tool buying help wanted!!

[Bill Sanson]

Hi all i am looking for a little advise on my next tool purchase. I have a few ideas in mind and I am hoping to get some opinions on here from all the experience that you have. First of all I build everything from Maloof rockers to dressers and in the future kitchen cabinets. I have a small narrow shop now but will be moving in the next year or so so do not want to buy something small because where i am situated now. I am starting to gain experience and plan to buy tools now that will last me till I cannot woodwork anymore.

I am primarily thinking of either replacing my tablesaw (pics below) or adding to it ie new fence better fence (any ideas) , router table wing etc. I was looking at the grizzly G0690 with the router table attachment or something along those lines. I would look at a General or something different but here in Canada tools are pretty experience and believe it or not it is more cost effective to ship a grizzly to my place.

If i did just an upgrade i was thinking also of either upgrading my dust collection to a decent model with good cfm, i have a 1.5 hp craftsman now and it doesnt work so well. I was also thinking of selling m 6 inch general jointer and upgrading to 8 also probably a grizzly. There is a lathe in the mox there as well but not really a priority as i think i will get more out of one of the above.

thanks for your time in advance,

Bill

[Jeff Duncan]

I think the table saw and dust collection ideas are good andy will serve you well. I'm not the biggest proponent of Grizzly, but there are a lot of satisfied customers out there and it would certainly be better than what you have currently. Heck any decent cabinet saw is better than the most rigged out contractor saw you can find! And dust collection is always a good thing to have in place.

I don't know too much about your corner of the world, but used equipment is generally a great way to improve your shop at reasonable cost.

good luck,
JeffD

[frank shic]

bill, keep your eye on your local craigslist. bargains show up all the time. also, there are a couple of portable table saws that work great when you're cramped for space like the bosch (although i don't like the fence), the dewalt which is extremely light and has a great rack and pinion fence and the ridgid which has a rock solid fence and a wheel stand.

[Prashun Patel]

Think about a good bandsaw. Sounds like you've made your tablesaw work.

[Eric DeSilva]

+1 on craigslist. I found a Platinum Edition Unisaw w/the 52" Bies fence in great condition for a lot less than the G0690 costs new. Not to disparage Grizzly--I like the Grizzly 15" planer and 8" jointer I have and think the company delivers good value.

[Bill Sanson]

Thanks Guys, Prashun I bought a grizzly X2 17 bandsaw last year which i am happy with so I am trying to get something that makes the most sense for me now. The saw I have does work but the fence has to be set with a ruler every time, I am sure it is noy 100 accurate, the motor is not the most powerful etc and i would honestly like a left tilting blade. If there was alot of used unisaws around here i would probably go for that but it is limited for some reason.

[Bill Sanson]

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/King-Canada-Tools-KC-26FXT-i50-5052-10-EXTREME-CABINET-SAW-RIVING-KNIFE-BLADE-/400176318945?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item5d2c5e09e1

this would be the equivilent for sale around here. As you can see it is not cheap and that is without the router table.

[Mike Camp]

If you are planning on making this your "last" (if there ever is such a thing) table saw purchase I would make sure whatever you get has a riving knife. In my opinion that is a very critical piece of safety equipment especially on a saw with a 3HP 220v motor. A friend of mine has the G0691 and his only complaint was the included throat plates were a little cheap, but he made his own and seems to be happy with the results.

I bought an old contractor saw off craiglist and put a new fence on it so it is accurate, but I look forward to the day when I can replace it with a SawStop or at the very least a saw with a riving knife.

[mreza Salav]

If the BB store in NovaScotia is not too far from you, you can pick one of these:

http://www.busybeetools.com/products/CABINET-TABLE-SAW-10IN.-3HP-RIVING-KNIFE.html
http://www.busybeetools.com/products/CABINET-TABLE-SAW-10IN.-3HP-W%7B47%7D50IN.-RAIL-CSA.html

Look identical to the Grizzly model and 3 year warranty and the price seems close (once you factor in the shipping to Canada). Buying local might be easier later on if you need any kind of service.
I don't have any of them, so not speaking from experience.

[Peter Kelly]

I'm not big on General's "International" line but given the choice between Craftex and King Canada I'd give this a look if you're after a new saw:

http://www.fundygrinding.com/default.asp?mn=1.40.43&sfield=content.id&search=99

[frank shic]

the ridgid brand of stationary power tools are all pretty decent except for the bandsaw and that can be salvaged as well if you put in some effort.

[Sid Matheny]

I got the Craftsman 22116 hybird a few weeks ago and really do like it. Upgraded from a old Delta contractors saw and wouldn't want to go back.

Sid

[Larry Fox]

Taking it in maybe a bit of a different direction. If you are moving in a bit maybe hold off on the purchase until you get there. Maybe take this opportunity to build out our hand tool collection as your choice likely won't (in any way I am aware of) vary based on the size of the shop you are moving to. Just a thought - feel free to shout me down. :)

[Doug Colombo]

If you are looking for a fence for your present saw, my vote would be for the Vega. I put one on an old Craftsman saw and loved it, as does my son in law who nows has the saw! In fact, in some ways, I like it better than the Bessy that came on my Unisaw. It is lighter, easier to get off the saw, very solid, and has a micro adjust that comes in handy. Very easy to install and set up.

[Bill Sanson]

Thanks for the advice guys all great stuff. I have thought about holding off but and its a big but I am in the navy so my next move could be one of many before I settle. I have my end shop in mind when i buy all my tools and make my shop work for me and it works so far. I have thought of another root today and that is to upgrade the saw i have although not ideal. I thought of adding a blade guard and some sort of riving knife, sliding table attachement and maybe even a router table. This along with buying a good forrest blade may do the trick, however then i am into the saw for alot and would be pretty much stuck with it... If shipping wasnt so much i think the grizzly would be here in no time.

[Will Phillips]

Hi Bill;

Been there too. I found that I could fit a Powermatic (27'') router ext onto my Unisaw. Further 'bastardized' it by adding 2 Craftsman cast iron skeletons to come up with 700 lbs of smooth. 228707228708

[Jim Andrew]

My thinking was the upcoming move as well. If you have Menards stores near you, you could load up on Jorgenson Cabinet Master clamps on their sales. We have had 2 made in america sales since they opened, and the 24" were 21.99 last time. My collection is growing. The stock leaves before I get there, but they give me a "sorry slip" and I pick them up in about a week.

[Bill Sanson]

Hey all this is what they recommended at fundy today. I would like to add the sliding table attachment so it would come to 2640 tax in and with shipping. It was 1700 for the saw and 600 for the sliding table ( i think it would be worth it??). The sales manager feels that this saw is very similar and probably made at the same factory as the grizzly and he said that although some King tools are junk some are well made such as this one
http://www.kingcanada.com/Products.htm?CD=82&ID=21353
Grizzly quoted me with shipping for the G0690 again with the sliding table, 2130$ including freight but not duty ie taxes. It seems expensive but i guess that is my lot living here. There is nothing on CL and hasnt been for awhile. So i am down to one of these two, waiting for something to come up or just upgrading the heck out of my current saw.

[Larry Prem]

I have a Grizzly G1023 and am very happy with it. There are better saws out there, but the G1023 sits in a sweet spot of capability vs price. With a sliding table it's a real performer. It would be a great upgrade for you.

Here are some reviews for you:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?97703-Thankful-for-new-G1023-TS-but-cursing-the-curser
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?9485-Comparable-Options-to-Grizzly-G1023-Cabinet-Saw
http://www.hingmy.com/showthread.php?54-Review-Owners-Thread-G1023S-10-Table-Saw-3-HP-Single-Phase-220V
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?106066-Questions-Grizzly-G1023-vs-G0690-G0691

If you are not in a rush, I suggest you spend some time on craigslist. In most cases you'll be able to sell what you buy for roughly the same money.
It's a great way to try out tools, and find the odd steal.

[Bill Sanson]

Looked on CL here and a 1950's Unisaw is on sale for 500 bucks, as much as i would love to give it a go i think it wouldbe a lot of work