Small Lathe

[Pete Jordan]

Hi again,

I am looking for a small lathe for the basement and wanted to know if anyone knows any info on this one:http://www.general.ca/pagemach/machines/25200a.html

Woodcraft has them for $399.

I like the idea of swinging head and 3/4 horse.

Thanks for your input!:D

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

Pete, it all looks good on paper, but I'd want to see one in person.

Is this a new unit from General, and was it built in Canada, or is it an import?

On face value, it looks not bad at all.

Cheers!

[Pete Jordan]

Stu,

I just called Quebec and they said it is from Taiwan and won't be released till the end of the month.

[Jeff Myers]

Pete,
First I've seen of that lathe,,but it looks pretty nice! I too like the
motor size and the outboard turning capacity it offers. Nice price
for what it offers IMO.

[Bob Noles]

Pete, I have had hands on with this lathe at the Redmond/Rockler show last weekend and I can assure you that it is a dream machine and will most likely be in my shop shortly after they are released barring any bad reviews between now and that time. A nice machine thru and thru with a great fit and finish. Loaded with all the extras of the big boys and a quarter horse more than the mini's. The proto type I handled had a price tag of $539, but that is to be expected when they were not in stock anyhow :rolleyes: For $399 this is a lot of lathe.

[Bernie Weishapl]

Pete as you know from Bob's post he has seen it. I have seen one also. Bob and I had discussed it. They are a lot of lathe for that kind of money. I was ready to dump $530 for one. For $399 you can't go wrong.

[Frank Fusco]

Looks interesting. 3/4 hp, three range speeds plus variable speeds. The only 3/8" diameter through spindle head is a limitation but fairly minor. If quality holds up it should give the Jet a hard run for the money. There have been some knocks on Generals here lately.

[Travis Stinson]

If I was in the market for another mini lathe, I would be looking at this one mighty hard. It certainly looks to have some impressive features.

[Bruce Shiverdecker]

Sounds like I better look at it, too. I am looking to replace my "traveling" lathe. If this is as good as it sounds. I'll sell my Wilton. Use the Rikon as a traveler and the general in the shop!

I have done my last working show for the year, so I can wait!

Bruce

Bruce

[Pete Jordan]

Hi again,

I am looking for a small lathe for the basement and wanted to know if anyone knows any info on this one:http://www.general.ca/pagemach/machines/25200a.html

Woodcraft has them for $399.

I like the idea of swinging head and 3/4 horse.

Thanks for your input!:D

I called to order the lathe today and they told me the price they gave me was for the 25-100. The price for the 25-200 is $529. I ordered it anyway since that is what I want along with a Talon chuck.

Bob and Bernie's word is good enough for me.

[Art Mulder]

The price for the 25-200 is $529.

That is the price currently listed on the general.ca website for US customers.

Interesting, that if I go to my bank's website today, it tells me that US$529 converts to $581 in Canadian funds. But the price on the general.ca website (ditto for houseoftools.com) for Canadian customers is $669. :confused:

I know it is hard to set catalog prices, due to the fluctuations in international markets, but a $90 difference is pretty substantial.:mad: This promotion is only good until January 15th... anyone really think that the exchange rate would fluctuate that much in the next four months? :p

(I'm not even in the market, but felt like ranting a bit and giving a heads-up to an other Canadians out there...)

[Andy Hoyt]

I don't get it, Pete. You already have that big mustardizer.

[Pete Jordan]

I don't get it, Pete. You already have that big mustardizer.

I need to stay in the house more now that I am single. I am going to put it in the basement so the boys and I can watch sports, play video games and teach them to turn. I plan on doing the roughing in the garage and finishing in the house. It will mean I will not have to heat the garage with propane as much.

[George Conklin]

Hi Pete,
That indeed looks like a nice "not so little" lathe. It looks like they have included the outboard rest so you can turn up to 19+ inches? I didn't see it in the accessories list.

With a lathe like that, you may end up putting the "Mustardizer" into mothballs;) .

Very nice soon to be gloat!:)

[Jeff Myers]

Hi Pete,
Where'd you order from,,,I can't see ANY General lathes on woodcraft website or any pricing on General.ca website either.

[Pete Jordan]

Hi Pete,
Where'd you order from,,,I can't see ANY General lathes on woodcraft website or any pricing on General.ca website either.

I called the Woodcraft store in Grand Rapids which is about an hour from me and they took my deposit since it won't be released till the end of the month. I think that is why it is not in their catalog. He told me they have only been a General distributer for about a month.

[Stu Ablett in Tokyo Japan]

I called the Woodcraft store in Grand Rapids which is about an hour from me and they took my deposit since it won't be released till the end of the month. I think that is why it is not in their catalog. He told me they have only been a General distributor for about a month.

Let me be the first to congratulate you!!

Remember............... PICS!! :D

[Art Mulder]

Hi Pete,
or any pricing on General.ca website either.

Are we looking at the same web page, Jeff? There is a rather large "Promotions" link on the left/upper side of the general.ca web page.

They don't sell directly from their website, though.

[Jeff Myers]

Wow Art,
Just chalk it up to old age i guess,,,i went straight to the Products drop down and didn't see it there. Thx.

[Bob Noles]

Pete,

Excellent choice and at this point it looks like I will be right behind you in getting this lathe. It has more "make sense" features than anything in it's class. The only thing I may wait on is to see if they come out with a little better price when they actually release it.

[alex carey]

i actually have one of these lathes, it is the newer 25-200 without the malfunctioning VS. I'm in high school and i normally i turn on a 16" delta which is pretty nice, but the 25-200 has pretty much all the same capabilities for less than half the price. It is really the only lathe that is in between a full size and a mini. The outboard makes this the best small lathe there is. Switching belts i found was pretty easy, the low belt goes from 300-1200, this is easily slow enough even for a really rough bowl if you got the right set up. I don't have any complaints besides i though the tool rest was a bit small, but i fixed that pretty easily by going to rockler, you will end up wanting both tool rests. All in all i recommend this lathe to anyone, whether your starting off or or an expert.

Alex

[robert hainstock]

Tha machine looks very sturdy, and I know from the Tiwanese machines in my shop, that tyey hold up very well. I wish it had been availble when I bought my HF 34706. :)
Bob

[Dusty Fuller]

I had a bit of a Christmas gift emergency when my the motor on my old craftsman started locking up on Monday. Took it apart, at it isn't repairable. So, my generous wife said to get a good new one that didn't cost a fortune. I called around looking for a Jet 1220vs, but no one had one in stock. I did find the 25-200, however, and searched for reviews and such. Short story, I bought it and got it together yesterday and so far its quite good in my limited opinion. Considering I've only turned on the craftsman, the 25-200 is a dream. It was so quiet... ahhhh. Anyway, no pictures yet because its raining and miserable, and I'm at work. But I'll be busy on it for the next couple of evenings, so I should have something to post. I haven't used the outboard yet, so I can't comment, but the whole unit has some mass to it.

Dusty

[Skip Spaulding]

Looks like a cross between a Jet and the Nova, price seems fair, if it is as good as it looks I think they have a winner.

[john l graham]

Congrats on the General purchase. I have not had any complaints with mine. I forget that the headstock is movable and find myself reaching across the lathe with my tools. Rotating it to just clear the bed is nice.

Have fun with your new acquisition. John

[JerHall]

NorCal woodturners got one for its demo lathe to replace the Jet mini after much research by the top turners in the club. It is MUCH more lathe, heavy and well built. They have been satisfied. My neighbor, a member of the Goldcountry woodturners got one and is very happy. I turned a little on it and its is quiet, smooth and feels solid like a much bigger lathe. It is a little misleading in some catalogs how the variable speed is represented. It is not continuous variable speed, but is more like the Jet mini in that you have three ranges. The General specs make that clear. Sadly my neighbor had to get 2 replacements. One for tight head bearings: it got hot. And the other for random power cut offs. He bought from a local dealer and he and General quickly made good in both cases. There supposedly has been a transition in models and some details of their construction. You might want to buy local, and get the latest model. He has had no problems for the last couple months.

[alex carey]

I had this lathe for 6 months and then the variable speed broke down. I read up on this and apparently it happened to a couple other people with the same model. I called the place I bought it from and they replaced the headstock.

6 months later the exact same problem happened. I called them again and they replaced it again.

Supposedly the 2007 models and before have some problems. I now have the 2008 model and so far so good. We'll see.

Besides this one problem I would say the lathe is great. It is pretty heavy especially with an added bed. The outboard works pretty well and the turning headstock is great. The heaviest piece I have turned weighed over 45 pounds and was way out of balance.

Even with the headstock problems I would still recommend this lathe.

Here are a few pictures of my lathe set up.

Alex Carey