centering capacity.
Forward and Reverse Option
It’s nice to have the Forward and Reverse Options. This means that left-handed or right-handed people can use the wheel. If you have multiple Potters with different dominant hands or prefer to throw left and right-handed, this is a great advantage.
With a flip of the switch, you go from Forward to Neutral and then Reverse. The Neutral position ensures the wheel stops completely before changing direction. I like the ability to change direction. I use this option mainly for trimming and decorating.
Foot Pedal
This durable cast aluminum foot pedal provides a smooth transfer of speed that allows for both precision and control. The wheel stays at that speed when you take your foot off the pedal.
You can move the pedal to the left or right side of the wheel to choose which foot you want to use to control the speed with. You also have the ability to adjust the speed under the pedal.
There is even an easy-to-follow video on fine-tuning the foot pedal. I followed the directions on the video and had the foot pedal fine-tuned and ready to use in minutes.
Detachable Splash Pan
This gives you the advantage of using the wheel with or without the splash pan. You may need to take the splash off to decorate or trim the base of your clay. Some potters throw with very little water and don’t need a splash pan. I’m not one of them.
The ability to easily remove the splash pan also makes the wheel much easier to clean and gives you access to wash underneath the wheel head. Since you should clean your wheel after each pottery session, the ease of cleaning does matter. Plus, not having the clay build up under your head wheel helps it run better and last longer.
Optional Accessories
There are a few accessories available to help with crafting your Clay on the wheel, starting with a good stool or chair to sit on.
A Brent Potters Stool or Chair
Potter stools can be an afterthought—it was for me. If you need a chair or Potter’s stool of some sort, I have a few Potter stools that you can check out on my Recommended Potters Stool Page
Giffin Grip
Another convenient accessory for this wheel is the Giffin Grip or the Giffin Grip Mini, which works great for quick trimming. Some potters find centering to trim a bit time-consuming, but this accessory can be the perfect solution. It sure was for me! And you don’t have to make clay logs to hold your pottery in place
I also have a detailed review and comparison post on the Original Giffin Grip and Giffin Grip Mini
For the Current Price on the Brent Model CXC Pottery Wheel
Good Choice for Beginners?
Many pottery studios and classrooms choose to use the Brent CXCs because they can take the consent use and do well with beginners. You can operate the wheel easily.
The Brent CXC comes with the DVD “How to Throw on the Potter’s Wheel,” which shows you that they even market this wheel toward beginners. This wheel suits the beginner as well as seasoned Potters who want to do this professionally because it comes with plenty of things that more advanced potters love.
The CXC may be the only wheel you ever need, whereas you may outgrow budget pottery wheels because they become too limiting. With this wheel, you can do any project that you want.
Many potters have said how, after trying multiple pottery wheels, they liked the feel of the CXC better. The fine balance between value and quality makes this an excellent choice. You also don’t need to worry about assembly, which is another plus for beginners.
Check my New CXC Pottery Wheel Review where I go through the Features, Performance, & Maintenance involved.
Price
Yes, the Brent CXC wheel is on the higher end. “Is the price worth it?”
Yes. Brent has made the CXC for over 40 years, and there are some potters who have used it for that long as well. With that level of staying power, you may find the extra cost worthwhile.
In comparison to budget pottery wheels. You won’t outgrow the CXC because everyone, from beginners to seasoned professionals, loves this wheel. The saying you get what you pay for stands true. As soon as you sit down and throw, you will immediately feel how well this wheel is built
Many professional Potters use this wheel because it offers all the features you need for more advanced ceramics. While this wheel sits in the upper tier of the pottery wheel price spectrum, the CXC does well for potters at any skill level.
| Brand | Current Price | Clay Weight Limit (Lbs.) | Wheel Head Size | Bat Pin Width | Reversible | Height Adjustable |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent CXC | Check Here | 300 | 14″ | 10″ | Yes | Yes |
Warranty
As I stated earlier, the CXC is built to last. I’m confident that this pottery wheel will last me for a long time. The warranty makes it worth the investment, and in case anything goes wrong, it’s good to have the peace of mind of a 10-year warranty.
Wheel Maintainance
Every pottery wheel requires some maintenance. Cleaning the clay off your wheel after each session is a good habit to develop. Also, make sure clay doesn’t build up under your wheel head. Remove the bat pins from your wheel head from time to time and clean them.
Check your belt to make sure it’s not cracked, fraying, or slipping. A little maintenance will go a long way to keep your pottery wheel running well for many years to come.
Conclusion
There is a reason you see Brent Pottery Wheels everywhere: They have the perfect balance between quality, design, and a proven ability to last a long time.
Whether you are just starting out or want an upgrade from your current wheel for more professional pottery work, the Brent CXC is a great place to Start and End! From my own experience with the CXC, as well as what other potters say about its performance, you will be a Happy Potter.
The bottom line is that I would recommend the Brent CXC wheel 100%.
Let’s stay Dirty!