I have decided to purchase a tilting HCM from General International. The first choice is the new 75-050T, but I could convince myself that I need
75-075M1. These days, my preference is to purchase all my tools through internet. I didn't find any vendor who could take my order on their web page. I did send email to two vendors, but have not received any reply.Question, who I should contact to purchase GI 75-0XXX from a store near to Philadelphia or from internet?
Cheers, Ollie
Make sure you get the round mortise attachment, its sweet.
Rich
Where did you purchase your HCM?
Is this where I'm sposed to chuckle? SH - because I did.
Try Utter guys. Their website is pretty bad and you will most likely never get an invoice but aside from that they're great and have good prices
On 17 Jul 2004 11:16:39 -0700, snipped-for-privacy@grandecom.net (WillaimC) calmly ranted:
Also check
- This product cruelly tested on defenseless furry animals - --------------------------------------------------------
I have the Jet.
Rich,
Are you happy with your Jet HCM? I was not aware that Jet had a tilting HCM. What is the model number and price?
++ Ollie
If you can swing it financially definitely get the General with the x-y table ( I can't remember the model number even though I own one ) You will experience an epiphany the first time you cut a long mortise and don't have to unclamp the piece and then clean out the wood chips that always seem to fall between the wood piece and the table. Pure bliss!
Also, I can vouch for Tools-Plus. They have great service. I have made a few large machine purchases there and the one time that I had a problem they speedily and cheerfully rectified it.
Paul,
What would be your personal preference if you could have only x-y table or tilting but not both? I do understand that it depends on the projects that you are doing. If you own the 75-075M1, I would like to hear your summary review. What are the pros and cons?
++ Ollie
Ollie, I would absolutely pick the x-y table feature over the tilting column feature. Before I bought I looked at a few other mortisers and it was the precision and features of the General table that sealed the deal. The other model that I seriously considered was the Powermatic (719?). I ruled that one out because the hold down clamp wasn't angled to the back fence and I thought that it would not hold pieces as effectively. Having a precise x-y table where you don't ever have to reposition the piece in the clamp for successive cuts has really speeded up my production and also lowered my blood pressure. The tilting column feature is nice but I have only used it a couple of times. A simple jig would probably accomplish the same thing. The table also has a back fence that swings but I have never used that feature. Hope this helps some in your decision.
I've got the General International 75-075M1 and if I could only have the XY table or the tilting head I'd take the XY table even without the swingable fence. Makes set up and fine tuning so much easier.
Here's a link to the first of three pages on the 75-075M1 with some comparisons with the PM 719A which does not have the tilting head or the swing fence.
The PM's depth stop is better/more reliable than the 75-075M1, which uses a collar with a bolt that is screwed against a bar and must rely on friction. Mine slips when I honk down on the handle/ arm.
Whichever way you go 1. Do some honing/polishing on the chisels and bits before using 2. Learn how to set the bit to chisel gap (here's The Forty Cent Method)
charlie b
Jet now sell a mortiser that is essentially the Powermatic unit with a tilting table rather then a tilting head and no swing on the table. When I first saw the advertisements for the Jet the pictures looked liked the tilting head General/Bridgewood with a swing table. When I actually got a chance to see one in person it had changed. I was in the immediate market for one and my local general dealer was out of the General unit so I bought the Jet. It was a pain to set up as the holes on the unit did not line up exactly with the holes on the base and it took a few clamps to convince the base to cooperate. I've set up heaver equipment but this one was really hard to wrestle up on its base. The base cabinet is the same as the Powermatic and you could of course mount it on something else. The XY movement was really stiff and I had to loosen some of the gib screws. I squared everything up (it was pretty close) and the unit seems to work fine. I did invest in a good set of chisels as the unit doesn't ship with any. I paid somewhere around $750 total, not counting the chisels, I think the unit is worth the money.
The tilting head and swinging fence aren't really necessary for most of us - they're just icing on the cake. The x-y table is the real advantage of the larger mortisers like the General or PM719. I got to try out both at my local dealer and both are great machines. They were within $50 of each other so it could have gone either way. Since they're essentially equals in every respect, including price, I figured I might as well have the tilting head and rotating fence of the General for those rare occasions when those features would be useful.
I stepped up to the General from an old Delta benchtop. The Delta got the job done but it wasn't exactly pleasureable to use - crappy hold down, having to move the workpiece between plunges, limited plunge depth, inability to work thinner stock without shimming under it, no adjustable stops for doing duplicates, etc.
The General is a joy to use. Kinda like owning a cabinet saw after putting up with a benchtop tablesaw.
Ollie, It does not tilt! I was not paying attention to your subject line. sorry bout that.
International.
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