Who, besides me, is happy with their contractor's saw?

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have a Ridgid TS3660 that does everything I need a TS to do.
It's only real limitation - for what I use it for - is that the arbor is too short for a Dial a Width dado.

It would also be great if it was equipped w/a riving knife, but, an MJ splitter has been working just fine.

In all honesty though, I've supplemented it with a track saw (TS55EQ) that set me back about $800.00 all told.

I'm curious how many others don't see the need for anything else?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Rich,

While I would like to have a cabinet saw, my Ridgid TS3650 has served me well. As it was a gift from the LOML, I will have to wear it before I can replace it.

[Neil Brooks]

[raises hand]

Decked out, tricked out Bosch 4100-09.

Spins my WWII and my Dado King set with relative ease.

Rips through 6/4 hard maple, without sweating.

Accurate.

Last night, though, I was laying out some stopped dados, on my pair of 3' x 1' QSWO panels, for a wine tower that I'm building for friends.

The notion of being able to _fairly easily_ stick a 1' wide panel onto a burly old cabinet saw, and run it over the dado stack, instead of using my plunge router and a jig ... sounded awfully good.

I probably COULD extend my miter gauge enough to get a 12" panel on there, but ... it seems risky.

This may be the FIRST time I think I identified a NEED, rather than a want :)

[Bruce Page]

I guess I have never used a “Good” contractors saw. The difference between my old Craftsman contractor and my Unisaw is like the difference between a Yugo and a Porsche.
They will both get you where you want to go but one will be much more fun.

[Neil Brooks]

I guess I have never used a “Good” contractors saw. The difference between my old Craftsman contractor and my Unisaw is like the difference between a Yugo and a Porsche.
They will both get you where you want to go but one will be much more fun.

And you hit on two of my favorite points:

I've, similarly, never had any real opportunity to use a cabinet saw for any length of time.

And ... my philosophy is ... I DO NOT test drive Porsches simply because ... of course, I'll want one. :)

[Bruce Mack]

Rich,
I have the same saw. Like you I assembled it and later tuned it to very good alignment. I have a Woodworker II thin kerf blade. I adjusted the guard and splitter and use it all the time. I added an Incra gauge. I do mostly smaller boxes now but occasional building tasks. Today I ripped and crosscut 3/4 plywood for steps for a mounting block (horses) I am making for my wife. Perfect 90 degrees, though not required for this task. I haven't the room in my shop for a 52" right of blade or for very long ripping so I do this on sawhorses in the garage, using a circular saw and an aluminum guide.
The electrician who just wired the barn for my wife, put a 220 box in my shop. I'll be retiring Aug. 2011, and fantasized larger equipment, but frankly, I just want but don't need it. I use handsaws both Japanese and English style, and love handplanes including the sharpening.
Truly, I could do no better with a cabinet saw for my work.

[Cary Falk]

the arbor is too short for a Dial a Width dado.

It would also be great if it was equipped w/a riving knife
I've supplemented it with a track saw (TS55EQ)

Are you sure you are happy?:D

I was happy with my Delta till theses froums convinced me I needed a cabinet saw.:rolleyes: I'm happy with that also, but it is a better saw.

[Jim O'Dell]

My first TS was (is?) a Ridgid 3612. It was a workhorse for me. So much so, I couldn't bring myself to sell it when I got my cabinet saw. It is decked out with a modified factory dust collection chute to 6" for my cyclone hook up, Bies fence moved all the way to the right for 50" rip with a laminate covered torsion box for the extension table. Custom made ZCI from Corian with replaceable inserts made it cut very cleanly.

BUT, it's not any where near the saw my G0691 cabinet saw is.

So why keep it?? It makes a great outfeed table for the extension side of the cabinet saw, and it will make for a great dedicated dado saw. Just need to replace the wobble dado with the Infinity Dadonator!! :D

Will it make me a better woodworker? No. But it makes me a happier one!!! Jim.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I'm annoyed at my new-ish Delta contractor saw's inability to say aligned. It seems like it moves from 90* all the time (without me wanting it to!). I can't use the positive angle stops for anything, because they don't have a real positive "hit" - they feel squishy, and if I crank too far against them, it twists the trunnions enough to significantly mis-align the blade.

If it could stay aligned decently, I'd be totally happy with it....

[Mark Ashmeade]

I'm happy with my contractor saw. So happy I am selling/sold my hybrids. Coincidentally, it's a TS3660 too. Much better saw than the R4511s I am disposing of.

That said, one of the reasons I like it is the huge table. The other one being the fence. I was in a tool store in TN the other week and they had a Shop Fox with the roller guide fence on it, and the wide rails. That was pretty good, and I would make room for it. However, the basic table was more along the size of the R4511, ie small.

I think my next TS will likely be the last one I buy, and table size will be one of the determining factor. I'm in no hurry though, the TS3660 is doing its thing just fine.

[scott spencer]

I had a great GI 50-185 contractor saw that did everything I needed it to do, but I never did like the motor hanging out the back or the dust collection. As soon as I used a friend's 22124, I realized that it was everything I wished the contractor saw was. I've since move to a 3hp cabinet saw, but both the 22124 hybrid and the Shop Fox cabinet saw were a "want" as opposed to a "need"...though I will say that I've enjoyed using my last two saws more than the contractor saw even though they're all capable of making the cuts I needed.

[Chip Lindley]

Contractor Saw? Happy? I can't speak for ALL CS's! But, I certainly was--with a good ol' Rockwell Model 10 CS. In the '90s. I took a bucket of rust that had been in a barn fire and rehab'd it up to run like a champ. New Bearings, paint and reground tabletop. I still had only $250 in the saw! It replaced the '70s Crapsman CS that I was totally unhappy with. The saw was just ok, but the fence was absolutely unusable!

The Rockwell's 15A TEFC motor tripped my garage breaker on tough cuts, but, switching to 230v solved my problems. I cut lots of 8/4 hardwood with the little beast! I really enjoyed that CS!

But, honestly, a 10" cabinet saw takes up less space than a CS, unless a 50" fence rail is installed. No motor hanging out the back! The stock JetLock on the Rockwell would rip up to 24" wide was dead accurate and did not cause me to suffer much. I parted with the Rockwell for a PM66, still a little bit weepy.

[Alan Bienlein]

I have a TS3650 tablesaw. I love my saw! At work I use a 5hp unisaw and a 5hp ICS sawstop everyday and for some reason they were lacking something compared to my saw. Found out mine is about 2" taller than those saws. Makes a big difference. The sawstops dust collection is way better than the unisaw but nowhere near as good as my ridgid.

Do I desire or lust after one of these cabinet saws like I used to? NOT ONE BIT ANYMORE! There are other tools in my shop that need upgraded before the tablesaw will ever need to be.
165882
It has a jessum slider and in the photo I just finished attaching the wixie digital readout for the fence. I also have a second fence for the router lift.

[Steve Griffin]

I might hold the record for producing the most kitchens with a contractors saw. For 7 years my little 2-3 man shop used the Rigid 3660 and we cranked out a million bucks of cabinets and furniture.

The reason it worked, was I tricked it out--48" capacity sliding table, $800 of blades and Dado sets, out feed table etc.

While I'm glad to have upgraded to a cabinet saw, the only significant differences are 50" rip capacity and better dust collection. Cut quality is exactly the same.

One thing which was superior with the RIGID was the fence--since it locks from both front and back, I could use the yellow hold down wheels. These don't work as well with the Beismeyer style fence which is really sloppy in the up and down axis.

So 3 cheers for contractors saw. Many hobbiest think if you throw money at a big tool you will get the best results. But a well taken care of, and well set up contractor saw is all a hobbiest needs.

-STeve

[Anthony Diodati]

I guess I have never used a “Good” contractors saw. The difference between my old Craftsman contractor and my Unisaw is like the difference between a Yugo and a Porsche.
They will both get you where you want to go but one will be much more fun.

I have never really used a Uni, short of high school, but my old craftsman 113.XXXXX with up graded align a rip fence,has served me pretty well.
Although maybe I don't know what I'm missing.
I drive an 94 Escort wagon.........LOL
Never drove a Porsche either.
thanks, Tony

http://i217.photobucket.com/albums/cc268/mrbreezeet1/Upload%20and%20forget%202/CraftsmanTS.jpg

[Bruce Wrenn]

I like my contractor's saw so much, that the Uni I bought ten years ago is still being used as a support for a Craftsman RAS. One day, maybe? My only gripe on my CS is tilting the blade to 45 degrees.

[Joseph Klosek]

Dust collection is the only downside for me.

But I have an old Delta that was being thrown away with a Shop Fox fence and it is all the saw I ever need.

I use my band saw for ripping thick stock.

I have never really understood the need for the big cabinet saws in a one man or two man shop, except for their ability to have a decent set up for dust collection. Or you use it to rip 12/4 stock all day.

Although I primarily work with hand tools though and just use the table saw for plywood.

J.P.

[Rusty Eads]

I have a Delta TS350 that is not quite a contractor saw but not a bench either. I say it is not a contractor saw because it is direct drive. I have yet to be able to kill it after 6 years of heavy use. It has a solid cast iron top including the wings which makes it extremely stable. I have been using $20 blades and still able to cut through 2" of oak. I am in the process of replacing it with a rebuilt WT cabinet saw but that is only because I got it through a trade deal. I probably still won't get rid of it, I have been that happy with it.

[scott spencer]

...I have never really understood the need for the big cabinet saws in a one man or two man shop, except for their ability to have a decent set up for dust collection....

Sometimes its not a matter "need", but a matter of "want". I sure didn't need one, but a great deal came along and I really enjoy owning and using one...the additional mass, power, full enclosure, DC, and overall build quality and stability are big pluses.

[Dan Karachio]

Basement with very narrow and steep steps is my largest obstacle to a cabinet saw, but I got a steal on a used Delta contractor with a dead motor that looked great and is dead flat, but needed some love under the hood. New Leeson motor, PALS, pulley, link chain, paddle switch and outfeed table and I am doing everything I need to do. DC is not bad with some modifications.

Still, when I use my neighbors 5hp SawStop, forget it.

[Mike Zilis]

I've had the Sawstop contractors model for a couple of years now. I was fortunate to have gotten it with the cast iron wings, 52" table, beisemeyer-style fence and mobile base. It's pretty much all I could ask for.

The only compromises are mediocre dust collection and running thin kerf blades.

Mike

[John Coloccia]

I've had the Sawstop contractors model for a couple of years now. I was fortunate to have gotten it with the cast iron wings, 52" table, beisemeyer-style fence and mobile base. It's pretty much all I could ask for.

The only compromises are mediocre dust collection and running thin kerf blades.

Mike

I'm very happy with mine too. I just added the new DC blade guard and it works great. Also, for what it's worth, I run full kerf blades on mine with no problem. I don't even remember hearing about thin kerf blades until maybe the late 80's or so. I never did get the mobile base for it.

BUT, if the PCS had been out at the time, I would have surely spent a few extra bucks and bought the PCS.

[Lance Norris]

I started with a Delta CS and the very first time I took on a paying job, it broke and I wasnt able to make the deadline. I decided to make sure that never happened again, and so I ended up with this. I know that people have been happy with Contractor Saws for years, but for me, I will never go back. I love my Cabinet Saw, and smile everytime I see it. Its a joy to use.

[Mike Cutler]

Rich

I have a 15 year old Jet Contractor saw that I still use. It's nice. I completely rebuilt it from the screws up a few years ago, and had the opportunity to go after some of the weak areas to improve it.
I also have a General model 50-220 "Hybrid" saw that I like a lot. I didn't like the lack of dust collection on my Jet.
The two saws sit end to end and are the outfeed tables for each other.

[Matt Zuko]

This is a great post for me. I am somewhat new and looking for a good TS. I am willing to spend the money for somethign good, but frankly dont want to deal with haveing to get an electrician to hook up 220V. my biggest fear with a contractor saw is it wont make great repeatable cuts.

I have searched aroud for a while now and there just doesnt seem to be a great middle ground option. When you look at delta their lineup goes from a $600 contractor saw to a $2,800 unisaw, with nothing in the middle. Grizzly is the closest, but they are all 220v.

Ideally for me and it seems like many others is an 800-1200 dollar saw, that is slightly more beefed up, but not a full blown cabinet saw. Maybe its just me, but I cannot seem to find a great saw that meets these criteria.

[John Coloccia]

This is a great post for me. I am somewhat new and looking for a good TS. I am willing to spend the money for somethign good, but frankly dont want to deal with haveing to get an electrician to hook up 220V. my biggest fear with a contractor saw is it wont make great repeatable cuts.

I have searched aroud for a while now and there just doesnt seem to be a great middle ground option. When you look at delta their lineup goes from a $600 contractor saw to a $2,800 unisaw, with nothing in the middle. Grizzly is the closest, but they are all 220v.

Ideally for me and it seems like many others is an 800-1200 dollar saw, that is slightly more beefed up, but not a full blown cabinet saw. Maybe its just me, but I cannot seem to find a great saw that meets these criteria.

There's a SawStop PCS that's available in 1.75HP for 120V, but really there's no reason in the world why you should shy away from having an electrician run a 240V line. I think you'll find it's not that expensive and once it's done you'll feel silly for basing your table saw decision on the lack of a 240V line.

Grizzly makes a nice table saw.

[Alan Lightstone]

I've had the Sawstop contractors model for a couple of years now. I was fortunate to have gotten it with the cast iron wings, 52" table, beisemeyer-style fence and mobile base. It's pretty much all I could ask for.

The only compromises are mediocre dust collection and running thin kerf blades.

Mike
I agree. The dust collection is mediocre (vastly improved with new blade guard. I'm building a cabinet for it to improve dust collection.) Cut quality has been superb. Cast iron wings and biesenmeyer fence certainly help.

I turned down swapping it for a cabinet saw.

[greg a bender]

I too have a 30 some year old Sears CS. It is / was always a PITA to use. Vibrates and shakes like crazy. Did replace the fence with a Vega, which was a vast improvement over the stock POS. Always hated trying to change the blade tilt, 300 turns on the cheap wheel. Then never sure if it was really back to 90. I will say, I turned out a ton of nice furniture in spite of it.

That saw still sits in my old basement 'shop' while I'm enjoying my new Uni in my new shop. Difference is night and day. It's now a pleasure to cut wood and not a perpetual fight.

Did I 'need' a new Uni? Not really, they both perform the same function, but the way end result is accomplished is quite different.

[Bill Huber]

I am very happy with my contractor saw, it is a Jet JWT-10 and the motor is inside the saw which takes up less space then the normal CS.

When I started looking for a new saw, the two things I was looking at was space, and weight. My shop is very small and I needed to be able to move it around a lot and did not want the motor hanging out the back.

The dust collection could be a little better but outside of that I am very happy with it. It is a little under powered but that has not been a problem as yet, I have cut 8/4 hard maple with it many times.

I took the time to set it up right and have had no problems with the saw at all. I added cast iron wings and changed the fence but I am sure I would have done that with any saw I bought.

165944

[Ben Cadotte]

I have been happy with my Craftsman table saw. But always wanting more though. First mod was combining the rails from 2 different fences to give me a 50" rip capacity. Then I added an Incra miter gauge. But I just could not get it as aligned as I could (blade to miter slots). Well one day I decided to take it apart and see why. Found out the castings the holes for the mounts were not quite right. So I expanded the slots wider and made my own contractor PALS for fine adjustment of the alignment. I put it back together and it is now right on the money and has stayed there for over a year now. I then added a link belt and the machined pulleys. That has quieted it down and lowerd the vibrations. I have a new Shop Fox fence comming for it. The Align-A-Rip was ok, better than the old fence on the older saws. But it still lacked the ease of use of a T fence. I have tossed around buying a true 2hp motor and take off the 1 1/2hp stock motor (the 3hp badge on the body is a joke). I think the extra 1/2hp would make a big difference. I do alot of 8/4 ash and it needs just a little more power.

The mods make the saw quite a bit better than right out of the box. But I still want a cabinet saw. The only thing with me is I will not get rid of the Craftsman. I will be a 2 saw shop. :)

[Ruhi Arslan]

My first BS was the Bosch with folding stand. I fitted with Incra 50" TSLS with the hope that I could stretch it's limitations. I spent more time adjusting it then using it and "upgraded" to a PM contractor saw. Used the same outfit on the PM. I am on the look out for a "real" BS but serves me well so far. I managed to bog it down few times but I am sure it was my fault. I've cut 3" hard maple while building the trestle legs of the bench I am building. It is not a pro equipment but sure it deserves the floor space it occupies. I also covered all the openings to make it semi-enclosed to manage the dust better to some degree of success. Replaced the belt with a link belt but cannot tell the difference. Happy with it? Cannot say one way or another because I have to convince myself to get a cabinet saw. :D

[keith micinski]

I was happy with my Delta contractor saw until I realized how much time I was spending setting it up every time. I had a full cast iron top, a 52" unifence and a built in mobile base. I could cut 4 quarter with a full kerf if I took it easy. Once I started using it a lot though I started realizing the alignment of the blade would not stay set no matter what I did once I moved it at all. The stops were terrible, the dust collection was terrible the motor while adequate was still a little weak. Combine this with the fact that a newer cabinet saw is going to have a riving knife, a 3 hp power motor which is really nice, positive stops that work and most importantly you don't have to check the blade every time you move it to see if it stayed square to the table and the fence. While I admit you can do really good work with a basic contractors saw you can do that same work a lot easier and safer on a cabinet saw. Plus by the time you get a decent contractors saw, add a good fence, link belt and pulleys, and pals you are at 80% of the cost of a new Grizzly 1023.

[Victor Stearns]

I too am happy with my contractor saw. It was my grandfather's until I bought it from him back in the early 80's. I have tricked it out with a Beismeyer fence, better pulley's and belt. I make sure to check the alignment annually. The only down side is the motor. I already have a larger one but not the time to install it.
I guess I fall into the "Porsche looks nice, sounds awesome, but just not in my budget" category.
Victor

[BOB OLINGER]

I have used Delta contractor saws for 35+ yrs. The first was a 9" that my dad bought for me in the early '70's. A couple of years ago, I picked up a very nice 10" at a garage sale for $200. My plan was to use it for a long time until an accident late March in which I cut my left thumb. Now, the plan is to replace this one with a SawStop in December when my finances allow. While I'm looking forward to the benefits of a cabinet saw (like dust collection and other), the driving reason is for safety. I've been very fortunate over the years as I've had very few accidents. But, I found out they can happen in a split second, even with using good safety practices. So, my reason is a bit different from most.

[Jerome Hanby]

Other than some of the cheapo plastic parts like the blade guard and having to make sure the fence locks down square, I don't have any real complaints with my Craftsman (think it's one of the Emerson built models). Still won't keep me from kicking it to the curb (or at lease an unused corner of the shop) when I finish refurbing my Unisaw...

[Paul Johnstone]

I have a Delta contractor saw from the 90's. This was back when they were still made in the USA. First big power tool I ever bought.. A couple weeks later, there was a sale, that I could've gotten a unisaw for about $200 more .. oh well.

The saw has done everything I've asked it to. I can run full kerf blades.
I can tilt the blade 45 degrees and rip the angle for stuff like crown molding, and everything lines up.

I could upgrade to a cabinet saw, but I really like this saw and don't want to.

I got a Shark Guard and boxed in the bottom of the base (with a DC connector), and now dust collection is excellent.