General CDN 14" Bandsaw a keeper?

[Bob Slater]

Anyone have one, or know of them, and if so how has it worked for you? I have a Delta 14" (Metal/Wood) currently and might just leave it as a dedicated metal saw if I pick this used General up. Opinions appreciated.

[Adam Grills]

Bob,
That is a quality machine no doubts. From the picture (if its the one in WB) looks to be in good shape. You just can't put a riser block in it.
Grillzy

[Bob Slater]

Correction, it is a General 490, which is 15" and 3/4 HP. The guy is asking in the $550 USD range.

Bob.

[John Bailey]

A General 490 for $550 is a great deal.

John

[Bob Slater]

A General 490 for $550 is a great deal.

John

John, you think it would perform as well as the more powerful offerings from Asia for a few hundred more? I know you have a soft spot for older Iron.

[Garth Hulley]

John

There is no comparison between a General 490 and any made in Asia bandsaw. At $ 550 it is a steal. New it sells at $3200 (check General flyer for US prices) and the last one I saw advertised second hand was $ 1500. All the General tools that are made in Drummondville, Quebec are very expensive new, but they also have a high resale value. Don’t confuse the General brand with the General International brand that represents the usual fare that is imported from Asia.

Not being able to add a riser block is a benefit because the machine is structural superior, because it is one piece of cast iron.

I am one of the lucky few who have both a General 490 and a General 390 that I use for resawing. They are both excellent machines.

Garth

[John Bailey]

John, you think it would perform as well as the more powerful offerings from Asia for a few hundred more? I know you have a soft spot for older Iron.

I don't know how they rate their hp, but I know there is a difference sometimes. I had a 3/4 hp on a 1949 Delta 14" and it did everything I asked of it. At $550, I would jump all over that puppy, and if I didn't think it had enough power, I'd swap motors. I only have 1/2 hp on my 18" Oliver and it hasn't bogged down yet.

John

[Rod Sheridan]

John, you think it would perform as well as the more powerful offerings from Asia for a few hundred more? I know you have a soft spot for older Iron.

Bob, jump on that deal, immediately.

It's a made in Drummondville machine, not a cheap knock off with dubious quality control.

As for power, 3/4 or 1 HP is a lot for a bandsaw.

To put it in perspective, a draught horse is about 2/3 of one horsepower, and a person is about 1/6 of one horsepower.

A 3/4 HP 14" bandsaw will cut material that is a large as the machine will accept.

To boot, you're getting a General saw for 1/7 or 1/8 price!

regards, Rod.

[Bob Slater]

Well, I will go see it tomorrow. The Price is more like $615. It has no fence or mitre gauge, and the table might be slightly rusty. It has been used in a Pro shop. It also has some $250 bearing guides (Carter?) . One thing about the offerings from Asia is that I assume the value equation keeps getting better. Anyway, if it runs nice, I will probably drag it home to add to the Cdn tool collection. BTW, I wanted a Canadian drill press for the longest time, and when I finally got an absolutely killer deal on a new one (General as well) I find I kinda like my old Taiwanese one better in terms of the ergonomics of the table, etc. I am also a bit intimidated by how much torque the Baldor motor puts out.

[Bob Slater]

Made the 2 hour drive to check out the general 490 and I am it's new owner. I did a short test drive with some 3/4 material and it cut smooth and accurate. I put it in the back of my covered trailer. No damage in transit thankfully....till I unloaded it and it got away from me. This thing is tough, as even then it knocked the door a little out of alignment, but it will be easy to remedy. Will post some photos once I get it cleaned up a bit . Total cost was $560 USD plus a tank of gas. One thing I noticed that might be out of normal is that it takes a long time to stop after you shut it off, whereas my Delta Metal/Wood stops almost immediately. (Is this normal?)
Now I have an old 3 wheel Beaver 16" Bandsaw to sell if anybody is looking for such a thing. Keeping three bandsaws sounds excessive. I must admit that I enjoy owning tools as much as using them, but I know others here share that disease!

[Ken Werner]

I have a PM 141, which I think is similar [14" though] to your new General. The wheels do spin a loooong time after turning the motor off. I chalk it up to cast iron wheels, good balance and good bearings. Kreg makes a nice aftermarket rip fence for about $100. BTW, you got a great deal.

Michael Fortune wrote a really good article in FWW about tuning up a bandsaw, and he demonstrated it all on a 15" General. That article might be of some use. It was a few years ago.

Congrats.

[Bob Slater]

Thanks for the tip Ken, I'll check it out. It comes apart very nicely, and I am, very impressed with the massiveness of the main casting. The arm is rock solid too. Lot's of beef here.

[Adam Grills]

congrats Bob! The run on is normal for heavy wheels.
Grillzy

[John Bailey]

Good deal!! I'll be waiting for pictures.

John

[Bob Slater]

I started cleaning it a couple of days ago, and am taking off old paint, glue, some rust, and man is it coming out nice. Should look as good as new and shiny when I get the paint polished out and a coat of wax on it. I love working on cars, so this is like bringing back a 71 Camaro with original paint from a barn. I am very glad you guys "talked me into it" . I am a sucker for something with a Canadian flag on it. My parents come from near Drummondville, so even better.

[John Bailey]

My parents come from near Drummondville, so even better.

That machine was lookin' for you Bob - I can't wait to see it, you want to hurry, please!!;)

[Chris Rosenberger]

You got a great saw. I have a newer General 490 & would love to find a good used General 690.

[Bob Slater]

That machine was lookin' for you Bob - I can't wait to see it, you want to hurry, please!!;)
I'm out of town till Tuesday, so the coming out will be on Wednesday. Going to buy the saw a nice fence, some new urethane tires and perhaps a link belt (Are they worth the $$?)

[Chris Rosenberger]

A link belt is a great improvement. I also added a Kregg fence & enlarged the table. I did not replace the tires.

[michael osadchuk]

A link belt is a great improvement. I also added a Kregg fence & enlarged the table. I did not replace the tires.

...just curious (and surprised) about a link belt improving a General 490......which I've had for over a decade and never thought to use a link belt on and have not heard, before now, of a General 490 benefitting from a link belt....the drive train on bandsaw (motor/pulleys/drive & follower wheel/blade) has much more momentum/inertia forces built in than say a table saw or drill press, to smooth out the power flow, plus with 490, your drive train is better than an offshore product of comparable size

michael

[Chris Rosenberger]

...just curious (and surprised) about a link belt improving a General 490......which I've had for over a decade and never thought to use a link belt on and have not heard, before now, of a General 490 benefitting from a link belt....the drive train on bandsaw (motor/pulleys/drive & follower wheel/blade) has much more momentum/inertia forces built in than say a table saw or drill press, to smooth out the power flow, plus with 490, your drive train is better than an offshore product of comparable size

michael

The saw is heavy built, but it still sets on a steel stand. The standard V belt will form to a small pully & hold that shape if the saw is not run very often. My saw does not get run very often & it would have a lot of vibration when I used it. The vibration went away after I installed the link belt. As I stated in the original post. My saw is a newer model & may have a lighter built stand than the older models.

Chris