A pottery kick wheel is a manual pottery wheel: you spin a heavy flywheel with your foot, and its momentum keeps the wheelhead turning while you throw. There is no motor, so it is silent and works anywhere. The one new kick wheel widely sold in the US in 2026 is the Lockerbie Model K, which Laguna Clay says has been on the market since the mid 1960s. Beyond that, most kick wheels change hands used.
This guide is research-based. We compared maker and dealer spec sheets, warranty terms and long-time potters' advice on the Ceramic Arts Network forum; we did not throw on these wheels ourselves. Because the new kick wheel market is so small, we also cover used kick wheels and the quiet electric wheels that suit people who want a kick wheel mainly for its silence.
Quick picks
- Best new kick wheel: Lockerbie Model K (89 lb concrete flywheel, 13 in head)
- Best value: a used Lockerbie, Brent or Thomas Stuart kick wheel in good order
- Quietest electric alternative: Shimpo VL-Whisper (direct drive, no belts)
- Best electric for a kick-wheel seating style: Shimpo RK-Whisper (fixed pedal plus hand lever)
- Budget electric alternative: Speedball Clay Boss (100 lb, 10-year warranty)
Kick wheel and alternatives compared
| Wheel | Power | Wheelhead | Weight | Warranty | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lockerbie Model K | Foot (89 lb flywheel) | 13 in | 272 lb shipped | 5 years limited | Check price |
| Shimpo VL-Whisper | 1/2 HP (400 W) direct drive | 14 in | 120 lb | 5 years | Check price |
| Shimpo RK-Whisper | 1/2 HP (400 W) direct drive | 12 in | 116 lb | 5 years | Check price |
| Speedball Clay Boss | 0.5 HP | 14 in | 68 lb | 10 years | Check price |
1. Lockerbie Model K: best new pottery kick wheel
The Lockerbie Model K is the classic American kick wheel, found in schools and colleges for decades, and it is still listed new by Laguna Clay and The Ceramic Shop. You sit on an attached red oak seat and kick a reinforced concrete flywheel that is 27.5 in across and weighs 89 lb. Laguna says the flywheel has a textured surface for traction, so your foot does not slip when you push.
The frame is heavy-duty welded steel pipe with a heavy gauge aluminum work table, and the wheelhead is 13 in across. All that mass is the point: once the flywheel is up to speed it carries on turning through centering and pulling walls, then you give it another kick. The whole wheel measures 36 x 42 x 30 in and ships at 272 lb in a 40 x 48 x 36 in crate, so plan delivery and placement carefully.
- Power: foot, no motor
- Flywheel: reinforced concrete, 27.5 in, 89 lb
- Wheelhead: 13 in
- Overall size: 36 x 42 x 30 in
- Weight: 272 lb shipped
- Seat: red oak, built in
- Warranty: 5 years limited
- Price band: about $1,700 to $1,800 at Laguna in October 2026, before freight; check the live price
Pros
- Silent and needs no outlet
- Decades-long track record
- Built-in seat and work table
Cons
- Very heavy to deliver and move
- Costs as much as a good electric wheel
- Mainly sold by dealers, not Amazon
If the price surprises you for a wheel with no motor, our guide to how much a pottery wheel costs explains why wheels cost what they do, from steel frames to freight.
Day to day, a Model K session starts with a few hard kicks to bring the flywheel up to centering speed. You then center, give it another push, open and pull walls as it slows, and keep kicking lightly to hold the speed you need. Many kick-wheel potters describe this as a rhythm that becomes automatic with practice. The built-in seat sets your position relative to the head, so you cannot raise or lower the wheel the way you can with an electric wheel on adjustable legs.
Who should skip it: anyone with stairs between the delivery truck and the studio, and anyone with knee, hip or back problems that make repeated kicking uncomfortable.
2. Used kick wheels: Lockerbie, Brent and Thomas Stuart
Most pottery kick wheels for sale in the US are used, and that is where the best value usually sits for a buyer who can inspect and collect. Search local listings for "used pottery kick wheel for sale" as well as brand names. Schools and community studios have phased many out, and they appear on Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist and school surplus auctions. Lockerbie wheels are the most common, and you will also see older Brent and Thomas Stuart (Skutt) kick wheels. Skutt's own site now lists its kick wheel motor attachment in its legacy wheels section, and we did not find a new kick wheel in Skutt's current wheel lineup.
A kick wheel has few parts to fail, which is why old ones keep going. The main wear points are the bearings, the shaft and the seat. A potter on the Ceramic Arts Network forum advises checking that the wheel "turns freely without any noises," because noise can mean bad bearings, which are costly to replace. Another thread on the same forum describes owners struggling to reach the bearings on an older Lockerbie, so factor in repair difficulty.
- Common brands: Lockerbie, Brent, Thomas Stuart (Skutt)
- Where to look: local listings, school and studio closeouts, guild boards
- Main checks: bearing noise, wheelhead play, flywheel cracks, frame rust, seat
- Price: no published price guide; compare with the new Lockerbie band and condition
Pros
- Often far cheaper than new
- Nothing electrical to fail
- Long service life
Cons
- Bearings can be hard and costly to replace
- Very heavy to collect
- No warranty
Who should skip it: buyers without a truck, a dolly and two or three helpers. Our pottery wheel for sale guide has a full used-wheel checklist, and the Lockerbie kick wheel review covers that brand in depth.
3. Shimpo VL-Whisper: quietest electric alternative
Many people look at kick wheels because they want silence, for an apartment, a shared house or late-night throwing. The VL-Whisper gets close with far less weight. It uses a direct-drive brushless DC motor with no belt, so there is no belt noise, and Shimpo notes that the wheelhead stops when you release the pedal rather than coasting on.
Shimpo lists 1/2 HP (400 W) at 115V, a 14 in head, 100 lb centering, 0 to 250 rpm and clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. At 120 lb it is less than half the shipping weight of a Lockerbie, and the legs come off for tabletop use or storage.
- Motor: 1/2 HP (400 W) direct-drive brushless, 115V
- Wheelhead: 14 in
- Centering capacity: 100 lb
- Speed: 0 to 250 rpm
- Weight: 120 lb
- Warranty: 5 years
- Price band: typically $1,800 to $2,150 at US dealers in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Very quiet
- Steady speed without kicking
- Reverses
Cons
- Needs an outlet
- More to go wrong electrically than a kick wheel
- 5-year warranty
Who should skip it: potters who want the rhythm of a kick wheel or need to work without power. See our VL-Whisper review.
4. Shimpo RK-Whisper: electric with a kick-wheel seating style
Shimpo's RK-Whisper follows the classic RK layout: a compact body with a fixed foot pedal plus a hand lever, which some potters who learned on kick wheels find more natural than a loose remote pedal. It uses the same quiet direct-drive brushless motor as the VL-Whisper.
Shimpo lists 1/2 HP (400 W) at 115V, a 12 in light alloy wheelhead drilled for bat pins, 100 lb centering, 0 to 250 rpm and clockwise and counterclockwise rotation. It measures 20 x 21 x 20 in and weighs 116 lb. We did not find it on amazon.com, so the button below runs a search; buy it through a Shimpo dealer if it is not listed.
- Motor: 1/2 HP (400 W) direct-drive brushless, 115V
- Wheelhead: 12 in
- Centering capacity: 100 lb
- Speed: 0 to 250 rpm
- Control: fixed foot pedal plus hand lever
- Weight: 116 lb
- Warranty: 5 years
- Price band: about $1,600 to $1,700 per a third-party guide in September 2026; check with a dealer
Pros
- Quiet direct drive
- Hand lever lets you hold a set speed
- Compact footprint
Cons
- Smaller 12 in head than the VL-Whisper
- Fixed pedal position
- Dealer-only in practice
Who should skip it: potters who move the pedal around to throw standing. The VL-Whisper's remote pedal is more flexible. Our Shimpo wheels guide compares both.
5. Speedball Clay Boss: budget electric alternative
If your interest in a kick wheel is mostly about cost or durability, a mid-range electric wheel may serve you better. The Clay Boss costs less than a new Lockerbie, weighs 68 lb instead of 272 lb, and Speedball backs it with a 10-year warranty, double the Lockerbie's 5-year limited warranty.
Speedball lists a 0.5 HP motor, a 14 in head, a 100 lb centering capacity, 0 to 240 rpm, a reversing plug, a foot pedal, a two-part splash pan and two bats. It is a belt-driven wheel, so it hums more than a Whisper, but it holds a steady speed without any kicking.
- Motor: 0.5 HP
- Wheelhead: 14 in
- Centering capacity: 100 lb
- Speed: 0 to 240 rpm
- Weight: 68 lb
- Warranty: 10 years
- Price band: typically $1,150 to $1,400 at US dealers in October 2026; check the live price
Pros
- Far lighter than a kick wheel
- Long warranty
- Pedal and bats included
Cons
- Needs power
- Not silent
- Not the traditional kick-wheel experience
Who should skip it: anyone set on an off-grid or silent studio.
Kick wheel buying guide
How a kick wheel works
A heavy flywheel sits low on a vertical shaft, with the wheelhead at the top and a seat or standing position beside it. You kick the flywheel to build speed, and its stored momentum keeps the head turning while you work. Heavier flywheels hold speed longer but take more effort to start. Our potter's wheel guide explains the parts and history in more detail.
Is kick wheel pottery harder to learn?
There is an extra skill: timing your kicks so the speed stays where you need it. Many potters kick the wheel up to speed, throw while it slows, then kick again. For centering, which needs the most speed, that takes practice. Beginners usually find an electric wheel quicker to learn on; our wheel throwing for beginners guide covers the first steps on either type.
Treadle pottery wheels for sale
A treadle wheel is a close cousin of the kick wheel. Instead of pushing the flywheel directly with your foot, you pump a treadle bar linked to a crank, which turns the up-and-down motion into rotation; Wikipedia's history of the potter's wheel describes this crank and lever design as an alternative to kicking. The Leach treadle wheel is the best-known example, and potters on the Ceramic Arts Network forum note that a treadle can drive the wheel in either direction.
Treadle wheels are rarer than kick wheels in the US. We did not find one in the current lineups of the major US wheel makers, and forum potters describe them as a niche item that mostly changes hands used or as kits from small makers. If you find a treadle pottery wheel for sale, use the same checks as for any used kick wheel: listen to the bearings, look for play in the wheelhead and inspect the crank and treadle linkage for wear. As with any wheel, never add a homemade motor drive.
Manual pottery wheel vs banding wheel
Some people searching for a manual pottery wheel actually want a banding wheel, a small hand-spun turntable for decorating and hand-building. A banding wheel cannot hold speed for throwing; a kick wheel can. If you mainly coil or slab-build, see our banding wheels guide instead.
Weight and space
Kick wheels are the heaviest wheels you can buy because the flywheel is the energy store. The Lockerbie ships at 272 lb and needs a floor that can take it, plus room to sit and swing your leg. A garage or ground-floor room is ideal.
Adding a motor
Some makers sold factory motor attachments for their kick wheels. Skutt, for example, lists a kick wheel motor attachment in its legacy accessories with a 1/3 HP enclosed motor that drives a rubber wheel against the edge of the concrete flywheel, switched by a foot lever, with a 5-year warranty. If you want power, use only a maker's own kit and have a qualified technician fit and wire it.
Never build or wire your own motor drive for a kick wheel. A spinning flywheel and an improvised electrical setup in a wet studio is a real shock and injury risk. Use a factory kit fitted by a qualified technician, and have a licensed electrician check the outlet.
Setting up a kick wheel
- Choose a ground-floor spot with a solid, level floor and room to swing your leg freely.
- Have the crate delivered as close to that spot as possible, and use a pallet jack or several helpers to place it.
- Level the frame so the wheelhead runs true, using shims under the feet as the maker's instructions describe.
- Check that the flywheel spins freely and quietly before your first session.
- Read the maker's care document; Laguna publishes a care document for the Lockerbie Model K.
Caring for a kick wheel
Kick wheels need little maintenance, which is part of their appeal. Keep slip and water off the bearings and shaft, wipe the flywheel and frame after each session, and follow the maker's guidance on lubrication. Listen for new noises: a grinding or knocking sound usually points to bearings, and forum potters warn that bearing work on older kick wheels can be hard to reach. Our pottery wheel maintenance guide covers general care for every wheel type.
Who should buy a kick wheel
A kick wheel suits potters who want a silent studio, work where power is limited, enjoy the rhythm of a manual wheel, or find a well-kept used one nearby at a fair price. It is a poor fit for anyone who needs to move the wheel, lives above the ground floor, or wants the easiest possible start; for them a quiet electric wheel is the better buy.
Health and studio safety
Kicking is repetitive work for the hips, knees and lower back, and the effort adds up over a long session. Take breaks, keep your seat at a comfortable distance from the flywheel, and stop if a joint starts to ache. Try a kick wheel at a studio or school before you buy one. As with any wheel, clay dust contains silica, so clean the flywheel area and floor with a wet sponge or mop, never by dry sweeping.
Sources: Laguna Clay potter's wheels page (Lockerbie Model K); The Ceramic Shop Lockerbie kick wheel listing; Skutt legacy kick wheel motor attachment page; Shimpo spec pages (VL-Whisper, RK-Whisper); Speedball Clay Boss product page; Ceramic Arts Network community forum threads on used wheels, Lockerbie bearings and Leach treadle wheels; Wikipedia, "Potter's wheel" (crank and treadle history). Specs checked October 2026.