G0690/G0691 Owners

[Rob Hough]

Several months down the road... and many board feet later; is it still the saw you hoped it would be? I sold the executive branch in my house on the notion that this saw will last me 20yrs... What do you think so far?

I'm upgrading from a Craftsman #315.228390, so I'm going to assume it will be a huge improvement for me no matter what... I'm just trying to make sure I'm getting the best saw in my price range. $1500 or less.

[David Prince]

I have the G0690 and feel for the price bracket that it is and has been a great purchase.

A person could double their budget to get into a PM or Unisaw, but I personally do not see that big of a benefit to stepping up. I researched the other models and decided on Grizzly.

Is a Unisaw or PM twice the saw as a G0690 or G0691? If not, then why is it twice the price and then some?

I am very satisfied with my decision. AND as an added benefit, I can take the additional money I saved and use it for more tools!:)

[Rob Hough]

I am very satisfied with my decision. AND as an added benefit, I can take the additional money I saved and use it for more tools!:)

I have a slightly larger budget and hope to utilize it all on additional purchases. Along with this saw I plan to get a Forrest Dado King for sure. Hope to be able to sneak in a bench grinder and maybe a biscuit joiner.

Thanks for the feedback as well. I'm fishing for negativity as well, so if there is anything that nags at you about the saw, please feel free to add that here. I'm probably going to contact Grizzly this week or next and see if I can find an owner near me that I can go visit. Would really like to see it in person.

[Van Huskey]

Is a Unisaw or PM twice the saw as a G0690 or G0691? If not, then why is it twice the price and then some?




That is a very unresonable statement, do you think the 0690 is two and a half times the saw the G0444Z is? It surely isn't but you chose to pay over twice as much for the G0690/1. Anytime you get past the very entry level of just about any product doubling the price never gets you something that is twice as good just consider cars. The PM2000 and the Uni are significantly better saws but both come with significantly higher price tags but no neither are near twice the saw the G0690/1 are.

As to the G0690/1 I have yet to hear any significant negatives about the saw, everyone seems to continue to be in love with it. The 1023 after being upgraded makes the decision harder at the price point and I doubt the 690/1 has any real advantage over the 1023 there is sonmething about the look and feel of the 690/1 that I prefer. For a non-pro I would imagine the G0690/1 would indeed be a lifetime saw which is probably true for any cabinet saw on the market today. However, with the changes on the non-pro side of woodworking that I have seen over the last say 10 years I don't know if many of us will want the same saw 10 or more years from now.

[Jeff Miller]

Smooth and quiet,accurate,fit and finish near perfect,POWER,did I say power,lot a power.......................Go get it ordered:D


Her is a pic. of me nickle and dimeing it:)


http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f32/woodfarmer/GO690/101_6702.jpg
[IMG]http://www.sawmillcreek.org/http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f32/woodfarmer/GO690/101_6702.jpg

[Rob Holcomb]

I've owned the G0691 for close to a year now and have only two minor complaints. After many board feet being cut, the sawdust tends to build up so the riving knife takes a little work to get on and off, as well as raising and lowering of the blade takes more effort than when things are cleaned off. Nothing an air compressor and dust collection system doesn't remedy though. The other complaint is the green trim on the saw cabinet. It isn't painted on, it's a vinyl strip around the base. When I put it on a mobile base it ripped. No biggie, I just took it off. Other than that, it's a great saw with plenty of power and I do expect mine to last 20 plus years!

[David Prince]

[QUOTE=Van Huskey;1346542]That is a very unresonable statement, do you think the 0690 is two and a half times the saw the G0444Z is? It surely isn't but you chose to pay over twice as much for the G0690/1. Anytime you get past the very entry level of just about any product doubling the price never gets you something that is twice as good just consider cars. The PM2000 and the Uni are significantly better saws but both come with significantly higher price tags but no neither are near twice the saw the G0690/1 are.


The "twice" use of words isn't always meant to mean an exact figure, but more of way to compare from my point of view. And, the G0690/1 could very well be considered twice the saw as the G0444Z depending on what a person is looking for. The G0690/1 gives you: 3 hp, cabinet type, 220, leeson motor, and dust collection at a minimum. I had a Delta contractor saw in the past and I would say that the G0690 IS twice the saw! (I think I originally paid around $450 for that and would think it would be somewhat comparable to the G0444Z)

Expect to pay more for more options, better quality, etc., but is there really that much of a difference between a PM and Grizzly to expect paying more than twice the price? They should perform very similar.

[Mike Archambeau]

Rob;

I think that the Laguna Platinum table saw is identical to he G0691. They have some nice video on the Laguna site that shows the saw up close, including taking the cast iron top off and showing the trunions, motor etc. This video convinced me that this is a pretty well made saw. You can check out the video here: http://www.lagunatools.com/tablesaws/tablesaw-platinumlt#

btw I too am considering the G0691 or the new 1023RSL

[Paul Ryan]

I am not a 690/691 owner, but may I suggest that you also look at grizzly's new 1023R models. They now have the riving knife that was absent since the 1023 was designed, plus instead of using the sloped cabnet dust collection method, they now have a dust shroud that the 690 series does not. And the new "R" models use a serpentine belt for power transfer instead of the 3 V belts. Just my advice after looking through the latest grizzly catalog while "baking cakes".

[Salem Ganzhorn]

I bought the G0691 a couple months ago. It is a really nice saw. Smooth and powerful as others have mentioned.

But I do have a couple issues with it:
1) The fence although nice is not perfect. It moves easily and locks down tight etc but it has a couple issues:


the face is not flat (note that I have heard this complaint about PM2000's as well)
the fence rides > 1/8th of an inch off the table. I would prefer lower. I could probably fix this by lowering the front rail but I installed it as-per the directions (measured with a micrometer :)). So if you buy it install it at least a 1/16th lower.
the nylon buttons that the front of the fence glides on mars/scratches the guide bar

2) The throat plates are not particularly flat. I also don't really like having to use a screw to remove/install them. I fixed this with ZCI's.
3) Dust collection with my 2HP Grizzly leaves quite a lot of dust in the cabinet. I think most saws suffer from this. Not awful until you drop the arbor nut :(.

If they had the 1023R when I was buying I probably would have gone for it instead (for the dust shroud and slightly larger dado capacity). But I am in no way unhappy :).

[James Combs]

Coincidences: I came to this tool forum to post a similar thread but given what I have just read I have plenty to chew on without a new thread. I have the G0690 and the G1023RL sitting in my shopping cart at Grizzly trying to figure out which one to pull the trigger on. I really like the dust shroud on the G1023RL but the G0690 trunnion seems to be beefier. I also like the higher RPM of the G0690. I think you would get a cleaner cut at the higher R's. I will probably end up tossing a coin.

[Clark Harbaugh]

Just to throw in my opinion, I went with the 5HP version of the 1023 about a year ago. Talk about power... I also runs very smooth and passes the nickel test both starting up and shutting down. I absolutely love it. I think either woul be a great purchase.

[Stan Mitchell]

691 owner (9 mos). It's a really nice saw - very smooth running. I especially like having a riving knife.

I wish the dust collection was better too - but it's only a minor annoyance - and really, it's kind of like saying "I wish my pickup had a better stereo". ;) It's not like a contractor style that can leave chips all over the floor.

I may try making some sort of a shroud some day,

[Ryan Welch]

I love my 0691, can't think of how I eer got along without it. Only really have two complaints; dust collection and the rip fence faces. I have replaced the white plastic faces as they are clearly not flat. Take a closer look at the new 1023, these and the 0690/691 do not have the same riving knife. the 1023 has Grizzly's entry level riving knife attempt as on the 0651. This riving knife IMO is inferior to that of the 0690/1

[Eric Gustafson]

690 owner here. I am pleased. Ditto on the cabinet keeping clean with the 4" port for dust collection. I intend to kick that up to 6" later. I didn't use the fence. No real problem with it, but I had a new Beisemeyer in the box and went with that. As far as the front fence glide scratching the table top, my Beise does the same thing.

Riving knife rocks. Plenty of power. Smooth. I thought the height crank was a little stiff at first, but it is just fine now. What is to complain about? NADA!

[David Prince]

It may seem like a very trivial issue, but a strong selling point for me for the G0690/1 is that the dust port is on the right side. This happens to be the same side I had my previous saw hooked up and only required minimal effort to route my DC pipe. A second part to this is that I have the remote switches on my blast gates. If the dust port was on the back or left side it would have been terribly inconvenient to reach the blast gate to activate the DC. Mine is very easy to access on the right.

Maybe not an issue for most, but something to keep in mind depending on how you have your shop set up.

[Jim O'Dell]

David, I will second your observation of the dust port location. I mentioned in a post about 2 years ago, that my dream saw would have the port on the right (this is a time when right is correct on a table saw:D:D ) side. I even thanked Shiraz publicly when the 690/1 saws came out...that someone actually listened!!
Eric, I plan to enlarge to 6" very quickly...may not even try the 4" on it. I'm also considering raising the sloped floor 1/2" all the way around, to get the floor closer to the pick up hole. And/or using some sort of adapter inside the base that reaches down and to both sides to collect the dust. I also plan to seal off the edges somehow. Possibly with some round foam backer that I slit and mount over the edge of the pan to seal against the sides of the base. If not that, then maybe some foil HVAC duct tape.
Ryan, why do you feel the riving knife is inferior on the 1023R series? I didn't see anything that looked that way to me. The trunnion is totally different. I'm curious if it rides straight up and down, therefore not needing the gearing that the 690/1 needs to keep the knife from rising above the blade when raised. Is this the dovetail way trunnion that the other Laguna Platinum series saw uses, or something totally new and different? Have you seen one in person? I'm really curious how it's made that makes it different. Not knowing the details makes me slightly less than 100% that I would still have taken the 691 I bought over the 1023R series. But if I felt that the trunnions were equal, other features that the 691 has would still win out. I would have to be 100% secure that the new trunnion was markedly better.
With the little I've played with sliding the fence back and forth, yes the plastic buttons do leave a mark on the rail, front and back. I bought some of this http://www.mcmaster.com/#order-history/0110jo%27dell/=5umxre item #76445A711 to try. 18 yards for under 6 bucks. I'll be trying in on lots of things!!! ;) I'll post later when I see how it works.
My one minor, I can't call it a dislike, maybe I'll borrow what one of our mentors would always say when she wasn't thrilled with something on a show dog. Jan would say, I could like xxxx better. That applies to the fence. It is solid, it is smooth so this is not a dislike, but when locked down, the tail end pops up, then drops back down on the rear rail. I'm playing with ideas to fabricate something that will correct that. The extra slick tape will probably come in handy for my idea. Once I can get some warmer weather, I'll play with that some more. Maybe this Sat.

Rob, sorry I can't give you any testimonial after running lots of wood through it. One of these days. But I think it's pretty neat that no one, that has posted, that has used their's is saying don't consider it. Most are very happy with their version of the 690/1. Good luck with your decision. Jim.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

690 owner here. I am pleased. Ditto on the cabinet keeping clean with the 4" port for dust collection. I intend to kick that up to 6" later. I didn't use the fence. No real problem with it, but I had a new Beisemeyer in the box and went with that. As far as the front fence glide scratching the table top, my Beise does the same thing.

Riving knife rocks. Plenty of power. Smooth. I thought the height crank was a little stiff at first, but it is just fine now. What is to complain about? NADA!

I had a Beisemeyer on my previous saw and actually I prefer the one that comes with the G0691 but only because if the fence material on the Beisemeyer goes out of square you cannot fix it. I also like the idea of the front buttons that the grizzly fence has. That being said I have not managed to adjust mine to the point where they actually do what they are supposed to (which is keep the fence parallel to the blade while moving it so there is no big change when you lock it down).

The one thing the Beisemeyer had going for it was that thin stock could not get underneath it and the top of the rail has a nice machined path for the fence to ride on and mine didn't scratch. It did however get slight rust at which time I scratched it really bad removing the rust :).

PS: I just spend ~2.5 hours making finger joints on my G0691 :).

[Rob Hough]

I appreciate everyone's input thus far. I think I'm pretty well sold on the 0691 at this point. Now if Grizzly would have a tax sale... that'd be awesome. :)

[Eric Gustafson]

If not that, then maybe some foil HVAC duct tape.


That is exactly what I did, Jim! It keeps the accumulated dust from falling on the shop floor. The dust in the bottom doesn't get out of hand. Enough air moves that it does not pile up. There just is not enough air movement to keep it clean.

[Ryan Welch]

Jim, Regarding the riving knife,I haven't used the new 1023 but, have had extensive experience with the G0651 and the 1023's riving knife looks identical. The main issue I had with the G0651 was the inability to position the knife without basically bending it into place. If a piece of lumber catches it in any way it flexes out of position. It is much flimsier than that of the 0691 and is one of the main reasons I purchased the 0691 over the 0651. The riving knife on my 0691 is a joy to work with, easy to adjust and very durable. Again, this is just my opinion but, I would take a close look before purchasing one of them. The riving knife can realy make the sawing exercise unpleasant if you aren't happy with it.

[scott spencer]

....Is a Unisaw or PM twice the saw as a G0690 or G0691? If not, then why is it twice the price and then some?


I think David's comment/question here raises an excellent point. PM and Delta use a traditional dealer network that includes dealer support, for which there is built in markup. Grizzly is a direct importer and the lower price reflects that there is no dealer markup. Being their own middle man isn't for everyone, but it offers substantial savings to those who are. That's not saying that Grizzly, PM, and Delta cabinet saws are equal in quality, but Grizzly has long proven that their quality is more than sufficient for both hobby and industrial use, and that all the savings aren't due to lower quality components. The Delta is American made, which also merits some premium....the PM2000 is an import. Jet, GI, and Steel City are all imports also, and IMO Grizzly quality is on par with them.

[Rob Hough]

Trigger has been pulled. I will provide updates (with pics) when all is said and done.

[Jim O'Dell]

Thanks Ryan! I haven't seen the 651, so didn't realize that the riving knife would be less substantial. Impossible to tell from the catalog or web site pictures. That's solid "real life" information that will be good for those contemplating which of the saws they purchase. Jim.

[Ryan Welch]

Thanks Ryan! I haven't seen the 651, so didn't realize that the riving knife would be less substantial. Impossible to tell from the catalog or web site pictures. That's solid "real life" information that will be good for those contemplating which of the saws they purchase. Jim.


I also came across a review from FWW that had the same concerns as I regarding the riving knife on the 0651.

http://www.deltaportercable.com/unisaw/articles/riving_knife.pdf

[Charlie McGuire]

I've had my 691 for about 9 months and I'm very happy with it. Agree with the comments that dust management could be better as well as the fence face. Aside from that, it has purred along with everything I've put through it.

I had grizzly send me new fence faces as my originals were way not flat. The replacements showed up quickly and were better, but still not flat-flat.

The default splitter seems a bit wide for thin kerf blades, but I had a shark guard with thinner splitter which works great. I wasn't really keen on giving up several WW II thin kerf blades leftover from my contractor saw.

The biggest factor was the price let me add in a G0490x at the same time for less than higher priced cabinet saws

The poster who said they replaced their fence face - what did you replace it with ?

[Ryan Welch]

Charlie,

I went with baltic birch plywood laminated on both sides with some high quality white plastic laminate. After lamination I utilized the existing plastic fence to layout, drill, and counter sink the holes. looks good and is dead-on and I mean dead on. But, without going to all that trouble i would say a sealed piece of 3/4 mdf would work.

[Rob Hough]

The default splitter seems a bit wide for thin kerf blades, but I had a shark guard with thinner splitter which works great. I wasn't really keen on giving up several WW II thin kerf blades leftover from my contractor saw.

I've got a few thin kerf blades that I'd like to hold onto as well, but they are not of the same quality as WWII blades so I'll probably just hold onto them for my miter saw or something. The manual I looked at stated that Grizzly didn't recommend using thin kerf blades on that saw, probably for the reason you've pointed out.




I went with baltic birch plywood laminated on both sides with some high quality white plastic laminate. After lamination I utilized the existing plastic fence to layout, drill, and counter sink the holes. looks good and is dead-on and I mean dead on. But, without going to all that trouble i would say a sealed piece of 3/4 mdf would work.


Sounds like I've got a couple of projects already lined up. I'm planning on building a new crosscut sled based on some of the info I've found here, and a couple of other small things here and there.

Pretty excited about this whole purchase. I've been out in the garage measuring floor space and sweeping up ever since I hit the purchase button. LOL

[Jim O'Dell]

I've been tempted to order an extra RK and have it ground down to work with thin kerf blades. I have a WWII 30 tooth that I've put a total of about 6' of pine through, and I'd love to be able to use it for ripping, even though it's not a true ripping blade. Unbelievable cut on the pine 2X4 I ripped. My contractor saw I'm keeping at this point won't be oriented to rip anything over about 6'.
Ryan, thanks for the link. I'll have to wait to look at that this evening at home. Jim.

[Rob Hough]

"We are currently out of stock of the G0691 Cabinet Saw and expect to receive a shipment on approximately March 26, 2010. "

/sigh

This is actually a big problem for me. We have a floor going in and I need the saw. Unfortunately I have plans to sell my current saw this weekend... ARGH!



update --- so now I'm seriously looking at the Laguna. It irks me to pay that much more in shipping, but some of the cost is offset by the fact that they are offering free shipping this month. It is still about $200 more though. The customer service complaints I've read about are really the biggest concern I have...

any other options? am I being far too impatient? should I just wait? I'm very impulsive by nature and this is the first thing I've spent a ton of time researching. My biggest fear is that I'll do something stupid between now and March 26... like buy a new guitar, or amplifier. lol.

[Shiraz Balolia]

"We are currently out of stock of the G0691 Cabinet Saw and expect to receive a shipment on approximately March 26, 2010. "

/sigh

This is actually a big problem for me. We have a floor going in and I need the saw. Unfortunately I have plans to sell my current saw this weekend... ARGH!



update --- so now I'm seriously looking at the Laguna. It irks me to pay that much more in shipping, but some of the cost is offset by the fact that they are offering free shipping this month. It is still about $200 more though. The customer service complaints I've read about are really the biggest concern I have...

any other options? am I being far too impatient? should I just wait? I'm very impulsive by nature and this is the first thing I've spent a ton of time researching. My biggest fear is that I'll do something stupid between now and March 26... like buy a new guitar, or amplifier. lol.



Bob - We have them in stock and QC is checking them out (routine with all shipments). The machines should release soon and yours will go out. Sorry about the misinformation, and thank you for the business.

[Rob Hough]

Bob - We have them in stock and QC is checking them out (routine with all shipments). The machines should release soon and yours will go out. Sorry about the misinformation, and thank you for the business.


Shiraz - thanks for the update. I received an email from Mr. McCoy as well. I had already canceled the old order, but will re-submit. Trying to reach him now.


Update *** Back on track w/Grizzly! This has seriously made my day! Not that I doubt Laguna has a quality offering as well - but the CS stories really had me concerned, and the price was the difference between having dust collection or not. Very excited, once again! Back to cleaning up the garage! (wow... should I be excited about that?!)

[Jim O'Dell]

Bob, your story sounds almost identical to mine when I ordered at Christmas time. Shiraz popped into my thread also. I ended up with the saw in a few days time, when I was told back ordered and April.
Congrats on the saw to come!! I know how happy I was when I picked up the phone to order, then the slight disappointment when it was going to be a couple months, then how stoked I was when I heard it was on it's way. I know you are having the same feelings.
And again, thank you Shiraz for helping us out!!! Jim.

[Van Huskey]

Bob, your story sounds almost identical to mine when I ordered at Christmas time. Shiraz popped into my thread also. I ended up with the saw in a few days time, when I was told back ordered and April.
Congrats on the saw to come!! I know how happy I was when I picked up the phone to order, then the slight disappointment when it was going to be a couple months, then how stoked I was when I heard it was on it's way. I know you are having the same feelings.
And again, thank you Shiraz for helping us out!!! Jim.

I remembered that and wondered how often they lose sales because of people thinking they can't get an item for weeks.

[Rob Hough]

They had not completely lost me. my gf was actually trying to talk some sense into me. :) I can be pathetically impulsive sometimes, heh.

[Jim O'Dell]

I don't know....looks like you did well with the gf!! :D Jim.

[Todd Moody]

I received my G0691 in November. After getting all the electrical for the shop worked out, etc, I finally had time for fine adjustment of the saw a few weeks ago.

So although I haven't put a lot of wood through the saw, I can comment on a few things.

I love this saw so far, though I do know I compromised to save a pile of money.

I was able to get everything quite well adjust and am very happy with the cuts.

The only thing I found quite annoying are the throat plates. Its near impossible to get a throat plate to sit flat & level. I expect I'll chuck them and make my own.

Good luck.

[John M Bailey]

I have had my G0691 for a while now, and I love it more every time I use it. I love everything about my saw except for the extension table. This is a direct cut and paste from Grizzly website; "The extension table features adjustable legs, square steel tubing frame and dimensionally stable top." This is not so, the framing of the extension table is flimsy small thin angle. I mentioned this to customer service, but they told me no, its tube frame, I said no, its thin angle. The problem was, CS is looking at the specs and I was looking at the actual saw.
Other than that, I love the saw. My previous experience with table saws include a Powermatic 66 and a Craftsman contractor. I prefer the G0691 to the 66, the trunions are much much larger, heavier, and sturdier. After using the Grizzly for a while, I am very pleased. Great Saw, Great price.

[Van Huskey]

I prefer the G0691 to the 66, the trunions are much much larger, heavier, and sturdier. After using the Grizzly for a while, I am very pleased. Great Saw, Great price.


Having seen both I am a little more than dubious of this statement. The 66 has some serious trunnions... But the 691 does have significantly more than adequate trunnions.

[John M Bailey]

dubious?

PM 66

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/STITCHOP/PM66-B.jpg

G0690/691 Trunnion

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/STITCHOP/g0690_det4.jpg

[Jeff Miller]

I think the Grizzly trunnion looks heavier............Grizzly looks a little smoother/better casting than the Powermatic:)




JEFF:D

[Van Huskey]

I think the Grizzly trunnion looks heavier............Grizzly looks a little smoother/better casting than the Powermatic:)




JEFF:D

Dubious no longer, you proved what I thought I remembered.

The key is where the PM is significantly heavier which just happens to be the most important places... I wish we were standing with both in front of us and I could show you what I mean.

The PM has a different design and the picture doesn't show as much of the assembly as the Griz but I will bet serious money that if you weigh the entire trunnion assembly you will be surprised how much weight is "hidden" in the 66. Not sure exactly what vintage that 66 but it is new enough to be mustard (doesn't look gold) but old enough to have wedge belts.

Be aware I am not questioning the fact the trunnion on the 690/1 isn't good enough for 30+ years of service and there are plenty of PM66s that have been banging along for 40+ years with 5hp and over motors in them so it really is just an academic.

I could have swore the 690/1 had ditched the old school 3 belt drive for a poly. That is one area the 1023 has an advantage.

[Jim O'Dell]

I'd bet any of the saws out there could be converted to serpentine belts by changing out the pulleys. Anyone make a double serpentine pulley?? :D:D:D Jim.

[Van Huskey]

I'd bet any of the saws out there could be converted to serpentine belts by changing out the pulleys. Anyone make a double serpentine pulley?? :D:D:D Jim.


Jim where are you headed? If you want more surface area, the poly Vs on the market can handle more than 3hp, even Leeson hp! A standard poly V is sooo much better than a triple V, the triple V never really has three belts sharing equally, one belt is always shorter and carries the bulk of the load. If you really wanna go that route just get a wider belt and pulleys.

[John M Bailey]

how about these views? All Pictures of the PM 66


http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/STITCHOP/pm20assem201.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/STITCHOP/pm20assem202.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c76/STITCHOP/pm20assem203.jpg

[Jim O'Dell]

Jim where are you headed? If you want more surface area, the poly Vs on the market can handle more than 3hp, even Leeson hp! A standard poly V is sooo much better than a triple V, the triple V never really has three belts sharing equally, one belt is always shorter and carries the bulk of the load. If you really wanna go that route just get a wider belt and pulleys.

Thanks Van. No, I'm not going there...just throwing in the idea that I bet any of the triple belt saws could be converted if one wanted to. I need to get things so I can really play with mine before I'd even think I knew I needed to do something to it. :rolleyes:

Side question...do the serpentine TS units have a spring loaded belt tensioner like cars do? Or do they rely on the weight of the motor to tension the belt? I'm guessing the latter. I guess someone could devise a triple tensioner for the regular V-belts to insure proper tension on all three belts for power transfer. But man, that gets real complicated. Jim.

[Van Huskey]

how about these views? All Pictures of the PM 66


No need for more pictures you have completely convinced the 66's trunnion is heavier. If you can't see it all I can say is you need to take another look at a 66 in person.

[Van Huskey]

Thanks Van. No, I'm not going there...just throwing in the idea that I bet any of the triple belt saws could be converted if one wanted to. I need to get things so I can really play with mine before I'd even think I knew I needed to do something to it. :rolleyes:

Side question...do the serpentine TS units have a spring loaded belt tensioner like cars do? Or do they rely on the weight of the motor to tension the belt? I'm guessing the latter. I guess someone could devise a triple tensioner for the regular V-belts to insure proper tension on all three belts for power transfer. But man, that gets real complicated. Jim.


You might even be able to use the parts for the 1023. Poly Vs use the same tension arrangement as the triple Vs. Jim, don't worry about the triple Vs not transfering the torque they have done the job for years, vibration is the only practical issue and that is not really an issue either.

[Ryan Welch]

I have had my G0691 for a while now, and I love it more every time I use it. I love everything about my saw except for the extension table. This is a direct cut and paste from Grizzly website; "The extension table features adjustable legs, square steel tubing frame and dimensionally stable top." This is not so, the framing of the extension table is flimsy small thin angle. I mentioned this to customer service, but they told me no, its tube frame, I said no, its thin angle. The problem was, CS is looking at the specs and I was looking at the actual saw.
Other than that, I love the saw. My previous experience with table saws include a Powermatic 66 and a Craftsman contractor. I prefer the G0691 to the 66, the trunions are much much larger, heavier, and sturdier. After using the Grizzly for a while, I am very pleased. Great Saw, Great price.


John, may I suggest rebuilding the entire extension table, the cheap laminate isn't flat anyways. I reinforced with angle iron and was relatively succesfull

[Jim O'Dell]

You might even be able to use the parts for the 1023. Poly Vs use the same tension arrangement as the triple Vs. Jim, don't worry about the triple Vs not transfering the torque they have done the job for years, vibration is the only practical issue and that is not really an issue either.

Don't misunderstand me...I'm not interested in changing mine. I posted the double serpentine question mostly as a joke in what we will do to hot rod our tools, that Toolman Taylor syndrome. :D I am curious about the set up though. Now if some 12-15 years from now I have a reason to change a pulley, I would consider the change over. But otherwise I'm perfectly happy with the trip V set up. Heck, I've got to get my saw on the mobile base so I can actually cut something meaningful!!! ;) and to do that, I've got to get it painted. Looks like tomorrow will be warm enough. I hope!!!! Jim.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

No need for more pictures you have completely convinced the 66's trunnion is heavier. If you can't see it all I can say is you need to take another look at a 66 in person.

Heavier/not heavier... not clear to me. But the PM66's does look more balanced. Too bad it doesn't have a riving knife :).

[John M Bailey]

No need for more pictures you have completely convinced the 66's trunnion is heavier. If you can't see it all I can say is you need to take another look at a 66 in person.

I have just went and looked at the PM 66 I used for years at work. After seeing how much better the trunnions on my new Grizzly are, I am glad you suggested that, because the Grizzly is even more impressive to me now.
The old saying that you get what you pay for is right; when you pay for a Grizzly saw, you pay for a saw. When you pay for a PM saw, you pay for a saw and for the name Powermatic.

[eric eaton]

I purchased the 691 last July and it has been a truly great tool and would do it again in a heartbeat. This saw has never bogged down or even stopped while ripping 10/4 bobinga and walnut.

A few quibbles although minor ...

Fence face needed shimming and still is not quite flat enough for my tastes.

The gears on the trunnion mechanism like to attract sawdust even with decent dust collection, but nothing some occasional maint doesn't take care of.

The riving knife is great and has saved me a few times from having a new wooden hat, but it is slightly finicky adjusting and maybe needs to be a few thousands thinner ( I use a WWII for just about everything).

The extension table is less than stellar and really needs to be beefed up, I like to dance on my saw on the weekends and it flexes mightily under my corn fed american frame. I will probably build a custom table with router top once the loml and I buy a new mortgage with house included this fall.

All in all this is a fantastic saw and it really is the heart of my shop, the purchase was easy, the delivery was smooth and fast and I only needed 2 repair parts after a few months which Grizz sent out fast with no questions asked.

All in all I would recommend this saw to anyone looking for an amazing cab saw at it's price point. Grizz earned my repeat business with this tool.

Good luck

P.S. Layout your shop with chalk on the floor before you make your final location decision, really helped me with where I placed the saw !!!

[Rob Hough]

I placed my order last week and received it on Tuesday of this week. Had some issues, but I think they are getting sorted out so not that big of a deal. Thus far Grizzly has been very responsive to all of my needs. Below is the saw still on the pallet about 15m after removing the outer packing material... and my cat, whom I didn't even notice until just now. lol.

Not going into an indepth review here - saving that for a thread of its own. I'm going to try getting some pics this afternoon of the saw to accompany said review/gloat. So keep an eye out for that if you're interested.

http://www.sawmillcreek.org/picture.php?albumid=312&pictureid=2990

One thing though. The delivery guy said the order had been "re-cooped", whatever that means. It looked like someone drug the order behind a train or something. He also asked me if it would be ok if the saw had tipped... I didn't even know how to respond to that question. I took pictures of all the shipping container dmg, noted it on the bill of landing, etc. The funny part is - the box with the least amount of physical dmg was the one that had a damage item. The collector ring for my D/C was dented. It "useable" but I have asked for a replacement, which Grizzly is sending me out.