Table saw advice, ready to upgrade.

[Eric Jones]

Hi, sorry if this type of question comes up a lot.

I'm currently looking for a new table saw and I was hoping to get a cabinet saw but it's too expensive this time around. So instead I'm looking at the higher end contractors saws. I specifically want something with an easy to use accurate fence and and extension table.

The 2 saws I'm currently interested in are the:

Grizzly 1022 PRO and the Delta 36-431 LE

If there is anyone here who has experience with either of these saws I'd like to hear your thoughts about them.

I'd also like to know how the Grizzly Shop fox fence compares to the Biesemeyer.

Thanks in advance for your help.

-EJ

[Eldon Berg]

I can't speak for the Grizzly 1022, but I had a Craftsman Contractor saw which upgraded with the Shop Fox fence a few years ago and was very pleased with it.

Last fall I upgraded to the Grizzly 1023sl and it came with the Classic Fence (Biesemeyer look alike) and I think I prefer it over the shop fox Classic, probably because the saw is so much better. Both fences are very good.

Eldon Berg

[Mac McAtee]

Eric,
A table saw is something that a person usually lives with for a long time. Why don't you look around your area, you don't list where you live, but if it is near or in a large metropolitan area, and find a used cabinet saw. There are thousands of them out there and if you dig and be patient you can find one for a decent price. The heavy machine is well worth seeking out. Unless some cast iron part is cracked or broken, generally they hold up well and last forever. I don't know your budget but if you keep at it you should be able to pick one up in the $500-800 range. I'd take a good used cabinet saw over a new contractors saw any day.

[Von Bickley]

Eric,

Welcome to the Creek. I know you'll enjoy hanging out here. There's a lot of good people here that really enjoy woodworking.

I would also like a cabinet saw for my shop but it's not in the budget at the present time. I have a Delta Contractor Saw with the 30" unifence.

If I was buying a new contractor saw, I would look at the Grizzly, Jet or Delta. I would also look for a left tilt saw with a 50" Biesemeyer fence.

[Rob Russell]

Eric,

You might consider holding off until you can upgrade to what you want. You will lose money every time you upgrade your table saw. I've been there - done that.

I started with a Craftsman contractors saw, replaced that with a Unisaw (that I "tricked out") and have replaced that with a sliding table saw. I will be selling my Unisaw and know that I will not get back what I put into it - and I bought it used, so it had already taken that first major chunk of depreciation.

The cost difference between a contractors saw with a good fence and the decent "entry-level" cabinet saws like the Grizzly come down to a few hundred bucks. If you can live with your existing saw a little longer, I really recommend saving until you can get the saw that you clearly want. The difference between the 1022Pro and the Z-level cabinet saw is only $330. Save your pennies for 6 months and go straight to the cabinet saw. You can also consider one of the other, slightly less expensive 1023 saws if you just can't wait as long.

If you have a project coming up which will require you to rip large amounts of stock and that's why you want the upgraded saw now - consider farming that job out. Seriously! If you have your stock prepped to the point it's ready for ripping, take it to a local cabinet/millwork shop. They'll charge you something like $60/hour to rip stuff down. You can do that several times and still break even. By break even I mean the money you pay them would be the same as the depreciation you'll lose on the "mid-level" saw you buy until you can get the cabinet saw and you won't have spent the time required to setup and sell the extra saw.

One general comment about machinery - and this is speaking as a full-blown tool junkie with a tolerant wife - it's not the tool but how you use it.

My grandfather was a cabinet maker. His old Atlas saw is still in my uncle's shop. There is nothing about that saw that's better than any decent contractors saw you're looking at. He measured everything with one of those wooden foldup rulers, usually one with the end broken off so he had to remember to "start at 1 and add an inch" to the measurement. He built some great stuff. You can do the same with any saw.

Unless your current saw is broken and doesn't work, use it for an extra 6 months and save for the saw you want. You'll be happier in the long run and you won't lose the money/time associated with stepping through saws.

Sorry for the long-winded rant.

Rob

[Dave Avery]

Hard to argue with much of what Rob had to say. I'll only add the following.

I went along a similar upgrade path.... Ryobi BT3000 to Dewalt DW746. Given my current WW skills (intermediate+), the DW746 is more than enough saw. Any future upgrades, which I am considering, would be becuase I WANT a new saw, not becuase I NEED a new saw. If my skills improve significantly, that assessment may change. Dave.

[Bob Boake]

you are flirting with sanity. You could be accused of having made a rational judgement.

[Rob Russell]

Originally posted by bob boake
You could be accused of having made a rational judgement.

Ha!!!

I rather doubt you'd call me rational if you saw the machinery I'm cleaning cosmoline off of and assembling in the workshop. Dave Avery's comment about "want vs. need" applies more than you can believe. :D

Rob

[Chip Wright]

I have the Delta 36-41 LE and I am extremely pleased with it. I switched the motor to 220v, which for this particular saw increases the power from 1.5 hp to 2 hp. I love the Biesemeyer fence. So far I have found the saw to be accurate (and to stay accurate), powerful, and completely sufficient for my purposes. If you have any particular questions about the saw, let me know.

[Eric Jones]

Thanks to you all for your thoughts. This is a very welcoming forum.

First some background:

I'm going to be moving to a new house in a few weeks and for the first time I'll have some shop space. My current shop is my father-in-law's garage. I've been working over there on and off for 10 yrs. using his worn out Ryobi contractors saw. So I'm quite excited to get my own space.

To go with the shop I decided my first major tool purchase would be a nice tablesaw. So that's how I've gotten to this point. Over the years I've used various different contractors saws. I started on an old rusty cast iron saw that belonged to my grandfather when I was about 9 or 10. My highschool had an amazing cabinet saw with 50" side tables and an outfeeder. It's been 15+ years, I miss that saw.

So, if I go with a cabinet saw (which is what I truly want), what's the thoughts on a Grizzly over a Delta. I know the Unisaws are highly regarded, I don't know much about the quality of Grizzly.

Thanks again,

-EJ

[Jim Becker]

Originally posted by Eric Jones
So, if I go with a cabinet saw (which is what I truly want), what's the thoughts on a Grizzly over a Delta. I know the Unisaws are highly regarded, I don't know much about the quality of Grizzly.

I happen to moderate another forum on tool buying and the 1023 gets kudos from just about everyone who owns one. I've also looked at them closely at some shows and was pleased with what I saw. As a matter of fact, had the 1023SL been available when I was buying, it would have been considered on the short list.

I'll also echo Rob's comments...being on my third table saw in five years. (Only a year and a half passed between the first and the current saw) Wait a little longer if you must to get what you really want or shop for a good used cabinet saw.

Something I've often said and I'll repeat here: The most expensive tool is the one you need to replace early and often. Buy the best you can afford, even if it requires waiting an extra month or three to do it. It will cost you far less in the long run.