New Band Saw or Table Saw??

[Maury Saggus]

I hope you guys can help me on this decision.....:rolleyes:

I am looking at upgrading either my band saw or my table saw. My band saw is a Delta 14" 3/4HP with a 6" riser, and the table saw is a Ryobi BT3100.
My shop is a 17 x 20 and I am rather cramped for space. I plan on building a 14 x 26 addition next year, but I am getting ready to do some major upgrading on the house: new cabinets for the kitchen, new deck, and all new windows.
I am looking at staying in the $1200 range on my purchase.
Considering all this, my choice is a new Steel City 18" band saw, or a used Powermatic 66 cabinet saw (preferably w/30" fence since I am space limited).

I also have one of the Lowes Biesemeyer fences to barter with or to put on the PM66.:)

What would you do in my position?

[Maurice Ungaro]

Go for the table saw. If you are faced with doing all those house projects, the new TS will get you farther. The band saw that you have is a standard workhorse. If you need more from it, I'd suggest getting a 1.5 hp replacement motor - cheaper than a new BS.

[Grant Morris]

I say buy both saws. Instead of buying the Powermatic table saw, buy a Steel City table saw. The money you save on the table saw will just about pay for the the 18" band saw!

I wish I had that dilemma.

[Cary Falk]

I would go with the TS. I see nothing on your list that would need a heavy duty band saw. A better TS would make those cabinets much more enjable to make.

[glenn bradley]

With the house projects you mention, I vote for the tablesaw. You have a pretty decent BS there. A bump to an 18" or something is not going to help you with your cabinet doors per-se. Your TS is a little light for a house full of projects however.

The BT3100 is a nice little saw but it is not designed for large panel work. Find it a good home as opposed to overworking the little fella ;-)

[Charles Wiggins]

Unless you're anticipating a lot of monster resawing, I'd go with the TS first.

[Rod Sheridan]

The tablesaw does far more operations required for cabinet making than a bandsaw. (Now I just sit back and wait for the rebuttals).

You will need to accuracetly square and dimension sheet goods and solid material, cut dadoes, rebates and grooves to make cabinets. All of the above are outside of the bandsaw capabilities.

Don't get me wrong, I have a 17 inch bandsaw and use it for resawing, roughing, preparing blanks for turning and occasionally I even cut curves with it. (Although far less than the other uses).

The tablesaw will serve you well.

If you purchase the PM, remember to add the cost of a good guard and splitter in case it doesn't come with one, both are absolutely essential to your safety.

I put an Excalibur overarm guard with dust collection and a Merlin removable splitter on my General 650 and am happy with them.

Regards, Rod.

[Bill Ragland]

Go for the table saw. If you are faced with doing all those house projects, the new TS will get you farther. The band saw that you have is a standard workhorse. If you need more from it, I'd suggest getting a 1.5 hp replacement motor - cheaper than a new BS.

One must be careful when upgrading the motor on a piece of machinery. The structure of the saw and other components may not handle the increased horsepower and fail prematurely or even catastrophically. My point is only that you should be very careful if you decide to do this.

[Steven Wilson]

New Cabinets - Festool circular saw, guide rails and MFT instead of a PM 66. A good bandsaw that can drive a 1" Lennox blade is great for ripping stock and working with thicker stock. I would go with the bandsaw upgrade and a couple of Festool products.

[Maurice Ungaro]

One must be careful when upgrading the motor on a piece of machinery. The structure of the saw and other components may not handle the increased horsepower and fail prematurely or even catastrophically. My point is only that you should be very careful if you decide to do this.

True, you have to be careful, however, the upgrade to a 1.5 hp motor is pretty common for that saw. Delta even upgraded the saw thenselves in later editions.

[Loren Hedahl]

Your Delta bandsaw is a good one and the Ryobi BT 3100 is a great saw for ripping face frames, mouldings, etc., but not for sheet goods.

I would stay with what you have, but for sheet goods I would go with a guided circular saw setup. On the cheap, you can make your own guide and cutting frame or table, then use a circular saw you already have.

If you want to upgrade from there, go with the EZ system.

If you also want excellent dust control, the Festool system is the answer.

[Ross Barton]

As many of the others have said, go for the table saw. The table saw is the heart of most any shop. Put that Biesmeyer fence on on the PM66 and you will have a nice piece a machinery ready to cut the panels for your kitchen.

[Maury Saggus]

Thanks for the input guys!

I went the other day to see the Jet 18" band saw up close and fell in love w/ the SC 18". I was thinking the band saw would serve for some of the table saw operations, but now thinking about the kitchen cabinets makes me realize most of my work is going to be with sheet goods.

I did look at a Steel City cabinet saw and it was nice. But then I went over to the PM 66 and raised the blade --- like "BUTTAH!" I had to tell SWMBO that I had lust in my heart......

I think I am going to hold out for a used PM66. I can always get a SC band saw new for 1K-1.2K anyway.

That said, do you think it would make sense to consider the PM2000 as well, since it has the riving knife?

[Eric Larsen]

I have seen the PM66 selling used for as little as $800 (decent quality, too). There's really no reason why you can't upgrade both if you look hard and long enough.

EDIT -- As far as a PM2000 with riving knife, that'd be my first choice, too. But I never found one used in my area. Even the "just came off the trade show floor" special at my local B&M was $4000+

[Don Hein]

Maury, in a similar situation, I bought neither. After living 20 years in an older home where we extensively remodeled and replaced all windows, we commissioned a new shell house (twice in 7 years) and I did all the interior finish work on both. My TS for all three houses was--and is--a Ryobi BT3000, and I have a Jet 14" bandsaw, Jet 6" joiner, Delta lunchbox planer, B&D 5 1/4" circular saw, and a Craftsman RAS (recently banished to Emerson's recall for the $100 bounty). When it came to cabinets we chose a big-box premium self-assemble style which looks great, performs great, and saved hundreds of hours and $$. No one knows they're kit, unless we tell. With the tools I listed, plus a router mounted in the Ryobi right-hand table, I made all the moldings, shelving, sills, and some custom soffets throughout the houses, boxed in furnace ducting, cut LP siding panels for some exterior work, built three hearths of oak and tile for gas fireplaces, installed laminate and engineered wood floors, plus made all my shop storage (benches, shelves, drawers, etc.).

If the cabinet work is going to drive your decision, my suggestion is to price out all the cabinet options before making a tool decision, then pick the cabinet option your spouse prefers, and only then make your tool decision.

One of these days, there'll be a really good TS that isn't the size of the Queen Mary; I'm waiting. Maybe Bosch 4100DG?

Good luck with your project, and have fun.

[Jim Andrew]

I have both a unisaw w/ 50" biesmeier, and a mm16, use the tablesaw ten times as much as the bandsaw. I have the 3 hp uni, think it is just great, but if you have access to a good used pm66, that's the way I would go. Powermatic really builds good equipment.

[Dave MacArthur]

Table saw. Used PM66 in Phoenix on CL today, not affiliated, just showing an example:
Item #9. Powermatic Model 66 10" Tilting Arbor table saw $ 950.00
w/Biesemeyer Fence. SN93661287

They're out there.

[James Carmichael]

If cabinets will be the first order of business, I'd go with the TS.

[James Carmichael]

True, you have to be careful, however, the upgrade to a 1.5 hp motor is pretty common for that saw. Delta even upgraded the saw thenselves in later editions.

Yep. Iturra Designs even documents upgrading to a 2HP motor and pulley system to goose up blade speed (using Lennox bimetal or trimaster blades).