Bobby Slack Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Hello Friends. A friend suggested me to look at a used 12" Inca Table Saw. What should I look for. I heard these are fantastic and used tools always concerned me. How much is too much? Thanks. PS Sorry for not writing much lately. I have been extremely busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flairwoodworks Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Bobby, There is a whole forum dedicated to Inca. I don't know that much but I believe parts are scarce so if everything is there, that's great news. The saws themselves are also quite scares. I see their jointer/planers for sale now and again but have never seen a tablesaw for sale. Just a guess, but I'd speculate that a complete saw is worth $800. I could be wrong, but hopefully this points you in the right direction. Make sure you turn the saw on and listen to it. Also with the saw off, listen to the bearings (screwdriver between your ear and the bearing) - they should be quiet. That's all I've got... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Slack Posted July 10, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 Thank you very much. Personally for new equipment I am leaning to General because: 1. Made in the North American Continent 2. Quality 3. Service Not that the other options are bad .... I was told to look into this machine, if I get it for real cheap I may consider it. Thanks. Bobby, There is a whole forum dedicated to Inca. I don't know that much but I believe parts are scarce so if everything is there, that's great news. The saws themselves are also quite scares. I see their jointer/planers for sale now and again but have never seen a tablesaw for sale. Just a guess, but I'd speculate that a complete saw is worth $800. I could be wrong, but hopefully this points you in the right direction. Make sure you turn the saw on and listen to it. Also with the saw off, listen to the bearings (screwdriver between your ear and the bearing) - they should be quiet. That's all I've got... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Z. Posted July 10, 2011 Report Share Posted July 10, 2011 I have an Inca 2200 that I bought used... but due to various reason too complicated to get into, haven't used it yet. I paid about $1500. For that, I picked up one of the last Inca's sold by Garrett Wade, about 7 years old. I like the Generals too, but twice the price means that from my table saw budget I have enough left over to buy one heck of a planer. In point of fact I was waiting to buy the General (well, at least waiting until I returned from Afghanistan), when the used one came up about 3 miles from my sister's house... In any case... The Inca forum is on yahoo. You need to sign up for it. You'll learn a lot. Most parts are not unobtanium. Eagle Tools in California has many, and there are solutions for those that are not in stock. Bearings are standard sizes, as are motors. Most difficult is blade size: the 12 inch blade fits a 1 inch arbor (on the older saws it was 25mm). Not a huge issue, but if you want a 10 inch thin kerf, you need a custom arbor hole. Fortunately, Forrest does that for you. Dado blades may be more expensive too. To check: Same as on any saw. First table flatness, then arbor run-out. My saw (the 2200) has standard mitre slots. I'm told the 2100 has T shaped slots, which would make an aftermarket mitre gauge difficult to source, but I don't know that... pure conjecture. I'm also told the 2100 has an aluminium, not cast iron table, which makes magnetic jigs difficult, but again, I don't know. Because the problem doesn't directly affect me, I haven't looked too far into it. The Yahoo forum will tell you. If you have a subscription to fine woodworking on line, you can look up the older reviews. They have a lot of good things to say about the saws. Most "modern" saws have the same features (riving knife, dust collection) that were "unique" when the reviews were written, so the real difference is savings. If you have the money for a Saw Stop, General or a new Delta, go for it. If you're limited, the time/effort spent on finding an Inca will give you a huge step up in quality for a similarly priced new saw. Do you need it today? Buy new. Are you patient, willing to search, and willing to do research? In 2002 or so, there's wasn't a much better saw on the market than the Inca (I know, debatable point... but so says the reviews), so you're buying a lot of quality. If you like, and you can't find a review, PM me and I'll send you what I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Slack Posted July 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 Don, Thank you very much for your comments. I have a digital subscription to FWW and I was not able to pull that review for some reason. I think that a 12" blade could be interesting ... why? it looks like the standard is 10" and I prefer to keep things simple. My current saw is a portable Bosch because my original business model was to be a finish carpenter where I take my shop to your house but that has not happened yet. I do all my work in my garage. I like the ability of folding away my TS ... I have an Inca 2200 that I bought used... but due to various reason too complicated to get into, haven't used it yet. I paid about $1500. For that, I picked up one of the last Inca's sold by Garrett Wade, about 7 years old. I like the Generals too, but twice the price means that from my table saw budget I have enough left over to buy one heck of a planer. In point of fact I was waiting to buy the General (well, at least waiting until I returned from Afghanistan), when the used one came up about 3 miles from my sister's house... In any case... The Inca forum is on yahoo. You need to sign up for it. You'll learn a lot. Most parts are not unobtanium. Eagle Tools in California has many, and there are solutions for those that are not in stock. Bearings are standard sizes, as are motors. Most difficult is blade size: the 12 inch blade fits a 1 inch arbor (on the older saws it was 25mm). Not a huge issue, but if you want a 10 inch thin kerf, you need a custom arbor hole. Fortunately, Forrest does that for you. Dado blades may be more expensive too. To check: Same as on any saw. First table flatness, then arbor run-out. My saw (the 2200) has standard mitre slots. I'm told the 2100 has T shaped slots, which would make an aftermarket mitre gauge difficult to source, but I don't know that... pure conjecture. I'm also told the 2100 has an aluminium, not cast iron table, which makes magnetic jigs difficult, but again, I don't know. Because the problem doesn't directly affect me, I haven't looked too far into it. The Yahoo forum will tell you. If you have a subscription to fine woodworking on line, you can look up the older reviews. They have a lot of good things to say about the saws. Most "modern" saws have the same features (riving knife, dust collection) that were "unique" when the reviews were written, so the real difference is savings. If you have the money for a Saw Stop, General or a new Delta, go for it. If you're limited, the time/effort spent on finding an Inca will give you a huge step up in quality for a similarly priced new saw. Do you need it today? Buy new. Are you patient, willing to search, and willing to do research? In 2002 or so, there's wasn't a much better saw on the market than the Inca (I know, debatable point... but so says the reviews), so you're buying a lot of quality. If you like, and you can't find a review, PM me and I'll send you what I have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beechwood Chip Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 I think that a 12" blade could be interesting ... why? it looks like the standard is 10" and I prefer to keep things simple. My current saw is a portable Bosch ... A 12" blade will give you greater depth of cut, assuming you have the HP to make the cut or make multiple passes. It may also give you more stability (more mass and more momentum). I loved my Bosch 4100. Nice little saw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmac Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 I have an Inca 2100SE saw that I bought used from a guy on Craigslist a few years ago. It's the only table saw that I've ever owned, and nearly the only one that I've ever used. So I'm not very well informed about how it compares with other saws. Having said that, however, I can't really imagine it being any better. About the only thing I don't like is the table insert. It's an elaborate cast aluminum thing, and I have yet to figure out how to make a zero-clearance insert that will fit the saw. The fence is vaguely like the Delta Unifence. At first I thought it was going to be a little wimpy compared to a Biesemeyer or one of its clones. But I have no complaints after having it used it a lot. If I were considering another one used, I would look for the usual things: flat table, little or no arbor runout, good bearings, etc. Past that, for the Inca I would double check that everything was there and nothing was broken. I have not needed any parts for mine, but I can imagine that they might be hard to find. If having a cast iron table is important to you, that's another thing to check. Mine is cast iron, but I guess they made some saws with aluminum tops. Nothing wrong with that, I suppose, until you find that your magnetic featherboards don't work. Oh, and the miter slots. Mine are T shaped, and 2 cm (20 mm) wide. That could be a problem if you want a standard 3/4" x 3/8" slot. To help you get calibrated on the price, I paid $1100 for my saw, including a Robland sliding crosscut table attachment, a mobile base, and a bunch of blades and other miscellaneous goodies. That seemed like a really good deal to me at the time. (There's a picture of the crosscut table here, about halfway down the page.) -- Russ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Z. Posted July 11, 2011 Report Share Posted July 11, 2011 http://www.finewoodworking.com/FWNPDF/011136078.pdf "Cabinet Saw Test", from May/June, 1999. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mlpashos Posted August 3, 2011 Report Share Posted August 3, 2011 If anyone is interested I have a used INCA table saw 2200. It was my dad's. it has been used very little and is in good condition. It has a sliding table and extended wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Cannizzaro Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 I am interested in the 2200. Where are you located? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 Thank you very much. Personally for new equipment I am leaning to General because: 1. Made in the North American Continent 2. Quality 3. Service Not that the other options are bad .... I was told to look into this machine, if I get it for real cheap I may consider it. Thanks. General not made in North America much longer I am afraid... I heard that they were going to quit mfg in Canada and do it all overseas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Z. Posted September 29, 2012 Report Share Posted September 29, 2012 General not made in North America much longer I am afraid... I heard that they were going to quit mfg in Canada and do it all overseas. Sort of... General International are made overseas. They still make some in Canada. You can tell on their web site by either the maple leaf icon, or by the higher price... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobby Slack Posted September 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2012 You are right about this. I think now they discontinued the General brand (Canada) and kept the General International (Taiwan) ... one more gone away. General not made in North America much longer I am afraid... I heard that they were going to quit mfg in Canada and do it all overseas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Don Z. Posted October 1, 2012 Report Share Posted October 1, 2012 cuurent web site FAQs: http://www.general.ca/pg_index/faqe.html Unless there's a news report I'm missing. I clicked on the site's "news" link and it was blank. They are still listing Canadian table saws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeardedWoodworker Posted June 7, 2023 Report Share Posted June 7, 2023 I have an Inca 2100 Complete with slot mortiser I'm considering getting rid of in Louisiana Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.