The foot wheel, like the bench wheel, is used to drive a lathe or other machine, but it is much larger. It is mounted below the bench and rotated by means of a foot-operated, pivoted treadle. A stepped foot wheel has two or more diameters of cord groove so that the speed ratio between the wheel and the machine it is driving can be changed, and some foot wheels are made sufficiently out of balance for the wheel always to come to rest in a suitable position for starting again by downward pressure on the treadle. An intermediate pulley, jockey pulley or countershaft can be used between the foot wheel and the machine.