steven antonucci
I cut with the handle very low, so I have my center at 43 1/2", and I am 6'1". When I turn on taller lathes, I find that I cannot keep the handle against my thigh as I normally would (long handles too)

More important to me than the spindle height is making sure that the stand allows me to get really close to the lathe. A bulky stand is good for mass, but you have to have access to the lathe too. A big box might make you stand 3" further away, which doesn't sound like a lot, but it also changes how you stand.

No matter where you end up, you will adapt to it, but that's my 2 cents.

Steve