Ian,
You're going to like that lathe. I have the Grizzly flavor. Like others have mentioned, at some point make the 4 bolt compound clamp and you'll notice an improvement in finishes and overall performance.
I noticed the difference in placement of the levers also. I assume the manufacturer put those there for all lathes sold south of the equator :big:
Enjoy the lathe - it will never again be as clean as it is right now.
Cheers,
Phil