Purchasing table saw

[Greg Woloshyn]

Ok, I'm ready to take the plunge. Woodcraft is having a sale today and tomarrow and I think I'm going to get the JET pro shop table saw. I've heard awesome reviews about it, but have a few questions first. Since this will have the motor enclosed in the cabinet won't it get damaged and full of chips since I don't have a dust collection system? I plan to hook up a shop vac, though. My second question is concerning an outfeed table I plan on building for it. The fence rides on a length of angle iron on the back of the saw which makes it very hard for me to attach an outfeed table directly to the saw with no gap. Has anyone done this? BTW, The JET is selling for $900 at Woodcraft and with the sale I'll be paying $810 for it. Thanks in advance.

[Jim O'Dell]

You're probably going to have to pay attention to the cabinet, chip wise, if you don't have a dust collection system. Kind of like those of us with cyclones have to keep an eye on the barrel so we don't overflow and fill up the filters. The shop vac will be good for vacuuming it out, but I doubt that it will do much as a collect while you cut solution. It just doesn't move enough air. But better than nothing. If the saw has a sloped bottom, use a floor pick up on the inside going to the shop vac hose...maybe that will swipe a wider path of dust and chips as they slide toward the bottom. maybe you could make some sort of sensor that would let you know when the base gets full to a certain predetermined level? Jim.

[Jason White]

$810 for a hybrid?

For that kind of money I'd suggest a used cabinet saw on Craigslist or a new one from Grizzly (G1023).

Jason


Ok, I'm ready to take the plunge. Woodcraft is having a sale today and tomarrow and I think I'm going to get the JET pro shop table saw. I've heard awesome reviews about it, but have a few questions first. Since this will have the motor enclosed in the cabinet won't it get damaged and full of chips since I don't have a dust collection system? I plan to hook up a shop vac, though. My second question is concerning an outfeed table I plan on building for it. The fence rides on a length of angle iron on the back of the saw which makes it very hard for me to attach an outfeed table directly to the saw with no gap. Has anyone done this? BTW, The JET is selling for $900 at Woodcraft and with the sale I'll be paying $810 for it. Thanks in advance.

[Greg Woloshyn]

Link me to a cabinet saw from Grizzly if I can get one for around $800.

[Matt Day]

Greg,

Jason was referring to a used cabinet saw you should be able to find on Craigslist, not a new one. Grizzly was just blowing out their last year's models of saws and I think there was one close to the $800 price point but I think you just missed that deal; cheapest one now is about $1200.

Anyway, you don't list your location, but search your region for used tools via craigslist or the paper and depending where you are you should find something. I rarely see good used equipment where I am, but I found a used Bridgewood cabinet saw for $300.

Good luck if you go this route!

[scott spencer]

The motor used is Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled (TEFC), so it should be fine if you keep the chips remotely under control.

The Jet Proshop is well regarded and well reviewed hybrid, as you've noted. However, it's still fetching a premium price, but it no longer offers the features of some of the more recent offerings...like a riving knife, and cabinet mounted trunnions. Those features don't make the Proshop any less of a saw than it's ever been, but it does make others more attractive and worthy of some consideration IMO...the Grizzly G0661 comes to mind, as does the new GI 50-240GT, the Steel City offerings, and the new Craftsman 22116.

If you've got 220v, I agree that a 3hp Grizzly cabinet saw isn't significantly more money than the Proshop, but the construction and power differences are substantial.

[Greg Woloshyn]

I didn't realize the Pro Shop doesn't come with a riving knife. I was also considering the Delta 36-715 Hybrid saw for a bit more, but as I've learned I can get a cabinet saw for around this price range. Buying new seems more appealing to me, since my last saw I bought used from craigslist is really on it's last legs. This was when I wasn't very educated on what to look for when buying one. Anyways, I could get the Delta for $770 after a 10% off discount. The link is below.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2080382/29390/Delta-10-Hybrid-Saw-with-T2-30-Fence-and-Rail--Model-36-715.aspx

[Jim Rimmer]

...the Grizzly G0661 comes to mind, as does the new GI 50-240GT, the Steel City offerings, and the new Craftsman 22116.
I hhave the g0661 and love it. I guess you would call it a hybrid. It doesn't have a totally enclosed cabinet but the motor doesn't hang out the back either.

I tried to get you a Grizzly link but I guess their server is down right now; I couldn't connect. Just go to Grizzly.com and enter "table saw" in their search box. They have lots to choose from. Maybe they'll be up tomorrow or later tonight.

[Ryan Welch]

Ok, I'm ready to take the plunge. Woodcraft is having a sale today and tomarrow and I think I'm going to get the JET pro shop table saw. I've heard awesome reviews about it, but have a few questions first. Since this will have the motor enclosed in the cabinet won't it get damaged and full of chips since I don't have a dust collection system? I plan to hook up a shop vac, though. My second question is concerning an outfeed table I plan on building for it. The fence rides on a length of angle iron on the back of the saw which makes it very hard for me to attach an outfeed table directly to the saw with no gap. Has anyone done this? BTW, The JET is selling for $900 at Woodcraft and with the sale I'll be paying $810 for it. Thanks in advance.

If you can swing the extra money for a cabinet saw, do so. Waiting and saving a couple more months for a nice G0690 will pay great dividends. I had a craftsman hybrid and put alot of money into it trying to make it something it wasn't. I eventually sold it and bought a G0691 and am amazed by the upgrade in quality.

[scott spencer]

I didn't realize the Pro Shop doesn't come with a riving knife. I was also considering the Delta 36-715 Hybrid saw for a bit more, but as I've learned I can get a cabinet saw for around this price range. Buying new seems more appealing to me, since my last saw I bought used from craigslist is really on it's last legs. This was when I wasn't very educated on what to look for when buying one. Anyways, I could get the Delta for $770 after a 10% off discount. The link is below.

http://www.woodcraft.com/Product/2080382/29390/Delta-10-Hybrid-Saw-with-T2-30-Fence-and-Rail--Model-36-715.aspx

The Delta doesn't have a riving knife either, and IMHO isn't quite as nice of a design as the Proshop. The Delta uses table mounted trunnions combined with the old style connecting rods between the brackets. The Jet uses table mounted trunnions combined with a cast blade shroud between the brackets, which is a more elegant solution. Both will give you good service once setup well and equipped with a good blade.

Do you have 220v available?

Take a look at the guts of a typical industrial style cabinet saw (Grizzly 1023 in this case):
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/g1023s_trunnion.jpg

Take a look at the guts of a typical hybrid similar to the Proshop:
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y203/hewood/sawparts/g0478_trunnions.jpg

[Greg Woloshyn]

That Delta does have a riving knife. They call it a splitter in the specs, I assume that's the same thing? Yes, I'm rewiring my shop to provide 220v in a few months. Unfortunatly my budget right now is under 1k so I cannot afford a cabinet saw. It's either the pro shop or a Delta hybrid.

[Chuck Isaacson]

That Delta does have a riving knife. They call it a splitter in the specs, I assume that's the same thing? Yes, I'm rewiring my shop to provide 220v in a few months. Unfortunatly my budget right now is under 1k so I cannot afford a cabinet saw. It's either the pro shop or a Delta hybrid.

A splitter and a riving knife are not the same thing. A spliter stays at a fixed height. A riving knife rises and lowers with the blade.

[Cary Falk]

[QUOTE=Greg Woloshyn;1357243]That Delta does have a riving knife. They call it a splitter in the specs, I assume that's the same thing?QUOTE]

No, they are not the same. The Delta has a splitter. It does not rise and fall with the blade.

[Richard Dragin]

I still think hybrid saws are a product of the marketing department. The pictures posted tell a big story, all the beef translates to a smoother running saw. The hybrid is to fill a niche in the table saw market, those who want a cabinet saw and all the features at a lower price, so they cut out the beef.

If you've bought off of CL before and you have the knowledge resource of the Internet and SMC, why not do it again? Or, wait a little until you can get a new cabinet saw.

[Greg Peterson]

I think you will be somewhat disappointed in the performance of your shop vac as a DC unit.

A hybrid with cabinet mounted trunnions is preferable to table mounted trunnions.

Don't assume your saw will not need any fettling. The blade may be close to parallel, but generally the user can set the parallelism better than the factory.

Getting the blade parallel to the miter slots with the blade at 90 degrees is relatively easy with either trunnion design. Getting the blade parallel when it is set at 45 degrees is a bit of work. Table mounted trunnions are probably a little more challenging to work with on this adjustment.

A riving knife sits closely behind the blade and move with the blade (up/down/angled). Riving knife is longer than a splitter too. Riving knife can be left in for non-through cuts whereas a splitter has to be removed. Riving knives are generally easy to remove and install.

[glenn bradley]

Just when you thought you had it all figured out ;-) I agree that the price on the Jet is high. Amazon has it right now for $799 with free shipping. As others have said, $800 is in the neighborhood of a more substantial saw but, there are always contributing factors that we others may be unaware of that help make your choice.

I own a hybrid but, at the time I bought it there wasn't a saw to be had near $1000 that could touch it and I paid quite a bit less than the Jet's price range. A few years later the price on entry level cabinet saws starting heading towards $1000 so I guess I may have extremely delayed buyers remorse if anything(?). Nah, I enjoy the saw every time I use it and am glad to have it. If I was doing it today though a Griz 1023 or 661 would definitely get some serious analysis.

[scott spencer]

I still think hybrid saws are a product of the marketing department. The pictures posted tell a big story, all the beef translates to a smoother running saw. The hybrid is to fill a niche in the table saw market, those who want a cabinet saw and all the features at a lower price, so they cut out the beef.

If you've bought off of CL before and you have the knowledge resource of the Internet and SMC, why not do it again? Or, wait a little until you can get a new cabinet saw.

It seems to me that the hybrid design is a very logical evolution of the contractor saw. The bain of the conventional contractor saw is the number of issues the outboard motor poses. The motor was located there for fast removal for easier transport. Since contractor saws are now rarely used as portable jobsite saws, there's no benefit to having the motor hanging out the back. The hybrid moves the motor inside the enclosure, and offers a saw with the same table size, similar duty rating, similar motor power, similar electrical requirements, better DC, shorter drive belt, and no lifting hazard when the blade is tilted, thus fewer alignment issues, all while occupying a smaller footprint. For people tied to 120v, it's a significant step in the right direction IMO, but they do fall well short of the braun of an industrial cabinet saw.

[Prashun Patel]

I have the Jet JPS10. It's nice for what it is. I find it to be very accurate (the fence, especially) and does let me do everything I want to. However, if I were to do it again, I'd get a cabinet saw. The one time I had to adjust the trunions, it was a major pain.

The dust collection on this saw is just ok. The bottom of the 'cabinet' has a lot of holes that require plugging. The only way to really get it to run well is to replace the guard with one that has a dust port (I use a Sharkguard, which I doubly like because the guard decouples from the splitter so I can always a splitter on every cut).

I did rig an outfeed table to the back angle iron. I just mounted a 1x4 in the 'L' and bolted it to through the L's bolt holes right into the saw. The outfeed hangs off that 1x.

The nice thing about hybrids is they run at 110v. If yr like me, upping to 220v for a cabinet saw can cost a couple hundred $$, so factor that in too.

All in all, though, as my needs are increasing, I do forsee ultimately springing for 220v and for upgrading to a cab saw w/ riving knife. Best to wait a little and buy better than to save a buck today, IMHO. Honestly, the only reason I'm STILL waiting is because I think I might just go whole hog and jump to a Sawstop (but that's a major investment)

This goes for bandsaws too, also, IMHO.

[Milind Patil]

If your saw motor can be re-wired to 220V, I think you must do so. The investment of 220V wiring will pay off. Your motor will run more efficiently and will develop little more power as it will be losing less energy in copper losses (which are proportional to the square of the current, and equals to R * I2 (that is suare of I and not two times I) where R is the motor resistance in ohms and I is the current in Amps. So when current is reduced to half, the copper losses are reduced to a quarter !). Your motor will also be subjected to less stress and heat (due to half less current flowing through it) which will prolong its life.

Also, once you have 220V circuit, your choices for tools will become almost unlimited since voltage won't be barrier anymore !

In fact, I personally think any equipment in excess of 1 HP should be run off 220V only.