Hi,

It's time to upgrade my contractor table saw and I'd like to get some
advice and wisdow from you guys....

I'm in Canada and I want my next cabinet table saw to be from General.
So please no suggestions on Grizzly or Delta. I hesite between the
model 250 (from General International) and their big 350 (or 650 for
left tilt) made in Canada. I can't really see the difference between
the two models aside a couple of hundreds of dollars.

Any advice from owners of either models?

Greg

Two days ago I took delivery on a General 350 TS with Sliding table. I
evaluated all kinds of saws for 11 months. It wasn't easy to choose, as
I was initially attracted to the Knapp and Felder equipment from
Austria. Being new, I had a lot to learn, so I asked tons of questions.

But I'm certain of this. I've spoke a half dozen times with the General
people in Quebec. And to the machinery dealer here, a man who's known
throughout North America for his ethics and experience in tools. The
Canadian General saws are the very best quality. Sure, Martin and
Altendorf (Germany) are better. But they cost $25,000.

The Chinese (General International) version of the 350 saw weighs 100
lb less than the Canadian model. The Canadian machines come with a
Baldor motor. That alone is worth big $$$.

The quality control is so good in Canada that my saw has .003" of
runout on the blade. My friend owns a $20,000 Felder, and he said that
figure would match the tolerances on his Austrian beast of a machine.

At my dealer, they have two 10-inch models sitting side-by-side. A
Canadian 650 (left-tilt) and a Taiwanese General. From 20-feet away,
you can see the gleam coming off the machined top on the Canadian. Not
so on the Taiwan version.

Did you know that General in Canada has their own source of high grade
iron, and is the last North American tool manufacturer who can make
such a claim!

Stop me before I get going. I'm even ready to order Maple leaf drapes
for the living room.

Seriously, while I was boring people to death with my questions about
which saw to buy, 3 people who once owned Generals responded that they
sold their used machines at close to the new price. That tells you
something about quality and reputation.

Soooo..... There's a sale on now until year end. The best 250 model
goes for $979. The 650 or 350 sell for $1999. These Canadian versions
must have something good. They aren't giving them away.

Good luck
Gary Curtis

Checking the runout of a blade mounted on the saw is meaningless. It's a
very rare blade that will be that flat and it tells you nothing about either
the saw or the blade. If, on the other hand, you took the blade off and
measured arbor runout, that would be meaningful.
wrote in message
oups.com...

The quality control is so good in Canada that my saw has .003" of
runout on the blade. My friend owns a $20,000 Felder, and he said that
figure would match the tolerances on his Austrian beast of a machine.

I thought of asking to have the arbor measured. The blade is new and
unused, of course. But I'll ask for another check.

GC