Purchasing new cabinet saw 3hp vs. 5hp?

[Jon Bell]

Hi to all. I am a newcomer and setting up my shop. I am not totally sure of all the things i might want to build. I am looking at the sawstop and will place my order early next week but got stuck at the 3hp or 5hp (single phase). i have a 14" jointer/planer and a 20 inch bandsaw from minimax and will be buying rough lumber. any help or insight on the difference or need for one over the other would be appreciated. it is $200 more for the 5hp. i only want to buy this once. thank you ahead of time for any insight you might have.

[tod evans]

jon, horsepower and cast iron are your friend....02 tod

[lou sansone]

hi jon
I have had a 3 hp saw, a 7.5 hp and now a 9 hp saw. The 3 was fine for most things, but I usually ran a thin kerf blade on it. The larger saws can power through anything you would want to put on the machine. I would say consider the % extra you are talking about ( sounds like about 7% extra ) and make your choice. I don't see a down side to the 5 hp at $200 extra
best wishes

lou

[Michael Ballent]

I struggled with the same this when I bought my SawStop. $200 more and I could have the 5HP version... So I looked at the type of WW I did and the majority of things I cut are 3/4" and ocassionally I would cut something thicker but not enough to justify the extra cost. IMO unless you are running a 12" blade it does not make sense to go up to 5HP... Unless you really want to brag to your friends. Yes the 5hp will let you cut faster, but how fast do you need to be? If you are a pro then yeah go ahead, if you are a hobbiest then just stay with the 3HP and buy a nice miter guage to replace the one that comes with the saw or get some grrippers and take your wife out to a nice dinner for letting you get the SawStop ( I am assuming you are married hehehe)

[Steven Wilson]

10" blade, no powerfeed - 3HP
12" blade, no powerfeed - 5HP
10" blade, powerfeed - 5HP
12" blade, powerfeed - 7.5HP

[Ben Grunow]

Just got my 3 hp SS cab saw and it EATS rough lumber as fast as you dare ram it in. So it should cut most of what you need it to at normal, safe speeds. The larger saw will also need more amps, if power is a concern for you. If not I would bet the 5 hp for another $200 if that is all it costs. More power is better. Good luck.

[Roy Wall]

Although I see Michael B's logic... I'd go for the extra HP for the $200 - but do still take your wife out to dinner!!! Make yourself some sack lunches over a couple months (instead of eating out...) and you'll have it paid for.......

The 5hp runs at 20.5 amps.....so you'll need a 25 amp breaker. Enjoy your new saw!

[Derek Arita]

I've only run 3HP saws in my shop and it's never been an issue for me to have more power. I was, however, under the unpression that if I were to switch to 5hp, that I would need to upgrade my 30A breaker and 10 guage wiring. If I'm wrong on this, I'm sure someone will correct me. Good luck.

[Jamie Buxton]

I've got a Unisaw with 1 1/2 HP. I'm a full-time woodworker. That saw has eaten everything I've ever fed to it for twenty-five years.

[Steven Evans]

I would have to agree with Steven W's guide posted above. I do not see really needing 5 hp without a slider or a power feeder. I had a MM 410 slider with 4.8hp motor with belt driven scoring off the main motor. I could not put it under any load with sheet stock. The shaper and J/P was another story.

But hey for 200.00 divided over the years you plan to own it? It will be very costly to upgrade later on if you find your wanting more power.

My personal thought on equipment: If you run a 3hp at say 80% load (2.4hp) and a 5 HP at 48% which do you think will last longer? Just my 2 cts, nothing scientific. A 5hp should have larger brgs and larger motor in general, should run cooler. Thats my logic anyway. If you plan years of use and long days in the shop.

[Michael Ballent]

Although I see Michael B's logic... I'd go for the extra HP for the $200 - but do still take your wife out to dinner!!! Make yourself some sack lunches over a couple months (instead of eating out...) and you'll have it paid for.......

The 5hp runs at 20.5 amps.....so you'll need a 25 amp breaker. Enjoy your new saw!

Roy you are Da' MAN May I be so bold as to give you a new nickname Roy "More Power" Wall

I still think that the 3hp is fine

[William Parks]

Jon,

Since you're a newcomer who's not sure of what he's going to build and buying all these top line tools, what's an extra 200?

[Bruce Page]

Jon, my 3hp Unisaw with full kerf blade has easily handled everything that I’ve thrown at it. Steven makes an interesting point concerning power feeds, but I don't use a power feed.

[Alan Turner]

I have a 3hp Unisaw, and used it for years without problem. The thick stock was a bit slower to feed, but it was never a serious problem. I only run full kerf blades.

But when I bought the SS, I put the 5 hp on it, knowing that I had to build a shop full of benches, and would be running a bunch of 12/4 hard maple. For $200, I'd go for it. But, if you don't cut much thick stock, there would not be a need for it.

[Larry Cooke]

i only want to buy this once.

Jon,

You've pretty much answered you own question me thinks... Personally, (it's always easier to spend someone elses money ) I would upgrade the saw to 5hp.

I too just went through the same thought process and while I can't say for sure I'll really need the 5hp, it will be there if I do. I'm the kind of person that will get tired of not having the right tool and eventually upgrade it later which costs money. You'll soon forget about that extra $200.00. Of course if it's a matter of money you certainly would do well with a 3hp and you alone will know what's right for you.

If it were up to me I'd upgrade it!

Larry