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General 25-650/600

C

ca_turner

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Apr 4, 2006
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So I was at the tool shop the other day looking for a new spur center and had also been thinking about a new lathe in the sub $2000 range. Fatal combination of course.

I had been reading a lot of the threads here and like the look of the oneway 1224 which is a bit spendy, but looks very nice. Anyway, the store had a few of the General Industries machines there. In particular the 25-650 caught my eye. Seems like a ton of lathe for the money ($1669). Does anyone have any experience with these? I read one other thread here where an owner seemed happy but that was a couple of months ago, has anyone else had a chance to evaluate this machine? Certainly the guy at the store thought this was going to be a big seller for General from a features-to-price perspective, for what thats worth. They carry the entire General line and he said they have proven reliable and had a good warranty (2 years). Has had 5 motors go bad over all the General stuff they sell and all the years they have been selling it (about $30k worth a month!). The quality in terms of fit and finish appeared equivalent to the nearby General machines which are actually made in North America (the 25-650 is made in Asia) and the motor was incredibly smooth.

Also, for $300 less I can get the mechanical VS version (at $1369 this seems pretty sweet). How much of an advantage is the EVS over the mechanical version? I guess my main concern would be it being a whole bunch of extra electronics to go wrong in the long term, but if there are significant advantages then perhaps its worth it. And before you all start, yes, I'd love a powermatic 3520 but its just too much of a stretch financially!!

They never did have the spur center...



Cheers

Ian
 
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lathe purchase

[Too bad you cant afford a PM 3520b. It takes a 2 horse motor to do hollowing also there is a local turner that has one and he regularly turns wood weighing around 450 lbs. I know it would be a stretch for you, but it would be the last lathe you would ever want or need. I 'stretched' and got one. Although I will probably never turn one that large or heavy, but I just got a pecan log that I plan to turn some 16 to 20 in. bowls.Anyway, have fun with whatever you buy. Max 😱 😉
 
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Ian

I've seen one or two people say they've bought that GI unit. Have not heard anything negative on it so far. As far as the EVSR vs mechanical, I bought a Jet 1642 (with EVSR) and wouldn't go back. You can dial in the 'exact' speed you need and having done some 8"xalmost 60" turnings on it, it was great. If you do longer turnings, check out the bed extension. I added one to mine and it opens up a whole new world of turning for you. I know the GI has that available.

Paul
 
I almost bought the 650 version. Looked at it at three different shops, talked to owners was very impressed. If my hard limit was in that price, I would have bought one.

But, one shop I stopped at also sold the Nova DVR-XP. I talked to two of the turners there, they raved about both machines, but both owned the Nova....

My new Nova is in country and working it's way to me.
 
Thanks for the responses. One big issue right now is that there's no easy way to get 220V to my shop (don't even ask). Currently running extension cords, albeit heavy ones, to the the lathe and dust extractor! Talking to a sparky about getting permanent power out there, but the General would be nice with the 110V for the forseeable future. I have started looking at the nova dvr-xp also. Seems like a nice machine. How often do the 3250's come up used or is it like trying to find a small piece of hay in a massive stack of needles?
 
Ian

The Jet 1642 does come in either 110v or 220v. I'm guessing the GI does also. Watch for sales, I've seen the Jet for about $1600. Grizzly and Harbor Tools have lesser priced units.

If your new center was to be a Steb Center, I have 2. one is a Sorby I got through Rockler. Pricey but good. I got another one (smaller) I think that one was through PSI. Works well also, but it was less than half the price of the Sorby.

Paul
 
Interestingly, the 650 runs off 110V supply, even though it has a 220V 3 phase motor. I guess there must be some sort of transformer on board. The 600 comes pre-wired either 110 or 220 - buyers choice.
 
I'm probably the guy whose thread you read. I just came in from the shop a little while ago, and I can say with certainty that I still love it 🙂

Yes, it's 110v. I wasn't aware of a 220v option at all, which surprised me. I have 220 in the shop, and would love to use it for the lathe. Yup, General's website says: 110V, 1Ph ONLY

Linky linky

As said before, the EVS is a great feature. The only bad part is it spoils you for non-evs units 🙂

The only drawback I've found is the indexing pin. There's no way to immobilize the spindle to get a stuck chuck or faceplate off except by screwing in that pin.

For the money, it's an awesome lathe, and I would still buy it again.

-Joe
 
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