Table Saw with Power Feeder

[Tony Roun]

Hi All, I am looking to upgrade my table saw in the next few months. I have a Craftsman Hybrid Table Saw and it's the weak link in my shop. I'd like my new saw to incorporate some heightened safety features. I have been primarily focused on SawStop PCS 3HP as the option since I don't really have room for a full-sized slider. I was curious if anyone has considered table saws with power feeders as an alternative to Sawstop for safety purposes. I have zero experience with power feeders on any equipment, but it seems like this function on a table saw might allow for hands to stay away from the blade during operation while also preventing any kickback?

For those with experience using a power feeder on a table saw, do you feel this has served as an effective safety device? I have the option to purchase a 3hp cabinet saw with a power feed, and it caused me to think about this.

Any advice is always appreciated.

[Rod Sheridan]

I would go with a small slider over a cabinet saw.

I’ve used mine with a feeder....Rod

[Jeff Duncan]

I use a feeder on my saw, but only for large jobs when I need to run miles of stock. Once the project is done feeder is removed as its just in the way. I cant imagine trying to use if for day to day operations, you'd spend more time tinkering with the feeder setting than anything else, but everyone works differently so??? As far as safety, just learning safe methods and always being aware when operating machinery will eliminate most accidents.

good luck,
JeffD

[Jared Sankovich]

Like Jeff I have one that I just mount when I want to rip a pile if boards. It would be a huge hindrance to leave it on normally.

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[Mark e Kessler]

Slider...Make it work...you can get a short one if you must. I have had a power feeder on a ts, only ever for long runs of material.


Hi All, I am looking to upgrade my table saw in the next few months. I have a Craftsman Hybrid Table Saw and it's the weak link in my shop. I'd like my new saw to incorporate some heightened safety features. I have been primarily focused on SawStop PCS 3HP as the option since I don't really have room for a full-sized slider. I was curious if anyone has considered table saws with power feeders as an alternative to Sawstop for safety purposes. I have zero experience with power feeders on any equipment, but it seems like this function on a table saw might allow for hands to stay away from the blade during operation while also preventing any kickback?

For those with experience using a power feeder on a table saw, do you feel this has served as an effective safety device? I have the option to purchase a 3hp cabinet saw with a power feed, and it caused me to think about this.

Any advice is always appreciated.

[Mike Wilkins]

Tony while I was reading your thread I was thinking that a short stroke slider would be ideal. Then I read the next thread from Mr. Sheridan.
I went from a Delta Unisaw to a Laguna Pro 6' slider and immediately felt the safety benefits of letting the sliding table move the board through the blade, with your fingers far away from danger.
Power feeders on a table saw are more of a commercial operation, running hundreds of feet of lumber through the blade. Kind of overkill for a home based woodworker.

[Jim Becker]

I have a slider and wouldn't go back to a cabinet saw. If I had to downsize, I'd get a smaller slider. :)

[David Kumm]

I have a feeder on my short stroke slider and use it a lot. The feeder never is adjusted except for up or down unless I swing it out of the way. I have a stout high- low fence and the center wheels sit over the blade which cuts a slit in it. I have several saws but when ripping against the fence, the feeder serves like a guard. I'm not sure I would want it if I had to rip ply and have to remove the base to clear the stock, but I can crosscut elsewhere so the feeder never gets removed. Dave

[David Buchhauser]

Hi All, I am looking to upgrade my table saw in the next few months. I have a Craftsman Hybrid Table Saw and it's the weak link in my shop. I'd like my new saw to incorporate some heightened safety features. I have been primarily focused on SawStop PCS 3HP as the option since I don't really have room for a full-sized slider. I was curious if anyone has considered table saws with power feeders as an alternative to Sawstop for safety purposes. I have zero experience with power feeders on any equipment, but it seems like this function on a table saw might allow for hands to stay away from the blade during operation while also preventing any kickback?

For those with experience using a power feeder on a table saw, do you feel this has served as an effective safety device? I have the option to purchase a 3hp cabinet saw with a power feed, and it caused me to think about this.

Any advice is always appreciated.

Hi Tony,
Another option would be to add a sliding attachment to your new table saw. I have the Grizzly sliding attachment mounted to my table saw. It works well for me and I am happy with it.
David

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[Richard Coers]

I'll never need a slider in my shop. My days of breaking down 10 sheets of plywood are long over. I also have very few operations where I'm cutting more than 10 boards in any one operation. Then I'm completely changing operations by moving the fence, crosscutting with a sled or mitre gage, and running a dado head. The power feeder would just require too many setups and moving out of the way 2/3 of the time. So neither options for me!

[Mark e Kessler]

In the past was not uncommon for me to work behind a slider for weeks on end breaking down lift after lift of melamine or ply, now maybe 5-10 sheets a year if that, could never live without a slider that's not to say I wouldn't ever own a ts again just don't need one right now. Just because someone doesn't work with ply doesn't mean they wouldn't benefit from owning a slider


I'll never need a slider in my shop. My days of breaking down 10 sheets of plywood are long over. I also have very few operations where I'm cutting more than 10 boards in any one operation. Then I'm completely changing operations by moving the fence, crosscutting with a sled or mitre gage, and running a dado head. The power feeder would just require too many setups and moving out of the way 2/3 of the time. So neither options for me!

[Tony Roun]

This is all great feedback. Thank you. I get the sense from most folks that the power feeder on a table saw is nice, but primarily used for long runs. I am not a volume woodworker so that might not be the ticket if it is constantly needing to be swing in and out of position. I may need to re-evaluate if I can fit a full slider in the shop. If I can get an 8.5' slider, that might be the ticket. I have wasted a lot of time in my past buying equipment that isn't quite right, and I sense if I bought a 4' slider, I may regret it. I want to get this purchase right, and it'll be the saw that my children learn on, so I am excited to find an ideal option.

[Darcy Warner]

I rarely cut anything without using my stock feeder on my table saws.

[Mark Bolton]

1HP 3 wheel on slider here and use it at every opportunity. Faster, safer, less user fatigue, longer tool life, etc.. But agreed they are a pain to put on and off and most generally if its table mounted they will drastically limit your width capacity with the column mounted to the table. I would agree that if your budget allow or you can go used a slider (as large as you can fit) and feeder would be a combo you'd probably be shocked you hadnt purchased sooner but even a straight cabinet saw and feeder is a leap forward.

Keep in mind though that cantilevered fences like what are on most euro saws and biesmyer (sp) are no match for a feeder if your looking for dead accuracy. They will deflect unless you clamp the outbound edge of the fence. I have a long shop made straight lining fence that I use with the feeder so I dont have to straightline with the slider and then swing the feeder around. Its all feeder work. But you have to be pretty accurate toe-ing in your feeder only whats necessary and there will still be a little bit of deflection. Even with that though we get glue line rips straight off the saw with the feeder running fast. Its night and day. For rips that require more toe-in (thick/slick material) I have to clamp the fence.

It'd be much nicer to have an SLR but Im too old and no room.

My long time plan that I have never gotten around to has always been to fabricate a steel box tube column projecting down from the ceiling and invert the feeder column so its hanging from the ceiling. That way I could just retract the feeder and swing it out of the way and still rip sheets without having to de-mount the feeder. Now I have a fixed chain hoist right above the feeder and just impact driver, pull the four bolts, hoist it up 18" and leave it hang there til its needed again (which is almost daily at times).

[Jim Becker]

I'll never need a slider in my shop. My days of breaking down 10 sheets of plywood are long over. I also have very few operations where I'm cutting more than 10 boards in any one operation. Then I'm completely changing operations by moving the fence, crosscutting with a sled or mitre gage, and running a dado head. The power feeder would just require too many setups and moving out of the way 2/3 of the time. So neither options for me!
Sliding saws are not just for sheet goods. The big ones are well suited to that, of course, but one of the key benefits of a true sliding saw is that the material is moved through most cuts fully supported by the wagon with incredible stability, especially when clamped, with little or no hands-near-the-blade. It provides repeatability and when ripping material that's already flat with the wagon, one gets a perfectly perpendicular, glue ready cut without edge jointing. It's a different way of working. Many do support dado cutters, too. Mine does, although I haven't bothered with that for a long time.

I do agree with you about the power feeder...it would largely get in the way. Feeders are best suited to repetitive ripping and ripping is only a small portion of what a table saw gets used for, IMHO.

[Mark Bolton]

Sliding saws are not just for sheet goods. The big ones are well suited to that, of course, but one of the key benefits of a true sliding saw is that the material is moved through most cuts fully supported by the wagon with incredible stability, especially when clamped, with little or no hands-near-the-blade. It provides repeatability and when ripping material that's already flat with the wagon, one gets a perfectly perpendicular, glue ready cut without edge jointing. It's a different way of working. Many do support dado cutters, too. Mine does, although I haven't bothered with that for a long time.

I do agree with you about the power feeder...it would largely get in the way. Feeders are best suited to repetitive ripping and ripping is only a small portion of what a table saw gets used for, IMHO.

Spot on. I would never go back to a cabinet saw ever. I help a near-retirement shop that has a cabinet saw periodically and its a constant reminder how much I appreciate the slider. Now with the CNC sheet goods dont land on the slider as much as they use to but it is SO much faster and more accurate at anything and everything a cabinet saw, miter station, and so on, does. Great to have them all if you can, but if I had to only have one it would be the slider. Setting up for dado's is not much work though same as you, its so rare my dado set gets used about as much as the jointer lol (almost never).

[William Hodge]

I use a stock feeder on a table saw. It takes 25 seconds to adjust the height for a different thickness of wood. I raise the feeder above the wood, set the blade height 1/16" above the wood, and lower the running feeder on to the wood until it grabs. The first and second of three wheels straddle the blade, toe in is 1/4", and the narrowest wood I rip with the feeder is 5/16". I never move the feeder out of the way, unless I'm cutting wide stuff. Learning to use a feeder pays back.

A Sawstop saw with a feeder would be an improvement.

[Mark Bolton]

I use a stock feeder on a table saw. It takes 25 seconds to adjust the height for a different thickness of wood. I raise the feeder above the wood, set the blade height 1/16" above the wood, and lower the running feeder on to the wood until it grabs. The first and second of three wheels straddle the blade, toe in is 1/4", and the narrowest wood I rip with the feeder is 5/16". I never move the feeder out of the way, unless I'm cutting wide stuff. Learning to use a feeder pays back.

A Sawstop saw with a feeder would be an improvement.

We put an analog scale on the feeder (just an aluminum rule with a pointer). There is no finding feeder height. Just adjust it to 1/16"-1/8" below material thickness on the scale and go. Our feeder being mounted on a slider only allows for about 11" of width with the hi-lo fence in the low position. Inch or two more in high position. Anything wider than that we pull it off. But the bonus to a slider is your typically working off the wagon so the feeder can stay put as long as your drop isnt wider than that.

Its primarily a hardwood break-down tool for us. Nearly never use it for sheet material.

[Richard Coers]

Sliding saws are not just for sheet goods. The big ones are well suited to that, of course, but one of the key benefits of a true sliding saw is that the material is moved through most cuts fully supported by the wagon with incredible stability, especially when clamped, with little or no hands-near-the-blade. It provides repeatability and when ripping material that's already flat with the wagon, one gets a perfectly perpendicular, glue ready cut without edge jointing. It's a different way of working. Many do support dado cutters, too. Mine does, although I haven't bothered with that for a long time.

I do agree with you about the power feeder...it would largely get in the way. Feeders are best suited to repetitive ripping and ripping is only a small portion of what a table saw gets used for, IMHO.

I get the feeling you guys don't think I know what I'm talking about. I was a professional woodworker for over 26 years out of my 40 year career before retiring. Worked in a commercial cabinet shop, an industrial model making shop, worked in a woodworking magazine shop, and owned my own custom woodworking business. (I know, sounds like I can't hold a job.) I worked behind Felder sliders, Griggio sliders, Striebig panels saws, Minimax combination machine and 5 axis CNC machines. I know how a slider works, and it's such incredible overkill to rip an 8', 1x4 in half in a hobby shop that it's silly. Just the extra miles over a year of walking around a full size slider in a hobby shop would greatly add to the discomfort for me. I can't see the advantage of unlocking the wagon, pulling back the wagon, locking down the board, shoving the wagon through the rip, removing the board, then pulling the wagon back again to start another cut as a time saver over standing in one place and pushing the boards along a fence. Just walking with the wagon takes time. Besides in my shop, opening up the space to allow the wagon to cover all that ground in front and behind the saw each job would increase the time even more. Now maybe Tony is using his Craftsman table saw in his commercial shop, I don't know. And maybe he plans on building several sets of kitchen cabinets, I don't know either. But if cutting enough stock to build a bookcase once a year is the requirement, taking up all that floor space for a 8.5' slider still isn't what I would recommend.

[Darcy Warner]

Sliding saws are not just for sheet goods. The big ones are well suited to that, of course, but one of the key benefits of a true sliding saw is that the material is moved through most cuts fully supported by the wagon with incredible stability, especially when clamped, with little or no hands-near-the-blade. It provides repeatability and when ripping material that's already flat with the wagon, one gets a perfectly perpendicular, glue ready cut without edge jointing. It's a different way of working. Many do support dado cutters, too. Mine does, although I haven't bothered with that for a long time.

I do agree with you about the power feeder...it would largely get in the way. Feeders are best suited to repetitive ripping and ripping is only a small portion of what a table saw gets used for, IMHO.

I have found that trying to straight line and then ripping with the sliding beam to be awkward at best, I just do not like it. I have owned and used numerous scmi, holzer her, Martin's, etc and I would rather use any of my old saws for that. Although having a SLR really eliminates all need for any of that though.

[David Kumm]

Depends on what you do but a feeder and a small saw has its place. In my hobby world, this was about 10 minutes to rip, longer to tape together.423203423204423205 Dave

[Mark Bolton]

I get the feeling you guys don't think I know what I'm talking about. I was a professional woodworker for over 26 years out of my 40 year career before retiring. Worked in a commercial cabinet shop, an industrial model making shop, worked in a woodworking magazine shop, and owned my own custom woodworking business. (I know, sounds like I can't hold a job.) I worked behind Felder sliders, Griggio sliders, Striebig panels saws, Minimax combination machine and 5 axis CNC machines. I know how a slider works, and it's such incredible overkill to rip an 8', 1x4 in half in a hobby shop that it's silly. Just the extra miles over a year of walking around a full size slider in a hobby shop would greatly add to the discomfort for me. I can't see the advantage of unlocking the wagon, pulling back the wagon, locking down the board, shoving the wagon through the rip, removing the board, then pulling the wagon back again to start another cut as a time saver over standing in one place and pushing the boards along a fence. Just walking with the wagon takes time. Besides in my shop, opening up the space to allow the wagon to cover all that ground in front and behind the saw each job would increase the time even more. Now maybe Tony is using his Craftsman table saw in his commercial shop, I don't know. And maybe he plans on building several sets of kitchen cabinets, I don't know either. But if cutting enough stock to build a bookcase once a year is the requirement, taking up all that floor space for a 8.5' slider still isn't what I would recommend.

I dont rip with the fence and its most often not even mounted to the saw so I rarely walk around the slider. My work is on the wagon side. And the walking/pushing the wagon allows me to feed the rip at machine/production speed in a single sweep with no starting/stopping/no reaching for a push stick, no clamping the stock, no getting to the end of the rip and the push stick fell on the floor you you do as we all do and just crowd your fingers over the fence and finish the cut like we know were not suppose to. Your running your blade at closer to production speed so it stay sharp for miles.

Never in a million years questioning anyones experience but there are two sides to every coin. I know way too many people who have been "in the business" for 40 years and hold on dearly to "the way Ive always done it". The ones in business now that I know are sitting in a shop of "the way Ive always done it" tools thinking they invested in their retirement and its just out dated tools.

Great you know what works for you.

[Darcy Warner]

I dont rip with the fence and its most often not even mounted to the saw so I rarely walk around the slider. My work is on the wagon side. And the walking/pushing the wagon allows me to feed the rip at machine/production speed in a single sweep with no starting/stopping/no reaching for a push stick, no clamping the stock, no getting to the end of the rip and the push stick fell on the floor you you do as we all do and just crowd your fingers over the fence and finish the cut like we know were not suppose to. Your running your blade at closer to production speed so it stay sharp for miles.

Never in a million years questioning anyones experience but there are two sides to every coin. I know way too many people who have been "in the business" for 40 years and hold on dearly to "the way Ive always done it". The ones in business now that I know are sitting in a shop of "the way Ive always done it" tools thinking they invested in their retirement and its just out dated tools.

Great you know what works for you.

I don't use sheet goods at all and I still find what he said to be true. I am standing next to two martin t71s and will walk over to my whitney 77 to rip a couple boards. Set fence, turn feeder on and go. Try as I might, I just am not comfortable standing at and using a slider for all woodworking tasks.

[Mark Bolton]

I don't use sheet goods at all and I still find what he said to be true. I am standing next to two martin t71s and will walk over to my whitney 77 to rip a couple boards. Set fence, turn feeder on and go. Try as I might, I just am not comfortable standing at and using a slider for all woodworking tasks.

Agreed. I do the same 99% of the time when the feeder is on the saw. Slider is locked, set the fence, trip the feeder, and go. At those times the outrigger and wagon is completely off the saw anyways so Im standing immediately beside the blade (the width of the slider table.

Often times with the feeder ripping tons of material I stand stationary right beside the feeder with an infeed and outfeed cart. Right hand is feeding boards into the feeder, left hand is stacking them on the outfeed cart.

I would love nothing more than to have a shop with an SLR, a feeder on a monster cabinet saw, a slider, and so on. But having worked on a cabinet saw for 20+ and really capitalizing on the slider I there are miles of operations I do on the slider far faster, far more accurately, and far safer, than ever possible any other way and like I say, 15 seconds to drop the outrigger and your standing right at the blade with the feeder.

Now with the CNC the slider pretty much never sees sheetgoods but thats where it also shined other than handling the sheets.

[Mark Bolton]

Depends on what you do but a feeder and a small saw has its place. In my hobby world, this was about 10 minutes to rip, longer to tape together.423203423204423205 Dave

No doubt. And I will bet your cut quality was 10X if you had to rip manually.

[David Kumm]

Cut quality is a big gain. You have to have a stout fence, heavy enough machine to not tip when you swing the feeder, an extra long horizontal tube on the feeder, and run it fast enough to match the tooth count and avoid burning. For trim work I will run through the planer before the molder. That Whitney was made in 1932 and has the original 4 hp motor and I've not bogged it down yet. Dave

[Jim Becker]

I have found that trying to straight line and then ripping with the sliding beam to be awkward at best, I just do not like it. I have owned and used numerous scmi, holzer her, Martin's, etc and I would rather use any of my old saws for that. Although having a SLR really eliminates all need for any of that though.
I can appreciate that, Darcy. The way I work certainly isn't efficient for a production shop. It does work for one-off projects and commission work, however.

[Bob Falk]

+1 I drilled mounting holes in a couple locations on the top of my cabinet saw to mount a power feeder. Like Jeff, I only use when I want to run a lot of material. I made what seemed to be miles of custom window trim for my house remodel and a couple steps involved ripping long stock. The power feeder is not only safer, but you get better and more consistent results, particularly on long material, as you are not stopping the material to reset your arms for another push through of the stock.

[Alex Zeller]

I'm lucky enough to have access to a shop with almost everything a woodworker could dream of (no CNC yet). The only time I've used a power feeder on a table saw was after jointing and planing several thousand feet of cherry I had milled from my property. About half the boards were 12' long and with the feeder and a good outfeed table I was able to do the work by myself.

But, like most, I like to have my own tools so I can decide when I want to work and work at my pace. I would love a slider but one will never fit because of the limitations about moving tools from where I store them to where I use them.

While they are heavy a power feeder is nice if you have more than one tool to use it on. For example if you own a shaper that you can also use it on. Moving it isn't easy but as long as you plan ahead it can be managed. My point is that if you do go with the sawstop and decide down the road that a slider would be better a powerfeeder is not a bad thing to have. Even if you don't have other tools it can work with (I've used one on a jointer with great success) try to find a used one for sale.

[Gordon Stump]

I use my feeder all the time. It does provide more safety when ripping narrow strips. But it comes off so often that I would not consider it a permanent safety device.

[Rod Sheridan]

While they are heavy a power feeder is nice if you have more than one tool to use it on. For example if you own a shaper that you can also use it on. Moving it isn't easy but as long as you plan ahead it can be managed. .

I'm lucky, I have a combination saw/shaper with a feeder on a flip up bracket, pretty handy..........Rod.