Table Saw with Power Feeder

[Tony Roun]

Hi All, I am looking to upgrade my table saw in the next few months. I have a Craftsman Hybrid Table Saw and it's the weak link in my shop. I'd like my new saw to incorporate some heightened safety features. I have been primarily focused on SawStop PCS 3HP as the option since I don't really have room for a full-sized slider. I was curious if anyone has considered table saws with power feeders as an alternative to Sawstop for safety purposes. I have zero experience with power feeders on any equipment, but it seems like this function on a table saw might allow for hands to stay away from the blade during operation while also preventing any kickback?

For those with experience using a power feeder on a table saw, do you feel this has served as an effective safety device? I have the option to purchase a 3hp cabinet saw with a power feed, and it caused me to think about this.

Any advice is always appreciated.

[Rod Sheridan]

I would go with a small slider over a cabinet saw.

I’ve used mine with a feeder....Rod

[Jeff Duncan]

I use a feeder on my saw, but only for large jobs when I need to run miles of stock. Once the project is done feeder is removed as its just in the way. I cant imagine trying to use if for day to day operations, you'd spend more time tinkering with the feeder setting than anything else, but everyone works differently so??? As far as safety, just learning safe methods and always being aware when operating machinery will eliminate most accidents.

good luck,
JeffD

[Jared Sankovich]

Like Jeff I have one that I just mount when I want to rip a pile if boards. It would be a huge hindrance to leave it on normally.

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[Mark e Kessler]

Slider...Make it work...you can get a short one if you must. I have had a power feeder on a ts, only ever for long runs of material.

Hi All, I am looking to upgrade my table saw in the next few months. I have a Craftsman Hybrid Table Saw and it's the weak link in my shop. I'd like my new saw to incorporate some heightened safety features. I have been primarily focused on SawStop PCS 3HP as the option since I don't really have room for a full-sized slider. I was curious if anyone has considered table saws with power feeders as an alternative to Sawstop for safety purposes. I have zero experience with power feeders on any equipment, but it seems like this function on a table saw might allow for hands to stay away from the blade during operation while also preventing any kickback?

For those with experience using a power feeder on a table saw, do you feel this has served as an effective safety device? I have the option to purchase a 3hp cabinet saw with a power feed, and it caused me to think about this.

Any advice is always appreciated.

[Mike Wilkins]

Tony while I was reading your thread I was thinking that a short stroke slider would be ideal. Then I read the next thread from Mr. Sheridan.
I went from a Delta Unisaw to a Laguna Pro 6' slider and immediately felt the safety benefits of letting the sliding table move the board through the blade, with your fingers far away from danger.
Power feeders on a table saw are more of a commercial operation, running hundreds of feet of lumber through the blade. Kind of overkill for a home based woodworker.

[Jim Becker]

I have a slider and wouldn't go back to a cabinet saw. If I had to downsize, I'd get a smaller slider.

[David Kumm]

I have a feeder on my short stroke slider and use it a lot. The feeder never is adjusted except for up or down unless I swing it out of the way. I have a stout high- low fence and the center wheels sit over the blade which cuts a slit in it. I have several saws but when ripping against the fence, the feeder serves like a guard. I'm not sure I would want it if I had to rip ply and have to remove the base to clear the stock, but I can crosscut elsewhere so the feeder never gets removed. Dave

[David Buchhauser]

Hi All, I am looking to upgrade my table saw in the next few months. I have a Craftsman Hybrid Table Saw and it's the weak link in my shop. I'd like my new saw to incorporate some heightened safety features. I have been primarily focused on SawStop PCS 3HP as the option since I don't really have room for a full-sized slider. I was curious if anyone has considered table saws with power feeders as an alternative to Sawstop for safety purposes. I have zero experience with power feeders on any equipment, but it seems like this function on a table saw might allow for hands to stay away from the blade during operation while also preventing any kickback?

For those with experience using a power feeder on a table saw, do you feel this has served as an effective safety device? I have the option to purchase a 3hp cabinet saw with a power feed, and it caused me to think about this.

Any advice is always appreciated.

Hi Tony,
Another option would be to add a sliding attachment to your new table saw. I have the Grizzly sliding attachment mounted to my table saw. It works well for me and I am happy with it.
David

Grizzly Sliding Attachment 1.jpg Grizzly Sliding Attachment 2.jpg Grizzly Sliding Attachment 3.jpg

[Richard Coers]

I'll never need a slider in my shop. My days of breaking down 10 sheets of plywood are long over. I also have very few operations where I'm cutting more than 10 boards in any one operation. Then I'm completely changing operations by moving the fence, crosscutting with a sled or mitre gage, and running a dado head. The power feeder would just require too many setups and moving out of the way 2/3 of the time. So neither options for me!

[Mark e Kessler]

In the past was not uncommon for me to work behind a slider for weeks on end breaking down lift after lift of melamine or ply, now maybe 5-10 sheets a year if that, could never live without a slider that's not to say I wouldn't ever own a ts again just don't need one right now. Just because someone doesn't work with ply doesn't mean they wouldn't benefit from owning a slider

I'll never need a slider in my shop. My days of breaking down 10 sheets of plywood are long over. I also have very few operations where I'm cutting more than 10 boards in any one operation. Then I'm completely changing operations by moving the fence, crosscutting with a sled or mitre gage, and running a dado head. The power feeder would just require too many setups and moving out of the way 2/3 of the time. So neither options for me!

[Tony Roun]

This is all great feedback. Thank you. I get the sense from most folks that the power feeder on a table saw is nice, but primarily used for long runs. I am not a volume woodworker so that might not be the ticket if it is constantly needing to be swing in and out of position. I may need to re-evaluate if I can fit a full slider in the shop. If I can get an 8.5' slider, that might be the ticket. I have wasted a lot of time in my past buying equipment that isn't quite right, and I sense if I bought a 4' slider, I may regret it. I want to get this purchase right, and it'll be the saw that my children learn on, so I am excited to find an ideal option.

[Darcy Warner]

I rarely cut anything without using my stock feeder on my table saws.

[Mark Bolton]

1HP 3 wheel on slider here and use it at every opportunity. Faster, safer, less user fatigue, longer tool life, etc.. But agreed they are a pain to put on and off and most generally if its table mounted they will drastically limit your width capacity with the column mounted to the table. I would agree that if your budget allow or you can go used a slider (as large as you can fit) and feeder would be a combo you'd probably be shocked you hadnt purchased sooner but even a straight cabinet saw and feeder is a leap forward.

Keep in mind though that cantilevered fences like what are on most euro saws and biesmyer (sp) are no match for a feeder if your looking for dead accuracy. They will deflect unless you clamp the outbound edge of the fence. I have a long shop made straight lining fence that I use with the feeder so I dont have to straightline with the slider and then swing the feeder around. Its all feeder work. But you have to be pretty accurate toe-ing in your feeder only whats necessary and there will still be a little bit of deflection. Even with that though we get glue line rips straight off the saw with the feeder running fast. Its night and day. For rips that require more toe-in (thick/slick material) I have to clamp the fence.

It'd be much nicer to have an SLR but Im too old and no room.

My long time plan that I have never gotten around to has always been to fabricate a steel box tube column projecting down from the ceiling and invert the feeder column so its hanging from the ceiling. That way I could just retract the feeder and swing it out of the way and still rip sheets without having to de-mount the feeder. Now I have a fixed chain hoist right above the feeder and just impact driver, pull the four bolts, hoist it up 18" and leave it hang there til its needed again (which is almost daily at times).

[Jim Becker]

I'll never need a slider in my shop. My days of breaking down 10 sheets of plywood are long over. I also have very few operations where I'm cutting more than 10 boards in any one operation. Then I'm completely changing operations by moving the fence, crosscutting with a sled or mitre gage, and running a dado head. The power feeder would just require too many setups and moving out of the way 2/3 of the time. So neither options for me!

Sliding saws are not just for sheet goods. The big ones are well suited to that, of course, but one of the key benefits of a true sliding saw is that the material is moved through most cuts fully supported by the wagon with incredible stability, especially when clamped, with little or no hands-near-the-blade. It provides repeatability and when ripping material that's already flat with the wagon, one gets a perfectly perpendicular, glue ready cut without edge jointing. It's a different way of working. Many do support dado cutters, too. Mine does, although I haven't bothered with that for a long time.

I do agree with you about the power feeder...it would largely get in the way. Feeders are best suited to repetitive ripping and ripping is only a small portion of what a table saw gets used for, IMHO.