No Brainer Saw Choice?

[Kendall Landry]

Would this Felder K500S http://usa.felder-gruppe.at/index.php?page=maschinen_ausstattung&xat_code=120ca28516f1061c0921&PHPSESSID=b24ef39e1d84c7737cf8dfd4ae064b3f
be a no brainer choice over this Laguna L2700 Pro http://www.lagunatools.com/2700p.htm ?

[Chuck Lenz]

I'll let you know what I think after my one millionth birdhouse. Then I might think about researching them to buy.

[Jim Becker]

I'd choose the Felder no question of the two. While I'm sure the Laguna is a nice machine, Felder has the rep in the market. I do suggest you go with the 2800mm slider...easier to deal with full sheet rips as well as with a lot of the longer solid stock you may want to straight-line. I went with the similar size wagon on my MiniMax saw and couldn't be happier.

[Kendall Landry]

I'm thinking the same thing Jim. After aaaaaaaall the reading about so many different machines out there. Since I stay home and raise our daughter I have lots of reading time (forced out of work because of severe psoriatic arthritis).
I spent a few years as a frame carpenter. We built mostly $200,000 to $250,000 homes which in the Baton Rouge, LA area is around 2500 square feet give or take. But we didn't use any machinery. Not even a TS. So I don't have much knowledge of of big woodworking machinery. I do search SMC before asking. Thanks again.

[Steve Rowe]

Jim offers some good advice. For the price point, Felder makes one of the nicest and smoothest sliders available with the X-roll system. To configure these machines the same for comparison purposes will increase the price of the Felder by about $1500. The differences are increasing the rip capacity to 49", table length to 2800mm, and the electronic scoring.
Steve

[Rafael Carias]

seeing as though they are both priced about the same I'd take the felder over the laguna any day of the week.

[Steven Wilson]

Kendall, you'll need to spend some time going over the detail specifications in order for you to compare apples and apples. That should also include electrical requirements, shipping, and commisioning. I would also spend some time in the machine specific user groups to get a feel for the machines. You should also consider investing some time to see these in action before you decide. I would also include the Minimax S315WS and SC4WS saws in the mix. Off hand though I would probably go with the Felder understanding that it will be closer to 10K once configured similar to the Laguna.

[John Hain]

seeing as though they are both priced about the same I'd take the felder over the laguna any day of the week.

Agreed, I don't even think it's a discussion.

Felder saws simply better engineered and have a higher (IMO) customer satisfaction.

I wouldn't have even thought of comparing the two. More likely, I would have compared a felder to a minimax.

[Kendall Landry]

Steve, is there anything that can be done against the rip fence that can't be done on the wagon? Is the 49" rip necessary?

[frank shic]

kendall, you've piqued my interest! how long did it take you and your crew to frame a house completely with manual hand tools?

[Kendall Landry]

kendall, you've piqued my interest! how long did it take you and your crew to frame a house completely with manual hand tools?

Sorry Frank, I should have been more specific. We used skillsaws, resipricating saws and nail guns. But no table saws or any other large tools.

[Kendall Landry]

Kendall, you'll need to spend some time going over the detail specifications in order for you to compare apples and apples. That should also include electrical requirements, shipping, and commisioning. I would also spend some time in the machine specific user groups to get a feel for the machines. You should also consider investing some time to see these in action before you decide. I would also include the Minimax S315WS and SC4WS saws in the mix. Off hand though I would probably go with the Felder understanding that it will be closer to 10K once configured similar to the Laguna.

I am looking at MM. I gave one of their salesmen a price range and he tryed to put me in a saw i didn't want. He gave me a decent price on an SC4WS. I said 8 foot slider. He said it would be 200 less than a S315WS. So here I am still looking.

[frank shic]

Thanks for the clarification, kendall. I thought you guys were out there with bowsaws, hand planes and chisels!

[Kendall Landry]

Thanks for the clarification, kendall. I thought you guys were out there with bowsaws, hand planes and chisels!

And we're getting sliced bread next year too!!! hehehehe :D

[Jim Becker]

I am looking at MM. I gave one of their salesmen a price range and he tryed to put me in a saw i didn't want. He gave me a decent price on an SC4WS. I said 8 foot slider. He said it would be 200 less than a S315WS. So here I am still looking.

The reason for the SC4WS getting expensive with the longer slider is that it has to be custom ordered in that configuration. That's why I went with the S315WS even though I originally was looking at the other machine. The SC4WS is marketed more as a cross cut machine, IMHO. The S315WS "out of the box" is a complete machine with 8'6" rip and 50" to the right of the blade.


is there anything that can be done against the rip fence that can't be done on the wagon? Is the 49" rip necessary?


The wide table to the left isn't "necessary", but is helpful if you are crosscutting something long in the middle somewhere...it provides stock support. Some folks cut things down or order smaller setups to the right of the blade on machines that offer that option. I left my S315WS in stock configuration 'cause that end slides under a stairway which is unusable space vertically, anyway, but could easily get away with just the cast iron top if need be for the work I do.

I've been gradually moving away from using the rip fence as I've gotten more familiar with my saw. I recently made a rip jig that will almost eliminate my use of the fence except for something like repeated very narrow rips. Outside of those few times, all material gets moved by the wagon through the cut.

[Mark Duginske]

Jim Becker has some good points and refers to the learning curve of using a slider versus the standard type tablesaw. I have a Felder 700 saw/shaper
and really like it. It work extremely well for both solid wood (I have a saw mill) and sheet goods.

I WOULD GET THE OPTIONAL ON/OFF SWITCH AT THE FRONT OF THE SLIDER.
FOR SHEET GOODS IT IS PARTICULARLY HANDY.

[Kendall Landry]

Jim Becker has some good points and refers to the learning curve of using a slider versus the standard type tablesaw. I have a Felder 700 saw/shaper
and really like it. It work extremely well for both solid wood (I have a saw mill) and sheet goods.

I WOULD GET THE OPTIONAL ON/OFF SWITCH AT THE FRONT OF THE SLIDER.
FOR SHEET GOODS IT IS PARTICULARLY HANDY.

Thanks for the advice guys.

[Steve Rowe]

Steve, is there anything that can be done against the rip fence that can't be done on the wagon? Is the 49" rip necessary?
When I had a Unisaw with a 52" rip, I never really used it past 24" (except for storage). While some may disagree, I don't find the large rip capacity absolutely necessary with a slider. If you wanted to cut down the center of an 8 ft sheet of ply, it will be much easier with the slider than the rip. Now that I have said that, I am going away from the combo and have just recently placed an order for a new slider that has a 49" rip capacity.

The rip fence is handy for ripping narrower stock. You can do it with the slider but anything less than about 7" and you will need to make a jig to do so. The limitation is based on how close the crosscut stops can get to the blade.
Steve