Which Daedalus e-spinner is right for you?
Welcome to the flock here at Daedalus Spinning Wheels! We’re thrilled that you’re interested in purchasing one of our products. As spinners ourselves, we realize that choosing any wheel is a big decision.
The No. 1 question we are asked daily is, “Which Daedalus Spinning Wheel should I get?” And while we have a handy Wheel Comparison Table to aid in your decision-making, we thought we’d also list what we feel are some of the most important factors to consider when weighing your options on which of our electric spinning wheels to purchase.
Above all, know that whichever “bird” you choose, you’re going to love it, just as hundreds and hundreds of current Daedalus customers can attest. In fact, you will almost never see one of our e-spinners offered up for resale. Instead, our customers are so pleased with their Daedalus e-spinner purchases that many go on to buy another (and another!).
Current models and what they're known for
Whether you’re new to handspinning or you’re an experienced spinner, you’ll find that all of our current e-spinners provide high-speed performance in both Scotch and Irish tensions, all are nearly silent while in use, built from nearly indestructible, lightweight carbon fiber/ABS, and their speed controllers, extension cables and power supply cords are interchangeable with all of our wheels. We’re certain you’ll find that the Daedalus e-spinners all outperform any other electric spinning wheel on the market and that their top speeds are higher than what you’ll need. Still, let’s take the above considerations and break things down further:
MARTIN
Have you ever rushed out to a spinning class or meetup, only to arrive and realize you’ve forgotten a key component of your spinning wheel? Who hasn’t! Meet Martin, our newest spinning wheel to market. This e-spinner has the same hard-wearing, precision-spinning capabilities our customers have come to expect from the Daedalue lineup, with a twist: everything you need to spin is contained in Martin’s hard-shell plastic case, for the perfect “grab and go” spinning experience--even if you’re just headed from one room to another.
This sweet little spinning wheel is meant for spinning your basic range of yarns, from fine to bulkier weights, except for art yarns. Unlike most of our other birds, Martin operates in a single, Scotch tension, drive system. It’s also our first e-spinner with its own analog (dial knob) Internal Speed Controller, but, like our other e-spinners, Martin pairs equally well with our external soft-start, soft-stop (digital) programmable external speed controller too.
Despite its tidy setup, Martin is uniquely unfussy and uncomplicated. Other attributes include:
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Simple but nuanced Scotch tensioning
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12mm orifice with a 6mm reducer
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Uses internal or external (sold separately) speed controller
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Reverse directions/plying with the click of a toggle
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Two onboard lazy kate axles (with room for two more), complete with Akerworks TensiTamers
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Room for 4-5 oz of fiber inside closed case.
SPARROW
Affordable and adorable, the Sparrow is our most in-demand Daedalus e-spinner. It may be small in stature, but the 1.5 lb. Sparrow is a dynamo. This wheel is for the spinner who loves to spin fine yarns, though its 6 mm orifice can handle up to a heavy worsted/Aran weight yarn. Bobbin capacity is roughly 5-plus oz of yarn spun at 30 WPI. If you’re a spindler who prefers to ply using a perfectly responsive wheel, and/or if interested in achieving the most whisper-thin yarns you’ve ever spun, this is the Daedalus spinning wheel for you.
STARLING V3FP
Standard Flyer, Lace Flyer & Art Flyer
Starling V3/V3FP was conceived to be our “all around” spinning wheel, capable of processing the widest range of yarns that would satisfy the vast majority of our clients. The ultra lightweight design lends itself very well towards the light end of that spectrum, with the standard flyer easily capable of lace finer than 100 wraps per inch (WPI). Since fine yarns is what Daedalus designs do best, we recently came up with a Lace Flyer for Starling V3/V3FP, extending its ability well into embroidery threads in the 200+ WPI range.
However, it was recently pointed out to us that most of our wheels lean towards these finer yarns, and the only true Art Flyer was built for the mighty Magpie. But this is our flagship production spinner, and thus leaves the vast majority of our customers without a good option for art yarns. So, in an effort to stay faithful to the original design goal of a wheel to please everyone, and with the broadest spinning range available in mind. Dave went back to the drawing board with a fresh vision and created the Starling V3/V3FP Art Flyer.
One of the goals of the design was to soften the radius of all the diversions in yarn path, as well as opening up the paths so that even larger yarn structures can be processed. The flyer shoulders and guides now use an open metal bars instead of enclosed loops, which help achieve both of these goals. This new feature has actually surpassed our expectations, with testers noting how easily and fluidically the yarn gets onto the bobbin. In addition, It uses the same bobbins as the Starling Standard Flyer, giving the spinner approximately 3-3.5 oz of capacity for bulky yarns. While this capacity may not be tailored to the extensive production of art yarn, it is just right for the hobbyist. Whether you are experimenting or testing out fresh ideas that you may wish to explore before embarking on a larger project, the Starling Art Flyer gives you options not previously available to this model.
With all three flyers—the Lace, Standard, and Art—the Starling becomes the spinner's perfect class wheel. Offering a world of unlimited possibilities while learning and exploring the art of spinning.
FALCON
This is a specialty e-spinner created specifically for those who spin thread and cobweb singles on the regular and are looking to do so with the option of production-level speeds. While we love to see our e-spinners out in the world, this is not an entry-point wheel, nor is it the right wheel for everyone. If you’ve maxed out the speed options on your Sparrow or Starling and find yourself waiting for twist to build into your singles while spinning at 100%, this could be the e-spinner for you.
Be aware that unlike our other Daedalus models, the Falcon is Scotch-tension driven only, offering the lightest of takeups combined with speeds previously unseen on the electric spinning wheel market. While the unit spins equally well at its lowest speed, it was designed for a specific market of highly experienced users whose requests for this e-spinner piqued our engineering minds into action.
MAGPIE V2
V2 Standard Flyer & V2 Pro Art Flyer
Our most powerful and adaptable wheel to date, with an RPM (rotations per minute) of 2,550 with the standard flyer in use (1,550 with the art flyer—still worlds ahead of most e-spinners). We consider this our “all in one” spinning wheel, as it will spin fine singles as easily as it will spin your longest locks, super bulky yarn, coils and beehives, and every single yarn you can imagine in between. The art flyer’s 32 mm (1.26 inch) orifice (with a 20 mm reducer) means no more struggling with your loftiest, most inspired yarns, although the Standard Flyer’s 12 mm (with 6 mm reducer) still provides a soft landing whether you’re spinning low-twist singles or delicate lace. This e-spinner is for experienced and beginner spinners alike.
Wheel Cost Comparison
Wheel Stats Comparison
Current Wheels RPM Comparison
The above stats were recorded from the personal wheels of Rebecca Giles. The RPM (rotations per minute) can vary slightly from one wheel to the next. The speeds listed on our wheel pages for each wheel is what we would consider a conservatively rated speed however after the initial break-in in shop and after being fully broken in wheels may see an increase in speed performance. Please use the above information as a general guideline for comparison to help you ballpark your speed from one wheel to another.
* Due to Falcon's wide range of speed we have included a more detailed table on the Falcon page which goes in increments of 5%.
** Magpie V2 has recorded RPM stats for 15% available on the Magpie V2 page.
*** RPM Data for Martin is with the External Speed Controller.