US manufactured woodworking machines

[mreza Salav]

Respectfully, I think you are missing my point. I am not saying "why" the bearings or arbors on Sawstop are bigger (you are right in that argument why it should be bigger). I was trying to say you can have well designed machines built overseas that are better than their competitors built here in N.A and partly refute the assumption that the ones built here are beefier/more heavy duty/etc.
BTW, I'm not going to get into argument if unisaw or powermatic is better or not. We can have our different opinions.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

One of my deceased friends was one of the best gunsmiths in the Pacific Northwest.

He was originally a machinist from Wisconsin and moved here to work for Speer when the initially started a bullet company here. He then moved to Mexico for Speer and helped set up their factory there and train local people. When a corporate buyout went down, he left and moved to Alaska where he set up his own machine shop until he retired and moved back to Lewiston. Here he once again setup a gunsmith shop. I met him through a local gun club and later served as his Treasurer when he became President of the club.

Shortly before discovering he had ALS, he built two benchrest rifles for two local shooters. Those two guns and the shooters ended up in the Benchrest nationals that year.

Ron could, indeed, do some great work. He was old enough to be my father and we rode each other's back unmercifully. I miss him.

When he retired, moved back here and set up his gunsmith shop...his lathe, mills etc.....all were made in Taiwan....

He said in plain English "I would love to have US or European made machinery but can't justify it for a hobby." The money he made as a gun smith.....a fine gun smith...paid for his other hobbies.....benchrest shooting...elk and deer hunting.....flying......

The point is and a lot of folks are missing this point.......the company, like Grizzly, just for an example, sets the standards to which their product is manufactured and it's up to them to see those quality specifications are met. There are some really good stuff....like my friend Ron's metal working machines, that are manufactured in Asian countries.

SAWSTOP is made in Taiwan..........and it's considered a fine machine.


On a side note....I had known this guy for 10 years ....I was in his shop regularly....he elk hunted....deer hunted....old enough to be my Dad.....he was teasing me....I hauled off and kicked him in the shins.......He said "Do it again....It didn't hurt a bit"....I kicked him again....."You dummy" he said...he rolled up his pant leg and showed me his artificial leg. In his 30's....having purchased his first airplane......flying that Piper back from Kansas with his flight instructor....they flew into a box canyon trying to find a pass through the mountains.........They crashed...he lower leg was broken and they walked out 9 miles to the nearest highway .....him on his broken leg. Later infection set in and he lost it. It didn't stop him from doing what he wanted for the next 40 years. I miss him.

[Gary Herrmann]

Another plug for General.

To Rod's point, the design may be dated, but the quality and robustness of the tools is fantastic.

If I owned a money tree, I'd fill my shop with Northfields.

[Bill McDermott]

I bit on the Jessem inventory liquidation for a router lift. I practice "buy American" all the time and had to wrestle with the purchase. Still the value prop was compelling (half price, full warranty, not perpetuating the offshore model). Interesting aspects were that they are a Canadian firm that made the decision to not manufacture in Asia. The experiment proved quality was acceptable, but something (patriotism?) brought the jobs back to Canada. It arrived early this week. The packaging differentiated it from domestically built by labelling it as "International Series". Boy, I thought that sounded much better than "Made in China".

[Rod Sheridan]

Another plug for General.

To Rod's point, the design may be dated, but the quality and robustness of the tools is fantastic.

If I owned a money tree, I'd fill my shop with Northfields.

I agree about the quality, as you know I've now disposed of all my General equipment, kind of sad.

I think the lack of development will kill General, which is sad indeed for such a well regarded manufacturer...Rod.

[johnny means]

Ever wonder what an all USA made sub $1000 cabinet saw would be like. Couple of hundred for materials, couple of hundred more for overhead, then maybe you could use the rest on ten to twelve hours of labor to slap it together.

Sure my numbers are arbitrary, but I think we can get the jist. Quality American made machines at an affordable price point are like dinosaurs, we see their relics, but they are gone forever.

[ed vitanovec]

Woodmaster, they make planer combo's and drum sanders. I think their machines are really nice, I have the 18" planer. Byrd which makes the joint/planer heads.

Regards!
Ed

[Van Huskey]

Woodmaster, they make planer combo's and drum sanders. I think their machines are really nice, I have the 18" planer. Byrd which makes the joint/planer heads.

Regards!
Ed

Excellent example of a product that is top of its class, made in North America, and the price penalty is not as bad as you might expect. The 38" drum will have a place in my new shop.

As for General, their International series is working on development with more features BUT the Canadian made line seems to be grasping the price point they need to actually sell the machines in any volume by leaving them as they have been for quite a while. As far as that goes, look at Northfield they make rather basic machines, legendary in quality but priced in a way only the Pentagon muct order them.

[Alan Schaffter]

As far as accessories-

Woodpeckers, INCRA, Dynabrade - made in USA.

ClearVue has moved to Kent, WA.

[Bill ThompsonNM]

And Williams & Hussey molder planers
And Belsaw?
All in a market only recently pursued by imports- they may not survive. .

[Gary Herrmann]

I think the lack of development will kill General, which is sad indeed for such a well regarded manufacturer...Rod.

That would be sad indeed. I hope you're wrong, but I wonder.

If I had a garage shop, I'd probably go for european combo machines. They're just too big to get down the stairs to my shop.

[Van Huskey]

That would be sad indeed. I hope you're wrong, but I wonder.

If I had a garage shop, I'd probably go for european combo machines. They're just too big to get down the stairs to my shop.

If you trust Rod's word don't bother with Euro machines (see my sig below) and he should know as he owns them...

[Rod Sheridan]

If you trust Rod's word don't bother with Euro machines (see my sig below) and he should know as he owns them...

Wiseguy.............Rod.

[Bud Millis]

Oneida Duct Collectors are still American made. It must be very difficult for them to compete with Asian made Dust Collectors like Grizzly due to American labor being so much more expensive.

Just my $.02.

PHM

Price and quality wise the Oneida Collectors are a very nice machine. As far as price they are very competive with Asian machines. Quality, I feel, is better. Earlier this week I was at the plant in Syracuse, NY. Overall I was very impressed with their operations.

Side note: I'm in the process of ordering a 3 hp unit from them. They are designing the layout of the duct work.

Buy local and American.

[Paul McGaha]

Bud,

As far as buy American and local I appreciate your point of view.

With a lot of tools though I dont think it can be done anymore. If you need a new planer, jointer, shaper, etc. I dont know that there are any American made choices left with the exception of tools that cost $10K that are simply out of my price range.

Good luck with your dust collector purcahse from Oneida. I installes a 2 HP Dust Gorilla earlier this year.

PHM