Hybrid Table Saw opinions

[Ryan W Taylor]

So, I used the little Hitachi job saw (w/ Tenyru GM Blade) trying to straighten out some 1" White Oak boards. Lets just say....the saw started to bog down.

So, I thought to myself...if I am going to pursue this as a hobby for the long term, might be good to have a decent saw. I started to do my research and I am "crunched on space" you could say. I roll my stuff out of the tiny 1 car garage (used to be a carport) to work and roll it inside when I am done.

So I looked at hybrids.

Does anybody have experience with the Shop Fox 1837? 2HP, and from what little reviews I have seen, it seem to be a solid contender. I am not going to have 3PH run out the garage so anything beefy like that is out of the question.

[Ryan W Taylor]

Anybody?

[Jim Dwight]

Ryan,

I have no experience with that saw but will offer some thoughts. My current table saw is a Saw Stop PCS, 1.75hp. I've been making sawdust for over 30 years and I have never owned a 220V table saw. I have cut over 3 inches in hardwood whenever I need to but I expect to need to switch to a ripping blade when doing so. The blade also needs to be decently clean and sharp.

If you had to straighten the boards you were working with it suggests that the wood warped as it dried and may warp as it is being cut. That will cause an issue for a bigger saw too. I've tripped the breaker on my PCS with a 1 inch hardwood board that pinched the blade behind the cut. I don't love Saw Stop's riving knife thickness and I think it contributed. But my point is warping wood can cause an issue with 110V saws, possibly bigger ones too.

If you are space limited, I would think about a track saw. I like to use mine to get a straight edge on boards, including getting them ready for glueup. Works better than a table saw. Easy to put away and store. I use a DeWalt but many like the Makita better and the Festool has some really nice features. I would look hard at the Kreig if I was in the market although their lack of a >8 foot track is a big concern for me. I haven't tried joining tracks, however, and it may work better than I fear. Track saws are also safer than table saws.

[james manutes]

Look at Grizzly . They have 2 Hybrid 2HP saws . The G0899 is probably the same saw as the Shop Fox . Same parent company . Unfortunately they are out of stock right now . The Delta 36-725 is a decent contractor saw w/ a good fence at $600 , and has a mobile base .

[glenn bradley]

Shop Fox isn't as forthcoming with their manuals as Grizzly is but, what I went looking for was the trunnion type. I'll interrupt myself to list the things that I required when I went hybrid shopping. I ended up with a Craftsman 22124 (read Orion / Steel City) but, this great intermediate saw is no longer offered. It hit all my marks which were:
- Cabinet mounted trunnions - check
- Cast Iron top and wings - check
- Top notch fence - Biesemeyer Commercial
- Left tilt - check
- Standard miter slots - check

So, why?

- Cabinet mounted trunnions - I never wanted to try to align table mounted trunnions again.
- Cast Iron top and wings - No more stamped steel wings for me.
- Top notch fence - Biesemeyer Commercial, I loved this fence. I still visit it at Dad's where this saw lives now.
- Left tilt - I use the tablesaw as a joinery machine as well as a ripping/crosscutting machine. Left tilt better suits my use case.
- Standard miter slots - I wanted to be able to use any and all of the aftermarket stuff that's out there.

Any of these would have been a deal-breaker for me. Make you own short list of the things that are deal-breakers for you. This will help you tick machines off your list and make your decision easier.

[Ryan W Taylor]

Hmm interesting points.

I forgot to add that I can get this saw from up the road in Macon GA for $890. Pretty decent price for a new saw.

[Matthew Hills]

I'd think most saws could cut 1" lumber reasonably well.

How are you doing cuts to straighten out the boards?
Is your board not straight or moving so that you bind against the fence/splitter/blade?
A narrow-kerf blade will help if the issue is just clearing the cut.

Most hybrid saws don't have a lot more power.

Matt

[Ryan W Taylor]

I was running the 8ft boards through and ripping them by hand. The cupped side if you will towards the fence. Worked reasonably well, but the saw was really slowing down and I was getting some burning as well. The blade...well this is it. https://www.amazon.com/Tenryu-GM-255.../dp/B006YCBM4G Same one I was using on the saw listed below.

I guess I was spoiled as I was previously using a 5HP Cabinet saw at the wood shop. Nothing fazed that thing....nothing.

[Jim Becker]

Hmm interesting points.

I forgot to add that I can get this saw from up the road in Macon GA for $890. Pretty decent price for a new saw.

It's a nice saw based on what you shared with me (sorry for the delay in my response...you know the reason) and the proximity, cost and "new" are all good. It will be powerful enough to do pretty much anything; something really heavy may require slower feed rate or a better blade configuration, but that's the same even with a heavier cabinet saw. The saw table is larger than any of the portables while the footprint isn't encumbered by a motor hanging out the back.

[Matthew Hills]

Do you have a splitter or riving knife? (How does thickness compare to your blade?)

My current saw is a jet 1.5hp hybrid and I’ve also used a Bosch 4000. Both were able to cut 1” stock without difficulty unless something binding. These saws are not 5hp cabinet saws and did have to think harder when ripping thicker hardwoods.

If the board is crooked, I’d think the short fence on the benchtop saw could be contributing. Do you bog down with all hardwood rips or just this set of boards?

Matt

[Justin Rapp]

Getting a more powerful saw / upgrade might help a bit, however I have a feeling you might be binding like Matthew Hills which is why he is asking abut the splitter / riving knife. If the board has tension in it, and it's pinching in after the rip cut, you are going to bind the blade. You might also have some level of bind between the blade and the fence when you get to the widest part of the board. It really is unsafe to be using any table saw for trying to straighten out wood. Tablesaws excel when you have flat and straight edge boards which should be done with a jointer and a planner. Ripping boards like you are breaking down would best be done with a bandsaw.