Are cheap Amazon-brand benchtop lathes worth buying?

Mixed signals. Verified-purchase reviewers on Amazon and Home Depot say budget benchtop lathes from WEN and Harbor Freight can be solid starters, but specialist-community threads on r/turning repeatedly warn that no-name imports often have motor controller failures, runout issues, and weak tailstock alignment. The WEN LA3424 is the budget pick that comes closest to a positive consensus.