lighter vs. heavier cast iron cabinet mounted trunions ?

[Dave Cohen]

Still trying to make up my mind on what TS to buy...

I see that Steel City has heavier (cab saw) and lighter (hybrid & low end 3hp cab saw) set of cabinet mounted trunions. G1023 seems to have the heavier cast iron trunions.

As a serious home hobbyist (going to build my own set of kicthen cabinets next year)...want to buy a saw for life etc.

Do I care which type of trunions I get? Or are the really heavy ones only needed if you are running production day in and day out...

Any of your thoughts would be helpful..

Perplexed in Poughkeepsie. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowconfused.gif

[Marcus Ward]

I had the same question a couple of years ago. Everyone here talked me into the grizzly cabinet saw and I do not regret that purchase - ever! I have the fence set within .001 and the cuts are cleaner than come out of my jointer. Spend the money and get the bigger saw, you will thank yourself later.

[scott spencer]

Budget squeeze doesn't seem to be the obstacle here, so why not buy the more industrial tool if it's within budget? I don't think there's much difference in actual use, but for about the same money, if you're really looking for a lifetime saw, go for the more robust machine....it's simply a better design that should hold up better in the long haul and is more likely to hold settings.

[Gary Keedwell]

Budget squeeze doesn't seem to be the obstacle here, so why not buy the more industrial tool if it's within budget? I don't think there's much difference in actual use, but for about the same money, if you're really looking for a lifetime saw, go for the more robust machine....it's simply a better design that should hold up better in the long haul and is more likely to hold settings.
I'll have to echo what Scott said. You never know what your machining needs will be in the future...so why not get a machine that will be able to handle most situations handily?
Gary

[glenn bradley]

I care what trunnions I get. They were part of the decision making or breaking process. When making a decision for a tool that will be around for YEARS, I don't want to be disappointed for YEARS. Plus or minus 20% of my comfort zone in price is usually a no brainer.

The little voice in my head goes something like this: "Let's see . . . save $200 and be almost satisfied for the next 10 years . . . mmmm, no".

[Dave Cohen]

So what saw did you end up buying?

The heavier trunions come on the Griz 1023, but they don't have 30 inch rip to the right....only 26" or 50", and I'd prefer not to buy a new fence for a new saw.

And the Steel City with the heavier trunnions is quite a bit more expensive...up in the $1600, which is out of budget....I'm more in the $700-$1200 range

[scott spencer]

So what saw did you end up buying?

The heavier trunions come on the Griz 1023, but they don't have 30 inch rip to the right....only 26" or 50", and I'd prefer not to buy a new fence for a new saw.

And the Steel City with the heavier trunnions is quite a bit more expensive...up in the $1600, which is out of budget....I'm more in the $700-$1200 range

Dave - $600 is a pretty high percentage increase...I didn't realize the 35623 was that much more...I was thinking more like $1200-$1300. The 1023SL is a left tilt saw, which means you should never need to cut anything to the left of the blade, so you should be able to slide the fence rail to the right a ways to get more capacity. I did it with a similar Biese fence, and it's pretty simple...

[Dave Cohen]

the 35623 is RT and costs $1199 with 50" fence, 35690 is RT and costs $1149 with 30" fence.

The left tilt equivalents are 1699 and 1599 respectively, quite a big jump.

Makes me tempted, but I am used to left tilts, and the guy I buy my wood from cut off the top of one finger with a right tilt...but I've heard if you position the fence properly it can be safe.