General 350 vs 1980s Unisaw

[Erik Litts]

I've had the Delta Unisaw for a while with the Unifence and a 3HP motor and I like it just fine. However I just picked up a really good condition 2HP General 350 (with the crap fence) cause $100.

Now I have to decide which to keep. I've got an older Bies fence sitting around with an 8' rail, so I don't have to put up with the crap fence. But which is the better machine? I know a 1.5HP motor from 40 years ago is a whole different level than a modern 1.5HP motor, but when did that change? Is a 1980s 3HP still signficantly better than a 1973 2HP motor or did that 15 years cover the time period where motor ratings started being skewed.

The only real problem with the General is that there's no dust cover over the motor, so I'd have to rig something up, or find one to buy. On the other hand, the general has a riving knife.

[Doug Garson]

$100 ! That's highway robbery, was the seller conscious? Congrats, I just picked up a 1972 General 350, and also opted for the Bessy fence. I paid "a bit more." :( In case you need help dating it here's a link which should help. http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=363

[Rod Sheridan]

Yes, a 1.5 HP motor from 40 years ago is much different than a quality new 1.5 HP motor.

The new motor will have higher power factor and efficiency, it's a better motor.

A riving knife is nice, and of course it's a General :-)

That said, the Unifence is a far safer fence than a Bissemeyer

Regards, Rod.

[Doug Garson]

Just noticed you said it has a riving knife so it's either a newer model or has the retrofit kit installed. When available (not sure if it still is anywhere), the retrofit kit alone was over $800. Make sure you wear a disguise when you go out in public, there's probably an arrest warrant out for you for highway robbery.

[Jim Becker]

Whatever decision I made between the two machines, the UniFence would stay on the one I picked to live in the shop for sure...and yea, a riving knife is a good thing.

[Erik Litts]

$100 ! That's highway robbery, was the seller conscious? Congrats, I just picked up a 1972 General 350, and also opted for the Bessy fence. I paid "a bit more." :( In case you need help dating it here's a link which should help. http://www.vintagemachinery.org/mfgindex/detail.aspx?id=363

This purchase involved my most favorite of sellers: A bitter Ex-wife. Husband basically bailed a decade ago and she's had it sitting in storage since then. Just wanted it gone. She sold me the 1180 6" jointer with the full pedestal for $100 too. Both of them practically unused, but with a nice coating of surface rust from humidity over the years.


Whatever decision I made between the two machines, the UniFence would stay on the one I picked to live in the shop for sure...and yea, a riving knife is a good thing.

That was one thing I was pondering. I go back and forth on the Unifence vs Bies because the Unifence rail is 54" and my Bies is 84" and while I think it's really unlikely that I'll ever really need the extra 3 feet of rail, I just have this gut feeling telling me the second I sell it, I'll want it back.


Yes, a 1.5 HP motor from 40 years ago is much different than a quality new 1.5 HP motor.

The new motor will have higher power factor and efficiency, it's a better motor.

Regards, Rod.

Perhaps the notion of HP inflation I'm thinking of is referring primarily to gas powered small engines?

[David Kumm]

Keep in mind that few woodworking machines come with " Quality motors " as standard equipment. Small 5 hp or less motors are often price point components that manufacturers try to save a few bucks on. There are some really fine new motors but many that you find in our machines will be small frame, small bearing motors that rely on insulation to keep the internals safe. The old large frame cast iron motors were indeed less efficient but the fact that motors 75 years old continue to run speaks for itself. I've replaced or rewound many motors that were 20 years old or younger but far fewer of the really old ones. There are $250 5 hp motors and $1500 ones. You won't find many of the expensive ones in our typical machinery. Dave

[Jim Becker]

That was one thing I was pondering. I go back and forth on the Unifence vs Bies because the Unifence rail is 54" and my Bies is 84" and while I think it's really unlikely that I'll ever really need the extra 3 feet of rail, I just have this gut feeling telling me the second I sell it, I'll want it back.

For me, the high/low that the UniFence provides is a lot more important than being able to do really wide rips along the fence. That's not something that gets done all that often by most folks, I think. It's more of a special occasion thing for the average woodworker or a production thing for a business user. I'm actually limited to 22" right now with the cut down cabinet saw I'm using in my temporary shop and honestly, I doubt it's going to cause me any pain. If I actually needed to rip something wider, I can pull out the tracksaw for a one-off cut. But I already miss the high/low and look forward to getting that back once I have a building up.

[Bill Dufour]

IF they are both pushbutton control I would go with the riving knife. I would put the unifence on the one I keep. You can buy the longer unifence rail for about $100 and lean it up in the corner for "whenever". Or you can buy a complete longer unifence, with or without saw attached. And mix and match rails and sell the third saw.
I bought a Unisaw just to swap motors and resold the now under powered one for what I bought it for. Motor swap was done and sold in about one week. I sold it to the used tool store to get rid of it quickly and easily. They have a forklift and cash.
Bill D

[Mike Kees]

I own a Unisaw with a Unifence,and a Delta Contractor saw with a commercial Biesmeyer on it. I like the bies for employees, who tend to be rough on stuff. The Unifence is in my mind the best table saw fence ever made. The high /low position and the ability to have a short fence piece usable with a crosscut sled for a stop . Or just to have the fence end before the blade, so offcuts are not trapped and flung across the shop. The ease of being able to adjust it perfectly square to the table top as well as every other direction needed. As you can see ,I really like these fences. Now on to the saws. I actually prefer the General saws, they are heavier where it matters (trunnions). This helps contribute to a very smooth running saw with almost no vibration. A Unisaw is also a very good saw, I have owned mine for 20 plus years. If I ever get another cabinet saw, (highly unlikely) it will be a Canadian General.

[Erik Litts]

Alright, you've convinced me then. The answer is:

The General with the Unifence in the Garage.


Thank-you for the information and opinions!

[Patrick Kane]

You are giving up a saw with more power in favor of a saw with less power and an inferior fence? This sounds like a waste of time for swapping fences, in my opinion. Flip the General for whatever profit you can, and keep on truckin with the unisaw. I am unfamiliar with General's build quality, but my guess is their 10" saw isnt head and shoulders above Delta's 10" saw.

Good pick up either way, you should easily make $500+ on the flip.

[Mike Kees]

Patrick why are you advising him to flip it ,when as you state you are" unfamiliar with General's build quality" ? General 350/650 saws use standard mount motors unlike Unisaws so if more power would be required the motor would be easier to find a replacement for.

[Patrick Kane]

General is unusual in my neck of the woods, which is why I wanted to preface that I haven’t used a 350. Perhaps you are from Canada, Mike? However, from what I can glean from years of reading opinions and looking at photos, their product line was awfully similar to Powermatic and Delta. Judging by the weight comparisons between the 350 and the unisaw/PM66, there’s not much difference there either. If it weighed 250lbs more than the unisaw, then yes, I could see your point. That weight would more than likely equate to a heavier saw carriage and trunnion design, thicker table castings, and an overall air of being more robust than the unisaw. However, that isn’t the case. It’s a different design in the same class as the Unisaw. Is it better? Maybe, but my point is it might be 1% better. What will the 350 do that the Unisaw isn’t already doing for the OP? Now take into account he’s going to spend 2 hours drilling the 350 to accept the unifence, calibrate the machine, and then mount the bies on the Unisaw to sell it. It seems like a lot of time and effort for not much benefit. As they say, the juice ain’t worth the squeeze.

Now, if he had a 12-14” saw versus the Unisaw, then I think it is a different ballgame. To me, a 10” saw is a 10” saw. They are basic and relatively light duty machines. As to the motor issue, I purchased a brand new baldor motor in the Unisaw “bunny ears” mount a few years ago. Parts are pretty abundant for the Unisaw In America too.

[Curt Harms]

There's a consideration that no one has mentioned. Both saws are well out of production so no new parts being produced. Any parts replacements will rely on used parts pool. Which saw has a larger spare parts pool?

[Rollie Meyers]

There's a consideration that no one has mentioned. Both saws are well out of production so no new parts being produced. Any parts replacements will rely on used parts pool. Which saw has a larger spare parts pool?


The Unisaw has a pretty good parts availability, helped by Rockwell & Delta building large numbers of them, & some aftermarket parts too.

[Doug Garson]

I wouldn't be concerned about parts for the General 350. They are built like tanks, the only parts that typically ever need replacement are belts and bearings which are industry standard parts with lots of availability. Also the General 350 was made for decades with few if any changes.

[Patrick Kane]

Yeah, I wouldn’t be concerned about parts. The delta unisaw was produced for 60-70 years with little changes. I can’t seem to find a production stat, but I believe it was the most produced table saw in North America. I stripped down 3 unisaws, used one for years, and eventually flipped out of all three. New motors, belts, bearings, and switches for all. I think I ended up switching out splitters for smaller varieties too. One had messed up arbor threads and so I replaced the whole arbor. All of the above was easily and readily sourced.

To follow up on the “which is better?” Discussion, the OP might want to search the archives at fine woodworking. Plenty of threads from the early 2000s comparing the General 350, Powermatic 66, and the Delta Unisaw. Interestingly enough, plenty of guys happened to own all 3 at some point, or work in cabinet shops with all three. To summarize, most guys said there’s no difference in practical use, but the Powermatic 66 had a slight edge in opinion of design/heft. And I think that is almost a fact. The 66 came along decades after the unisaw, and powermatic’s marketing made it clear that it was a heavier built saw than the unisaw. Same approach for Oliver’s 232 saw dubbed the “unisaw killer”. I am pretty sure both saws were a fair amount more than the unisaw, and in the case of the Oliver, a fair amount more machine. I have a 232 and I can confirm it takes up a very similar footprint, but it weighs 3-4x as much, and has a lot better design features. Looking up the PM66 on owwm, it weighs about 60-70lbs more than a unisaw. The 66 is also heavier than the General 350. I haven’t stripped a 66 down, but I’ve used one many times, and I think it’s the best North American 10” cabinet saw. Now, with that said I would definitely keep a unisaw with a unifence over a PM66 with a bies fence. One, I much prefer the unifence. Two, the 66 will fetch about $500-600 more on the used market than a unisaw. Three, I don’t think the 66 has any functional advantage.

Anyway, I hope that adds a little more color to my opinion. Keep in mind I am American and therefore biased against General in this comparison. I don’t believe there is much difference in the comparison, and if the OP wants a real upgrade then sell both and get an Oliver, Tannewitz, Whitney, or other heavier 12”+ saw.

[Bill Dufour]

I would do a quick search and see if you can price a replacement arbor or tilt gear. That will give you an idea about parts availability.
When buying a used car I check prices for a starter, alternator radiator before buying.
Bill D

[Mike Kees]

Patrick if you ever get a chance try out a General, it may surprise you. I know all about Unisaws having bought ,sold and fixed up 5 or 6 of them, as well as using one for the last 25 years. I have never used a PM 66 but I have used a General . It is a step up from a Unisaw in smoothness and overall performance. This coming from a Uni fanboy. The Unifence is my favorite fence . And yeah as a Canadian there is something cool about a General machine in your shop with the Maple Leaf sticker on it. My Unisaw is a fully Canadian made machine from the time period when they had a plant in Ontario. I would not be worried one bit about parts for either saw. In my experience the only weakness on the Unisaw trunnion design that I have seen is a couple saws that needed a new arbor raising gear. I am not sure what makes them break (tipped off the back of a truck maybe ?) I have a Uni in my shop right now that needs one and my spare parts pile does not have one because I sold the one good one I had to someone else who needed one. Whichever saw the OP keeps he really can't go wrong either way.

[Warren Lake]

yeah dont know what breaks or how people can break them. Ive had two Generals from new since 81. Both worked hard but one more than the other the ripping one. They are good for what they are until i tried an SCM. The difference is dramatic. I like the generals and if I ever did job site stuff that is what id want. Entry level SCM slider blows the generals away in many ways.

[Simon Dupay]

Since no one else has said it, duh keep both the unisaw setup for dadoing 😁