Bridgewood vs Grizzly Table Saw ?

[Glenn Clabo]

I don't want to start a TS war...I'm just trying to get an idea if anyone owns a Bridgewood Table Saw and has dealt with Wilke. I've got someone wanting to give me a birthday present who thinks there's some extra space in the garage I can take up. I can't buy the car I want for around $1K so it just seems natural to get a Table Saw.:D

Right now I see my options for something in a 3HP cabinet for $1000 as Griz and Bridewood. I've heard a lot about Griz (and how well this bandsaw works makes me head that way)...but not much about Bridgewood.

Anyone care to comment? Don't let me wonder around lost too long.

[Ted Shrader]

Glenn -

I can address the Wilke part. A good friend of mine purchased a Bridgewood jointer from them September 2003. While agonizing over the which/where decision, he went through the same thing as you. He is very satisfied with Wilke and will certainly do business with them again.

Courteous service and shipping was reasonable and earlier than first promised.

Good luck in your decision,
Ted

[Ed Falis]

Glenn,

I've had the ~$1300 Bridgewood left tilt for a bit over a year now. Great saw, no complaints, and Wilke's service was dandy for a couple of small issues I had.

The ~$1000 right tilt saw is a bit lighter than the left-tilt (think Uni size vs General or PM66 size). I saw one review on it at the old Pond reviews that said the fit and finish were better than the Griz (based on inspection by the owner). But I don't know much more than that, and of course, it's second-hand info.

If you want to know more about the left-tilt, feel free to PM. Miliunas bought one of these recently, too, so he may have an opinion.

- Ed

[Chris Padilla]

I can't answer directly about Bridgewood but I have owned a G1023Z (right-tilt) for about 3 years. For me, it was the right saw at the right price.

I should add that the Griz is my first TS ever and I have only an old Craftsman contractor saw that my father drug up from his father's place in Grants, NM, to comapre to. I have a buddy with a PM66...perhaps I just try and cut some wood over at his place and then I'll know where I sit! :)

[John Miliunas]

If you want to know more about the left-tilt, feel free to PM. Miliunas bought one of these recently, too, so he may have an opinion.

- Ed

Yup, I'm right with 'ya on this one, Ed! The $1K BW is a close match to the Grizz, while the $1.3K, 10LTS is much, MUCH closer in kinship to the General and PM66! The box frame around the trunion is heavier than the Grizz or even the Unisaw, for that matter. Personally, when you buy a cabinet saw, you're buying "for life" and the 3 bills difference will soon be forgotten, yet you'd have saved several hundred over the General or PM counterparts! Wilke Tech and Customer Support is first rate and I've even been very pleased with their selection of freight carriers, as well. As Ed noted, feel free to PM or email me with any questions. BTW, this was NOT my first purchase from Wilke. Always been pleased with them as a vendor! :cool:

[Ed Falis]

Glen,

If you're up for a road trip, you're welcome to come take a look.

- Ed

[Glenn Clabo]

Haa...Ipswich...
Thanks a bunch for the offer Ed...may just take you up on it. Need to make a NH packie run sometime.

[Ed Falis]

Haa...Ipswich...
Thanks a bunch for the offer Ed...may just take you up on it. Need to make a NH packie run sometime.

Almost anytime. Just give a yell.

- Ed

[John Miliunas]

Hey Glenn, if you want to take a *REAL* road trip, my shop is open to you, as well! One of our other members may be stopping out to check out the BW, as well, albeit he's a bit closer than you! :cool:

[Tom Peterson]

Glenn, I am going to try to stop at the Miliunas Wonders of Wood Working Shop this later this month to see first hand how it cuts along with all of the other things he has been adding. I too have grimaced with the decision of how many extra Jackson do I want to put into the saw for the rest of my life. Below is a hit list of model, supplier, cost, shipping, taax and total for what I have looked st so far. At this time, I am thinking I might go Shop Fox due to warranty and input from Jim Delaney. Since I put the table together I foound a local Shop Fox dealer that quoted me just less than $1,000 delivered. After the MKE Woodworking show, I'll pull the trigger. Input on the board, is that you probably can't go wrong with any of these.

Grizzly 1023 SL Grizzly $895 $75 $- $1,040
Shop Fox W1677 Northwest $925 $265 $- $1,250
Shop Fox W1677 Utter Guys $899 $175 $- $1,134
Jet JTAS 10l General Industrial Supply $1,128 $- $1,213
Jet JTAS 10l Bibb Tool and Cutter $1,230 $149 $- $1,379
Jet JTAS 10l Woodcraft $1,350 $- $76 $1,426
Delta 36-831LA Trading Post $1,399 $- $- $1,519
Delta 36-831LA Woodcraft $1,260 $- $72 $1,332
Delta 36-831LA Woodworkers Supply $1,399 $- $- $1,469
Bridgewood BT-10LTS Wilke Machinery $1,299 $135 $- $1,504
General 650-1 Wilke Machinery $1,850 $145 $- $2,065

[Ron Jones near Indy]

Glenn,
You owe it to yourself to check local dealers for a Shop Fox. Although many think it is a griz in a different color, I suggest you check them out side by side. The SF is heavier under the table where it counts. Similiar price, local dealer, 2 yr. guarantee. I love mine.

[Bart Leetch]

Glenn,
You owe it to yourself to check local dealers for a Shop Fox. Although many think it is a griz in a different color, I suggest you check them out side by side. The SF is heavier under the table where it counts. Similiar price, local dealer, 2 yr. guarantee. I love mine.


I'm not to sure about that the specs read the same as does the owners manual.

My real question is, is it a Buick or a Chevy?You know different bumpers tail lights & grill & paint & upholstery bingo more dollars. Why would anyone go to all the effort & cost to have a foundry make a few parts a little bit heavier when all they have to do is put different adjustment controls miter gage & paint & sell it wholesale besides that the real idea is to open up new avenues for making sales & more money.

The answer is they won't the handles & paint were already available & so was the miter gage maybe.

Besides that I talked to the people when I was up in Bellingham at Grizzly about this & they said that was about all that was changed.

[Glenn Clabo]

Thanks everyone...this always starts something...doesn't it? So many choices and so many issues. I appreciate the comments and now I'll go off and decide.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I am in the same boat as to which one to start thinking about. I sold my TS-2424 and now will be replacing it with my first cabinet saw (hopefully my last). I have scoured the forums for info and found that Grizzly Bridgewood and Shop Fox are all very well received. I ran across a page the other day about trunnions and was shocked to see the difference in PM and Bridgewood.

I had already ruled out the PM due to cost. I am actively searching for the Delta Unisaw & General trunnion pics, but have not found them yet.

Here's what I have so far. The Bridgewood's mounting is much more stable looking....

http://www.hannawoodworks.com/trunnions.html

This is by no means the only criteria I am considering but it is an important one.

[John Miliunas]

Thanks everyone...this always starts something...doesn't it? So many choices and so many issues. I appreciate the comments and now I'll go off and decide.

Yeah, it usually does (Bridgewood) start something. Seems that everyone (BW10LTS) is wanting to influence your (BW) decision in some way. It's a good (Wilke Machinery) thing we have forums like (BW) this to turn to for some (BW10LTS) open, objective (BW) and non-biased (Bridgewood) opinions on something as important (BW10LTS) as a cabinet saw! FWIW, I (BW) think that any (Bridgewood) of the saws mentioned (Wilke) would be a good choice. Did I mention that I'm pretty happy with my Bridgewood? :D :cool:

[Kent Cori]

John,

What are you trying to tell us? :D

[John Miliunas]

John,

What are you trying to tell us? :D

Uhhhhh...Buy a Knapp? :rolleyes: :D

[Gene Collison]

I don't want to start a TS war...I'm just trying to get an idea if anyone owns a Bridgewood Table Saw and has dealt with Wilke. I've got someone wanting to give me a birthday present who thinks there's some extra space in the garage I can take up. I can't buy the car I want for around $1K so it just seems natural to get a Table Saw.:D

Right now I see my options for something in a 3HP cabinet for $1000 as Griz and Bridewood. I've heard a lot about Griz (and how well this bandsaw works makes me head that way)...but not much about Bridgewood.

Anyone care to comment? Don't let me wonder around lost too long.

Glen,

I have had the Shopfox 1577 for about 6 months now and am very pleased with it. It appears that this saw is the same as the Grizzly left tilt and it may or may not be. I brought this up to Shopfox in an email conversation and they said you are bound to see similar or in some cases the same parts used in all Taiwan made saws. I was told by Shopfox that the relationship between Grizzly and Shopfox is one of supplier and customer, Grizzly being the customer and it is not the same saw. Grizzly uses the Shopfox fence, a Bies clone and a good one. The Shopfox has a 2 year warranty and is available at dealers meaning that if your lucky enough like I was to have a dealer close to you, you avoid the shipping charges. Good luck in your decision. Incidently, Shopfox backs the saw very well and are professional all the way. You would be in good hands.

Gene

[Chris Padilla]

I am in the same boat as to which one to start thinking about. I sold my TS-2424 and now will be replacing it with my first cabinet saw (hopefully my last). I have scoured the forums for info and found that Grizzly Bridgewood and Shop Fox are all very well received. I ran across a page the other day about the trunnions and was shocked to see the difference in PM and Bridgewood.

I had already ruled out the PM due to cost. I am actively searching for the Delta Unisaw & General trunnion pics and waiting for the Grizzly pic to be sent to me sometime today.

Here's what I have so far. The Bridgewood's mounting is much more stable looking. I understand the Grizzly/Shop Fox and General are similar in the way they mount....

http://www.hannawoodworks.com/trunnions.html

This is by no means the only criteria I am considering but it is an important one.

Kelly,

Interesting comparison on the trunnions. My understanding about the trunnions is their ability to absorb vibration...the beefier, the better, right? What else?

The funny thing about all this is that if you've only ever used a particular TS, you'll never know what you are or aren't missing with another brand. I don't imagine I'll be cutting on another TS for a long time so Griz is all I know. Like I posted earlier, I have a buddy with a P66 but I don't think I'll be cutting wood on it and even if I do, it probably won't be a good comparison. I would need to use his P66 for a few projects to properly evaluate it and see if it is worth the extra bones.

[John Scarpa]

Glenn,
I have a ShopFox. I picked it because I got a deal at a show and it was delivered right to my garage. I paid a little bit of a premium over a Grizzly but it was well worth it. Plus the ShopFox comes with a 2 year warranty and that is no small thing. As far as the other comments about the differences between the Grizzly and the ShopFox, both manuals are available on line including an exploded view of all of the parts. Look at them and judge for yourself. If you find any differences other than the color and miter gauge let me know.

To Kelly Hana, Nice trunnion pics. The online manuals of both the Grizzly and ShopFox have several pics of the trunnions of these two. You will see large trunnion brackets in the front and back, lots of cast iron. From and engineering stand point (and that's my area), don't let the amount of steel under the tables be the deciding factor. The design, the tolerances allowed in the design, the quality of the castings, forgings, extrusions, alignment of adjustable componets, the quality of the bearings and bushings specified for the tool all contribute to the slop in the assemblies, vibration, ease of use, etc. That doesn't even get into the manufacturing processes that if not held to the intent of the design contribute to slop, vibration, etc. Where am I going with this? Just because you don't see as much steel in the PM 66 don't think for a minute that it isn't the superior design or product (and I don't own one).

Buy a saw, tune it properly, do the neccessary maintenance and you and your grandsons will enjoy it for years. All of the saws mentioned in this thread have passed the "nickel test" according to online posts/reviews. Pick a color, decide dealer or direct shipment, the price you like and enjoy. You can't go wrong with any of these.

John

[Ron Jones near Indy]

I was not trying to start trouble. Just going by what Wood Magazine Woodworking Products Editor, Dave Campbell, said in a post on the cabinet saw section at the Wood site. No, I haven't seen them side by side. But I have heard talk of heavier trunions, etc for some time. Since they sell for about the same $ and one has a local dealer and one doesn't, I tend to be a little apprehensive about what the Griz people tell me. I think they are all 3 good saws. The Bridgewood may very well be the best of the 3.

[Gene Collison]

I think they are all 3 good saws. The Bridgewood may very well be the best of the 3.[/QUOTE]

__________________________________________________ ____

In what way I wonder? There are literally tons of people that have bought the Grizzly even for commercial applications and I have never heard anyone complain. Now if he said he used each saw for a month and the Bridgewood was better for some specific reason I would be more inclined to take his statement into consideration when purchasing. But only into consideration! I am sure there are just as many folks that would say brand X is better for some reason that the product appeals to them. I seen a test on plate joiners at some website where 3 writers tested all three popular plate joiners. Each one had a different favorite. So which saw has the best warranty, service if required etc.? I tend to prefer to do my own evaluations on what I buy. I have seen writers in too many cases that gave really lame reviews. One I can remember vividly is a writer was testing a plane and started out saying he didn't know anything about planes. Not too good!

gene

[John Scarpa]

I was not trying to start trouble. Just going by what Wood Magazine Woodworking Products Editor, Dave Campbell, said in a post on the cabinet saw section at the Wood site. No, I haven't seen them side by side. But I have heard talk of heavier trunions, etc for some time. Since they sell for about the same $ and one has a local dealer and one doesn't, I tend to be a little apprehensive about what the Griz people tell me. I think they are all 3 good saws. The Bridgewood may very well be the best of the 3.

Ron,
Hey my fellow woodworker neary Indy you certainly did not start any trouble. That's how we all learn about produts around here. By getting the collective knowledge from people like your self :)

Mr. Campbell maybe right, the pictues look the same in the manuals and in the exploded views but their maybe slightly more beef in one than the other.

Hey I like my cream colored cabinet saw. It fits my color scheme! Ha! :D

John

[Kelly C. Hanna]

To Kelly Hana, Nice trunnion pics. The online manuals of both the Grizzly and ShopFox have several pics of the trunnions of these two.

Thanks John...found the Grizzly manual online but can't find the Shop Fox to save my life.

I am not so much concerned with the amount of metal underneath as I am with the mounting system. I know from automotive and woodworking applications that mounting something heavy with four bolts close together is nowhere near as stable as six or more bolts spaced further apart.

By shear weight the PM is heavier than the rest. but I also think the flex factor has to be considered for long term wear and tear on the saw's framework and sheetmetal.