PM66 vs General 650

[Steven Hardy]

Saw stop- 1 at work -had to replace trunnion, motor, both belts, dust defector and bearings.

jet-1 at cab school- blade drops as your using it (& it's set-up as the dado saw)
grizzly-1 at work-worst cabinet saw I have ever used it would vibrate so much you couldn't set anything down on it & the switch would shut off while making a cut.
The 3 Unisaws I've used never had a problem.

I once considered an import vs domestic. I climbed into the cabinets at woodworker supply one by one and examined the bolts threads of each. i ran my finger along every gear in each one. i examined for sae gradeings.I examined the cut of the gears.The salesguy thought i was some kind of nut,when i told him I dont care if the top is shiney or if the paint is glossy...i want to see what it will be like in 10 or 15 years.Whats going to rust? Whats going to wear out?I did the same thing recently at Wood Craft. I made the same decision as I did the first time. Everyone really should do that for themself.NOTHING has changed in that respect.The tops have simply gotten shiney-er.The internal machineing is still the same. Some good...many CRAP!
Some countries I would be comfortable buying from...some NOT.

I did see a titanium coated saw top recently....now that just strikes me as RETARDED!

[scott spencer]

Hi Zach - Can't go wrong with either of those saws. I prefer the face material used on the General. In case you're curious here's some pics of the PM66 trunnions, and pics of another saw that has a similar trunnion system to the General.


PM66-B.jpg

[Mike Gabbay]

Scott - Am I reading this right? The first pic looks more like the General than the second. I just bought a 650 (delivery on Friday) and the one thing I do know is the trunnion on the 650 is a wide stance trunnion. It is however a single belt versus triple belt. The General Internationals use a lighter trunnion system just like the other imports.

Zach - unless you go with a used PM66 they are now made overseas. The General 350/650 are the still made in NA and use Baldor motors and have Meehanite castings (denser and well aged so any warpage over time is almost non-existant)

[Rod Sheridan]

Scott - Am I reading this right? The first pic looks more like the General than the second. I just bought a 650 (delivery on Friday) and the one thing I do know is the trunnion on the 650 is a wide stance trunnion. It is however a single belt versus triple belt. The General Internationals use a lighter trunnion system just like the other imports.

Zach - unless you go with a used PM66 they are now made overseas. The General 350/650 are the still made in NA and use Baldor motors and have Meehanite castings (denser and well aged so any warpage over time is almost non-existant)

Well Mike, now you've got me wondering and I own a 650, I was sure it had dual belts.....Rod.

[Dan Owen]

I took delivery of a General 350 yesterday and I must say that it is one beefy saw. The inner components of this saw are much heftier than my old Unisaw. The General runs on a two belt system and I will assure you that the performance of the Baldor motor is superior to those found on the imports. Torque and power.

[Mike Gabbay]

Actually Rod my bad... it is a 2 belt system. I think the PM may be 3. The trunnions are the wide base and VERY heavy.

[scott spencer]

The pic of the green saw is a Griz 1023, not a 650, but was used just to point out that the PM66's trunnions are very different from most. I'm sure the 650's trunnion system is beefier than the Griz, but it's more like the 650's than the PM66's. It'd be far more useful if someone actually has a pic of the 650 or even the 350's guts.

Sorry if I confused the issue.

[Mike Gabbay]

Scott - the General site use to have a pic but they removed it.

[Chuck Wintle]

I bought a General 650 two years ago and have never regretted it. Built solid, runs smooth and don't forget the castings are done with a special process to eliminate any warping over the years.

Do you know what the special process is they use for the castings?

[Mike Gabbay]

It's called Meehanite. It is a casting process to make the casting denser and it is cured/aged longer to prevent warpage.

[michael flay]

The only thing on a general saw not made in North America is the magnetic starter, belts and the bearings other than that all the castings , stands and even the general t-fence are made by general in drummondville, quebec and the motor is made by baldor in tennessee(The reason the general t-fence looks identical to the biesenmeyer is because they bought the mfg rights for canada along time ago before they were bought by delta)

[John Browne]

S
Zach - unless you go with a used PM66 they are now made overseas. The General 350/650 are the still made in NA and use Baldor motors and have Meehanite castings (denser and well aged so any warpage over time is almost non-existant)

Incorrect: PM66 is still made in Tennessee. PM2000 is an imported saw.

I have a 66; it's a great saw. So's a Unisaw, General, Steel City, Grizzly, Jet, etc. They will all cut wood nice and straight. Many many people own saws from all those mfgs and find them perfectly adequate.

[Simon Dupay]

The pic of the green saw is a Griz 1023, not a 650, but was used just to point out that the PM66's trunnions are very different from most. I'm sure the 650's trunnion system is beefier than the Griz, but it's more like the 650's than the PM66's. It'd be far more useful if someone actually has a pic of the 650 or even the 350's guts.

Sorry if I confused the issue.

I belive the general has a box trunnion like the 66 not like the unisaw trunnion on the griz.

[Greg Narozniak]

I know you were not listing it but I'll throw one point in.

When I was in the market for an upgrade from my Contractor saw I was between the PM66 (Not made as well as they used to be), General 650 (I think they have the best QC in the business) and the Unisaw (The design that started it all). I went with the Uni because of two reasons. The Price was one and the other was that there is every conceivable accessory for the Uni. Splitters, Metal throat plates with replaceable Inserts, Scoring attachments, etc. May of not be of importance to you but in my view that was a selling point. Mine has a 3hp Marathon motor and a 52" beisemeyer. I will never outgrow this saw.

food for thought.

[Curt Harms]

I read on another forum that the last PM66 rolled off the line a month or so ago, and there were QC issues at the last (no surprise there if true) Does anyone know for sure?