Electric Spinning Wheel: How E-Spinners Compare

Updated 1 Nov 2026 · E-Spinners

The short answer: three e-spinners, three different jobs

An electric spinning wheel, or e-spinner, is a wheel where a motor turns the flyer in place of your foot. The three here run from 3 lb to 13+ lb and 1,800 to 3,200 rpm. To match one to what you want to make, see the best electric spinning wheel.

The Electric Eel Wheel 6.1 is $299 direct from its maker (list price, 31 Oct 2026), with six bobbins.
The Ashford e-Spinner 3 weighs 2 kg, with a 15 mm orifice and a carry bag.
The SpinOlution Firefly reaches 3,200 rpm, with a 14-hour battery, and a complete wheel starts at $1,395 (list price, 31 Oct 2026; base only $999).

Side by side

List prices from each maker, 31 Oct 2026. The Kiwi 3 is here to show a treadle wheel beside them.

Wheel	Suits	List price	Weight	Top speed	Orifice	Power
Electric Eel Wheel 6.1	Six bobbins, carrying it	$299	3 lb (1.4 kg)	1,800 rpm	0.55 in (14 mm)	Wall supply
Ashford e-Spinner 3	Everything in the box, ready for the bag	See Woolery	2 kg (4.4 lb)	1,800 rpm	15 mm (0.59 in)	12 V mains cord
SpinOlution Firefly	Battery in the box, big flyer range	$1,395	13+ lb (5.9 kg)	3,200 rpm		12 V battery, 14 hours
Ashford Kiwi 3	Treadling with both feet	Ask your dealer	5.5 kg (12.1 lb)		10 mm (0.39 in)	Your feet

Each maker’s page: Dreaming Robots, Ashford e-Spinner 3, SpinOlution, Ashford Kiwi 3.

What an electric spinning wheel is

On an e-spinner, a motor does what your foot does on a treadle wheel. The e-Spinner 3 has a 12 volt DC 2.0 amp motor, the EEW 6.1 a brushless motor, and the Firefly a DC 10 watt motor.

The Ashford has an on/off foot switch, and Ashford lists infinitely variable speed up to 1,800 rpm. The EEW has a foot switch and a speed dial, which the Rousette blogger says holds one speed all day. The Firefly has a variable speed knob. So the speed you spin at is set by the motor and its control, not by your foot.

What it means for your spinning

Speed. The EEW 6.1 and the e-Spinner 3 reach 1,800 rpm, and the Firefly 3,200 rpm. The Kiwi 3 gives ratios (5.5, 7.5, 9.5) in place of a speed, so the two kinds of wheel don’t compare directly here.

Orifice. The e-Spinner 3 has 15 mm, with a 15 mm to 9 mm reducer bush in the box. The EEW 6.1 has 0.55 in, about 14 mm. The Kiwi 3 has 10 mm. Check yours against the thickest yarn you plan to spin.

How much you can spin. The Ashford holds 225 g on each jumbo bobbin, and three come with it. The EEW holds 8 oz (227 g), and six come with it. The Firefly’s flyers run 4A, 8, 16, 32 and 64 oz, with three bobbins.

Carrying it. The EEW 6.1 weighs 3 lb and measures 5 x 7.8 x 8 in. The Ashford weighs 2 kg. The Firefly weighs 13+ lb with an 8 oz empty bobbin, and it’s 22 in wide, 10 in deep and 12 to 24 in high depending on flyer size.

Power. The EEW has a wall power supply and the Ashford a 12 V mains cord. The Firefly comes with a 12 V battery rated for 14 hours.

E-spinner or treadle wheel for a beginner?

Here are two from the same maker.

	e-Spinner 3	Kiwi 3
Weight	2 kg	5.5 kg
Orifice	15 mm	10 mm
Drive	12 V DC 2.0 amp motor	Single drive, 2 folding treadles
Tension	Scotch	Scotch
Bobbin capacity	225 g	130 g
Bobbins	3 jumbo	3 sliding-hook flyer
Assembly	Comes assembled	Kit
Foot control	On/off foot switch	Treadles

The e-Spinner 3 is much lighter and arrives assembled, with a tensioned lazy kate and a padded carry bag. The Kiwi 3 is a kit with a built-in lazy kate.

The e-Spinner suits someone who wants a light wheel that goes in a bag. The Kiwi 3 suits someone who wants to treadle.

Power and price

The EEW and the Ashford come with mains supplies, and the Firefly runs on its battery for 14 hours by SpinOlution’s figure. A treadle wheel like the Kiwi 3 runs on your feet.

The EEW is $299 direct, and the Firefly at $1,395 is its smallest complete wheel (list prices, 31 Oct 2026). SpinOlution’s base unit is $999, and larger flyers and studio packages cost more by its 2026 pricing. For the e-Spinner 3, see today’s price below.

Where to buy

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Ashford e-Spinner 3: check today’s price at Woolery
SpinOlution Firefly: SpinOlution’s Firefly page, with its prices
Electric Eel Wheel 6.1: buy direct from Dreaming Robots

Owner reviews

Pattie, on her blog, 2024, was “totally thrilled” with her first plied yarn on the e-Spinner 3.
The Rousette blogger, 2024, bought an EEW 6.1 because she has no room for a treadle wheel, and calls it “easy to set up, change bobbins and so on”.
Ingrid McMasters, a dealer who sells and spins on the Firefly, told Spin Off in 2018 that its battery runs about 12 hours.

FAQ

What is an electric spinning wheel?

A spinning wheel turned by a motor rather than a treadle. The Ashford e-Spinner 3 has an on/off foot switch and infinitely variable speed, the EEW 6.1 a foot switch and a speed dial, and the Firefly a variable speed knob. The motors are 12 V DC on the Ashford, brushless on the EEW and 10 watt DC on the Firefly.

How fast does an electric spinning wheel go?

Up to 1,800 rpm on the EEW 6.1 and the Ashford e-Spinner 3, and 3,200 rpm on the SpinOlution Firefly.

How much does an electric spinning wheel cost?

The EEW 6.1 is $299, and the Firefly is $1,395 as its smallest complete wheel, or $999 for the base (list prices, 31 Oct 2026). See today’s price for the Ashford e-Spinner 3 at Woolery.

Do electric spinning wheels need to be plugged in?

The EEW comes with a wall power supply and the Ashford with a 12 V mains cord. Ashford offers an optional car cord for use with a battery pack. The Firefly comes with a 12 V battery rated for 14 hours.

Is an e-spinner lighter than a treadle wheel?

Two of these are. The e-Spinner 3 is 2 kg and the EEW 6.1 is 3 lb, against 5.5 kg for the Kiwi 3. The Firefly, at 5.9+ kg (13+ lb), is heavier than the Kiwi 3.