Grizzly 1023RLW vs Harvey Alpha HW110TC-36P

[Chris Sonego]

I agree with that but there is a point of diminishing return. The Harvey 2hp (which is what I ordered btw) nets out at 411 lbs. I really doubt that vibration will be an issue. Before owning a PM66, I had a Jet contractor saw. It was a good machine that performed very well. Every bit as accurate as my PM and it certainly didn’t have vibration issues. Those saws were almost 20 years ago when I got out of the craft.

Getting back into WW today, it appears to me that most machinery for the average home woodworker is way over kill with the exception of the the SS brake feature. Again, back in my day, my contractor saw reliably produced exactly same results as my American made 600lb PM66. My reason for the upgrade back then was that I got a smoking deal on the powermatic and it had a cast iron sliding table.

[Chris Sonego]

Same thing happened to me. I contacted them (answered the phone on third ring) and they honored the price.

[Bruce Mack]

This thread needs more Sawstop photos!

Attachment 472416

Be still, my Heart.

[Darrell Bade]

That salesman is crazy on the brakes. I am still using the original brake from when I bought the saw in 2008. I don't keep a spare, like others have said if it trips I'd walk away for awhile and go get a new brake, at least if it was my finger that tripped it, if it tripped for another reason I might wish I had a spare.

[Jim Luton]

Alright, I've pretty much decided on the Sawstop PCS. Not so much for the safety brake, though I admit it's a plus. I was as annoyed as everyone else when that first came out, with the tactics used, but the saw has proven to be good, with plenty of units out there over 15 years or so. A big plus for me is that I can go pick it up, tomorrow in fact. It ships laying down, so it fits in the back of the Explorer. I can offload down a ramp of beams directly onto the shop floor. I'm getting a mobile base (the cheap one) so I can move it by myself. Shipping freight here is a problem, as a tractor trailer rig can't easily fit down my long, private road, and turning around is a problem, so I have them come to the Dollar General parking lot, to offload onto a flat bed trailer, then I have to get the machines off the trailer, etc. As long as there's no damage when I pick it up (at Woodcraft) I can get it to the shop in good shape.

There is a demo model set up in the store with sliding table and overarm dust collection. I can have a close look and bail if it doesn't seem good, but I think it will prove to be adequate.

The saw I'm using now is the first saw I ever bought, new in 1981. A Rockwell contractors saw, and still have receipt from Pleasants Hardware in Richmond. I actually built two Park Ave. kitchens on that saw when I first set up my shop in Brooklyn, NY. Once I got going, I bought a used Robland short stroke slider from Laguna (complete w/ all the customer service issues you've probably heard about). Then the Felder. I built a steel frame for the Rockwell with wheels, bolted on a Biesmeyer fence, and moved the little Rockwell out to our boat building shop on Jamaica Bay in Brooklyn. I built a 23' power boat with that saw (and a Grizzly bandsaw, Powermatic jointer, and Rockwell planer). It's paid it's dues over 40 years, but it is on it's last legs. I can't do decent work with it any more. But in a flash of inspiration, I've decided to use it as an assembly bench, stand alone router table, and crosscut support for the sawstop. Same height, Biesmeyer fence, etc. And it rolls around. If I trigger the safety on the new saw, I can still plug it in and do some cutting. It doesn't owe me dime, as they say, I'll post pics when I have the new saw up and running. In the meantime, here's a couple of pics of the boat I built with the old saw.






This is the little Rockwell inside our shipping container shop. Working a shallow cove on the backside of the rubrail.


The cockpit coaming.

Sorry for the digression, just wanted to pay tribute to the little saw. RIP.

[Jim Becker]

Sounds like a good plan and with immediate availability...a real winner! I can't really say anything bad about the PCS I have in my temporary shop. it's a good tool and would be that way regardless of the safety feature.