General jointer 480 vs powermatic 54hh

[brent stanley]

I have a 480 and it's just been bombproof....I've never done anything to it and has well respected made in North America build quality. The 8" may be wider than you're going to use often, but the wider head lets you skew stock as you run it over the head to help deal with difficult grain if you need to. I vote 480 and deal with the head down the line if you want to. I put a Byrd head in my 480 and it was not that expensive or difficult.

B

[mark espinosa]

I have a 480 and it's just been bombproof....I've never done anything to it and has well respected made in North America build quality. The 8" may be wider than you're going to use often, but the wider head lets you skew stock as you run it over the head to help deal with difficult grain if you need to. I vote 480 and deal with the head down the line if you want to. I put a Byrd head in my 480 and it was not that expensive or difficult.

B

I think I will end up keeping the General. I think they are both good jointers. It will cost me about $600 to upgrade it with a spiral cutter.

[mark espinosa]

Now I need to price the 54hh. I think $1700 is good although I’ve seen them higher. I don’t want to sit on it.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I don’t want to sit on it.

Especially not when it's running.