Pottery wheels sold in the UK fall into three groups: small tabletop machines, mid-range wheels that suit a serious hobbyist, and studio wheels built for daily use. The differences that matter are centring capacity, build mass and whether parts are available.
The three groups
Tabletop wheels are light, cheap and limited in the clay they will centre, and they are a genuine way to start. Mid-range wheels handle several kilograms and are what most home potters settle on. Studio wheels are heavier, more powerful and built to run all day, and they are the ones still working after twenty years in a college.
Mass matters as much as power
A heavy wheel stays put and absorbs the force you put into it; a light one walks across the floor when you lean into a centring. That is why tabletop machines need clamping or a heavy bench, and why studio wheels feel so much more solid at the same stated capacity.
What you buy with a wheel
Bats and a bat system, a bucket, a wire, ribs, a needle tool, calipers and a sponge. None is expensive individually and together they are a real addition to the purchase. The larger ongoing cost is clay: this site prices stoneware bodies per kilogram precisely because a wheel consumes clay by the bag rather than the gram.
Parts and longevity
Wheels last decades and the parts that fail are pedals, belts and bearings. A machine from a maker who still supplies those is a much better long-term purchase than an unbranded one, and it is the main reason a used wheel from an established name often beats a new anonymous one at the same price.
Questions people ask about pottery wheel
What size wheel do I need?
One whose stated centring capacity comfortably exceeds the largest amount of clay you intend to throw at once.
Are tabletop wheels any good?
For small work, yes, and they need a solid bench or clamping because their light weight lets them move under pressure.
What else do I need to buy?
Bats and a bat system, a bucket, a wire, ribs, a needle tool, calipers and a sponge, then clay by the bag.