Contractor vs. Cabinet vs. Hybrid

[Steven DeMars]

Not to open a can of worms, but I have decided that my Delta X5 2 HP Contractors Saw with a Biesmeyer works fine for me, but I know I am missing something . . .

I see only two real drawbacks to my saw.

1. Only have 2 hp motor. (220 VAC)

2. Have no real way to collect dust efficiently.

Unless someone can point out some other shortcoming, I think I have a solution.

Remove my saw from it's skeletal frame & set it on an sturdy enclosed cabinet that would also enclose the motor. Then all I need is a dust collection port. Has anyone done this before?.

If this were done, what else would I be lacking.

[Howard Acheson]

Does your saw have a Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled (TEFC) motor? Many contractor saws do not. You need a TEFC motor if the motor is going to operate in a dust filled space.

[glenn bradley]

I would be surprised if you had a TEFC motor as well so, you don't want to close the motor up. Your motor could still hang out the back although this causes the larger footprint that cabs and hybs don't have. There are many posts here on handling DC where the opening for the belt is.

You already have the saw and like it so I would just add a little DC effort and call it good. My hybrid isn't a full 2HP (amperage-wise) but has never bogged down. I don't see that you have any issue if you add a little shop made DC treatment.

For my old contractor's saw I threw a plastic wrapped 90# bag of cement in the bottom for stability, covered the base of the trunnion cabinet with a board and 4" port and closed the back around the belts. Worked for quite a while.

[Russell Tribby]

Not to open a can of worms, but I have decided that my Delta X5 2 HP Contractors Saw with a Biesmeyer works fine for me, but I know I am missing something . . .

I see only two real drawbacks to my saw.

1. Only have 2 hp motor. (220 VAC)

2. Have no real way to collect dust efficiently.

Unless someone can point out some other shortcoming, I think I have a solution.

Remove my saw from it's skeletal frame & set it on an sturdy enclosed cabinet that would also enclose the motor. Then all I need is a dust collection port. Has anyone done this before?.

If this were done, what else would I be lacking.

Steven, that is exactly what I did. Check out this thread, http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=70358. It has worked well for me. Everything is a lot safer, more efficient and cleaner.

[scott spencer]

Hi Steven - If you do something like what Russell's done with his TS station, I think you'll have done most of what's possible within the framework of a contractor saw. The location of the motor remains a slight "theoretical" disadvantage because it requires a longer belt and adds more stresses to the trunnion carriage. With good alignment and good blade selection, there should be very little a hobbyist struggles to cut with that saw. I doubt a hybrid is worth the cost of swapping for, but a full 3hp industrial cabinet saw might be if you've "got the itch".

[Lance Norris]

I see only two real drawbacks to my saw.

1. Only have 2 hp motor. (220 VAC)

2. Have no real way to collect dust efficiently.

Unless someone can point out some other shortcoming, I think I have a solution.



There is nothing wrong with a contractors saw. Lots of good work has been done on them. They can be very accurate, with correct setup and a good fence. Several other advantages of a cabinet saw over a contractors saw that arent mentioned are:
1. The weight of the saws. The weight helps to dampen vibration, resulting in a more accurate cut. The heavier saw also is more stabil. This helps when cutting sheets of plywood.
2. The cabinet saw is much easier to adjust the blade to miter slot than a CS.

[J. Z. Guest]

Steven, I vote to go on ahead with your contractors saw. The cabinet should work fine, as long as you allow for the belt & motor out back.

[Jim O'Dell]

Unless this is a very old saw, and being an X5 tells me it isn't, I'd be surprised if the motor is not TEFC. Even my 1 1/2 hp Ridgid is TEFC.
I agree with the others, go ahead and try it. Make sure your extension table can still be adjusted to keep it and the saw top co-planer. Jim. (Who's had the "itch" for a cab saw for a while now)

[Jacob Reverb]

Unless this is a very old saw, and being an X5 tells me it isn't, I'd be surprised if the motor is not TEFC.

Same here. I've never seen a contractor's saw that didn't have a TEFC motor (including my Dad's circa-1965 Craftsman!)

(I'm assuming your saw isn't one of those jobbies with the direct-drive universal motor)...

Somehow it just doesn't seem that a saw (which after all throws lots of sawdust all over the place when in use) would be a very good place to use an ODP motor...