Should I choose based on Dust Collector? Sawstop vs Grizzly Cabinet Saw

Ive been borrowing a nice Jet 1.5HP 52" Contractor Saw, and its about time I return it to my cousin.

My #1 Priority is Riving Knife.
My #2 is Dust Collection.

It seems like the sawstop does both of those great but I cant pull the trigger on that price tag. The Grizzy Polar bear G0691 at 3HP for $1399 looks perfect. Great riving knife and good price for what you get. http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-3...ng-Knife/G0691

I was about to buy it until i forgot about my number 2 priority dust collection. Last night I was making some cutting boards and trimming each edge to make sure they were perfectly square and my garage fills with dust and my shirt gets pummeled with maple, cherry, and walnut. Hate breathing that in. For the most part my 1.5HP Dust Collector gets most of the dust, but those trim cuts are brutal.

Do you think its worth an extra 1500 dollars for the fancy dust collector on the Saw Stop? (I know it comes with the sawstop feature, but thats not a priority for me). Also I use a CrossCut Sled alot and that dust collector im guessing wouldnt work when im using the sled. Whats your thoughts?

you probably need an overhead (blade guard) dust collector to avoid spewing dust from trimming an edge... SS just introduced that, but there are add-on products for almost any type of saw. The under-table dust collection is nice for the ss, but not perfect... perhaps the cabinet models are perfect--I just have a contractor saw. the extra 1500 is worth it for the brake... but not the dust collection.

A cabinet saw will have much better dust collection than most contractor saws. I agree an overhead guard with dust collection is going to really help capture dust when edge trimming. Comparing the G0691 to a Sawstop is not really comparing apples to apples. Is the SS worth $1500 more??? thats up to you, the SS is more money and should be, you are getting way more than just a brake. Dust collection on either saw will be a major step up from where you are at now.

yes I know why its worth 1500, but my decision is if the dust collection is worth 1500.

Most of the dust i get is from above the table.. would the Sawstop DC, or an Overhead Blade Guard help? is one better than the other?

The G1023RLW has an under the table blade shroud unlike the G0691. You will still need overhead dust collection to get close to everything.

I may be partial as I own the G0691, but I absolutely don't think you would gain anything as far as dust collection to justify that expediture. If you want great dust collection you probably will need an over arm guard to collect off the top of the blade. I also disagree with Jeff that "you are getting way more than just a brake", as the brake is the only substantial thing that seperates these two saws, in my opinion. Put some of that $1500 toward over-the-blade collection and you'll be better off.

First let me state that I've been a happy user of a 1023slx for over 6 years. Great saw and does everything I ever wanted. With that being said, they're is no comparrison to a sawstop at all (again remember I've had my Griz for a long time and have their 12" jointer, 17" bandsaw, and HZ boring machine). The technology of the sawstop is worth it's price enough said. I have a 2hp 220v DC that supports my shop and the DC on the griz will be fine. The DC on the SS will be better and the new model with built in guard and hood DC is awsome. Fit & finish on the SS is a bit better but to be honest, I care more on how something cuts. I use the microjig splitter in mine with an overarm guard so again its served me well. I am currently saving for a SS cabinet saw. I've been doing WW for 30 years and while I'm safe and never had a bad incident, the brake on that sucker if activated once will be worth what you pay 10 times over.

Hey Keith,

Im currently using the microjig as well. I like it, except when ripping hardwood the kerf on the wood tends to close up a little bit on the microjig enough where i cant finish the rip because its stuck.

This is another reason why im looking forward to a true riving knife like the one on the grizzly

I would not by the saw stop up just for dust collection. If you want to buy the safety feature, go ahead. Almost everyone of my machines I have had to work on the dust collection aspect they never seem to be nearly as good as they could be when it comes to dust collection.

I think with any tablesaw you will need and over the blade type dust pickup. I have a 1023 but I used to have a shark guard on the net did a pretty good job of collecting the dust.

I recently added a power feeder to it as at least 95% of everything I do on the tablesaw is ripping, with the power feeder I can't even see the blade let alone get my fingers close to it.

See my post and others on 12-29-2010 on this subject. Buy a riving knife, great protection for few $$. I would suggest Dust Collection is #1 priority. I have used the past 12 years, 3hp external filtering in my shop with attendant duct filtering to the machinery, a large Jet ceiling mounted sub-micron filtering with activated charcoal for VOCs. I have not habitually used a good mask filter. I should have purchased a Sanding Downdraft Table, and also a Spray booth filter. Overkill I think not, I have had 5 long months trying to recover from as yet un-diagnosed lung and breathing problems so significant that I now can not breathe any airborne particulates without major coughing spasms. I have also recalled a lifetime of exposure. I am almost 71 now, start protecting your lungs while you are young.
I quote again something I read "an inconvenience a few hours a day is better than being dead 24 hours a day" nuff said

okay... keith has me wondering now how important that blade shroud is inside the cabinet it if 0691 doesnt include it.

I'll chime in since dust collection is important to me and I have an SS contractor saw. I also (since I am hideously cheap) have a junky 12 gallon shop vac under the extension table rigged to a tool triggered switch. It works well. It's not perfect, but what is? I'd say about 92.625% of the dust gets collected when I use the standard blade guard or making through-cuts with the riving knife, and about 1/2 gets collected when using raking down the side of a board and using it as a cheater jointer. I don't know that a full-on cabinet saw will fix that, but I would guess not.

For the $1500 difference in price between the two saws, I elected to go with the Contractor saw and spend some of the difference on the bigger fence, a mobile base, cast iron wings, and big dust collector that hangs from the rafters. As a caveat to my choice, keep in mind that when I say it works "well" I mean that I don't have to sweep up after working the shop, it all gets caught. I still end up blowing red mahogony snot out of my nose after a long day making table tops, I won't deny that.

[QUOTE=Adrian Anguiano;1609923] Most of the dust i get is from above the table.......QUOTE]

Your clean-up end-trim cuts will send most of the dust above the table, not down into the cabinet - regardless of saw brand, DC HP, nothing. There is no wood boundary on the outboard side of the cut to contain the dust and let the blade's gullets drive it down thru the slot into the cabinet - where the DC takes over. You will have to go to an above-table collection - overhead / overarm collection / pickup.

If you see yourself doing a lot of this, it might be important. For me, its not very common, so I just grab the shop vac when I'm done. Its not like that cut is the only reason my shop could use a quick vacuum - it just moves the quick-clean higher on the priority list.:D

NO, don't chose based on dust collection.

No factory dust collection will give you $1,500 worth of performance.

I built a ShopNotes based over arm dust collector for my saw and it CHANGED MY WORLD.

I don't own any manufactured guards/dust suckers but I bet you could spend WAY LESS then $1.5k and get results 10x better than a factory dust set up.

Aaron,

Would you happen to recall which issue of ShopNotes had the plans for the overarm blade guard?

Thanks