Bandsaw 14" Delta vs General

[Allain Godin]

I am a new member to the forum.

I am an amateur woodworker from Toronto Canada woodworking for about 16 years.

I am slowly replacing some of the benchtop tools that I bought early on with more powerfull stationary units. I am currently looking at replacing my 8" delta bandsaw with a 14" model, the 8" saw does not have the capacity for what I am trying to do now.

Home Depot Rigid, Busy Bee and King were ruled out for Horse Power or quality.

I looked at the Craftsman 14" but the model put together on the floor was put together poorly so I did not get a good feel for it. The specs seem ok but the saw looked flimsy and the base was not very stable.

So far I have narrowed it down to 3 models that are available locally. I perfer to be able to inspect what I am buying than order via Mail.

Delta 28-206 (Cast Iron, 1HP, avaialble Riser kit to 12" resaw, quick release but no rip fence)
General 90-125 (1Hp, Cast Iron available riser kit to 12" resaw, quick release, and an average rip fence)
General 90-150 (1HP, Steel Body, 8" resaw (fixed), Quick release and what looks like a decent rip fence)

All saws sell for about $750 CND with the current manufacturer sales. The Carftsman was a good price on sale but not convinced about the quality.

Has anyboy used the General 90-150 it seems to be new to the lineup? I Saw some concerns with the single Turnion on the right side, any problems with this? Any other Steel body saw use the same concept?

Any feedback on which is better the delta or the general cast iron? Is the fact that the general has a fence and a rack and pinion blade guide enough to sway the decision?

What type is better Cast Iron C types or Steel Body ?

How much use does the 12" vs 8" resaw capacity get?

I am not sure how many times this will make a difference but I would hate to make a bad decision on this and regret it later.

Any experience or advice would be welcome

Allain Godin
Toronto Canada.

[Terry Beadle]

Have you looked at the Grizzley Industrial bandsaws? They are a really good value. the 17" is under 1K and cuts 12" with no riser blocks.

I'm not sure of your budget but I think a BS is a major purchase and comes under the heading of 'buy as good a tool as you can' cleche.

Two things, cast iron over anything else.

Block risers are not as good as a BS made to resaw 12 or better.

You have probably learned from migrating from bench top tools that a really good tool is quickly reflected in the products produced. Like all things in life there is a balance where one has heard "It's a poor workman that blames his tools." sits on the other end of this tool teetertoter.

As to how often the 12 inch resaw capability comes into play, is not often in most furnature making. It depends on what you build and what material widths you buy. If you only have a 6 inch jointer, then the smaller band saws are plenty. It really is good to have more resaw capability when you are making panels and want to make your own bookmatched stock to either laminate or make a one solid. The less number of pieces you need to glue together the better wheather it's for a panel or a table top.

However, if you like to do turning and or make your own boards from tree stock, then you will use all the resaw capability you can get.

I've used an old Craftsman 14 inch. now with a Highland Hardware woodslicer blade highly recommended, for over 20 years. I'm always wanting the bigger iron but it flys in the face of reality. When I upgrade it will be to the bigger iron but that's just if I win the lotto..hoot!

I don't think you need a large horsepowered BS by any means, but a 2 hp with 220volt circuit, cast iron table top, and a 12 inch resaw capability is probably the ideal for the majority of small shops.

What ever you buy, be sure to post a picture as it's always a treat to all of us!

[Rod Sheridan]

Hi Allain, I have a General International 90-240 bandsaw (17 inch size) and have had it for 3 years.

It has a welded steel frame and 12 inch resaw capacity. It is vibration free, and I use it for roughing out turning blanks, sawing small logs into lumber. as well as general resawing and veneer slicing. It's 90% in the blade and saw adjustment.

The GI equipment, like all Delta machinery is made in Taiwan to reduce costs. Many of the pieces of machinery sold by manufacturers are made of the same basic castings/welded assemblies. The differences are all in the quality control, and options.

General International equipment is meant to compete with Delta machinery, and I'm sure that you will find the added cost of the GI equipment pays for better machining, quality control and options.

The General equipment, made in Drummondville, is of course much more expensive, and far better than GI or Delta.

A cast iron machine isn't better than a welded bandsaw because it is cast iron. It could be better if it has superior design, construction and options such as blade guide bearings, fences, trunions etc. On the other hand the welded machine may be better, as resonant frequencies can be designed out, making them smoother and more rigid.

I would suggest that you check each machine for table deflection, press down on a corner and see how much flex the table trunions have. I would also go for a larger machine such as a 17 or 18 inch if you have the space and budget.

Have fun.............Rod.

[Jim Becker]

Have you looked at the Grizzley Industrial bandsaws?

Grizzly is not available in Canada.

[Allain Godin]

I find that some of the US Based Mail order companies don't deliver to Canada, Grizzly is one of them, the prospect of special freight or going down to the States to get one drives the cost up. I don't know how well supported it would be.

[Allain Godin]

Thanks for the feedback Rob, I am looking for something that I could get localy and save the shipping. General and Delta are both available from a few local distributors. I'll take a look at the table stability and the fit and fishish next time i'm there.

Thanks.

[Allain Godin]

Thanks for all the input,

I ended up buying a Steel City 14" from the local supplier in Toronto, the this saw was back ordred and when they show up, they sell in days so I got lucky last Friday when I walked in and they had received 3 the day before.

The cost of the saw was the same as the 14" Delta (Asian Model) 28-206 but it has a built in Casters, and a 1 1/2 horse motor. Closer quality to the x5 bandsaw. I also got a Kreg fence for it at the same time.

I was extreamly impressed with the quality of the tool, heavy duty steel and cast iron components and well labled parts bags and clear instructions.

The tool went together flawlessly, Very Flat table and no aligment problems at all.

I just finished installing the Fence last night and I am still waiting for the Riser block kit (Also Back Ordered) . I like the compact size with the motor in the base and it has all the features that I was looking for. I still have to move stuff around the shop to make a hole for it but that will wait for a while.

I have not had a chance to test it out yet but it seems to run vibration free with no load.

So far I am impressed by the quality for the price.

Allain.

[Chuck Wintle]

Thanks for all the input,



The cost of the saw was the same as the 14" Delta (Asian Model) 28-206 but it has a built in Casters, and a 1 1/2 horse motor. Closer quality to the x5 bandsaw. I also got a Kreg fence for it at the same time.

Allain.

Was wondering what the going price for a Steel City bandsaw in Toronto is. Here in Mtl they are asking 749.

[Allain Godin]

I paid $ 768 and 138 for the kreg fence.

The X5 sells for $1400.

Allain.