Beginner Table Saw

[Justin Revard]

I had recently decided on a Grizzly G0771Z table Saw and will likely pick one up soon. I do not anticipate needing more than a 2HP motor but I would like a good fence and dust collection. I learned that the G1023RL has the features that I would like to eventually have. In fact, if it were not for the requirement of 220V power I would have already changed my mind to the G1023RL. I also realized that the rails on the G0771Z are aluminum which was disappointing.

Will it be possible to add features to a G0771Z such as steel/iron rail and fence, dust collection, etc. as money and time permit? Are there any other factors I should consider? I am quite set on buying a Grizzly product.

I just took one last look at the Grizzly site and found the G0833P, could this be a good option rewired for 120V?

Thanks so much for any advice, I'm a beginning woodworker.

[Mike Burke]

Justin,
I just upgraded my table saw in my small hobby shop and went with the Grizzly G0690 cabinet saw. I upgraded from a contractors saw. BIG improvement !!! It stretched my budget but I figured it could be the last table saw that I buy. So......you might look at it that way. Your already thinking about upgrading things before you buy and those upgrades will NOT make the 771z a Cabinet saw.
I am very happy with my 690 and am pleased that I decided to spend the extra money now and enjoy my saw every time I use it and not think about upgrading in the future. There are so many options and directions to go for a beginner. Buy a bench top saw and make sure you like the hobby and then upgrade to a bigger saw.....or buy a big saw from the start and then you have something of value to sell if you don't like the hobby
There are several ways to look at it.

[Paul Ruud]

Justin, I started with the G0771Z and have no regrets. The missing features that you mention did not prevent me from making accurate cuts. For the projects that I do (furniture, instruments), those features add to the convenience of the TS.

I agree with Mike. There are several ways to look at your purchase. It's important not to buy a machine that you will grow out of quickly or that will frustrate you. Experience helps with anticipating those issues, and the good folks here have a lot of experience. If you get a lot out of woodworking, you will almost surely upgrade your TS someday, even if you bought one of the other saws you mention. That said, I found the G0771Z to be a good first machine.

[Robert Engel]

Well, I started out with a circular saw screwed to a piece of plywood LOL.

My next big "step up" was a 60's model Craftsman with a horrrrrilble fence.

My next step up was more like a Space Shuttle launch - I went straight to a 3HP cabinet saw (Jet Xacta cut).

If 220 capability is not possible ( have you consulted an electrician?) then unfortunately you will to be limited to mid or lower tier machines, power wise.

Have you tried looking for a used cabinet saw?

[Curt Harms]

If getting 240 volts is not practical, I'd get the saw and use it for a while before adding upgrades. I'm pretty sure Griz saws have standard miter slots so after-market miter gauges and sleds should be straight forward. If you cut mostly 4/4 and sheet goods you may not miss the added HP and if you feel the need for an upgraded fence there are lots of options. I would give the included hardware an honest trial first though.

[Jim Becker]

I personally don't prefer the idea of a "beginner table saw". Choose a machine that's capable of what you really want to do with it and if the bug doesn't bite, it will be easier to sell than something on the lower end. I'm not suggesting buying "high end expensive"...I'm talking more about heft and capability. Honestly, the small expense and hassle to get a 240v circuit made available is worth it, IMHO, so you can go right to that 1023 which will likely serve better in the longer run. If you are truly limited to 120v, then one of the really decent hybrid saws (blend of contractor and cabinet saw in a sense) might be the better choice for you, even if you need to consider other brands to zero in on the best choice for you. BTW...don't think you have to have the "big" 52" or so cutting capacity, either. Most folks can work happily with a 30-36" fence setup and the extra space for bigger often just "collects things". What you want is the "beef" for best long term use and the larger table around the blade, itself. Again, my opinion and others might think, well, otherwise.

[Curt Harms]

Jim is right about the huge table. Some use that as an assembly table. Ok, I'm assembling something and want to use the table saw. Can I without moving/disassembling stuff?

[Mark Daily]

Justin I bought the G1023 almost 20 years ago and have no complaints. If 220V is not an option then it looks like the 833P has everything you want but it is more expensive. There are many aftermarket rails and fences available if you go with the 771Z and decide to upgrade later, but they could easily exceed the $250 price difference in the 2 saws.

(Just FYI, I didn’t have a 220V circuit so I hired an electrician to run a line from my main panel to the workshop. It was actually much easier then I thought it would be.)

[Mike Kees]

Justin,I have upgraded table saws many times. If you have the money buy the 1023 now. I arrived at a 3 h.p. cabinet saw with a good fence on saw #3. The only way that you will outgrow one is if you get into building kitchen cabinets and need a slider. The difference in power,accuracy,and stability is a huge step up. Don't limit yourself to new Grizzly there are lots of used Unisaws and and Jet or Powermatic cabinet saws around that would save you money or make the step up affordable.

[Alex Zeller]

One think to keep in mind is that you will want a 2hp 120v saw on a dedicated circuit. At a previous house the garage only had 1 30amp 120v line going to it. I had several pieces of equipment that had either a 1 1/2hp or a 2hp motor on them. I can't tell you the number of times I was going to the basement to reset a breaker. After several years I ran a 220v circuit and solved the problem (the house had weird Sears circuit breakers in it so I had to replace the box as well). It truly was one of those "why did I wait so long". Buy the saw you want and in the long run you'll save money. Also if possible bite the bullet and add a couple of 220v circuits if you can as sooner or later you will find something you want that can't be ran off of 120v. I personally think you will loose about half your money if you decide to upgrade and sell it.

[Jim Dwight]

Before getting my 1.75hp Sawstop PCS I used saws less capable than the G0771. I built lots of furniture with the old saws. One was home made. I still have my Ryobi BT3100 and with extension rails and a solid base it did a lot of good work for me. While you can modify a table saw fence, it will cost more to do that than to get the similar G0833. It has a steel fence and also a port on the blade guard for dust collection - something my PCS does not have. It is $250 more expensive, however.

I've used table saws running on 110V for nearly 50 years now. I will admit to that occasionally resulting in a hassle but most of the time it works fine. I have more issues with wood warping into the blade than I do with deep rips. I rip over 3 inches in hardwood when I need to. A 3hp or bigger saw would let you keep a general purpose blade on probably all the time. With smaller saws you really need to use a clean and sharp ripping blade when cutting near maximum depth. I often use 1/8 kerf blades, that makes less difference in my experience than does having the blade be clean and of the right type for what you are doing.

It would cost me very little to have 220V in the shop. I added a second 20A 110V circuit for my 2hp DC. I could have run a 220V at the same time. I know how so I just pay for the materials. But I don't think I need it. I am happy with my 110V tools. But I also want to be clear that I am not saying they will do everything more powerful 220V saw will do. I need to switch blades sometimes when a 220V saw user would not. That just isn't a big deal to me. I can still make the same cuts in wood, I just have to be more careful to have on the right blade.

I don't know how the Grizzly saws do dust collection. It works better if there is a chute around the blade that you hook the DC up to. If it is just sucking out of the compartment below the blade, it will work but not as well, at least with the 110V DC I use. My sawstop has a chute and I get nearly no dust buildup in the cabinet. I am confident I would have a pile that gets smaller closer to the dust port if I was just sucking from the cabinet - because I used to have a saw that way.

I think your choice is good. I would try to scrape together the extra for the steel fence saw but I also think the aluminum one will work fine. Either will not limit what you can make.

[Ray Newman]

Jim Becker is on to it ‘bout the “beginner saw.”

Alex Zeller is dead-nuts-on ‘bout electrical requirements & performance.

As for my experience, back in 1969 I bought a Sears 10” radial arm saw at a Sears “fire sale” price. Was a good saw, served me well but I still wanted a table saw.

About 1980, I sold the radial arm to buy a Delta 34-444 contractor’s saw. Was a very good saw, but still I always wanted a Uni-saw. Dealer told me buy the Uni-saw: “you’ll never regret it; that is the saw you really want.” He worked out a very favorable to me payment schedule. Finally, in 1987, I bought the Uni-saw after selling the contractor’s saw. I ran that Uni-saw from 1987-2016, it worked hard and never failed me. Held its settings on the blade tilt, miter gauge and fence. Sold it for a SawStop because through a momentary distraction, I came close to turning on the saw while my index finger was just about touching the blade.

The Grizzly web site has a feature so you can compare various table saw features. Might be worth your time to use and think about what it shows you.

If you can afford it, buy what you really want up front. The so-called upgrades can get expensive and still not make the saw the saw you really want....

[David Powell]

I also upgraded from a Delta contractor saw to the Grizzly 1023RL. Prior to purchasing, I had an electrician install a 240V outlet. In my case, the electrical panel is in my garage stall/shop, so the outlet was pretty simple to install.

[Lisa Starr]

Like Mark, I have a G1023 that I bought a l-o-n-g time ago. It had a Shop Fox fence that I despised and eventually replaced with a VSCT. Other than that, it as been a great saw. I've never needed to repair it, but am dedicated in doing preventative maintenance. For an very long time, it was the only new tool that I had ever purchased and I've always been glad I went with the cabinet saw.

[Justin Revard]

Thanks to everyone for your input! I have read each comment and greatly appreciate all of your advice. I am now looking at the G0833P and converting it to 110V. What I need for now is a saw that works 'out of the box'. Rewiring to 110V shouldn't be an issue for me, but please any and all advice is welcome.

I am basing my decision on preventing current potential frustrations. If I decide I need 220V down the road then yes, it will be something I'll have to deal with. I don't think I'll ever get that advanced but who knows, and wouldn't it be nice to slice through anything I want without worrying about power. Currently adding 220V and a 3HP saw to my shop is just not reasonable, and I'll bite the bullet and pay the price later if need be.

Any more thoughts on the G0833P?

[Jim Becker]

That actually looks like a decent choice...it's a hybrid saw with most of the desirable characteristics of a cabinet saw with the flexibility to require more modest electrical. It also has a riving knife which I think is important. (most new saws do these days)

[Justin Revard]

It also has a riving knife which I think is important. (most new saws do these days)

Wow! I didn't realize the G0771Z doesn't have a riving knife. As a beginner I am thankful for any safety feature I can get!

[Mark Daily]

Thanks to everyone for your input! I have read each comment and greatly appreciate all of your advice. I am now looking at the G0833P and converting it to 110V. What I need for now is a saw that works 'out of the box'. Rewiring to 110V shouldn't be an issue for me, but please any and all advice is welcome.

I am basing my decision on preventing current potential frustrations. If I decide I need 220V down the road then yes, it will be something I'll have to deal with. I don't think I'll ever get that advanced but who knows, and wouldn't it be nice to slice through anything I want without worrying about power. Currently adding 220V and a 3HP saw to my shop is just not reasonable, and I'll bite the bullet and pay the price later if need be.

Any more thoughts on the G0833P?
Justin, if you contact Grizzly customer service, they might rewire the saw for a small fee before they ship it to you. Doesn’t hurt to ask!

If not, the instructions are posted with the saw information, which you probably already saw.:D

[Mark Hockenberg]

Justin,

My concern with the 833P is the motor size. For another $300 you can get into a true cabinet saw and have 3HP motor. As you can see from other comments above many of us started smaller and later changed to a bigger saw. I started with a used Delta contractor saw. After fighting the cheap fence for a while a moved to a Unisaw. That was a game changer. Once I have the space, I'll change again and get a large slider.

I know it's hard to visualize the utility of various table saws when you're just starting out. If you have some love for the hobby and think you'll stick with it, this $300 extra is a small price to pay.

Cheers,
Mark

[Jim Dwight]

I think the 883 had the potential to be your forever table saw. Lack of power is not often an issue in my pretty extensive experience with 110V saws. And when it is, cleaning the blade or putting on the right blade has always resolved it for me. That includes >3 inch cuts in hardwood. If I was doing that for a living or really often, I would be thinking of a 3hp saw, however. The ~2hp saws will do it but feed rate has to be slow and the saw obviously doesn't love it. But the vast majority of my cuts are in 1 inch material and the 110V saws do that just as well as big ones. Even full 1 inch hardwood is not an issue unless the board misbehaves. I doubt more hp would solve wood warping issues. I have had success inserting a shim into the kerf of boards that wanted to pinch the blade.

Anyway, I think you will get a lot of good service out of that saw.

[Alex Zeller]

First off the G0771 does have a riving knife. I've posted a picture from Grizzly's site below. If 240v is out of the question for now then it's best to move on from that option. The biggest issue between the 771 and 833 seams to be the fence. The over blade dust extraction is nice but can be added later and moved to a newer saw if you do upgrade. For not much more you could get the 771 and a Shop Fox Classic fence. I thought I read a post or two by people who owned the 833, they would best answer the question of if the 833's fence is solid enough. The SF Classic is a copy of the fence used on most cabinet saws sold today.
422541

[Jim Becker]

My concern with the 833P is the motor size. For another $300 you can get into a true cabinet saw and have 3HP motor. ers,


He doesn't have 240v power available.

[Mike Kees]

Everyone has 240 volt power available. That is if you are connected to electricity. Your panel is fed with it,two legs of 120 v. Double breaker,spit a buss and run a three wire,Bingo you have 240 v. Not sure why this is such a huge impediment for people to overcome.

[Jack Frederick]

"I don't think I'll ever get that advanced but who knows," That line will elicit a few smiles. Upon starting, all felt they could control the impulse. You will swallow the hook. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile!

[Alex Zeller]

At my last house the garage was detached and the power was ran underground to it. The wire was a 120v 12/2 direct burial that was under the cement sidewalk between the house and came up through the slab in the garage. It wasn't until I replaced the sidewalk that I could add a 240v line. Even then the AC panel was one made by Sears that used obsolete breakers. What I did was have the power company disconnect the power so I could replace the panel. Yes, I had 240v and if I wanted to I could have just made a very long extension cord and tied it into the electric dryer circuit (so when it wasn't running I could use 240 in the garage). It's usually a case of how difficult and how expensive it would be to add a 240v circuit.

[Jim Becker]

Everyone has 240 volt power available. That is if you are connected to electricity. Your panel is fed with it,two legs of 120 v. Double breaker,spit a buss and run a three wire,Bingo you have 240 v. Not sure why this is such a huge impediment for people to overcome.
Yes, 240v is most certainly available in the OP's home. But it may not be easily made available in his workshop space for any number of reasons. It's not always "bingo, run a wire" easy deal; it could be a rental, it could be on a slab with no good path to get the wire from the panel to the shop, etc. And most importantly, he asked about something compatible with 120v. :)

[Mike Kees]

Jim my point was simply that I find in life that a lot of people do not seem to realize that they do in fact have 240 volt power available. I have 27 years of experience as a certified journeyman carpenter and have done everything from renos to additions to houses,shops etc. Pretty well every scenario of how to get power to here or there,etc. So yeah I get it. As to something compatible with 120v my advice would be 1.5 h.p. as a sweet spot if you want to spend more time cutting wood than resetting tripped breakers. YMMV.

[tom lucas]

For years I used a craftsman cable drive saw. I certainly got good service from it. It was under powered and would throw a breaker on thick hardwood cuts. I replaced it with the gris 1023RWL. What a difference. The gris is a nice saw. A friend purchased the 771 because he had no 220V. He had issues with the fence and gris replaced it. I think he's happy with it now.

I'm a big fan of 220V because most better performing tools are all 220. If you plan to stay where you are and better tools are in your future, look into getting 220 to your shop. You'll be glad you did. Pretty easy to do yourself for less than $100 per circuit.

[Justin Revard]

Thanks to everyone replying to this thread, I love the humor and advice. I was hoping to return with results and a review, but I'm not there yet. I have some issues and a major question. First the simple issues: (1) a weld on the mobile base failed and a set screw thread snapped off (2) hurt my back moving the saw, brilliant move (3) still need to rewire for 120V (4) I'm just down right apprehensive to even push a piece of wood through, I've never used a saw.

My goal with this post is to receive table saw top maintenance advice. Using the link below you should be able to see all the pictures I have of the saw (and my incomplete shop). My MAIN concern is rust. I feel like I'm just sitting here watching my investment disintegrate into a pile of rust. When I got the saw home I cleaned the saw with mineral spirits. I then added a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax to the top and sprayed various moving parts with Tri-Flow lubricant (https://www.triflowlubricants.com/product/tri-flow-superior-lubricant-aerosol/). The saw table top has many spots that look like rust and some of them are pretty bad. I don't know what to do. A couple of days ago I cleaned the top with mineral spirits again and put on a really thick layer of paste wax hoping to 'stop the bleeding.' Please any advice is welcome.

Otherwise really happy with the saw. See one picture where the nylon nub from the fence rubbed the paint down to the metal, what's up with that? Thanks to all.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EbtlYCzajE65pHLnnyW7ikoRXW7nAQWA?usp=sharing

[Frank Pratt]

That rust is a bummer man. I'm fortunate in that I don't have humidity concerns. A couple of things though. Before applying wax, or any other rust inhibiting coating, all that rust should be cleaned off. A razor blade scraper will make quick work of most of it & the remainder can be easily removed with a Scotchbright pad & a little mineral spirits or WD40. Wax isn't the best product to use where you have bad humidity. Fine Woodworking (or some other mag) did a test of a bunch of products & I can't remember the winner, but wax was not it. And that thick application will be a bugger to buff out. You'll probably need to use some mineral spirits to wash it off. I expect others will have suggestions for what product works best for them.

As far as the worn paint goes, just learn to live with it. It's a tool, not a fine automobile & there will be lots more blemishes that develop with use.

Oh, and congratulations on the new saw and sorry about the issues you had with setting it up. I suppose it would be crass and insensitive of me to mention what a pleasure it is to unpack & assemble a SawStop ;) Since you are new to the table saw, be sure to educate yourself first. There are a ton of videos out there, some of which should NOT be watched. This guy https://www.thewoodwhisperer.com/?post_type=&s=table+saw has several table saw related videos that I highly recommend. And use those safety devices!

[David Eisenhauer]

I use a scotchbrite type pad to get rid of any existing rust on my cast table tops and then re apply Johnson's. When my various machine cast table tops were new, they tended to want to rust quicker/sooner after a waxing, but, as time went on, the wax protection seemed to last longer and longer between applications. I now wax mostly for the "slickum" factor rather than to attack any rust. I don't clean the old coat of wax off, just smear a new thin coat on and immediately buff it out with a soft rag to restore to slick feel. I wonder if the table top "pores"? are filled with wax and now better protected?

[Scott Bernstein]

Been down the road your on...as many of us have. I started with a small benchtop saw, just to make a couple small projects and test the waters. I managed to make a several projects with the saw and then eventually upgraded to a SawStop PCS with a 1.75hp motor. I had not yet wired any 220 outlets in my garage. Eventually I purchased a Laguna bandsaw which was 220, so I hired an electrician to install some outlets. Fortunately the main breaker panel for the house is in the garage and so adding three 220V outlets was not too big of a job. About 10 years prior we had upgraded to standard 200amp electrical service (it had been 100A) which came with the installation of a rather large new breaker panel for our relatively small house...so I had lots of empty spaces for new breakers. One reason I purchased the SawStop PCS is that I knew that they make it relatively easy to upgrade to a 3hp 220V motor. It is not cheap, but they do make it easy to order the motor online and they sent detailed instructions. Took about an hour and I had a "new" 3hp 220v saw which was indeed a substantial upgrade over the old motor. Now I have a 16" combo jointer-planer machine which is 220v and a 5hp 220v dust collector. I have since installed about 10 additional 110V outlets around three walls of the garage and a couple in the ceiling, all on their own breakers. I found early on that even handheld routers, shop vacs, and the like use a lot of current and so I was constantly tripping breakers. Plus I wanted better ceiling lights and radiant heaters for the winter (I have four mounted on the ceiling, each on their own circuits).

Anyways...I use a non-scratch scotch bright and rust remover to attack surface rust on all my tools. Then I clean the tops off with Boeshield T9 spray. After wiping the T9 off, I then top it with Renaissance paste wax. If it's a tool with a cast iron top that I won't use often (like my spindle sander that I don't use much), I will actually just spray on a heavy coating of T9 and leave it to dry in place. Creates a nice rust-proof thick coating which can be easily wiped off later.

Good Luck!

[Justin Revard]

I appreciate your feedback on how to handle the rust Frank, David and Scott, I will look for a rust solvent and get some elbow grease behind a Scotch Bright pad. Should I use the green Scotch Bright or can I use something more aggressive? Is it okay to use a buffer to assist stripping the rust?

I expect to battle some tripping breakers and will probably need to run a dedicated 120V line or two. Maybe that means I should've just gone 240V but I feel more comfortable with extension cords using 120V. Also, the G0833P has the option to go back to 220V so maybe I got the best of both worlds. Someone mentioned having Grizzly prewire my saw for 120V, I considered that but wanted to check the scratch-and-dent area just to be sure what I wanted. I think I got the worst salesman in the city, but I also think I got the right saw anyway. I will be back with an update regarding the G0833P saw for those that graciously provided insight. Thanks to all!

Also, I seem to have made a mistake b/c my last post ended up in the middle of this thread (copied to bottom of this post). Thank God I copied my text, I almost lost this whole post.

Repost of rust issue already in this thread (hopefully this one lands at the end of the thread where people can find it more easily)
Thanks to everyone replying to this thread, I love the humor and advice. I was hoping to return with results and a review, but I'm not there yet. I have some issues and a major question. First the simple issues: (1) a weld on the mobile base failed and a set screw thread snapped off (2) hurt my back moving the saw, brilliant move (3) still need to rewire for 120V (4) I'm just down right apprehensive to even push a piece of wood through, I've never used a saw.

My goal with this post is to receive table saw top maintenance advice. Using the link below you should be able to see all the pictures I have of the saw (and my incomplete shop). My MAIN concern is rust. I feel like I'm just sitting here watching my investment disintegrate into a pile of rust. When I got the saw home I cleaned the saw with mineral spirits. I then added a coat of Johnson's Paste Wax to the top and sprayed various moving parts with Tri-Flow lubricant (https://www.triflowlubricants.com/product/tri-flow-superior-lubricant-aerosol/). The saw table top has many spots that look like rust and some of them are pretty bad. I don't know what to do. A couple of days ago I cleaned the top with mineral spirits again and put on a really thick layer of paste wax hoping to 'stop the bleeding.' Please any advice is welcome.

Otherwise really happy with the saw. See one picture where the nylon nub from the fence rubbed the paint down to the metal, what's up with that? Thanks to all.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folde...WA?usp=sharing (https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1EbtlYCzajE65pHLnnyW7ikoRXW7nAQWA?usp=sharing)

[David Eisenhauer]

Justin - As to the scotch brite pads, i have some "other colored" pads that are (I believe) synthetic equivalents of steel wool and some are rougher than others, I would use as rough as one as I needed to remove the rust and then come back over the area with finer grits the same as when sanding wood. The wax can be used as a lubricant if so desired. The main thing is to get in the habit of re applying the wax fairly often until such time as it begins to hang in there. I used to keep a can of Johnson's with a small application rag inside the tin and an old t shirt rag alongside laying out in plain sight to remind me, but now only have to do it once every few months or so. It is a quick operation to slather all of my cast tops with a thin coat of wax, then come back and buff all of them with the t shirt. 5 minutes?

[jeff norris 2011]

As other have said. The rust is no big deal. Clean it up with an abrasive pad, and treat the cast iron with your protection of choice. Repeat as needed.

[John Goodin]

Rust on a new cast iron table is kinda like a scratch on a new car. Luckily a little elbow grease can get rid of it. As a new saw owner take this little bit of advice — never put a cold can of soda, bottle of water, etc on the table unless of course you want to review middle school science lessons in condensation and the creation of iron oxide.

[Jim Peck]

I expect to battle some tripping breakers and will probably need to run a dedicated 120V line or two. Maybe that means I should've just gone 240V but I feel more comfortable with extension cords using 120V.

I'm sure you'll get the rust under control with the great suggestions here--and I'm sure you'll enjoy the G0833P. Unless you start doing a lot of work with very thick wood, it should be a great saw for you for many years. Congrats!

For some reason, your mention of extension cords jumped out at me. The G0833P comes with a 16A motor, I believe. That's 16 peak amp draw, not a constant draw, but it's still a big draw on a 120v circuit. Most 120v circuits are either 15A (using 14AWG wire) or 20A (using 12AWG wire--12 is thicker wire than 14, so it can safely carry more power). Obviously, your 16A motor draws more power than a 15A circuit is rated for. That's not to say that you can't use a 15A circuit, but if you do it may trip more often--especially if something else is drawing power on the circuit at the same time. If you do run new 120v circuits, I strongly suggest making them 20A circuits.

To extension cords: It's not ideal to run a piece of serious equipment like your saw over an extension cord, but sometimes there's no other choice. Please invest in a heavy-duty cord using at least 14AWG, but preferably 12AWG, wire. If you're running on a 20A circuit, then definitely get a 12AWG extension cord. (Most of the "heavy duty" cords I see at Home Depot are 16AWG, so check carefully.) Just because your plug will fit into the socket of a smaller cord doesn't mean that cord is OK for a particular use. Wiring smaller than the load was designed for can overheat. And keep the cord run as short as possible: Don't buy a 50' cord if you only need 10' of run.

You may know all this already, so apologies if I've gone down an unnecessary path.

End of sermon.

Thanks,

Jim

[Don Sundberg]

Is the twist lock outlet behind your saw in the pictures a 240 volt or 120 volt outlet? I would check the wiring to see what is running to it for wire size and use it regardless of voltage. Making an extension cord for 240V isn't much of a problem. Get a length of SOJ cord at the big box store and the ends you need and go from there. My table saw and shaper both have 25' cords on them since they get stored along the wall and pulled out in the middle somewhere to be used.
My first saw was a Bosch portable saw. I did several projects with it before I stumbled on a well used unisaw on a school auction. I kept the portable as it is handy to take the saw to the work and the cabinet saw isn't moving from the shop unless I'm relocating. I still get them both set up from time to time when I want two different setups.