Poll: what brand of table saw you bought

[mreza Salav]

NOTE: This pole is targeted at people who have bought a NEW tablesaw (sliding table saws included).
So if you have not bought a NEW tablesaw please do not vote.

Also, this is not intended to be a thread discussing merits of one specific brand or type of saw vs others nor to be turned into politics.

I understand the poll is not giving some options some people would like to see, or isn't inclusive of all brands.

The specific date 2006 is about the time SS became readily available.

This is a non-scientific simple survey of some users. I know it has many flaws and I am not trying to use this to draw any scientific or valuable conclusions.

Just trying to see how many of some of the brands or types are being bought/sold.

Edit: I forgot to add another option: Those who bought a different cabinet saw brand after 2006. Perhaps those who fall into this category could just post in this thread.

[Rod Sheridan]

Wow, 50% of us bought a slider................LOL..................Rod.

[John Donofrio]

Wow, 50% of us bought a slider................LOL..................Rod.

Nope... Only 33.3% NOW :D

[Steve Rozmiarek]

Apparently us slider guys are good at slacking off early today!

[Steve Keathley]

Apparently us slider guys are good at slacking off early today!So that's why they call you sliders. :D

[Ray Newman]

Mreza Salav: Interesting how you devised and phrased your polling questions.

Might lead to some interesting results, especially the number of those -- like me -- who opted for: “I bought a non-sawstop tablesaw before 2006 but would buy a Sawstop if I had to buy today.”

[Alan Bienlein]

My wife bought me my Ridgid TS3650 for christmas back in 2005. Never wanted anything more than that till SawStop came on the market. I make my living working in a cabinet shop and have access to sliders and cabinet saws and even a cnc but I wouldn't trade my Contractor saw for any of them. If I were to get a SawStop it would be the contractor as I could them mount it on the mobile base my Ridgid is mounted on.

[Cary Falk]

Nope... Only 33.3% NOW :D
I knocked it down to 29.63%

[Frank Drew]

I bought a new, mid-sized sliding table saw before 2006 (long before 2006) and would buy the same or a similar saw today; in other words, I'd rate the sliding table more valuable to me than the saw stop feature, even though I dinged a finger tip once on a previous saw (the blade had not been re-tensioned after the arbor hole was bored out to a larger size).

[Peter Quinn]

I bought a PM 66 before SS was available, I voted would buy a SS today, and I would if I were buying a cabinet saw. But if I had it to do over right now I'd buy an 8' slider, find some way to make up the difference in cost. It would be nice to have a slider with breaking technology, and an electric break. Does the saw stop have a breaking motor? Under non emergency situations?

[scott spencer]

I bought a Shop Fox W1677 in 2008. Other than being white, it's physically the same saw as a Griz G1023SL, and they're associated companies, so I voted it as a Grizzly saw.

[phil harold]

I bought a tabelsaw (not slider/sawstop) before 2006 but would buy a Slider if I had to buy today

[Larry Browning]

Just curious, what are you going to use this information for? Do you have some specific motive, or is it just for you own curiosity and amusement?
BTW I bought my saw in 2005 so I am not participating. Even though I still consider my saw new! Oh, wait, I can vote, so I did!

[Mike Heidrick]

Why did you choose 2006? Sawstops were available before 2006.

[Paul McGaha]

I bought a Unisaw about 2002 or so, I voted if I had to buy a saw today I'd buy a Sawstop but I'm really mixed about that.

There is a real part of me that says what about the rest of the tools in the shop that don't have flesh sensing technology?

Not meaning to start an argument I'm just saying I'm mixed about it.

PHM

[mreza Salav]

This is just for my own curiosity. I have read many times from people working in tool stores that Sawstop is the only brand they sell. So one reason to have small sample about this.
But that doesn't say anything about Grizzly for example which seems like a big player. Also it seems sliders are becoming more popular among hobbyist. So all things combined wanted to have sense of how each type is doing.
I know SS launched in 2005 but I chose 2006 since I thought they were known much in the first year.

I am surprised by the number of SS buyers or would be buyers as well as number of slider owners.

[Mark Ashmeade]

Can I vote 4 times? I have bought 4 table saws since 2006, the latest being a Sawstop.

[David Weaver]

I'd buy a slider. I had a delta saw, and now have no TS. If I had to have power tools, I'd buy a slider, though. Sawstop would be the last saw I'd buy unless I had employees.

[Bill Space]

I think the questions are flawed.

For example, I chose that I "bought a Grizzly"

But I would also have selected " I would not have bought a Saw Stop"

But since I chose the first option ( sitting in the shop now) the other option which was true was not recorded...

So I don't think the results will reflect the reality that is out there...

[mreza Salav]

The decision of buying a Grizzly is already implicitly saying you didn't want to buy a Sawstop. So at least in that regard it is reflecting the reality.
BTW, I did say from the beginning these questions are not going to be what some people want.

[Stephen Cherry]

wow, I didn't know that people bought new table saws. I just thought that they showed up on craigslist when they were ready to be bought.

[Bill Space]

The decision of buying a Grizzly is already implicitly saying you didn't want to buy a Sawstop. So at least in that regard it is reflecting the reality.
BTW, I did say from the beginning these questions are not going to be what some people want.

Actually, had the price been the same I would have bought the Saw Stop.

But since the Saw Stop was about three time the price, I could not afford one.

So it is a small point, but the reality is that however much some of us might like to buy something, there are other demands that prevent us from doing so.

So in the end, however much I might like to buy a SawStop table saw, the price point prevents me and others from doing so. Great safety feature by the way, who can argue that?

Anyway, in my case, anything that happened before this month matters little as I just took delivery of the new saw a couple days ago...

Not sure of the purpose of this thread, but perhaps a " I would have bought a Saw Stop if the price was competitive" question would have be meaningful...

[Dan Davis]

My first post here.

I just got my SS a week ago and love it.

Dan

[Stephen Cherry]

My first post here.

I just got my SS a week ago and love it.

Dan

welcome, and congratulations! Have you done the hotdog test yet?

[mreza Salav]

Sure, there are certainly other questions that could be added or should have been added (like one I had in mind but completely forgot was for those who bought a different brand of saw other than SS/Unisaw/Grizzly). There is only a limited number of options that can be given in a poll.

As I said, the purpose of this poll was only out of my own curiosity to see roughly what percentage (of a small group of people i.e. here on SMC and participating on this poll) have bought Grizzly, what percentage are buying SS or would have bought it if it was around at that time and what percentage are opting for a slider.
I have seen a number of places the claim that SS is #1 selling tablesaw, and also that Grizzly sells a lot more saws than anyone else. Not that this proves anything but perhaps it is an indication of what's going on in the market.

[Mike Heidrick]

I really doubt frequent forum visiting woodworkers are an indication of the "woodworking market". Many here are VERY informed. My average woodworking club members (I have about 87 members in my club at work) have never seen a sawstop in person (other than those who have toured my shop) and only a very very small percentage own a PM66 or unisaw or ANY cabinet saw. Most own contractor or jobsite saws, tons of craftsman contractor saws, and lots of saws from box stores. 90% of woodworkers are not going to forums.

[Wade Lippman]

My wife bought me my Ridgid TS3650 for christmas back in 2005. Never wanted anything more than that till SawStop came on the market. I make my living working in a cabinet shop and have access to sliders and cabinet saws and even a cnc but I wouldn't trade my Contractor saw for any of them. If I were to get a SawStop it would be the contractor as I could them mount it on the mobile base my Ridgid is mounted on.

I can understand that maybe a contractors saw meets your needs and you can't justify a more expensive saw, but you actually wouldn't trade your TS3650 for a slider or a cabinet saw?! That seems incredible; explain.

[Alden Miller]

Just curious, what are you going to use this information for? Do you have some specific motive, or is it just for you own curiosity and amusement?
BTW I bought my saw in 2005 so I am not participating. Even though I still consider my saw new! Oh, wait, I can vote, so I did!

Larry, your tag line "There are 10 kinds of people in this world; Those who understand binary and those who don't." cracks me up!


-Alden

[William C Rogers]

I bought a used 1980's Jet cabinet saw. It has served me well and would like to buy a saw stop, but most likely would but a Grizzly due to my budget. I'll probably end up keeping the Jet, but will need to replace the bearings sometime soon.

[mreza Salav]

I really doubt frequent forum visiting woodworkers are an indication of the "woodworking market". Many here are VERY informed. My average woodworking club members (I have about 87 members in my club at work) have never seen a sawstop in person (other than those who have toured my shop) and only a very very small percentage own a PM66 or unisaw or ANY cabinet saw. Most own contractor or jobsite saws, tons of craftsman contractor saws, and lots of saws from box stores. 90% of woodworkers are not going to forums.

You are right Mike that many woodworkers (and in particular many pro woodworkers) do not participate on forums and this sample is a very very small group of people.
Honestly my targeted audience here was not those who have bought a craftsman contractor in 1970's or buy a $100 Ryobi job site saw at homedepot. It was mostly those who buy a
serious (like a cabinet) saw at a tool store, AND in particular those who have bought in the past few years.

Thanks to all who participated in this poll.

[Larry Browning]

Larry, your tag line "There are 10 kinds of people in this world; Those who understand binary and those who don't." cracks me up!
-Alden
Well, you obviously fall into the 1st group.
I'm waiting for the response that says "Oh Yeah, what about the other 8?"

[Alan Bienlein]

I can understand that maybe a contractors saw meets your needs and you can't justify a more expensive saw, but you actually wouldn't trade your TS3650 for a slider or a cabinet saw?! That seems incredible; explain.

I've used sliders since the early 80's so I'm no stranger to them. They are fine for sheet goods but For me they aren't as versatile as I need them to be. Remember it's not the tool that makes the project!

I also need my saw to be mobile as I sometimes do other things in my shop such as car repair on the side. I could probably rig up a cabinet saw on a mobile base but what benefit am I really getting from a cabinet saw that my TS3650 doesn't already do for me? I would actually lose storage space by going to a cabinet saw. Dust collection wouldn't be any better.

A slider takes up to much space. If I were to get a slider in no way would I settle for less than 10' rip capacity on the slider. Then I would need another way to do my dados. I would also lose part of my outfeed table that I use for an assembly bench.

As far as not trading for a cabinet saw that is true as it's not worth it to me. I use to cut on a cabinet saw for 10 hours a day 5 days a week for about 8 years and theres nothing a cabinet saw has to offer that my contractor saw can't do also. Period. Now if a contractor sawstop came my way I would trade my TS3650 in a heart beat but never for a lesser saw from manufactures that can't be innovative and cutting edge.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

I use to cut on a cabinet saw for 10 hours a day 5 days a week for about 8 years and theres nothing a cabinet saw has to offer that my contractor saw can't do also. Period.

Ripping 3" of oak?

[Rod Sheridan]

. Then I would need another way to do my dados.

.

Or you could do what we do and order your slider with dado capability............Rod.

[Alan Bienlein]

Ripping 3" of oak?
Bandsaw will take care of that.

[Alan Bienlein]

Or you could do what we do and order your slider with dado capability............Rod.

And now we are talking more money and I still wouldn't have the mobility of my current saw.

Hate to say it guys but sliders aren't the be all end all.

[Brent Ring]

I bought a grizzly slider - do I get to vote twice? :)

[Mike Heidrick]

You are right Mike that many woodworkers (and in particular many pro woodworkers) do not participate on forums and this sample is a very very small group of people.
Honestly my targeted audience here was not those who have bought a craftsman contractor in 1970's or buy a $100 Ryobi job site saw at homedepot. It was mostly those who buy a
serious (like a cabinet) saw at a tool store, AND in particular those who have bought in the past few years.

Thanks to all who participated in this poll.

I hear ya for sure. I really like seeing this poll too. Thanks again. You have some great posts that I find very educational but most of all I enjoy reading them.

And thanks to everyone who posts here and at woodnet.

[mreza Salav]

Thanks Mike, like many others, I learn a lot as well.

[Paul McGaha]

Mreza,

Are you planning on buying a new table saw? Which saw are you leaning towards buying and why?

PHM

[mreza Salav]

I have have upgraded my table saw twice and I am hoping this 3rd saw is my last one (a ICS sawstop).

[Chip Lindley]

I am proud owner of a pre-owned 1998 Powermatic 66 in 2005. It has been my quest saw for many years. It cuts perfectly. With overhead Excaliber blade guard/dust extracter, I feel very safe operating the PM66. Sorry SawStop! No future buyer here!

~~Chip~~

[john looser]

I have a Ridgid TS3650 and a couple Skil tablesaws for building birdhouses and I am happy with them . I am not interested in sawstop whatsoever .

[Michael Lutz]

In 2002 I bought a PM 66, which I was fine with until my wife had an accident with it. After she got back from the hospital, she wanted the PM gone and a sawstop in it's place. So I now have a SS, which I have to say I like better than the PM. I think the mobile base, dust collection/guard, and the riving knife are definite improvements. I moved my Jessum slider from the PM to the SS. Works just fine.

[Peter Kuhlman]

I purchased my Bridgewood 10" left tilt cabinet saw about 8 years ago and put a Delta guard, riving knife, Incra fence on it. Absolutely love it. Have looked at the SS and am impressed with the build quality but the prices are just too high. I think a properly equipped and calibrated "normal" cabinet saw can be almost as safe as the SS, at least for my personal usage.