Table Saw Upgrade advice

[Brian Vidler]

New to the forums and first time poster. I am ready to upgrade my table saw. Almost anything would be an upgrade from my direct drive Craftsman. I can’t afford to buy a new cabinet saw. I’m trying to be patient and wait for a used 3hp cabinet saw. I’ve seen a Rockwell 34-450 for $550, a Jet JWCS-10 for $600 and an Atlas 3160 for $200 (tempting but old and hard to find parts?) but there are also Hybrid Jets for $600 with a 1.75 hp motor.
My intention is to put an Incra TS-LS system on a saw.
I read somewhere, concerns regarding kickback with right tilt saw while using a right hand rip fence??? The majority of the Delta’s (and their knock offs) are right tilt??

Any advice would be appreciated regarding older saws and concerns regarding the right tilt?

[Russell Hayes]

The problem with right tilt saws is when you cut a bevel with the fence the fence needs to be left of the blade. otherwise you would trap the wood against the fence. Normally your fence rails are hanging off the right of the saw. On a right tilt you need to put your rails hanging a little over on the left and you are still limited on the width of a bevel rip. This may not work for you with the incra fence, I think it always stays right of the blade?
If you want a left tilt keep looking you will find one.

[Cameron Wood]

Unisaw is a good choice- lots around, especially since the rise of Sawstop. I would hold out for a used cabinet saw vs anything lighter.

L/R tilt doesn't matter IMO. There are pros & cons either way and most older saws are right tilt.

Older Unisaws with the bullet motor have functionally about the same power as a newer 3hp motor. A 1.75 hp capacitor motor is fine for a non commercial shop as well, IMO, unless you have a bunch of 12/4 oak to mill.

[Aaron Inami]

Most cabinet saws have the longer 36"/52" extension table on the right side. In this situation, you want a left-tilt saw because you are going to be doing all your ripping on the right side. If you get a right-tilt saw, then your extension table should be on the left side. I'm remember back in the day they commonly had options for both right/left tilt, but I'm not really sure the reason why.

[Andrew Hughes]

I don’t think you should pass up a good deal on a right tilting saw. I have a right tilting table saw that set up accurately it rips bevel cuts just fine with the fence set on the right.
Good Luck with your hunt.

[Kent A Bathurst]

.....back in the day they commonly had options for both right/left tilt, but I'm not really sure the reason why.

I got my [long gone now] Unisaw about 25 years ago +/-. At that time, there really were none/very few left-tilt saws around that I was aware of, but as a noob I knew none/very little, so a match there - except I did know the importance of the left-tilt.

Mine was a "first edition" left Unisaw, in that they took a right-tilt and rejiggered the trunion/guts to work as left. Not a purpose built left. Reasonable klutzy, but did me fine.

[John Kananis]

My mid/late nineties unisaw is a workhorse. It eats anything I can throw at it, dead on accurate and as others have said, more than one way to cut a bevel. Your budget is small for a new cabinet saw but I'd take a 30+ y/o cabinet saw over a new hybrid or contractor saw any day. I'm not saying that getting a unisaw will be the last ts purchase you make but it certainly could be. I'm eyeballing a nice slider for one day but not tomorrow or next week for sure.

[James Jayko]

Older Unisaws with the bullet motor have functionally about the same power as a newer 3hp motor. A 1.75 hp capacitor motor is fine for a non commercial shop as well, IMO, unless you have a bunch of 12/4 oak to mill.

Especially when you have the right blades, and they are sharp. 1 3/4 hp is more than you think, but not if you insist upon riding that old crappy DeWalt combination blade that came with the saw until it literally breaks in half...

[glenn bradley]

Where are you located? Members may be able to help locally. My son in law just bought a Craftsman 22124 (read Orion / Steel City) for $400. The Biesemeyer fence that came on it was almost worth that. You can get a lot of work done on a contractor format saw if you don't need to do much bevel work; the contractor format does poorly with angled cuts.

That being said, a Craftsman / Emerson (113. model numbers) from pre 1980 can be made into a very nice saw for the home shop. I made a ton of stuff on one. I actually just gave one away a few months ago (this is what I mean about members being able to help locally.

[Brian Vidler]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience and advice! Much appreciated. I find I can use all I can get. I am in Upstate NY midway between Syracuse and Rochester.

[Jim Dwight]

I helped another volunteer use an old right tilt 3hp table saw to do some 45 degree rips today. The only real issue is the thin edge (assuming you are making bevels on both edges) wants to ride into the rip fence - go under it. There are ways to deal with that but it is a disadvantage. But 90+% of my cuts are at 90 degrees, very few at 45. With a limited budget I would not limit myself to the more rare left tilt.

It looks like you are already thinking 1.75hp could work and I agree with that. I have always used 120V saws in my 50+ years woodworking. I rip 8/4 hardwood whenever I need to. In one pass. You do not have extra hp to deal with dirty blades or wood that binds on the blade or other nonsense but with the right blade it works fine.

I like my left tilt 1.75hp PCS - cabinet saw - but contractor saws can also do a lot of work. Their height and tilt mechanisms are normally attached to the top of the saw instead of the cabinet and that can make them more prone to shifting out of alignment. But good ones can do a lot of work. Contractor saws are easier to move, however. If you will need to move it often you need a good mobile base on a cabinet saw. A contractor is lighter and easier to move - but could be knocked out of alignment in the process.

The rip fence is a big deal. You want one that will stay parallel with the blade. Having to measure and adjust both ends is a big time hassle.

[Bill Dufour]

looks like lots of unisaw or powermatic cabinet saws for around 700 in your area. The smallest uhaul trailer is about 28 dollars for 24 hours.
About three years before I bought my lathe I bought the m16 lifting eye to pick it up with an engine hoist and move it. That sliding table and mobile base may be worth getting even before the saw.
Bill D

https://longisland.craigslist.org/tl...636627400.html

https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/...640045221.html

https://lancaster.craigslist.org/tls...629779872.html

https://westernmass.craigslist.org/t...633527319.html

https://glensfalls.craigslist.org/tl...631293601.html

[Brian Runau]

Thanks everyone for sharing your experience and advice! Much appreciated. I find I can use all I can get. I am in Upstate NY midway between Syracuse and Rochester.

Completely unrelated, my wife is from Binghamton. Pretty part of the country. Brian

[Brian Vidler]

Yeah I saw the mobile base. Wish I had room for the slider, but maybe worth having for when I do.

Binghamton is about 2 hrs south toward the Pa. Border. I’m about 40 minutes from Lake Ontario. We actually live right between the north ends of Seneca and Cayuga lakes. Good fishing and lots of wineries in the area. Unfortunately all the wine is wasted on me. All tastes like grapes to me!

Any thoughts on the older Rockwell cabinet I mentioned? another one came up around the same vintage for $400. A Delta cabinet was also just posted for $400 Trying to get info… beyond it’s a 220v saw . Only 1 picture… that is not great. About all I can ascertain from the picture is that it is a cabinet saw… and it’s blue.

[Mike King]

Yeah I saw the mobile base. Wish I had room for the slider, but maybe worth having for when I do.

Binghamton is about 2 hrs south toward the Pa. Border. I’m about 40 minutes from Lake Ontario. We actually live right between the north ends of Seneca and Cayuga lakes. Good fishing and lots of wineries in the area. Unfortunately all the wine is wasted on me. All tastes like grapes to me!

Any thoughts on the older Rockwell cabinet I mentioned? another one came up around the same vintage for $400. A Delta cabinet was also just posted for $400 Trying to get info… beyond it’s a 220v saw . Only 1 picture… that is not great. About all I can ascertain from the picture is that it is a cabinet saw… and it’s blue.

Brian, one question for you is whether you really need a table saw upgrade or should you be looking for adding a capability to your shop? What type of woodworking are you doing? Do you use a lot of sheet goods? What other tools do you have?

Table saws can be quite useful, but sometimes you'd be better off buying a band saw, a miter saw, and/or a chop saw. So, might you provide some more info on your work and projects you intend to undertake?

Mike