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Thread: SawStop PCS 1.75HP Questions

  1. #16
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southeast MI.
    Posts
    374
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Dwight View Post
    I figured out the kerf was closing on the blade on these legs and that was part of the reason the saw was struggling.

    So be careful on rip cuts that close up on the blade and you will probably be OK with a reasonable blade.
    Yeah unfortunately I'm well aware of boards closing up on rip cuts!
    Years ago I had a pretty scarry kick-back on an old contractor style table saw! It was with a 4-1/2 foot piece of green rough cut red oak that twisted as I cut it, luckily I wasn't hit by the piece since it had enough force to knock over a cart about 6 feet away.

    That's another reason I wanted a newer style table saw with a true riving knife/splitter assembly that goes up & down with the blade.

    Doug

  2. #17
    Doug,

    If you notice the kerf closing, it helps to shut off the saw and put a shim into the kerf before resuming the cut. I've done this successfully several times but I normally don't want to take the time. The kerf will show marks of the struggle but that is going to happen regardless.

    Jim

  3. #18
    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Walls View Post
    Thanks for the information!

    With the majority of my projects I normally use plywood or 4/4 stock, so I know I wouldn't have any problems there.

    I'm sure with the new saw I'll come up with new bigger projects that may require thicker stock, but I doubt I would need to rip anything thicker than 8/4 stock.

    Doug
    except when you want to cut that 8/4 at 45 degrees. It then becomes a 3” cut.

  4. #19
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    Southwest Virginia
    Posts
    277
    I have that same saw. The only real issue I had was when I was ripping a bunch of 10/4 ash slabs for my bench. I actually stopped the blade a few times. No problems with it otherwise.

  5. #20
    I've had the PCS 1.75HP / 120v for about five years now. With the right blade, I've almost never had a problem with it bogging down. It did struggle once or twice on some hard thick stock. For my uses, 98% of the time it, it handles everything with ease. I couldn't justify the additional cost of 3HP upgrade plus the cost to installing a 220v circuit for the once or twice a year I needed the extra horsepower.

  6. #21
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southeast MI.
    Posts
    374
    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Lester View Post
    I have that same saw. The only real issue I had was when I was ripping a bunch of 10/4 ash slabs for my bench.
    Thanks for the information!
    "10/4 ash slabs" That sounds like a peaty good size piece to cut, I could imagine having some issues with something like that.

    Doug

  7. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southeast MI.
    Posts
    374
    Quote Originally Posted by Terry Wawro View Post
    I've had the PCS 1.75HP / 120v for about five years now. With the right blade, I've almost never had a problem with it bogging down.

    It did struggle once or twice on some hard thick stock. For my uses, 98% of the time it, it handles everything with ease.
    Thanks for the reply!

    Doug

  8. #23
    Join Date
    Sep 2012
    Location
    Greater Manor Metroplex, TX
    Posts
    264
    I have had the exact same set up as you since 2016. I am hobbyist who struggles to find time in the shop. That being said, I have only had 1 issue with it bogging down and that was with some 3/4 big box plywood that started to pinch the blade.

    I run full kerf blades in mine. As other have mentioned, a premium blade and using a dedicate rip blade for rip cuts makes a big difference.

  9. #24
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southeast MI.
    Posts
    374
    Quote Originally Posted by Todd Mason-Darnell View Post
    I have had the exact same set up as you since 2016.
    I have only had 1 issue with it bogging down and that was with some 3/4 big box plywood that started to pinch the blade.
    Thanks for the reply!

    Quote Originally Posted by Todd Mason-Darnell View Post
    I run full kerf blades in mine. As other have mentioned, a premium blade and using a dedicate rip blade for rip cuts makes a big difference.
    Agreed good quality & sharp blades make a big difference.

    Quote Originally Posted by Todd Mason-Darnell View Post
    I am hobbyist who struggles to find time in the shop.
    With all the Covid related issues last year, I took the option of retiring early at 62.
    I'm a hobbyist also, but with 15-years of experience working in machine shops.

    Now I have the time to get things done in the garage. However now I have the problem of getting everything organized & figuring out how to combine woodworking & metalworking equipment into one 2-car garage.

    My latest project is rebuilding a 13" Southbend Lathe & the parts are currently scattered throughout the garage.

    IMG_8465.JPGIMG_8204.JPGIMG_8189.JPG

    With the weather here in Southeast MI. finally warming up, I can finish up some painting & start reassembling everything.
    Hopefully if I can get everything to fit the way I'm planning I will have one side of the garage set-up for metalworking & the other side for woodworking.

    Doug

  10. #25
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    Southeast MI.
    Posts
    374
    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Becker View Post
    I'd keep it on 120v 20a and consider the motor upgrade in the future.
    Looks like that's what I'll do seeing that I just picked-up my SawStop PCS-175 early.

    My local Woodcraft store had an order cancelation & I was able to get my saw about three weeks early.

    Being it wasn't expected to ship until June 3rd. I had thought about possibly changing my order.

    Doug

  11. #26
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    SE PA - Central Bucks County
    Posts
    65,638
    Congrats! I suspect that you'll find that the performance is more than up to the task for most things so enjoy!
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  12. #27
    Join Date
    Feb 2003
    Location
    Doylestown, PA
    Posts
    7,541
    Quote Originally Posted by Doug Walls View Post
    Did you keep the original gas/lift assist cylinder in the saw?
    I talked to a tech at SS & he also recommended to upgrade to the heaver duty lift/assist cylinder!

    I was figuring on possibly doing the 3HP/motor conversion after getting my electrical upgraded in about a year or so!

    For now I was just thinking about upgrading the 1.75HP. motor to 240V.


    Wow I wouldn't thought that was possible!

    Based on that, I may be able to get away with the 30Amp circuit for both?
    I have a friend that's a retired electrician, I'll check with him & see if I could possibly run the 3HP model & dust collector on my current line.

    My saw is currently on "backorder" with Woodcraft with an expected shipping date of June 3rd.
    Being it hasn't shipped yet, I may be able to upgrade the order?

    Doug
    I have a 3 hp G1023 table saw and Jet JJP-12 3 hp J/P along with a "2 hp" dust collector on a 30 amp 240 volt circuit. I've never tried all 3 at the same time, I'm a one man operation. Either Saw + dust collector or JP + dust collector. I've never taken a heavy cut with either the table saw or JP but no electrical overloads shown. Perhaps if I were able to push both start switches at precisely the same time and the circuit breaker were "fast blow" I might see an issue, don't know. I start the dust collector and let it come up to speed then start one of the other machines. Been fine for 20+ years.

  13. #28
    With a 120V motor the only real limitation, if you want to call it that, is that the blade must be appropriate, clean and fairly sharp when you want to make maximum depth cuts. I like a Woodsmith bed plan that I and my two married kids sleep in each night. It has 3x3 legs of hardwood. My son and daughter-in-law use one made before I bought the sawstop out of oak. Legs were ripped on my 120V saw I used at that time, I think it was a Ryobi BT3100. My daughter and son-in-law sleep on one in cherry, I am sure that one was ripped on the Ryobi. My bed is the most recent build and it's legs were ripped to size on my PCS 1.75. It is cherry. The saw did not struggle, cherry buns easily and I didn't want to deal with that but it made nice clean cuts easily.

    I think it is not really appropriate to think the motor is undersized. It just does not have power enough to deal with dirty and/or dull blades that are inappropriate for the task at hand. I do not back away from making full depth cuts, I just check the blade. If it needs cleaned or changed out I do that.

    The beds are just an example. I've made lots of furniture for me and my kids and my only table saws have been 120V saws.

  14. #29
    I had one of those Ryobi BT3100 saws for years, sold it when I bought a sawstop. Built a lot with it and actually miss a few of the features it had. It was a good cutting saw.

  15. #30
    I agree. It was far better than it needed to be at it's price point. I got rid of mine when I wore out the aluminum threads in the casting that supported the arbor height adjustment. That was a known issue and I had a helicoil kit ready to go but I was getting ready to retire and decided to splurge and get a SawStop. One thing I miss is the aluminum extrusion for a fence. Seems like it would be an easy upgrade for SawStop to copy. Might cut down on the boat anchor weight of the current fence as well as be straighter and more square. Plus much easier to attach an auxiliary fence to.

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