New Table Saw Input/Advice

[Ryan Higgins-Winter Haven]

I really hope I'm not being "that guy" and posting a thread that already exists somewhere, but I tried searching the site and didn't find what I was looking for..

Brief background:
I'm still just a small notch or two above novice woodworker. I'm a financial advisor by day, so woodworking and fixing up my "fixer-upper" home is what i do after the closing bell for a little stress relief. I've only been at it for a few years, and I'm still working on growing my "toy collection"... currently moving my shop from a 10' x 12' room to a 18' x 22' room to make room for said toys. So, my reason for this post: It's time for a new table saw. It was one of my first few purchases from back when I didn't know enough about my new hobby to make an informed decision. In fact, it pains me to admit, my first saw was hot off the floor of the local Lowe's on a black friday "deal"... and that little Kobalt (you know the one) has done its best to be functional up till now, but I think its time for it to be "gifted" to a friend of mine who's in about the same stage of woodworking now that I was back then.

So I'm looking to spend $1,000- $1,500 (twist my arm if its not much more than that), and I've looked into several models and read more reviews than I can remember. I'm liking the idea of more of a hybrid saw. I'd like for it to be somewhat "movable" if needed but I'm far more concerned with reliability and a nice fence (which I suppose could be aftermarket). I'd like to avoid doing extra electrical work but that's not a deal breaker- I'll be doing that eventually anyways. Basically, I'm open to suggestions. I've looked at Grizzly/Powermatic/Jet/Delta/etc... I read good things, and then a "troll" goes on a rampage about how their saw is the scourge of their shop and the worst decision they ever made... I'm done with reviews. I wanna know what the SC community has to say and what y'all would buy/ what you've had positive experiences with. Like I said I'm pretty open to suggestion and I'm flexible on the price to an extent.

Thanks in advance to anyone who can give me some insight.

[Nick Decker]

I'll start by asking you to narrow it down. Do you want something new or are you inclined toward used, which might require varying degrees of restoration?

[glenn bradley]

Although I had one of the better hybrids (Craftsman/Orion 22124) and it did most everything I asked of it, my 3HP cabinet saw does all those things and more. The confidence and comfort one feels when making a cut with authority versus just "being able to" make the same cut is a quantifiable factor. The ability to power through tough material as opposed to finessing one's way through it feels safer. Kind of like the difference between paring something off with a sharp chisel as opposed to muscling it off with one that is sorta sharp.

You are not in the PM3000 or Saw Stop tier price-wise but, this is where Grizzly can really prove to be the more bang for your buck choice. The G1023 and the G0690 series come in a variety of flavors in your price range and have many, many, many happy owners. The new versions incorporate riving knives and better designed guards. New and old owners can talk to specifics like fence choices and all that. Hopefully they will chime in.

[Marshall Harrison]

I've recently gone through this same exercise. You will find guys that think you are crazy if you don't buy a SawStop and other guys that swear by used Unisaws.

Well I can't afford the SawStop and a lot of the older Unisaw are right tilt which I didn't want. They also didn't come with a riving knife and some didn't even have a splitter. I guess the old woodworkers found it too much trouble to take off or put on a blade guard or splitter so they just ran with a naked blade.

So on March 31st I ordered a Laguna Fusion F2 table saw. I liked the looks of it as well as its safety features. It is a hybrid and it has a riving knife, along with a 36" Beisemeyer clone fence. I caught it at 10% off, $75 shipping to my driveway via a lit gate truck and no sales tax. Due to the sale the Laguna dealer was out of stock so it hasn't shipped yet though they claim it will ship on or before 04/21.

I looked seriously at the Jet hybrids in the same $1300 price range but they don't have a full cabinet (but they are good saws) and I could only get the 30" and I really wanted something a little longer rip capacity.

I have seen and handled the F2 at my local Woodcraft store but all they have at the moment are two SawStops. I'm sure that the F2 will be great for my needs. Youtube has a series of 18 videos on assembly of the previous version of the F2 which is very similar to the newer version I ordered.

Good luck in your search.

[Tom Bender]

A few years ago I converted my saw to variable speed, starting with an 1800 rpm motor. So now it runs half the tip speed, or less. I really like it that way. See if any new saws can be provided that way. (100 miles an hour is noisy, dusty and more dangerous)

[Cary Falk]

I sold my 1970 Unisaw( which I restored )for a G1023RL to get a riving knife and couldn't be happier. I LOVE the riving knife.

[Mike Cutler]

Ryan

You have to take some of the reviews with a grain of salt, so to speak. I think people have to high an expectation sometimes for a machine, like a table saw, in that price range. It's a lot of money, so don't get me wrong there, but there are table saws easily in the $5000.00+ range.
Expect to do a little tinkering, and adjusting, out of the box, and invest in good blades and you should be fine.
I have General International "Hybrid". It's a 2hp motor that is powered on a 120vac circuit, normal duplex receptacle. I have had it for a decade and it's works just fine. I also have a 25 year old Jet contractor saw that I bought new, and it also not bad. Being a contractor saw, the dust collection sucks! and not in a good way. Avoid a contractor style table saw if you can. A hybrid, or "true" cabinet saw is better for dust collection, out of the box.
You mention that you'd like to avoid any electrical work. I don't know exactly what that means? If the space you're moving into doesn't already have 240vac wired to it, you're going to have to install it, or limit yourself to a 2HP, max, motor on a table saw. 3HP and beyond are 240 vac power.

Most folks will tell you that" it's the fence that makes the saw". It's actually pretty true advice. A good fence on a lesser quality saw is better than a crappy fence on a better quality saw. It's the fence and blade that are doing the work. Err on the side of the fence when you make your selection.

[andy bessette]

Watch for a deal on a clean Unisaw or Powermatic 66 with good fence.

[Matt Day]

I’m “that guy” who is going to recommend getting a used saw. There are alternatives to riving knifes like a Shark Guard, so don’t let the riving knife stop you from an older saw. You should be able to find a nice Unisaw for under $700, and use the leftover cash on other machines.

[Scott Buehler]

For that price range, I would go with either grizzly or the Laguna fusion for a new saw. If you are patient enough, I would wait and find a used unisaw

[Ryan Higgins-Winter Haven]

If I was forced to pick either new or used I'd say new, but I'm really not opposed to used. I don't mind a little restoration but I would like to avoid anything too time consuming. I often find myself frustrated by how little time I get to actually spend in my shop so any overly time consuming restorations would be a little off-putting. That why I'm kinda leaving this up to the SC community. I trust you guys and value your input. If you think a certain used model would be the best way to go, so be it.

[andy bessette]

Avoid a restoration. Look for a clean, used one.

[Ryan Higgins-Winter Haven]

Thanks for the input Glenn. What you get from you cabinet sums up what I am really looking for, and is the reason the Kobalt is on the chopping block. I'm just tired of needing that perfect cut and feeling like I cant trust my saw to do it- so much so that I recently took a few slabs for a glue up to a local mill and shelled out $80 to have them do what I was just plain tired of negotiating with. Sounds like it might be better to go with one of the grizzly's if I cant find a good used 3000 or sawstop

[Ryan Higgins-Winter Haven]

Thanks Glenn. Let me know how it goes when the F2 arrives!

[Ryan Higgins-Winter Haven]

So I have a little correction to make- there was an old receptacle that had simply been covered up by the previous owner with a co-ax cover... why? I cant be sure. But upon realizing that there was no reason for this room to have two co-ax ports, I decided to take the cover off, and low and behold... 240 problem solved. What are the odds, right?
I'm with ya on a grain of salt on the reviews... its just getting to the point these days where you might need a truckload of salt!