Ashford Kiwi 3 Spinning Wheel Review

The Ashford Kiwi 3 spinning wheel is a high quality, durable and reliable spinning wheel with an innovative design. It is made of solid beech wood and has a sleek, modern look.

The Kiwi 3 has the same smoothness as our other wheels but it weighs less than half as much as some of our competitors’ models.

This means that you can spin for hours without getting tired or sore!

In this review, Ashford Kiwi 3 review, we’ll go over all the pros and cons of this amazing spinning wheel and explain why it’s the best spinning wheel for beginners.

Let’s start with the advantages.

Pros of Ashford Kiwi 3

A spinning wheel is categorized based on its style, treadle, drive, accessories, etc. We’ll go over each aspect in this section.

Style

This one has a castle-style wheel, i.e, everything is kind of mounted on top of one another. The treadle, flywheel, and other components are arranged straight up and down. The truth is, this compact design will give you unrivaled durability and service life.

Construction

The wheel is constructed from Timber Veneered MDF. Both a clear lacquer-finished variant and an unfinished version of this spinning wheel are available on the market.

Don’t worry, the unfinished version doesn’t have any raw edges, it is just the natural color of the MDF wood. You can apply wax on it if you want a more polished look.

Anyway, the ball bearing that they used for this wheel is the same as the on the other Ashford spinning wheels. It doesn’t make any annoying noise as long as you take care of it.

Another bonus is that the rotation is extremely smooth. This is also one of the reasons why it’s considered as one of the best beginner spinning wheels.

The sturdy wheel is 45cm in diameter and can take quite a lot of weight.

Weight

The item itself is only 12 pounds. Therefore, it is also easy to carry around. For instance, you can show it to your friends or family, who live far away from you − no problem!

Treadle

It basically refers to the foot pegs. The spinning wheel employs a double treadle. Since it’s the most popular choice, it’s the safest one. The double treadle allows you to have more control over your thread speed while still being able to push it with your feet.

Thankfully, it sports folding treadle, which is a big upgrade from its predecessor, the Kiwi 2.

However, if you prefer to drive your wheel with a single foot peg, then you shouldn’t buy this.

The polyurethane hinges on this treadmill make it very easy to tread without any difficulties.

Drive

It’s a single drive wheel. I like the double drive since it allows you to convert it into a single drive, but this one is still an excellent device.

Now, if you decide to switch to double-drive in the future, you’ll need to purchase another one because it does not support it.

Whorl

The wheel offers 3 speed whorl: flyer ratio – 5.5:1, 7.5:1, and 9.5:1. Since the highest ratio falls under 10, we can categorize it as a slow wheel. Therefore, this would be an ideal wheel for spinning coarse fibers.

Yes, you can spin short fibers like cotton on it as well, but that would require some extra steps on your part. For example, holding the yarn on your hand for a longer duration will allow more twist to be applied on the fibers. Also, if you treadle faster, the TPI (twist per inch) will increase.

However, I wouldn’t recommend it if you’re specifically looking for a wheel to spin short fibers. But overall, you’ll do just fine with most type of fibers with this machine.

Bobbin Changing Mechanism

This one from Ashford offers effortless change of the wound package. As soon as the take-up is complete, you can mount the bobbin off with the help of the snap-in front flyer bearing.

Threading Hook

Since it comes with wooden threading hook, you won’t have to worry about bending it accidentally.

Included Accessories

Ashford offers a Lazy Kate with the wheel (built-in). It also comes with a Learn to Spin booklet.

Price

Compared to other beginner spinning wheels on the market, this one comes really cheap, specially the unfinished one. You can get an unfinished Ashford Kiwi 3 for around 500$.

Cons of Ashford Kiwi 3

Although the device is perfect for a beginner spinner in every aspect it does have some minor inconveniences. Let’s explore those –

Doesn’t Come Pre-assembled

You’ll receive everything in a box un-assembled. The installation procedure, on the other hand, is really simple. An Allen wrench is all that’s required, and it comes with the package. The directions are straightforward as well. For installation, I personally recommend using a power drill.

Drive Band May Slip

This isn’t something that happens all that often. The drive band may shift to a lower or higher circumference of your driving wheel. And this’ll mess up your tension settings.

Single-Drive

This is entirely a matter of personal taste. Beginners shouldn’t worry about this at all. However, if it came with double-drive, we would’ve been able to enjoy the best of both worlds.

Ashford Kiwi 3 vs Kiwi 2: Why Should You Get the Kiwi 3?

If you already own the Kiwi 2, you might be asking yourself why you should get the newer variant. Well, I’ll provide you 4 reasons –

Extended Main Bar

The main bar of the new Kiwi 3 extends a bit further in the front and it has a hole drilled in. Therefore, you’ve got a convenient place to put your threading hook. The older variant don’t have it.

Wheel Finish

The Kiwi 2 didn’t have a textured surface. The new one, the Kiwi 3, has a nice veneer texture, though. Since this is a purely aesthetic change, you shouldn’t make up your mind based on this factor alone.

Speed Ratio

The kiwi 2 had a single speed ratio. The newest version, on the other hand, has three speeds.

Folding Mechanism

Like we said before, the Kiwi 3 has a treadle that may be folded. As a result, it’s simple to store and transport without any trouble. The kiwi 2 does not have this capability.

Verdict

So, is the Kiwi 3 the best spinning wheel for beginners? Well, we certainly think so. And if you’ve read our Ashford Kiwi 3 review carefully, then you should agree with us as well.