Table Saw Dilemma

[Paul Dell'Anno]

I have read all the posts and have researched for some time. I am planning to purchase the Limited Edition Delta Contractor Saw (which fence to get is still up in the air) but I still have some trepidation. My question is, "Will I grow out of a contractor saw". I have a small craftsman table top model which has served me well for a few years. Most of the posts say that a cabinet saw is the way to go. I am a hobbyist at best and will only use the saw as a way to escape the wife and kids for a few hours a day. Any words of advice will be appreciated. Thanks for the time.

[Dennis McDonaugh]

I don't think so Paul, unless you're a commercial woodworker. Most hobbiest (me included) don't really need a cabinet saw. Those of us that have one usually just "wanted" it as opposed to "needed" it. The cabinet saw feels better when you're using it because of its horsepower and weight, but a contractor saw with a good fence will be just as accurate except when cutting bevels. The motor on a contractor saw can cause problems when you tilt the blade.

[Lee Schierer]

My motto is buy the best you can afford. Will you out grow your contractors saw as a hobby type woodworker?...probably not. I still use my craftsman 10" after nearly 20 years. It does what I want. I've upgraded a few things over time as I'm sure you might with your saw. Would I use a Delta Platinum edition cabinet saw if it followed me home. Sure would right after I build the extra wing on the dog house where I'll be sleepoing to keep it in.

Lee

[Bob Lasley]

Paul,

Tablesaws are alot like automobiles, there are alot of good ones on the market, but we all have our personal preferences as to what we want to drive.

The Delta saw you mention is a fine saw, probably one of the best contractors saws on the market and should do most anything a weekend woodworker would want it to do. I personally like cabinet saws as they usually have a smaller footprint, more power, less vibration (mostly due to sheer mass) and better dust collection. On the downside, most cabinet saws require a 230 volt circuit to operate vs. 120 volt circuits for contractors saws.

I would suggest checking out the Grizzly 1023SL cabinet saw before you make your final decision. You can purchase it for not much more money than the Delta you are looking at. I have the Shop Fox version of this saw and love it. (Shop Fox saw is the Grizzly painted white, with different handles and two year warranty vs. one year on Grizzly, and more money)

Good luck and happy sawing,
Bob

[Von Bickley]

Paul,
I presently have the Delta contractor saw with the 30" unifence. This saw does everything that I need it to do. My only complaint is that it's a right-tilt. I grew up using an old Craftsman with a left-tilt blade. A lot has been said about right-tilt ver. left-tilt. I can only speak for myself and say that there will never be another right-tilt table saw in my shop.

[Dick Parr]

Paul,

If you are not going to upgrade to a new saw with more hp, then why not keep using the craftsman you have and just upgrade the fence on it? I put a Vega fence on my old craftsman and used it for a number of years. That fence made it a completely new enjoyable saw to use. The only reason I upgraded to a Grizzly 1023SL, was because a friend of mine and I got a good deal on about 3000 bd ft of red oak. I knew then I was in for the long haul and would need more saw then the craftsman could handle.

[Ted Shrader]

Paul -

The secret to good saw performance is in using a good fence and having it properly tuned. ie everything square/parallel with every other thing. Then put a good blade on it.

Will you notice a difference in performance between the saw you have now and a contractor's saw? Yes. .... and a cabinet saw? Yes. How much - depends on the tuning.

I started with a Shopsmith. Worked well and suited my purpose - moving often (military). Then I got an old Atlas contractor's saw. Light years of difference! After owning that for about three years, I picked up a PM66. Better yet, but the change between the Shopsmith and the Atlas was greater than the change between the Atlas and the Powermatic. The real difference was in the power - better for ripping thick pieces of wood.

Like Bob said, check out the Grizzly cabinet saw. More power than a contractor saw and a smaller footprint. Whichever way you go, pay attention to the saw set-up and tuning and get a good fence.

Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Ted

[Jerry Krakauer]

Do look at my woodworking web page, table saw info & pic's.
No way do I need a new cabinet saw at this time. I've added a n outfeed table to it but it's still basicly the same saw do get the Beis.. fence makes all the diff..
http://home.ix.netcom.com/~krakauer/_wsn/page3.html

[Mark Mazzo]

Hi Paul,

I have an older version of the saw you're speaking of (34-344, I think). It was a limited edition as well, only because it included two cast wings and a mobile base. So far it has served me well.

I have upgraded several aspects of the saw including using PALS to replace the existing trunion bolts (allows easier alignment of the blade to the miter slot), adding a Biesmeyer fence (great addition) and a link belt. The dust collection capabilities are not as good as with a cabinet saw and there is a tendency for the blade to go out of alignment if you do a lot of beveled ripping. However, the saw is accurate and powerful enough for all that I have thrown at it. For the times when I have to rip thick stock I either but a dedicated 24T rip blade on it, or I use my bandsaw.

Would I love a cabinet saw? Sure, but this saw is very accurate and allows me to do what I want. Also, it will have great resale value if/when I decide that I want to upgrade. All in all I am very happy with this saw and I think that you would be too.

-- Mark

[Chris McKimson]

Hi Paul,

I took a bit of a different approach when I bought my saw. I have a musical background and when I used to play alot, I always found that I enjoyed playing more when playing a nicer instrument. After I got a "real job", I took some guitar lessons (was a drummer) and got a Les Paul. Never regretted the investment, had a blast playing the guitar and ended up selling for as much as I payed for it.

When I bought my tablesaw, I took a similar approach, and bought the saw I thought I would enjoy using the most, figuring I was going to spend many, many hours using the saw from when I purchased it, to when I wasn't able to use it. For me, it happened to be an Jet Xacta cabinet saw.

You might ask yourself, "would I have more fun woodworking if I stepped up to the next level of saw", and of course, "can I afford it". The answer to each of those questions is different for each one of us.

Chris

[Rick Balon]

First of all, let me say that I agree with everyone that has posted here. I currently own a Delta contractor saw (34-444?) with unifence and cast iron wings, it is a great saw, will do everything I ask of it, and is all I need. But, I am looking to upgrade to a unisaw, mostly because I want to (vs. need to), and also because when you feel the movement mechanisms (raise/lower blade, angle blade), it really is a totally better feel.

I have also noted that I have yet to see a post where someone has bought the cabinet saw and regretted it - the only regret seems to be not buying it sooner.

[Lynn Kasdorf]

I'd second (or third) the motion of going for a cabinet saw- even a Grizzly or ShopFox.

Of course, I'm one of those twisted individuals that enjoys fixing up machinery as much as I do making swadust. I love really well built, massive, 'mercun arn...preferably if it is older than I am. I enjoy resurrecting an old industrial grade treasure for a new life in my shop.

I consider a fine cabinet saw to be an heirloom.

To be sure, you can do good work with a good contractor's saw, but when I went from my Craftsman clunker to my mid-sixties Powermatic 12" cabinet saw, it was a real revalation. Even though my big saw required a bit of rebuilding, it is really a pleasure to use.

ymmv

[John Renzetti]

Tablesaw dilemma

It's a tough decision but you need to ask yourself a couple of questions before you either keep the saw you have,take the next step to the contractors saw, or skip a step and go to the cabinetsaw. If you've used your tabletop model for just a couple of years and found you've outgrown it,you might as well make the jump to the cabinetsaw. You'll save money in the long run. Also if you find yourself enjoying this hobby more and more and wanting to learn more and build more and possibly take a few classes then move right up to the cabinet saw. The final thing is the money you are willing and able to spend on a saw. I know guys at work who think it is crazy to spend $x on machines, but think nothing of financing a bassboat or a new truck. My first saw was a Sears RAS that helped me build my house. Next was a Unisaw which served me well for 10yrs. Then I discovered sliders. So depending on a number of factors the cabinetsaw could be your final step or just the "next" step. My vote is to either keep the table top saw you have or move up to the cabinetsaw.
Lot's of good advice in this thread, so good luck in your decision.
Take care,
John

[Dave Schemansky]

Paul,
Bob and Von make some very good points to consider. Six years ago I had to make the same decisions you are facing. I had $1200 with which to start a woodworking shop. I purchased the same saw(34-474) with a 30 inch extension, commercial grade Unifence and a roller stand. The remainder of the funds went toward the purchase of a Makita LS1013 for cross cutting capabilty. A radial arm saw was out of the question because my shop was one bay of a two car garage and the tools had to coexist with Mama's car. Room was at a premium.

With six years of use under my belt I will pass on my oberservations and recommendations on the contractor saw. The CS does not lack any power to build any of the projects I have built in these past 6 years. The fence is more critical than the size of the motor to the quality of your work.

If buying the fence again I would opt for the Bies this time as opposed to the Unifence. The Uni is a great fence it is just that the Bies makes it so much easier to use hold downs and jigs than the Uni.

The cab saws take up less floor space than a CS. You don't have to continually put the motor on and off when storing the CS out of the way.

I have just added a link belt to my saw besides having previously added PALS. Cab saws do a better job of handling vibration(mass) and blade alignment(trunnion size).

Dust control. My shop has just moved from the garage, inside the house to our old basement rec room at the insistence of SWMBO. Bless her heart. Garage had no heat and woodworking in a garage shop in Canton, OH in the middle of winter is a real PITA. A cab saw has much better dust control capabilities than a CS. You can improve the DC on a CS but it will reguire work on your part.

Finally, left vs right. This will be the last right tilt table to grace my shop. At some time down the road I will replace it with a left tilt cab saw. Ripping wood when the blade is tilted toward the fence requires you to be very cognizant of what you are doing. Left tilts are a little less daunting when perform the same beveled ripping tasks.

There are two CS that I know have left tilt models. My buddy just bought a General International 50-185L for $600 and Powermatic has the 64A. Knowing what I know now I would opt for a cab saw primarily for space requirements, dust control and left tilt. But then I often been accused of having a Binford complex.

Just my $.02

Dave
Badger Pond refugee

[Bob Boake]

A cabinet saw is a tool mfg for the small pro shop. It is a saw made to run 8 hours a day for 5 to 10 years. The average hobbiest can use it for several lifetimes and not wear it out. The difference between a contractor vs cabinet saw is not one of quality of cut but durability and capacity.

This is a web site populated by folks that marvel at the quality of cut they get from their 110$ saw blade and then proceed to run the edge through the jointer to clean it up. Don't expect to get rational answers here.

A contractor saw is all most of us will ever need.