TS help for the new guy

[John Leslie]

Can anyone quantify some of the differences in performance and accuracy of cut I would expect to see if I did a side by side 'saw-off' of a $800-$1200 Contractor/Hybrid versus say a $1500 - $2000 cabinet saw?

Assuming a decent blade on both, any signficant difference in the accuracy of cuts? Are we talking a few tenths or a few thousandths?

Thanks
- John

[Kent Fitzgerald]

Hi, John, and welcome to SMC!

The accuracy of a TS cut depends mostly on the calibration of the miter gauge and rip fence, not on the design of the saw.

The quality of the cut (burning, tooth marks, etc), depends on the blade, splitter, alignment of the saw, and technique. A well tuned contractor's saw can produce a cut that's indistinguishable from a cabinet saw. However, the advantage of a cabinet saw is that it's easier to align, more likely to hold it's alignment, and usually has twice the HP.

[John Leslie]

[quote=Kent Fitzgerald]Hi, John, and welcome to SMC!

Thanks much for your reply Kent.

[Michael Ballent]

I would agree with Kent on that... One would be hard pressed to figure out what did the but provided everything is in alignment. The cabinet saws (CS) will hold their alignment for a longer period of time so you will not have to muck with the adjustment once it's set. On my CS I check maybe once every 6 months and it is still holding its original setting that came from the factory. :D (They were spot on) Like everything in the machinery market the more time that you can save the more the manufacturer will make you pay for the time savings. You can spend hours hand sanding with a few bucks of worth of sand paper, or you can send components through a multi-grit wide belt sander in a few minutes. Both will sand the work just a question of time and the money :D

[Roy Wall]

John,

Welcome to smc~~~!!!

A quality cabinet saw should give you these adv. over the hybrid...

1) 3 hp to power thru 5/4 and up hardwood
2) better quality rip fence
3) Better dust collection
4) quieter / less vibration
5) more durable in the long run
6) can hold accuracies much longer

Regardless of the saw, a good quality after-market miter guage and/or homemade CC sled is usually needed for accurate CCs..
A good quality blade like a Forrest WWII will yield excellent results.

[John Leslie]

Thanks Roy,

Yes, I can safely say I have walked myself up the rationalization curve for why you buy a quality tool from the get go pretty quickly. But a nagging whisper in my head (getting quieter all of the time <g>) keeps telling me that I don't want to end up being the newbie shmo that has a shop outfitted with far more quality than he knows what to do with!

- John

[John Miliunas]

Thanks Roy,

Yes, I can safely say I have walked myself up the rationalization curve for why you buy a quality tool from the get go pretty quickly. But a nagging whisper in my head (getting quieter all of the time <G>) keeps telling me that I don't want to end up being the newbie shmo that has a shop outfitted with far more quality than he knows what to do with!

- John

John, I used to think the same thing. Basically, "Aw heck, I can get by with this (insert tool type here) until I get better." There's certain truth to that, by all means, but in my case, there is another variable to the equation: At this time, I'm not yet that skilled in WW. So why then get a big bad (insert tool type here) instead of a cheaper, lower quality unit? For me, it turns out that I contribute enough mistakes on my own. If the tools I use are of a higher caliber than what I'm presently delivering, I can take them out of the equation! :) Hence, if something doesn't line up properly or fit properly, then it's a real good chance it's in my own method or technique. If I can eliminate the error on the tool side, I have only to concentrate on my own skills and hone them to eliminate those errors. So far, this methodology has worked for me. :D :cool: BTW, Welcome to the Creek, John!!!

[Mark Pruitt]

I would ditto everything John said and in addition, you save a good bit of $$ by buying the best quality stuff even though it's more expensive. The $$ you save is in not having to sell used machinery at a loss in order to upgrade. Also....personally, I don't think it's in the realm of possibility to have more quality than you know what to do with!:)

[tod evans]

welcome john! you`ve got sound advice allready. buy the best you can afford and you won`t regret it later. .02 tod

[Jeff Horton]

Bill Pentz, who posts here some, says the most expensive Dust Collector you will own is the cheapest one. Because you will upgrade and end up spending more than buying a good one the first time around. Hence is it cheaper in the long run to but the best up front.

I am a believer in this with most tools. However I don't think that there is really much difference from a practical stand point in a good contractors or hybrid saw and a cabinet saw. If you have a good fence (and I think that is what makes a table saw) your not going to see any difference in the quality of the cut you get on the average woods most of us use.

I bought a Delta contractors saw and I am very happy with it. It vibrates a bit more than I like but I suspect a link belt would take care of most of that. And it doesn't affect the cut at all. While I would like to have had a Unisaw I just couldn't see the extra cost.

FWIW I do have a Unisaw sitting in the shop that needs to be restored. But it was dirt cheap.

[Greg Sznajdruk]

John:

I have both a Unisaw and a Ridgid Contractor saw. I've upgraded the fence on the Ridgid to an Accusquare. Both saws have good blades and as far as the accuracy it is impossible to tell the diffence.

So why did I buy the Unisaw?

The Ridgid for the money is a good saw. But it isn't a cabinet saw. Some place down the line your going to find yourself doing some major projects. As an example I built a bed which called for 6/4 oak. Ripping the side rails on the Ridgid was a major challenge on the Unisaw it was a breeze.

If you intend to do woodworking for the long haul and your tool budget can accomodate a cabinet saw buy it now. Because somewhere down the line you will most likley end up with a cabinet saw.

Greg