Two Table Saws?

[Peter Bucy]

I just ordered a Grizzly G1023SLWX to replace a Grizzly G1022Z contractors table saw. I have been planning to sell the G1022Z but one of my friends has suggested keeping it. He has a big shop and uses two table saws. He claims that it makes the work go faster when you can setup one saw for dados and the other for rips or crosscuts.

I'm sure that he is right, but I just don't know if two table saws would be that much of an advantage. Do any of you guys use two table saws?

Pete

[Allan Froehlich]

If I had the space, I would keep 2 table saws. I figured I'd use one for ripping and the other for cross cuts.

[Bill Leonard]

Yes, I have two in a 18x45 shop. I keep a delta contractor saw set up for dadoes, and a PM66 with 8ft table and 52in extensions, along with shaper, bandsaw, jointer etc. It is a litttle crowded, but everything except the PM66, PM45 lathe and assembly table are on wheels. I recommend keeping it, you will be surprised at how much you will use both.

[Roger Bullock]

A few years back I upgraded to a 3 hp cabinet saw and like you was thinking of selling my older delta contractors saw. I weighed all my options, 1st I had the space so that was not a problem. 2nd I considered what I could sell the older saw for as compared to the trouble I would have to go through finding someone to buy it and help them get it out of my shop. At the price(cheap) I would have asked for the old saw, I decided I really didn't want a bunch of strangers to come out and nose around in my shop. Don't get me wrong, I 'm not a cynical person just someone that wants to hang onto what has taken a long time and considerable amount of money to buy. With that said, I threw on my dado blade and don't regret doing so for one minute. The most used dado setup in my shop is for 3/4 inch. I set it and forget it, as the saying goes. Also I added a taller sacrificial wood fence to the existing fence. I undercut the fence with the blade so how I can cut a rabbit of any size up to 3/4 inch. Even if I considered my time to be worth as little as $10 bucks an hour, I would say this setup has saved me way more than what I could have sold the saw for. I suggest that if you have a place to park it, keep it, in the long run you will not regret it. Oh by the way, before I set the saw as described above, I had an older blade that was not as good as my cabinet saw and used it for those boards that did not require as fine of a cut, or was questionable to run through my more expensive blade. Good luck.

[Richard DiCerb]

2 saw works out well. Usually have the dado blade in the unisaw, But I use it a lot to miter hardie trim boards. Also if you have a special jig set up you would rather leave on till the end of a project .

[John A langley]

I'm not trying to brag or blow my own horn, but I have 3 table saws in my shop - one is an MM slider 315, one is a Jet 10" and one is a PM. I would not sell your saw, I'm assuming its paid for so its not costing you anything. If you have the room it will come in handy sometime. If nothing else, the new one might go down for some reason in the middle of project and you wouldn't have to stop. Kent Bathurst has already told me I suck - I know how to use the saws but I don't know how to post pictures. Kent has pictures, maybe he will post them for me.:D

[Jim O'Dell]

That is a slick setup Richard! I bet it was fun to align it all up so the fence was parallel to to miter slots on both units.:eek::eek::D
I just got my new cabinet saw and I'm keeping my Ridgid contractor saw (old grey one). I'm setting mine up to be an L shape. The contractor saw will double as an outfeed table for the extension area on the G0691. My small outfeed table will continue to work as the outfeed for the blade area. This should give me good coverage for sheet goods. And I would need the outfeed area anyway...might as well let part of it be another tool! Jim.

[Don Jarvie]

I'm going to have 2 saws also. My Walker Turner Cab Saw only takes a 6 inch dado so I got a CMan contractors for free and am going to put my 8 inch dado in it.

The WT is stationary but the CMan will be on wheels and stowed against the wall.

[Andrew Schlosser]

Recently I just sold my Grizzly cabinet saw when I got my Sawstop. I needed the money as well as the space, but if you have/want an outfeed table or extension table, your second saw could easily fill the bill. Plus, you get the added benefit of the permanent dado.

Like boat owners often say, "If I had a little more space and a little more money..." I would have kept it.

[Leigh Betsch]

After getting my MM slider I kept my old Rockwell saw for a couple of years. I just sold it and don't miss it a bit. Even in a 1000 sq ft shop it seemed to always be in the way. This week my kids were all home from around the country so there were five of us working in the shop and it might have come in handy but overall it still isn't worth the space. Just my $.02.

[Jason Strauss]

Richard, we need a shop tour! That double saw set-up looks so sweet, we need to see what else you've done!

More towards the OP, if I had the space and $$, I'd definately have two saws. Heck, why not three. Dados, Ripping, and Crosscutting! Changing set-ups on the TS is a real drag. I've found that it I haven't thought through my project process too carefully, I waste a ton of time swapping out blades.

[glenn bradley]

I have a second saw stored in the overhead. As soon as the next major re-org occurs, I hope it will become a dedicated crosscut station.

[Roger Benton]

We have a two saw setup as well, a big old rockwell for ripping and dados and an old martin slider for crosscuts. Before the martin we had a general cabinet saw with an aftermarket sliding sled for crosscuts. After being spoiled like this I wouldn't look forward to going back to a one saw setup.

For your situation, setting up the contractors saw for dados sounds like a good idea, but of course you have to consider the ratio between shop space taken up and frequency of making dado cuts. The setup Mr. Bullock describes a few posts back with the fence set up for dados and rabbets makes the most sense in my mind.

[scott spencer]

What else do you lack, and what's the best use of the extra space and cash the 1022 would bring? For some, the answer might be a 2nd TS...for others, not.

[Michael Wetzel]

I have 2 table saws setup. It is a bit of a pain space wise in my shop. One of these days the 3100 might go.

I have a Ridgid 3660 and a Ryobi BT3100. The 3100 is setup for dados and the Ridgid does the rest.

[Karl Brogger]

If you've got the space, I'd keep it. I've got two, and wish I had the space for two more. Changing blades is for the birds.


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[Dick Brown]

I also have two saws with one set up for dados. Like doing box joints and such. Would hate to change back to the other setup every time a piece needed just a hair cut off to make the joint come out perfect or find I didn't get one dado quite as deep as needed. Takes the need for perfect "Advance Planning" out.

[Peter Quinn]

I've worked in a shop with two cabinet saws set back to back at diagonals to each other all built into one big work station, and its a pretty cool set up if you have the space. It was pretty much one for cross cut and one for ripping.

At work we have three TS's, two sliders, and a straight line, but thats in a commercial shop with 7 guys and there is still usually a line. I've gotten in trouble for having two TS's and a slider set up for a single window job before. Some one asked me "Do you work like that in your home shop?" Of course not, because I don't have three saws at home, but it sure is nice if you can do it!:D

[Peter Bucy]

Thanks to everyone for their input. The shop is about 600 ft2. I could find a location to store the second saw, then roll it out when I need it, but I don't think that I could easily assign a permanent work space for both saws. But I have to admit that after thinking about it, keeping the contractors saw set up with a dado blade would be sweet. I am concerned that the loss of floor space though.

I'm going to think about it a bit and when the new cabinet saw is place I'll see if I can make the second saw fit. I really hate to sell it, it is in perfect condition with very low hours.

Pete

[Glen Butler]

Now I am jealous of both Richard and Karl. Shop tour! Shop tour! Shop our!

[Karl Brogger]

Now I am jealous of both Richard and Karl. Shop tour! Shop tour! Shop our!

Shop our?

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[Richard DiCerb]

2 saw works out well. Usually have the dado blade in the unisaw, But I use it a lot to miter hardie trim boards. Also if you have a special jig set up you would rather leave on till the end of a project . I also like having 2- 12" delta radials , one for dado blade.

[Jim O'Dell]

Peter, like I said, I'm in the process of doing it and my main shop is only 440 sq ft. I do have another 140 that I plan to use for finishing/assembly. If you plan to have an outfeed at all, the second saw is a natural. Make it mobile, and you can still move it around. Now granted, I don't have a big honkin' jointer, drum sander, or a lot of space for wood storage, but I've got a 6" short bed jointer, and lunch box planer on mobile carts, as well as a large mobile router table, a 16" BS, a mobile RAS, and a floor DP along with a cyclone all in that main space. I can still, although it is tight, rip 4 X 8 sheet goods on the saw with the door closed. I bet you'll find a way to make it happen. Jim.