Table saw advice

[khaos]

I am buying a table saw very soon. I have been looking at a few I like the features on the Laguna (http://www.woodcraft.com/product/852712/laguna-10-fusion-134hp-36-fence-cast-iron-wings-with-riving-knife.aspx)but feel the value may be with the grizzly (http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-Hybrid-Table-Saw-with-Riving-Knife-Polar-Bear-Series/G0715P). I have heard good things about the Rigid (http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-13-Amp-10-in-Professional-Cast-Iron-Table-Saw-R4512/202500206#) as well. I don't know if these saws are what the pros use. I will not be running hundreds of bf through a year but I want it to be dependable year after year. It is not a saw i want to drag around. This will be only for use in the shop.

So any thoughts on this?

[scottp55]

Pretty good thread Joe.
http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?21175-Equipment-tool-recomendations&highlight=tablesaw

[khaos]

Thanks Scott

Great thread! Anyone who finds this should go right over to http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/showthread.php?21175-Equipment-tool-recomendations&highlight=tablesaw

[knight_toolworks]

yes the saws stop would be nice. the riving knife is worth it alone. but I don't cut al to and I could not justify one since I have a unisaw.

[chiloquinruss]

I have a one man shop so moving sheet goods around especially on the table saw was going to be an issue. So I surrounded it with table top. Also my erection table is the same height and on casters to help in the product movement. BTW they both are the same height as the SB so easy in, easy off. Good luck with your search. Russ

http://www.talkshopbot.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=26663&stc=1

[khaos]

Excellent design. :)

[bleeth]

Joe:

You are better off with a Unisaw used than a Grizzly or Laguna new.
Laguna customer service is on the west coast and is famous for non-responsiveness.
Grizzly is OK and does have good customer service but a well cared for Unisaw is out and out twice the saw.
I would look for a used single phase 3HP with a biesemeyer fence if possible, but the unifence isn't terrible. If you have the room you want the extended fence so you can crosscut 4 x 8's however you want.
No portable saw is anywhere near as good as a stationary one.

I had a Jet with a biesemeyer for some years and it was decent. Only had to replace the switch once. This is typical on most saws. But the reason I bought it was I was living in Seattle and their main warehouse was there and sold "open box" cheap and I was able to go through what they had to select the exact one I wanted. The thing is you want to make sure that it will rip heavy lumber well. In the old days Unisaw made a low HP unit that had incredible torque, but nowadays that is history.

Here is a link to check out:

http://www.ebay.com/bhp/unisaw


My current small saw is a Unisaw 3hp 1PH that has been in heavy commercial use for over ten years. No problems in all that time.

[Ajcoholic]

Joe:

My current small saw is a Unisaw 3hp 1PH that has been in heavy commercial use for over ten years. No problems in all that time.

We have had three unisaws in our shop since I was a kid in the 70's. All three, three phase / three hp.

Very good saws, the current one I sold with my old shop was bought new in 88' snd run hard every day since, and still is.

In the new shop, for my 10" TS I chose a 5 hp Sawstop. In my opinion after 5 years of daily use, it is a bit more "refined " than the uni, with a better guard system. But id still use a unisaw no problem.

I cut 10,000+ board feet of hardwood yearly and either saw performs fine. For a few hundred a year you really don't need much saw, but a used unisaw is probably still cheaper than a new hybrid. And better built.

[myxpykalix]

What's cheaper...a new SawStop or a new FINGER?

If and when i ever am able to get back to the shop with any regularity i'm going to try to get a SawStop.

BTW RUSS...will you adopt me? Everytime i see your shop i get this same feeling i used to get when i would walk into the candystore as a kid!

[tlempicke]

What's cheaper...a new SawStop or a new FINGER?

If and when i ever am able to get back to the shop with any regularity i'm going to try to get a SawStop.

BTW RUSS...will you adopt me? Everytime i see your shop i get this same feeling i used to get when i would walk into the candystore as a kid!

Just faced with this a couple of weeks ago.

The fact is that I have been operating table saws for a bit over 50 years. I have never so much as scratched a finger while doing so.

That means the odds are not with me. It also means that I have been very careful.

It ALSO means that I am getting older and maybe not as fast as I once was.

So the Saw Stop is a no brainer. My last trip to the emergency room was a bit over $16,000 and that was for a fall out of a chair. That would buy five Saw Stop saws unless you went for the fancy model, in which case it would only buy three.

[Xray]

I'd personally go with a Bosch ReaXX before a Sawstop.
From what I have read I think its detection/breaking system is superior [plus it doesn't destroy the blade]. Don't care for the self aggrandizing antics of the Sawstop maker either. Don't think its on the market yet, should be any day now [though sawstop has once again recently sued Bosch to snuff competition, not sure how that turned out or if thats a factor in it not being on the market yet]. They said late last year it was slated for a fall 2015 release ,,, Its fall 2015, so we'll see.

Worth noting that most table saw injuries are due to kickback, and of course "sawstop" technology won't help any with that, so that should always bear in mind when operating any saw.

[mikeacg]

http://www.abt.com/product/95799/Bosch-Tools-GTS1041A09.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=sc&utm_campaign=GTS1041A09&camptype=cpcGooglePLA&kwid=productads-plaid^169453952644-sku^95799-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^77416723924

Looks like it is available now...

[kevin]

I don't like giving advise .To compare a mobile saw with a universal motor to a statutory saw with induction motor is no contest the bosh at 1500 looks over priced .With a mobile saw its very hard to handle a full sheet by your self .Russ has a nice setup well thought out sawstop is great if you can afford .I wrote this before I saw the video on you-tube of kickback [i think there set up for drama] I've never seen anybody cut nick or lose limbs on a table saw that's experience in factories .There also a lot of good books on setting up saw true and square .I.m also aware of mobile saws responsible for emergency room visit a lot of that is inexperience .
This is what I would get on a budget
http://www.grizzly.com/products/12-5-HP-220V-Extreme-Series-Left-Tilt-Table-Saw/G0696X first choice
http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-5-HP-240V-Cabinet-Left-Tilting-Table-Saw/G1023RLWX second choice

I just bought a grizzly jointer http://www.grizzly.com/products/8-x-84-Jointer-with-Exclusive-Digital-Height-Readout/G0495X with a feeder http://www.grizzly.com/products/Copy-Power-Feeder/G1093 very happy I wish could afford a European machine



Good luck

[Xray]

OP posted 3 examples he was considering, all 10" table saws, and no, not advisable to routinely handle full sheets by oneself on any of them.
Don't think the Bosch is any more over priced than the comparable sawstop, they are both geared towards a certain market, and most table saw users are not going to pony up $1.5k for a 10" table saw whos only advantage over a $350-$500 model is a safety feature that, they hope, will never be used anyhow.

Rigid is a very good saw, use it alot on job sites. I work at a variety of union construction projects with crews from dozens to 100's to even 1,000's, one way I gauge whats hot and whats not is the tools being used/supplied by contractors on these sites. Majority I would say is Dewalt & Makita, with Bosch holding its own and Rigid/Milwaukee starting to make a nice showing.
I sometimes work for European contractors and with them, Festool is the only tool line ,,, Nice tools but insanely overpriced for the average Joe.

[kevin]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OHk9EMDbe4
The above video is a intro to push sticks that my secret finger stay away .Do you spend on a fancy stop that's a tricky question if I had a job site with 3 or more employees hands down a bosh

[garyr6]

My 2 cents, I help run a woodworking shop with about a 1000 members, all over the age of 55. The last three saw accidents were all well seasoned woodworkers (150 years of work working) all of which had never been cut before.
We dumped our 5 old saws and now have Sawstops. 5 years later, no cut accidents but lots of great wood projects. Great saw, no cuts.

[dmidkiff]

Just purchased a sawstop 10" industrial saw. There was some assembly but not too much. Went through the set up routine and all factory assembly was dead on. All will be easy to adjust if ever needed. Only work done was to check for accuracy. The saw is well built and and accurately assembled from factory. Main reason for purchase was aging mind and body. Like others have said, a used delta unisaw is hard to beat if your not looking for the extra safety.

[khaos]

Thank you all for this. It is a lot of good info.

[Tom Bachman]

Depending on what your budget is, I'd say, look for a used Unisaw. I've had mine for nearly 20 years and it was 30 years old when I bought it. It is a 1965 model. Another used machine, if you can find one would be a Powermatic model 66. We had one at school and it's a great machine as well. If your budget allows, buy the big SawStop, it could be a huge savings if you ever have a 'mishap', it will more than pay for itself.

[Brad CAD]

I've had a SawStop for 4 years... great machine, well built, great tech support. You can't be careless, but the safety features alone are invaluable. Super accurate right from the factory.

[jTr]

FWIW my neighbor just received a new grizzly. Impressive fit and finish - was in the $2,000 ballpark for cost. BIG disappointment when fired up - rumbling/rattling metal handles. Never would pass the old "stand a nickel on edge while it's running" test.

Opened side door and saw the triple drive belts are likely the cause- regardless of how much you torqued, they are flapping willy - nilly in there. I suggested he go buy a matched set of quality V belts to help tame this, but he's not as fussy as I...

I've had a humble little Jet supersaw for 12 years now. Though I long for more power, it uses a micro-V drive belt, and to this day runs super smooth. NO comparison to the new Griz. Sorry to grizzly, as I've got many of their machines, most I'm very fond of performance to dollar investment, but after this I have no interest in their table saws.

One last interjection- Just bought a new drill press this week - Jet JDP-17. Very well tuned for the woodworker. Thought I'd mention, as it too employs a micro-V drive which contributes to super-smooth operation. Many more extras like t-slots and removable insert plate w/levelers in the cast work table. LED work light and laser cross hairs actually are pro-grade, well done and not like the cheesy- cheap do-all copies out there. Final icing on the cake: 5" quill travel - woohoo!!!



jeff

[Designer]

I own a 3HP Sawstop cabinet saw with a 52 inch table. It is a great saw and they have great tech support. Almost no vibration. Once tuned it is incredibly accurate. Two people that I know has gotten their hands into the blade over the past year. One has lost the use of his middle finger (permanently up). The other is now buying a Sawstop. Another post is correct, kick back is an issue. I've been tagged recently due to stupidity on my part. I own 2 Micro Jig GRR Rippers . . . beats the hex out of sticks and getting tagged with a kick back.

[khaos]

My thanks for the follow on replies here. Don't know how I missed em. The experience this group shares is invaluable!