We have looked at a number of mini lathes on the market and chose the Fisch Mini Lathe.  We have extensively tested this lathe and found it to be an accurate well machined lathe that is rugged, straight forward and easy to use.  The belt cover retracts instantly and the belts are easy to move to accomplish speed changes quickly unlike many other mini lathes. 
The tail stock will not creep when locked down.  The lathe also comes with an extra live tail stock center point specifically made for pen making mandrels.   Many other mini lathes do not come with such a point and will not work with pen making mandrels.  We consider the lathe to be an excellent value.