Have the 3hp ICS with 52" fence. Very happy with the saw. Well designed and implemented. If I had to do it over again I would get the 5hp one. I have noticed a bit of slow down when ripping 8/4 or thicker hard woods with good blades.
Member
Have the 3hp ICS with 52" fence. Very happy with the saw. Well designed and implemented. If I had to do it over again I would get the 5hp one. I have noticed a bit of slow down when ripping 8/4 or thicker hard woods with good blades.
Contributor
I have the 3hp PCS and it has handled anything I’ve needed it to cut up to 10/4 WO handily. As Alan pointed out, blade dependent. As you have the track saw there will be no need for the 52” bed. I did not care for the legs on the 52” table and was glad to be rid of them when I cut the rails and installed the RT to the RT. So far I have seen no need for the factory legs. If, and I guess this morning is a good time to look at it, I see any sag in the RT due to no legs I will fabricate a couple diagonal lags back to the cabinet to keep things clear.
Member
I have a 1.75hp PCS with the 36 inch fence. I wanted it higher so I built a mobile base that lifts it and has drawers under the extension table. So I removed the factory legs.
I was a bit surprised by the lack of power with the 1.75hp motor. I've always used 120V saws but before the PCS they worked pretty well with a full kerf blade. My PCS really wants a thin kerf blade. But with one, and a thin kerf ripping blade for the really deep cuts, it can cut full blade depth in hard wood. Often the all around blade that is usually in it will do what I want.
To me the big advantage of bigger motors is reduced need to swap blades, and the ability to more effectively use full kerf blades.
Member
Another consideration to consider currently if pondering whether or not to invest in a Sawstop, (presumably for the great safety feature), is that the Patent for the blade stop feature is slated to "run out" in 2021. I suppose Sawstop will "lawyer up" to get as much extension as possible but rest assured most other name brand table saw manufacturers probably have already got this safety technology, or something very similar (perhaps better?), off the drawing board and into production. Manufacturers cannot defeat the oldest consumer price driving factors which are supply vs demand. Sawstop makes great quality table saws but unfortunately their monopoly has driven the prices way higher than a comparable quality table saw without the blade stop feature.
I have to go blow my nose now...where is my kleenex (...or should I say facial tissue)?
Contributor
The safety brake doesn't add that much to the price. Yes, they are much more money than the semi-generic Chinese saws, but the quality is also much higher. If you shop comparing similar quality, the price difference is only a couple of hundred dollars.Originally Posted by Ted Graham
Friend of the Creek
I have the 5 hp ICS with the 52” fence, small sliding table and the fold up out feed table. Overall a great saw.
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James Cheever
Ga Tech NROTC - 1978
Run Silent, Run Deep
Commander, USN (Retired)
Contributor
SawStop and it's patents were purchased by Festool (actually, the parent of Festool) in 2017. I think it would be wonderful if every cabinet saw manufacturer had a safety feature similar to what SawStop offers. The annual number of ER visits for table saw accidents is pretty high.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Member
ICS.
I bought that one way before they had the other models. If I had the choice, I still would have gone with the ICS
Vortex! What Vortex?
Contributor
If you're not in a huge hurry, SawStop has offered either a free mobil base or over arm dust collection system free with purchase. I believe it happens in March thru April.
Member
Hobby woodworker. Went from dinky benchtop table saw to 36" 1.75hp PCS few years ago. When I had 220v outlets installed in the garage I upgraded to the 3hp motor. The 1.75 was quite powerful and I used full-kerf blades most of the time. The only trouble it had was with thick hardwoods 10-12/4 maple or hickory for example, even with a thin-kerf specialty ripping blade. It would often burn the wood and trip the 20amp 120v breaker. The motor upgrade was a huge improvement. I have it on the industrial mobile base, since I need to move it around a lot. I use the the overarm floating dust collection guard (the excalibur-style one) and the sawstop-brand folding rear table extension. It has been a great saw. I have considered adding the sliding crosscut table, but it's expensive and for really big crosscuts I can use my track saw.
Contributor
I agree with Joe. If you can afford the ICS, go with that. It's a tool you'll use for the rest of your life. I bought the PCS but if I was doing it over, I'd get the ICS.
Mike
Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good.
Contributor
I believe two other significant (IMO) characteristics of the ICS is more table in front of the blade and the fact that the motor cover does not hang below the CI on the left side (as it does on the PCS) preventing the use of a router insert.
If I were to do it again, I would have bought the ICS over the PCS for those two reasons.
Contributor
I purchased a PCS and the another sales guy different from the salesman I purchased it from loaded it onto my trailer . After a discussion about the quality of that saw I had it unloaded and purchased an ICS and am not sorry I did . It is a 3HP model with 52". system . Never looked back on that decision . Like the saw very much . Love the added length of the table . Accuracy is outstanding . The Hydraulic Lift works nicely as the saw actually sits flat on the floor when lowered .
Member
I have the 1 3/4 hp. Was thinking of contractor but then upgraded to cabinet. Wish I would have bought the 3hp for long term. The 1.75 is decent, but underpowered for bigger jobs. A nice saw overall, though.
[OP]
Member
I just ordered the Industrial version in 5hp and only the 36-inch table. Three to four week delay in getting. I selected the 5hp over the 3hp for a simple and perhaps foolish reason . . . my large sliding table saws required the higher amperage (one of the sliders had three 5hp motors) and my wall plugs are already configured to that L6 220 plug and did not want to mess around with the change in wall plugs (crazy I know!). Plus I just didnt want to have any regrets in being underpowered. I went with the 36-inch rather than the 52-inch because a) I expect to do less large panel work then before and focus more on smaller work, and 2) I own the larger FesTool plunge circular saw along with numerous Festool guide rails that will provide straight line cuts on larger pieces, and 3) I want/need to conserve more workable space in my 2-car garage workshop. I just sold my two-year-old MiniMax slider that had been backed up close to my Powermatic lathe and prevented its use for the last couple years. Now, with the SawStop on the hydraulic mobility kit, I expect I will be able to move that machine easily and without fuss and bother.
I also ordered that Jessem $300 mitre gauge that will extend up to 36 inches, and the Jessem table saw roller guides on sale now at Woodcraft. I will likely also add the electronic fence measuring device that is made for the SawStop available currently for $55. I plan to build my own swing up extension table as I was not impressed with the one offered by SawStop. I already have a dust hose hanging from the ceiling from my 5hp Oneida collection system, so I plan to somehow use that to handle some of the dust at the blade surface.
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