General Table Saw vs JET or Delta - opinions please
Joseph E. Shea, Jr.
aluminum table with steel extensions.
I have been looking at Delta and Jet etc.. till now I'm wrapped around the
axle with data overload.
I have just started looking at General's 10" Builder's saw and their 10"
Cabinet saw. I have no experience with General and I don't really want to
depend on salesmen for the local Jet or Delta Distributors.
I certainly would like to hear from anyone that has an opinion or experience
either way with this Manufacturer.
Thanks in advance.
jes...@attbi.com
Lynn, MA
6/9/2002
Charles Self
>I am in the market to replace my 23 year old Craftsman 10" Table Saw -
>aluminum table with steel extensions.
>
>I have been looking at Delta and Jet etc.. till now I'm wrapped around the
>axle with data overload.
>
>I have just started looking at General's 10" Builder's saw and their 10"
>Cabinet saw. I have no experience with General and I don't really want to
>depend on salesmen for the local Jet or Delta Distributors.
I haven't worked with General power tools in a lot of years, but IME, the
General 350 is on a par with the Delta Unisaw and Powermatic 66. Maybe a tad
better than the Unisaw, but a meaningless tad for hobbyists. Jet is now pretty
close to level with Delta, so fold them in. IMO, Powermatic is too expensive,
so the choice is between those three at their level, without much to choose
between them. If I were buying today, I'd probably go with the General,
assuming its availability around here--rash assumption--simply because I'd like
to work with one for a while.
I know zip about their builder's saw.
Charlie Self
"Never kick a cow chip on a hot day."
Will Rogers
skip tracer1
"Joseph E. Shea, Jr." <jes...@attbi.com> wrote in message
news:B929160E.122D2%jes...@attbi.com...
Unisaw A100
pieces, plus or minus Owen), and having seen a General
cabinet saw with it's top off, I'd be hard pressed to make
an argument for buying the Unisaw. The General is one hefty
saw. The best part about the General, non-OEM motor (motier
David).
UA100
David F. Eisan
I too have had a Unisaw down to every last part, and I have also serviced
General 350's.
The shear size of the yoke, the coarser acme threads of the arbour, a
machined arbour washer vs. a stamped one, etc., etc., etc., as a Unisaw
owner, if I ever buy a new cabinet saw, it will be a General 350. It *is* a
better designed and made saw
That point about the motor being generic is both good and bad. With a Unisaw
motor, it is a no brainer to set the motor shaft parallel with the arbour
shaft. The shaft the motor pivots on ensures this. Try the same thing on a
350, not an easy task. I have mounted motors on both, and to do it properly
on a 350, you have to take the table off.
The General model 50-185 left tilt builders saw is the *exact* same saw as a
Powermatic 64a. Both Powermatic and General import the same saw from Mao
Shen in Taiwan without fences and sell them here in North America with their
own Biesemeyer flavoured rip fence.
The General 50-185 is an excellent saw, better than the 50-175. The 50-175
does not have as robust a 90º blade to table stop.
If I were buying a new contractors saw, it would be a General 50-185.
Go here to see where they are made, www.maoshan.com
Thanks,
David.
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Greg Millen
I looked at the site but am not sure which one the 350 is, I think it's the
TSC-10HS. From what I've read on the group I am a little surprised to find
the General is a 10" saw. I had imagined something like the TSC-12HK
thanks,
Greg
"David F. Eisan" <dfe...@rogers.splinter.com> wrote in message
news:O7WM8.238512$ah_....@news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com...
<snip>
Speeder
"Joseph E. Shea, Jr." wrote:
> I have just started looking at General's 10" Builder's saw and their 10"
> Cabinet saw. I have no experience with General and I don't really want to
> depend on salesmen for the local Jet or Delta Distributors.
>
> I certainly would like to hear from anyone that has an opinion or experience
> either way with this Manufacturer.
I have the General International 50-175 and absolutely love it. I
looked at Delta but it was a no brainer. The General is extremely well
made. Their fence is a Biesmeyer knock off, rock solid and dead
accurate. Fit and finish were excellent and little was needed in the way
of tuning.
If memory serves me correctly, "General International" is made in Taiwan
and "General" is made in Quebec. Same company.
FWIW.
Bob (Speeder) Anderson
The law Prof. from Port Perry
Glen Duff
You're right about General and General International but of course "same company"
simply means they are owned by General and should not imply "same saw." I think
for a Taiwanese manufactured it may mean a better off shore saw.
Glen Duff
-------------------
David F. Eisan
> I looked at the site but am not sure which one the 350 is, I think it's
the
> TSC-10HS. From what I've read on the group I am a little surprised to find
> the General is a 10" saw. I had imagined something like the TSC-12HK
General has two lines, "General International" that they import from Taiwan
and "General" that is made here in Canada. The General 350 is totally made
here in Canada except for the motor which is a US made Baldor.
Charles Piercy
> That point about the motor being generic is both good and bad. With a Unisaw
> motor, it is a no brainer to set the motor shaft parallel with the arbour
> shaft. The shaft the motor pivots on ensures this. Try the same thing on a
> 350, not an easy task. I have mounted motors on both, and to do it properly
> on a 350, you have to take the table off.
>
David
Used to 'hang' motors and starters on General 350 saws at about 20-25
per month(in addition to many other things). Finally we started to get
them factory installed, but still ordered a few motorless for special
deals. For example, I put a 5 hp 3 phase in one used for resawing raw
oak planks in a stair factory. Never pulled a table top-had the use of a
motorcycle hydraulic lift table(which everybody should own)and overhead
hoist,level, string/plum bob, magnet. I also repaired/rebuilt several
Unisaws and my personal pref was/is the General 350 (Canadian).
BTW watch those enviro types!!
If I get up your way, I'll stop by for a short visit.
Ted Piercy
Bob G.
experience with them... BUT after reading about 10 replies to your post I can to
the conclusion that any of the 3 saw brands could
occupy space in my shop (serious hobbyist ) and I would not worry about which
one I really had.
Now I do admit to owning a Jet Cabinet saw for over 10 years and that
my brother has owned a Unisaw for the same length of time... and neither of us
has had even the slightest problem with either...and The General is "conceded by
the other posters to be better then both) so
I say pick one and forget about it... the cost may or may not be a factor
but overall all 3 will suit your needs... pick one and get on with making
sawdust
Bob Griffiths
============================================
"Joseph E. Shea, Jr." wrote:
Bob Carter
Hi Joseph,
I have the General International 10" builders saw, and I'm very happy with
it. I'm building a house so use it every day and am quite satisfied with
the results. I looked at Delta and King, other locally available
alternatives, and there was no comparison - they do use the same cast for
the body of saw but that is where the similarity ends as the GI saw has far
better fit and finish and the knobs, fence and mitre guide included are far
superior. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it, unless I could afford the General
cabinet saw!
Cheers, Bob
Kootenay Bay, BC
Onorbit
and be impressed with the fit and finish.
"Charles Piercy" <cepi...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:3D049CE3...@sympatico.ca...
Wayne Cannon
> ...
> I have just started looking at General's 10" Builder's saw and their 10"
> Cabinet saw. I have no experience with General and I don't really want to
> depend on salesmen for the local Jet or Delta Distributors.
>
> I certainly would like to hear from anyone that has an opinion or experience
> either way with this Manufacturer.
> ...
> jes...@attbi.com
> Lynn, MA
> 6/9/2002
Table flatness was an issue a few years ago. Jet and Delta stood out from the
rest in that regard. However, that's probably just a matter of who's watching
the quality at a particular point in time, and probably affects every
manufacturer from time to time.
--Wayne
(Replace "nospam" with "wcannon" for functional e-mail address.)
Glen & Evelyn
and you will get many replies.