Another TS Question: Stamped Steel vs. Cast Iron

[Frederick Skelly]

Prefer cast iron but have a steel wing and it works just fine for me. Definitely not a deal breaker.

[Michelle Rich]

I've used the same delta contractor since 1980's..I put melamine topped ply on each side .. Not a deal breaker for me.

[Matt Day]

OP gets the award for most researched and thought about table saw ever. Buy a saw and make some sawdust!

[Rod Sheridan]

I have what many would consider an expensive saw ( Hammer B3 Winner) and it has an aluminum sliding table, cast iron main top and steel extension top with a support structure underneath.

A cast iron extension would provide absolutely no benefit, and increase the cost and weight of the machine. The steel extension is as flat as is required to deliver good accuracy.

The previous saw ( General 650) had a wood extension table on what many would consider to be one of the better cabinet saws Again, cast iron would only contribute in a negative manner to the saw due to weight and cost.

Go ahead and buy a saw with steel tables, if they're flat, and by the way, I've seen a lot of cast iron extension tables that aren't flat..........Rod.

[andy bessette]

I'm curious as to how important you guys think Cast Iron is to a table saw...

I would not even consider a saw that had steel as an option. This is not a place to cheap out.

[Cary Falk]

Rod,
There is little doubt in my mind that the steel extension top on the of your Hammer is no where near the stamped steel wings of a Delta or Jet like the OP is asking about. Done right it could be fine.
Cary

[Al Launier]

In addition to the qualities for cast iron noted above, like mass and better vibration dampening properties compared to steel cast iron has to be made properly to stand up over time.To minimize warpage/distortion cast iron has be be made in properly designed molds to ensure structural rigidity during the pour and to provide uniform cooling. The casting must be thoroughly cooled, unrestrained, in order to cure properly.

[Jim Becker]

Rod,
There is little doubt in my mind that the steel extension top on the of your Hammer is no where near the stamped steel wings of a Delta or Jet like the OP is asking about. Done right it could be fine.
Cary

This is true. The steel extension tables that came with my Minimax S315WS slider are extremely heavy, powder coated steel and nothing like the typical stamped steel extension wings with budget table saws. That said, someone up above did make the comment that if it's the difference between having the saw with steel extensions or not having the saw...the steel wings win. They can always be replaced later.

[Frank Pratt]

If the saw was otherwise a good one at a price I could afford, I'd buy it. But I'd toss the stamped wings in the trash & build new ones out of plywood & melamine. That's just what I did when I had a contractors saw. I just hated the steel wings. Before that I had one with a webbed cast iron wing & my finger tips really hated those. Like many others have said though, cast wings are very nice.

[Rod Sheridan]

Rod,
There is little doubt in my mind that the steel extension top on the of your Hammer is no where near the stamped steel wings of a Delta or Jet like the OP is asking about. Done right it could be fine.
Cary

You are correct, that's why I replied that there's nothing wrong with a cast or stamped extension, or one made out of wood.

The blanket statements that stamped steel extensions are no good is false.

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a saw because the wings are stamped steel, even if they're not flat. They could easily be replaced by a wood table, and unless they tip up at the edges ( which can be corrected with a pop can shim, they won't affect the saw cutting action.........Rod.

[Steve Demuth]

I've got an after-market cast iron on the right and factory stamped steel on the left of the first table saw I ever owned. I rather prefer the iron wing, but replacing the steel one wouldn't make the saw into something significantly better than what it was out of the box - a mass-market low-end hybrid, with fit-and-finish issues that required quite a bit of effort to initially address, and quality and capability issues that are everyday parts of using the saw.

[Marshall Harrison]

OP gets the award for most researched and thought about table saw ever. Buy a saw and make some sawdust!

Obviously you don't know my wife. Whatever I buy it will have to be a saw that lasts me the rest of my life. I won't get any opportunities to upgrade in the future so I want to make sure I make the right decision. Its a big purchase for us financially and she isn't too thrilled about it.

Locally there isn't much opportunity to actually touch any of these saws. The local Woodcraft store only has a SawStop contractor and a PCS in stock. No Jets, Laguna or Powermatic to look at or ask questions about.

Hence, all the questions.

[Al Launier]

Obviously you don't know my wife. Whatever I buy it will have to be a saw that lasts me the rest of my life. I won't get any opportunities to upgrade in the future so I want to make sure I make the right decision. Its a big purchase for us financially and she isn't too thrilled about it.

Locally there isn't much opportunity to actually touch any of these saws. The local Woodcraft store only has a SawStop contractor and a PCS in stock. No Jets, Laguna or Powermatic to look at or ask questions about.

Hence, all the questions.

Asking questions and learning from them is what this forum is all about. Good on you!

[Jim Becker]

Even if there wasn't the pressure from your other half for "one and done", it's always a good practice to acquire the best tool you can afford, even if you have to wait an extra month or three to have the funding to do it. Otherwise, it's ultimately more expensive to buy the "less expensive initially" tool...

Given that, focus on the saw itself more than the type of extension wings. The "best saw" wins regardless of what the table extensions are initially made of. Cast iron is certainly the most desirable, but don't sacrifice on the "meat" of the saw to get them. And I'm sure it's already been mentioned...a good used cabinet saw with all the bells and whistles can often be purchased for the same or sometimes less than the brand new mass market contractors' style or hybrid saw.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Even if there wasn't the pressure from your other half for "one and done", it's always a good practice to acquire the best tool you can afford, even if you have to wait an extra month or three to have the funding to do it. Otherwise, it's ultimately more expensive to buy the "less expensive initially" tool...

Given that, focus on the saw itself more than the type of extension wings. The "best saw" wins regardless of what the table extensions are initially made of. Cast iron is certainly the most desirable, but don't sacrifice on the "meat" of the saw to get them. And I'm sure it's already been mentioned...a good used cabinet saw with all the bells and whistles can often be purchased for the same or sometimes less than the brand new mass market contractors' style or hybrid saw.

This is very sound advise. My saw came with stamped wings and I never put them on. I put a CI router table on one side and then made a work table to fit between the rails for the other, in a small shop I needed a little extra bench space. I also replaced the fence. I'm happy with it, however if I had it to do over I would have bought a used cabinet saw over a contractor saw.