Question about your Table Saw

[Dave Hammelef]

I have seen lots of people ask about table saws just wondering how many people would not recomend there saw to someone.

Please specify Cbs (cabinet Saw), Cns (contractor saw) , Dds (direct drive saw).

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

I only answered the poll once, based on my Xacta saw...which I recommend without hesitation.

But we also have a Grizzly 1023ZX at the mesquite outfit that I would not recommend.

KC

[Bart Leetch]

I need to qualify my yes I would recommend my Craftsman contractor saw.

It was made in 1997 by Ridgid When I set it up I used locktite on the screws that hold the fence to the guide shoe that rides on the guide rail. This is where everyone seems to have had a problem with this fence I've never had any problems with my fence or any other part of the saw since I set it up in November of 1997. So if you can find one of these saws & set it up this way it works great.

However you cannot use a stack dado on this saw the arbor has a area right next to the arbor flange that is 5/8" the rest of this arbor is smaller so the chippers & right side outside blade may not be in line with the left outside blade & make a flat dado.

Thats ok I have a set of 9 router bits from Woodline Inc. that will cut 1/4",1/2", 3/4" or plywood width dadoes or melamine width dadoes cost about $43 with shipping & I ordered them on a Wednesday & had them Friday.

I can use a wobble dado if I am doing a lot of dado's to hog them out & the flatten the dado bottoms with the router.

I hope to some day have a Grizzly G1023SL.

[Bart Leetch]

Originally posted by Kirk (KC) Constable
I only answered the poll once, based on my Xacta saw...which I recommend without hesitation.

But we also have a Grizzly 1023ZX at the mesquite outfit that I would not recommend.

KC

Why not???

[Dave Avery]

Dewalt DW746...... like it very much

[John Christiansen]

I am one of the negative votes for the contractor saw. I should qualify that vote by saying, I have had this saw and it has served me well for many years and will probably continue to serve me for years to come, but it is not without it's problems and shortcomings. The greatest being a lack of horsepower. But i'm the kinda person that just won't invest in something new untill the old is a complete goner. I drive my vehicles until they can't be fixed anymore and I keep my tools until they can't be restored to serviceable condition.:( Then I brag about how long they lasted.;)

That being said, I still spend a good amount of time looking at tools and drooling over the thought of owning this that or the other one. And after looking at most of the popular or should I say "more well known" cabinet saws out there (this does not include the big old iron or the european models) and makeing three trips to springfield to caress and slober all over the Griz 1023. I am at a loss, where the other companies display anything that can justify the cost of their saws. fit and finish, trunion strength, fence, horsepower, whatever. I just don't see what is so much better about the other brands, that can command twice to three times the price of a Grizzly.

Someday, should I outlive this old Craftsman I got now, there will be a 1023 sitting in my shop. I just gotta get a few thousand more feet of lumber through this old junker.:D

[David Rose]

I have other". My bandsaw suffices, thank you very much.

Sorry, couldn't resist. :-)

David

[Kirk (KC) Constable]

Hey Bart...see my response to the 'cabinet saw purchase' thread.

I get in trouble every time I specifically don't recommend the 1023Z. A few of you have met me, and a few have actually been to either my place or the mesquite outfit to visit. Those that have know without question that I am not a tool 'snob'. I have a lot of JET stuff at home, but I've also got Delta. And when I get around to buying a big planer and a bigger jointer, Grizzly is what I'll get. I've been very pleased with the planer/jointer, and sing their praises on a regular basis.

The Grizzly will surely do 'everything the more expensive one will do'...but it simply doesn't 'feel' like the same caliber saw while it's doing it. It doesn't 'sound' like the same caliber saw, and the adjustment wheels don't adjust as 'crisply' as the more expensive saws. I say these things based on personal experience, and frequently using the Grizzly and JET within an hour of each other.

KC

[Bill Grumbine]

I have a Delta unisaw which was built in 1954, four years before I was built. I love it, and would not hesitate to get an older saw like this again. It was not my first saw though.

My first table saw was an 8" Black and Decker direct drive table top saw. I thought it was the greatest thing, and I used it heavily. For years though, I lusted after a bigger saw, and after a long time, finally got the $395 to buy an AMT 10" contractors saw. I thought it was the greatest thing, and I used it heavily.

After using it for some years, I started "tweaking it out". I put a Vega fence on it, I swapped out one wing for a Bosch router table, I put a link belt and turned pulleys on it, and a good carbide blade from Freud. I thought it was the greatest thing, and I used it heavily.

Then one day I saw an ad in the paper for this used unisaw. I had the money, but I did not have the room for it. I bought it anyway, for the day when I would have the room. It took me over three years to get the room, but then I got to set it up and start using it. You might think I am going to write "I thought it was the greatest thing, and I used it heavily." Well I'm not.:D

It is far and away the best saw I have ever owned. It has a Forrest WWII on it, a unifence with an afermarket fence attachment which makes it even better, and a router table in the wing again. It does everything I ask it and does it very well. But, I know now that there are better saws out there. I will probably never own a Felder, or some other similar machine, but I am very happy with my old Delta, and even though I know it is not the greatest thing, I still use it heavily.:p

Bill

[Dan Bussiere]

Nicely said, Bill!!!
Dan

[David LaRue]

I only voted once, and that was for my cabinet saw, a Powermatic 66. Like a lot of hobbyists, that typically start with modest goals and modest equipment, (just in case the hobby interest fades away). I took this course with my 1st saw:

I purchased Craftsman 10" contractor's saw. The one with the cast iron wings and a accessories package that included a better blade, a wobble dado, and some spring steel hold downs. My interest in woodworking grew over the past 11 years but I no longer use or have any of the original purchase.

Mind you, that I too tweaked my table saw, because I felt that I was hampered by an inadequate stock fence system, and the inability to keep the saw in tune. By the time I got the saw the way I needed it, I got frustrated, and sold it. Here is the configuration of the saw when I did:

Vega Fence - I miss the micro adjust
Zero clearance plate
Freud 40 tooth finish blade
Link belt and machined pulley
Dust collection (sort of)

The tipping point for me was the prospect of adding a bunch of jigs and fixtures to the saw. All the time and effort required to do that I felt was best placed on a saw that I was planning on keeping. So, if I were to do it again, I'm not sure I would have changed anything, but if you can afford to start out with a cabinet saw, and think you will stick with woodworking, or get more enjoyment out of it because of a certain saw, go for it. :-)

[Rob Russell]

I have a cabinet saw (older Unisaw) and would recommend it. It's done most everything I've asked of it. The one thing that's not as easy as I'd like is handling sheets of plywood. That's why I've upgraded to a sliding table saw. As soon as I cut some with it, I'll report the results.

[John Schreiber]

I make do pretty well with a circular saw with good shop built edge guides and a sheet of styrofoam. For most smaller cuts I just use my Japanese style hand saws.

I'd love to have a good contractor's or cabinet saw. But I'd love to have some money in the bank even more.

[Jim Becker]

My saga is similar to Bill's, but much more compressed in time (although I was built a year earlier, myself). I ended up with my third table saw only little more than a year into this wonderful hobby. My first was a Craftsman benchtop that I bought in early 1998 before I knew any better... Six months later, I bought a Delta Grand Edition Contractors' style saw with the UniFence which I was extremely happy with and that fit in the space I had available. It also matched all my nice Jet equipment in color...hee hee...

When we moved to this property about a year later, I had a bigger shop and the money for a cabinet saw was no problem. I sold the Delta for not much less than I paid for it and have been using the cabinet saw ever since. While I miss the UniFence, my Jet LT machine has been rock-solid. It's everything I could have wanted in a table saw. The only thing I'd change is to add a sliding table if I had the space for one...which I don't.

[Paul Geer]

I have a Delta unisaw 3hp with the 52" extension Unifence on a movable base at the home shop, had it now for 3 years, Yes would recommend.

And here at the workshop we have Delta unisaw 5hp with the Beisemeyer setup, just got it last year replaced a Grizzly we had for 10 years, Yes would recommend but would point out problems with the extension tables.

Both have 10" blades of course.

[Sam Chambers]

So far, I'm happy with my Delta Contractor's Saw. It was a factory refurb unit, and while it hasn't been used alot in the past year, it's performing well.

I upgraded from a ShopSmith 510 when I got the Delta. The ShopSmith does some things well, but it's a lousy table saw, and I really wouldn't recommend it. (That is unlkess you really enjoy constantly fussing around with a machine that won't stay in alignment.)

One of these days I'll get a cabinet saw, but that's not going to happen anytime soon. So I'm content with the contractor's saw, though I really dislike the blade guard/splitter and plan to upgrade that, some way, somehow.

[Dan McGuire]

I too started out with a Craftsman table top, although for the extra $10 or so I also got the stand. This is at a time when I thought I wanted to get into the hobby of woodworking. As I progressed and my knowledge of tools and what was availbable grew to match my desire, I found that I needed something bigger, more powerful. I shopped for months looking at all the brands (Delta, Jet, Griz, Powermatic ect...) I decided that a contractor saw would meet my needs well into the future, and let it be said that my future consisted of having nothing more than a garage/shop. With that in mind, I knew what ever I purchased would have to sturdy, powerful, yet mobile. That is why I set my sights on the contractor-type saws. I ended purchasing a JET contractor saw and put it on a mobile base. It has to date met all of my needs.:)

[Jason Roehl]

I have the Delta 36-600, which is kind of between a direct-drive and a contractor's--the universal motor is under the table, but only has a very short belt. If you're looking for an inexpensive saw to start with, this is not too bad, currently $300 new at the borg. Will it do everything a Uni does? No way. It's an underpowered screamer, but it has been accurate enough for my purposes.

[Byron Trantham]

I owned a Sears contractor saw for years. I spent enough money on it trying to improve it to the point I could have bought a cabinet saw in the first place. Of course I couldn't afford one at the time I bought the contractors saw. I bought a Delta Unisaw with the mobil base, Beisemeyer fence, etc. Some of the differences are subtle, while others are obvious. One of the subtle differences include blade changing using two wrenches rather than just one obviating the need for a jam stick to hold the blade in place. Better dust collection. More solid. One of the obvious differences include more power. the overall feel of a cabinet saw is so much better.

A note on the Sears saw and using a stacked dato set. As has been pointed out, the chippers can fall into the threads of the arbor causing groves in the dato. I bought some J&B Weld epoxy and [carefully] filled the gap. I turned the saw on, (blade removed, of course) and used some Emery cloth to sand the weld down to the diameter of the arbor. Result? Flat bottomed datos. It held up very well. I used it like that for about two years before I finally sold the saw.

[Dave Hammelef]

ok people either dont like to vote, dont own a tablesaw, or are unsure if they would vote.

But still interesting of those voiceing an opinion by far would recomend there saw, and most of those are Cabinet saw(2/3) owners with about 1/3 contractor saw owners.

Wow I really thought we had more people with contractor saws then cabinet saws.

[Don Farr]

I have a Ridgid TS2424 and I think it is a good saw for the money, BUT if I had it to do over again, I would have saved a little longer and bought a good cabinet saw. Like Byron said it is easy to spend a fortune on upgrades. I am now looking to buy a new fence system that's almost a grand. That with the cost of the saw and other upgrades (miter gauge, etc.) I could have bought a nice cabinet saw.
So much for hindsite.

[Peter Kuhlman]

As to the views vs poll-- I for one have read this post a couple times with only one vote so I do not think that is a very accurate way to analyze the data. I have a Craftsman contractor saw and voted no (of course ;) ). What would be interesting is with the contractors saws - how many are happy with their quality saws - the top line Delta and PM64a types? There are some very poor contractor saws that are a nightmare to use due to having to readjust the blade-fence alignment frequently after making bevel cuts. This is the singular reason that I am purchasing a cabinet saw.
Pete

[Eric Apple - Central IN]

I can recommend the Jet contractor saw with the xacta (beis) fence. Seems to go a pretty good job, and power seems fine, and it stays tuned. I've ripped oak table legs that took the full height of the blade and had to slow down feed some what with an atb/r blade. So it may burn cherry if you had to cut it that thick (or switch to a rip blade). The new "supersaw" is very close in price. So that might be a better choice if buying new. I don't know because I have not owned one yet.

The one annoying thing is when cutting bevels > 30 deg, the outfeed table must be moved because the motor comes up so high.

[Steven Wilson]

I would recommend a Powermatic 66 for an American style cabinet saw. However, I find myself using a panel sled more and more and think it's time to upgrade to a Minimax or Felder combo.

[Bud Duffy]

I have a Crafstman 10in. directdrive with the ribbed aluminum top which is a pain but i dont do production work so that dosnt matter. When we bought our house 12 years agao it was a fixer upper i told loml we nedded a table saw and she went right out and came back with this one as it fit the budget at the time, it has done everything i have ever asked of it with no problems. I put a good quality 60 tooth blade on it and a good fence. I would reccomend this saw for those that are budget challenged as i was at the time now i am looking for a better setup. I am thinking my son will get this saw as a birthday gift in the near future.

[Paul Dwight]

My tablesaw saga started with a Craftsman contractors saw. I wish I could say I put some thought into that choice, but at the time I honestly didn't know anywhere to buy a "big" tool other than Sears. I used the saw very happily for several years until I figured out that some people had saws on which they didn't have to measure from blade-to-fence (front and back of the blade!) before every cut. I replaced the stock fence with a Vega fence and used the saw very happily for several years.

I replaced the Craftsman with a Jet contractor's saw when my projects started requiring more than straight-line 90-degree rips. Miter cuts on that Craftsman were down-right scarey. I transferred the Vega fence to the new Jet and used the saw very happily for several years.

I upgraded to a Griz 1023S about 18 months ago. The Jet was occassionally a little under powered, but really it did everything I needed it to do. The move to a 1023S was more of a "want" than a "need." Anyway, I'm thrilled with the 1023S and would make the change again in a minute. -- Paul

[Scott Coffelt]

I too started with a contractors saw. It was all I could afford at the time. It was a Mao Shan, built with heavy cast iron top and wings. The fence was sad, and I eventually upgraded to a Mule fence, machined pulleys and link belt. Eventually it started to wear out a little and I decided it was time to spend some more money on a saw.

I went with the Grizzly 1023S and I have never regretted it. Cuts beautifully and accurate. Given a choice I would buy it again.

[Jack Diemer]

Had the Jet contractors saw with an exacta fence, upgraded to the 1023S. Never had a regret, or a desire to get something else.

[Doug Edwards]

I have a 1 1/2 year old Craftsman contractor saw. I know that there is a lot of Sears bashing aroud the forums, but this saw was without a doubt the best quality saw I've seen for less than $500. My next door neighbor has a DeWally hybrid. It's nicer, but he paid $1450 with options. Mine has a 2424 fence that stays dead on. Cast extension tables, built in router table and a mobile base all were included. Someday I will get a cabinet saw, but for now I've got no complaints.