Sliding Table Saw Companies - Have I missed any options?

[David M Peters]

I'm shopping around for sliders and am compiling a spreadsheet of options. I'm considering both European & Asian machines. Have I missed any companies? Altendorf und Martin are off the table ;)

Cantek
Casadei
Felder
Grizzly
Ironwood
Laguna
Maksiwa
Robland
Rojenk
SCM
SketchNBuild
Stallion

Thank you all for your input!

[Jim Becker]

Seems to be a pretty good list to work from for your research. You'll find that most of the previous discussion on this topic here revolves around Felder/Hammer and SCM/Minimax, both of which are well represented in our community.

[Brian Holcombe]

The two eliminated are likely the nicest, Personally I’d hunt for those on the used market.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

You will find that most of those odd-ball brands are the same machine with different names slapped on the side. If you go that way, at least buy from Grizzley, they support this forum and have service after the sale. I suggest you look at your choices by country of origin, you'll find that the Austrian/Germans, and the Italians are the top tier, the others are sliding saw shaped objects. Look at that "massive" trunnion on sketchnbuild, or the slider "bearings" on the stallion with it's plastic components to see the difference. You can get a good quality used saw for the price of one of those new shiney turds. I agree with Brian, you knocked the best one off the list already.

[David Kumm]

I'd go used on a slider but add Biesse. They own a plant in China and probably make some of those listed. The build on the Chinese machines tends to be heavy but the precision has been somewhat hit or miss. That seems to get better every year and I haven't looked at any recently. Lightly used sliders come up regularly. My experience is the heavier industrial machines might have seen harder lives but still hold their settings better than lower end new. Dave

[Peter Kelly]

I'm shopping around for sliders and am compiling a spreadsheet of options. I'm considering both European & Asian machines. Have I missed any companies? Altendorf und Martin are off the table ;)

Cantek
Casadei
Felder
Grizzly
Ironwood
Laguna
Maksiwa
Robland
Rojenk
SCM
SketchNBuild
Stallion

Thank you all for your input!You'll probably find that several of those brands (Maksiwa, Cantek, Ironwood, SketchNBuild, Stallion, Laguna, Grizzly, etc.) are all the same Chinese or Taiwanese machines with different paint so you might as well go with whomever gives you the best deal on overall cost and shipping. Otherwise, SCM/Casadei or Felder. Robland stuff is pretty nice but Martin USA haven't been real responsive in my experience.

[David M Peters]

One I missed, Bailiegh,also stocks the usual Asian clones 😉

[Rod Wolfy]

Hammer has some.

[Ronald Blue]

If you're interested in used this can be at the least the source of discussion.

https://www.irsauctions.com/search-results/?view=&ind=

Just search for tables saws.

[Erik Loza]

OP, I work/have worked for two of the companies on your list and have MANY slider owners. What exactly are you looking for in a slider? I don’t mean price or features. What specific need are you actually trying to fill? Hobby shop? Pro shop? Or? Reason I ask is that your list is kind of all over the place. Not the European vs. Asian part. You have machines on there that have tiny sliding tables and little motors, then 3-phase 10’ machines that only a commercial shop would look at. “I need a slider. This is what I’m planning to do. This is my budget (I know there is one, because you said Martin is not on your list... though a Chinese Altendorf might be) and these are the things most important to me”, are really the questions that need to answered. Hope this is not coming across as impolite. I sell sliders for a living and the “spreadsheet types” rarely end up happy owners in my experience.

Erik

[andrew whicker]

Laguna's are their own design (at least as far as bandsaws). I've talked with an ex Grizzly engineer about woodworking and metalworking tools. He thought Lagunas were decent machines, but they weren't the same design as Grizzly, et al.

Also, the other advice he gave was to find machines that Grizzly, et al have been manufacturing for long time. Sliders, for example, have been slowly fixed and modified as necessary over the years. So they are probably pretty good machines (for their price point).

[David M Peters]

Hey Erik, thanks for the question! Not impolite at all. I do realize that my manufacturer list is all over the place - I'm compiling a spreadsheet of saws (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Qq9l-mF_4GdyetzAzaiAQ31RNTIPHiVbIG36Y7YFtM8/edit?usp=sharing) as I do research and am just tossing them on.

I'm a hobbyist looking for a machine that at a minimum will be able to clean up the long edge of a piece of 8x4 plywood. I can fit a 10' table but if I don't need to pay for it then all the better. I'd really like to keep the budget at $10k or less. Must-have features:

* Single phase
* Overarm dust hood
* Minimum wagon travel of 96"
* Readout sights on the crosscut flip-stops

Nice-to-haves:

* Operable whilst holding a whole piece of plywood - I like the models with the option of putting the controls on the end of the wagon
* Loading idler roller on the outrigger
* Dado capability

I don't need CNC or electric movement features.

Since 2014 I've had a short-stroke slider from Grizzy that has treated me well enough but now that I'm out of my small basement shop I'd like to get something more capacious.

[David Kumm]

Take a look at Mac's clamps for sliders. They are machine jewelry and a great safety feature. You really need a 9' table to rip ply. You don't want to have to remove the crosscut fence to do so. A 10' is the best length. I really like my short stroke and 10' sliders but anything in between is frustrating. I'm also a three phase guy and you can often get a much heavier saw and a RPC for less used than a single phase machine. I've got a 9 hp motor on my large slider and needed all of it on occasion. Dave

[Erik Loza]

Hey Erik, thanks for the question! Not impolite at all. I do realize that my manufacturer list is all over the place - I'm compiling a spreadsheet of saws (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1Qq9l-mF_4GdyetzAzaiAQ31RNTIPHiVbIG36Y7YFtM8/edit?usp=sharing) as I do research and am just tossing them on.

I'm a hobbyist looking for a machine that at a minimum will be able to clean up the long edge of a piece of 8x4 plywood. I can fit a 10' table but if I don't need to pay for it then all the better. I'd really like to keep the budget at $10k or less. Must-have features:

* Single phase
* Overarm dust hood
* Minimum wagon travel of 96"
* Readout sights on the crosscut flip-stops

Nice-to-haves:

* Operable whilst holding a whole piece of plywood - I like the models with the option of putting the controls on the end of the wagon
* Loading idler roller on the outrigger
* Dado capability

I don't need CNC or electric movement features.

Since 2014 I've had a short-stroke slider from Grizzy that has treated me well enough but now that I'm out of my small basement shop I'd like to get something more capacious.

That's great info, David. From the Felder side, you have two options that are somewhat within that budget range: The Hammer K4 Perform and Felder K500S.

Just an observation as well: You probably won't be able to get a European-made machine WITH overhead sawguard for $10K or even $11K. No matter Austrian or Italian. That option adds around $1K just by itself.

Good luck with your search.

Erik

[Kevin Jenness]

I would suggest looking for a used industrial machine in good shape and plan to add a rotary phase converter to handle it. You will wind up with a much more capable saw within your budget than buying a new unit such as Erik cites plus be open to future 3 phase equipment opportunities. Free advice, worth every penny.

[Peter Kelly]

I would suggest looking for a used industrial machine in good shape and plan to add a rotary phase converter to handle it. You will wind up with a much more capable saw within your budget than buying a new unit such as Erik cites plus be open to future 3 phase equipment opportunities. Free advice, worth every penny.A used machine might potentially allow you to see the thing in-person before committing to buy. Buying something as expensive and unwieldy as a slider sight unseen from an off-brand would make me nervous.

Looks like Rikon has entered this market as well https://www.rikontools.com/product/11-315x

[Jim Becker]

That Rikon entry is interesting, Peter. I wonder if they are making that or rebranding it...seems like nice specifications, of course.

[Peter Kelly]

It looks to me to be identical to the Canadian Woodworker "Stallion" model http://www.cwimachinery.com/product/stallion-8-sliding-tablesaw/

I noticed Rockler is selling the Rikon one https://www.rockler.com/rikon-12-panel-saw

[Kevin Jenness]

[QUOTE=David M Peters;3107402

Must-have features:

* Single phase
* Overarm dust hood
* Minimum wagon travel of 96"
* Readout sights on the crosscut flip-stops

Nice-to-haves:

* Operable whilst holding a whole piece of plywood - I like the models with the option of putting the controls on the end of the wagon
* Loading idler roller on the outrigger
* Dado capability

To cut 4x8 panels you need more than a 96" stroke. My Paoloni table is 102" long and travels almost 120". The table length allows for mounting a clamp ahead of the crosscut fence and full length support of a 97" sheet while allowing access to the table lock at the end. The stroke is a little longer than needed but not much- it allows for a full sheet to clear the scoring blade at the beginning of the cut and go past the splitter at the end. The distance from the scorer through splitter is over 16" with a 12" blade.

I consider a table lock a necessity for loading panels safely, while a roller at the table end is not. I load from the end, but if loading from the side I find it easier to pivot onto the table without a roller- just my $.02. As far as end of table controls go, I keep the saw running when dicing up sheet goods. I keep a 3' long dowel rod handy for the times I forget to turn the saw on before the panel obscures the on button.

[Joe Hendershott]

I keep the saw running when dicing up sheet goods. I keep a 3' long dowel rod handy for the times I forget to turn the saw on before the panel obscures the on button.

I thought I was the only one! This is the most important, and cheapest, option you must have. Many times at first having already put a sheet on and crawling underneath to start the saw.

[Jeremy Sims]

I just received my Robland Combi a few days ago from Martin. It was substantially cheaper than the prices I was shown for a comparable Hammer or Minimax. While I haven't been able to hook the electrical up yet I have uncrated, cleaned, and assembled it and can at least say all the parts seem solid, and the slider is smooth and sturdy. I would bet you can get what you are looking for in your price range from them. You can also look at their website instead of Martins as Martin will order machines they produce but don't show on their own website make.

[Rick Fisher]

I am fortunate to have a Martin T60C. I've compared to to a Felder 700 and while there are differences, the Felder is an excellent machine. I would seek out a used Felder or a used SCM. I wouldn't buy a Chinese slider unless it was an Altendorf because they are precision machines and need to stay that way. A used Felder, Mini Max or SCM would be a life saw. Also you said you wanted to use a Dado. I'm not sure how well that will work but each brand is a bit different. I have a Felder Dado which is basically an adjustable Groover, it's not like a US style Dado. Just my 2 cents. PS. A new Robland would interest me as well.

[Jim Becker]

SCM/Minimax supports a Dado on the SC series 3 and 4 and the S315WS ... North American version buyers. The arbor is 5/8" and a typical 8" dado set can be used up to 3/4" width