$1000 cdn. Which tablesaw?

[Chris Yarish]

I am looking to make my first ever table saw purchase. I have read some of the discussions on the various types of saws as well as the various brands.

To start out, my needs are purely for hobby, not production. But given my appreciation for the hobby, I expect that it will see plenty of use.

Looking around in different retail stores, the brands available to me are Delta, Bosch, Rigid, General International, Sawstop, Pioneer, Canwood. DeWalt.

I had originally thought I could get away with a contractor saw, but I have a feeling that the money saved up front would cost me in the end when I want to upgrade. What I have found though is that the $1000 mark is a tough pricepoint. I had originally set my budget at around $800, but going up a few hundred bucks from that gets so much more. At $1000 however, I am finding the same to be true.

Can someone help give me a bit of direction...or maybe prod out of me what it is that's important?

[Bill Huber]

There is tons of info on the subject on this forum..... In fact there is so much its hard to dig though it all..

I have a 60 year old Craftsman contractor saw and it can cut a piece of wood just as good as a $3000 Saw Stop. Now it would cut a 8/4 hard maple plank like the Saw Stop bit it will cut it. But then how much 8/4 hard maple do I cut.

But I am thinking of getting a new saw, not that mine is not doing a good job its that I can not get parts for it anymore. I would also like to get something with a better DC and a 10 inch blade.
From what I have been looking at the Jet Pro is a great little saw for the money. With a mobile base it would work very well in my small shop.
It would be nice to have a big cabinet saw but do I really need that and do I really have the space for it.... NO.

I guess what I look at is the best bang for the buck. If I spend $1000 for a saw when I could have got one for $800 that does the same thing, that is $200 less I could spend on a new router or other tool.

Just my 2 cents...

[Dewayne Garrett]

What about something like http://www.woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=114-761
or
http://www.woodworker.com/cgi-bin/FULLPRES.exe?PARTNUM=138-407

No connection to this site it is just one I found while looking myself a while back. I ended up tuning up my old saw some and upgrading the fence on it.

Unless your doing a lot of cabinet work a good contractor type with a good fence should work fine, as earlier post save the extra for wood or another tool.

One absolute however is I'd recommend only a BIESEMEYER or XACTA fence no matter which saw you select. I am using the 50" XACTA by Jet on my old Craftsman contractor but plan to move up some day on saw could easily keep the fence however it made a pretty poor saw an ok one for home use.

[Cary Swoveland]

Chris,

Being in Canada, and not very close to the US border, I think to stay below $1,000 your options are limited to buying a new contractor's saw (or possibly a "hybrid") or a used cabinet saw. Among the former, I'm impressed by my son's saw, a General International. It seems very well-built, has a 2hp motor and it's Biesemeyer-type fence is made by General in Canada.

Cary

[scott spencer]

Do you have 220v? If so, $1000 should buy a very nice used cabinet saw. If not, a hybrid from Craftex, King Industrial, Craftsman, Steel City, Delta, Canwood, or GI should serve well...dunno if Jet is available to you.

[Chris Yarish]

Chris,

Being in Canada, and not very close to the US border, I think to stay below $1,000 your options are limited to buying a new contractor's saw (or possibly a "hybrid") or a used cabinet saw. Among the former, I'm impressed by my son's saw, a General International. It seems very well-built, has a 2hp motor and it's Biesemeyer-type fence is made by General in Canada.

Cary

I find that I am having a tough time wading through some of the information....seems each saw has it's benefits as well as some caveats.

General International has always caught my eye, mainly because most of my exposure to woodworking machinery is through the use of General and Genral Int'l tools.

I do agree that some savings could be better spent elsewhere....and $200 is a considerable savings.

I rarely work with thick hard woods, but I do want the ability to do so if I want to. I guess I will scour the used tools in the city and see what I come up with.

[Chris Yarish]

Do you have 220v? If so, $1000 should buy a very nice used cabinet saw. If not, a hybrid from Craftex, King Industrial, Craftsman, Steel City, Delta, Canwood, or GI should serve well...dunno if Jet is available to you.


A friend is an electrician, so voltage is not so much of an issue.
I have seen King at a local wood supply store....dont' know much about the brand. I always equated it to Canwood--which I have never been a fan of. Most of the Canwood stuff I have purchased performs like the price would lead you to believe it performs.
Is King a reliable company?

[Glen Gunderson]

A friend is an electrician, so voltage is not so much of an issue.
I have seen King at a local wood supply store....dont' know much about the brand. I always equated it to Canwood--which I have never been a fan of. Most of the Canwood stuff I have purchased performs like the price would lead you to believe it performs.
Is King a reliable company?

King has several lines. Some of their tools from their Industrial line are pretty good. I've heard good things about their DJ-20 jointer clone and their planers are fairly well regarded. I think their industrial line is roughly similar to some of Grizzly's offerings.

Also, some Canwood stuff is OK. Their 18" 10-340 bandsaw is actually a re-badged Rikon (with the same model number) and both saws have gotten favorable reviews. As with any import company, some products are far better than others, even within the same company.

As others said, for $1000, you're basically restricted to a contractor's/hybrid saw, or a used cabinet saw. Personally, I'd look for a good used cabinet saw, but you might be waiting a while to find a good deal. Failing that, I'd go for a hybrid saw. Delta and General International have hybrid saws with Biesemeyer style fences for $1099. A little over your price range, but I think it'd be worth it over a contractor saw.

[michael osadchuk]

As others said, for $1000, you're basically restricted to a contractor's/hybrid saw, or a used cabinet saw. Personally, I'd look for a good used cabinet saw, but you might be waiting a while to find a good deal. Failing that, I'd go for a hybrid saw. Delta and General International have hybrid saws with Biesemeyer style fences for $1099. A little over your price range, but I think it'd be worth it over a contractor saw.[/QUOTE]


....I agree with Glenn's assessment (above) of the choices.....
Sears in Canada recently announced that it will be carrying the core of the General (domestic) and General Internationale (offshore) line and, checking today, the Sears.ca website, has these items now displayed..... the Gen. Internationale hybrid is $1050 (supposedly a sale price til the end of june/08, as is every item in their General/Gen. Int'l lineup, smiley).....Sears' ad writing is a bit confusing (does the domestic made "T-Square" fence - great Bisemeyer-clone fence - come with saw for $1050 or not?)..... I'd look up reviews, canvas for user opinions on this saw on the canadian woodworking site, perhaps press independent fine woodworking machinery stores to undercut Sears a bit, and hold it as reserve possibility while checking out other options, incl. a good condition used domestic full cabinet saw turning up/your dreams-bank account, etc.....

good luck

[Jerry Mah]

Looking around in different retail stores, the brands available to me are Delta, Bosch, Rigid, General International, Sawstop, Pioneer, Canwood. DeWalt.


I'd like to add Steel City (Scott mentioned them too). With rebate, they're just a tad over your 1000 CDN. But, well worth considering. The finish and features of their saws is pretty decent.



Can someone help give me a bit of direction...or maybe prod out of me what it is that's important?

If you've got space, steer clear of the contractor & job site saws. Go with a hybrid. If you can wait, getting a hybrid with a riving knife is worth considering.

[Mark Berenbrok]

I agree with those folks suggesting a used cabinet saw such as a Unisaw. They're out there and show up regularly in CL and the auction site. It depends on your timetable, but an older Uni in my neck of the woods usually goes for $600-700. Toss in a fence upgrade and your still under $1000. It took me about a month of searching when I decided to upgrade a few years ago. I have a 1951 Uni and love that beast.

OTOH, Popular Woodworking has a video clip of a TS review they've done within the last year or two.

[Peter Froh]

I know it's far for you, but it gives you an idea of what's out there in the used market. This is from the Vancouver craigslist:

http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/tls/538300739.html

$850 for a used 3HP cabinet saw is a pretty good price I believe.

[Chuck Lenz]

I know it's far for you, but it gives you an idea of what's out there in the used market. This is from the Vancouver craigslist:

http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/tls/538300739.html

$850 for a used 3HP cabinet saw is a pretty good price I believe.
$850 for a saw that has no pic, no mention of how old the saw is, and doesn't say what fence is on it, if there is one, doesn't sound so great to me. Most sellers will tell you it is in great condition and only used on a occasional Sunday, even if it looks like it's been drug out of the garbage pile.

[Chris Yarish]

I am keeping in mind the used option. As a matter of personal preference, I tend to stay away from used items, especially if they are being purchased sight-unseen.

I prefer spending the extra money on something new and not worrying about the hassle of repairs or any other unforseen problems--I did however purchase a lathe second hand, but that was a bit of an exception.

Narrowed things down to the Grizzly G0478 or the G1023S, or the General hybrid. Need to go see the King lines this week as well as the Steel City ones Jerry suggested.

[Peter Froh]

$850 for a saw that has no pic, no mention of how old the saw is, and doesn't say what fence is on it, if there is one, doesn't sound so great to me. Most sellers will tell you it is in great condition and only used on a occasional Sunday, even if it looks like it's been drug out of the garbage pile.

The intent was to show the original poster that used cabinet saws are within his reach, not that this particular saw was the one for him.

Here is a post from a Canadian woodworking forum where a member bought a used unisaw for $750 and restored it. His final cost was less than a thousand dollars and he has a great saw that new would have probably cost him $2000 USD.

http://www.phoenixwood.ca/forum/index.php?showtopic=818

[Chuck Lenz]

The intent was to show the original poster that used cabinet saws are within his reach, not that this particular saw was the one for him.

Here is a post from a Canadian woodworking forum where a member bought a used unisaw for $750 and restored it. His final cost was less than a thousand dollars and he has a great saw that new would have probably cost him $2000 USD.

http://www.phoenixwood.ca/forum/index.php?showtopic=818
He probably has another $1000 into time and labor on it too, and still has a used motor, some rust, a scratched top, and no warrantee, not a great deal. With the price of gas nowdays, going very far just too look at a saw is becomeing a increaseing factor also.

[Chris Yarish]

The intent was to show the original poster that used cabinet saws are within his reach, not that this particular saw was the one for him.

Here is a post from a Canadian woodworking forum where a member bought a used unisaw for $750 and restored it. His final cost was less than a thousand dollars and he has a great saw that new would have probably cost him $2000 USD.

http://www.phoenixwood.ca/forum/index.php?showtopic=818

Looks nice....
...while I do understand that many of the older tools can be superior in many way to the newer ones, I'd far rather save a bit longer and perhaps spend a bit more buying new than to buy something that required so much work.
I'd be interested in knowing what the repair and maintenance costs of the above saw were compared to a brand new one over say, 5 years of continued use.