Hello to Every One…
I am new to this forum and actually excited. I hope to gain some knowledge of woodworking here. I have been trying to satisfy my passion for cutting and glueing wood for about 8 years. I now want a new table saw…a GOOD one. But WOW! There are a million options and every manufacturer says their’s is the best. I will spend only $1000.00. I am not a prolific furniture maker. But I no sooner end a project and I’ll start something else. Just projects around the house. So it will be used!
PLEASE feel free to voice your opinions. I would greatly appreciate advice. Thanks!
Frank
Replies
I just bought a General contractor saw -2 HP cast iron wings... I researched this for a long time and I only wanted to spend about $700. It's a great saw and I am very happy with it. You need to buy a good blade with it.
Good luck.
I recently bought a General contractors saw and am very happy with it.
I have a Jet contractor saw with the biesemyer style fence. It has held up good for me as a hobyist. When I got mine they had them on special on amazon which included a 52" fence and router lift.
I got the craftsman 1 3/4 HP hrybrid cabinet TS. Very nice for the price. Especially w/ the beisemeyer fence. ... and you'll have money left over for a couple of nice blades.
It's always good to check your local classifieds. You might pick up an older used saw that's better than the new ones.
Just a thought.
Take a look at that new Steel City cabinet saw. I just read a good review about it in Popular Woodworking. I have never used it , but I like most of the Steel City stuff I have seen and I have their benchtop mortiser and is a good machine.
You should be able to get an excellent full size stationary 10" saw in that price range. There's about 3 classifications that fit this description...contractor saw, hybrid, and cabinet saw. All are very capable at the hobbyist level...features and power are what really separates them. All have a standard 27" deep table and standard miter slots. A good blade(s) is important for all of them, and mobile bases and aftermarket miter gauges are common accessories.
The contractor saw has been a staple for hobbyists for over 50 years. It features a belt drive outboard induction motor of 1-2hp, cast iron or steel wings,usually an open splayed leg base, and fences range from basic to excellent. The outboard motor only offers an advantage if you need to remove the motor often. If you don't need to remove the motor often, the motor sticking out the back poses some unnecessary obstacles that the hybrids address. Jet, GI, Grizzly, Ridgid, Delta, PM, Sunhill, Woodtek, Bridgewood, and Shop Fox all have good offerings in the $400-$1100 range.
The hybrids are essentially a contractor saw with an internal belt drive induction motor. Many have full enclosures, but some still have hte open splayed leg base. You'll find the same mix of steel and cast iron wings, and about the same range of fences. As the price climbs, cast iron wings and Biesemeyer style steel fences become the norm. Some even have cabinet mounted trunnions for easy alignment. Jet, GI, Grizzly, Craftsman, Delta, Steel City, Sunhill, and DeWalt have good examples in the $400-$1200 range.
Cabinet saws are built to more of an industrial grade and have some advantages with alignment, power, stability, dust collection, and longevity. A 3hp motor will require 220v operation though. The trunnion systems are massive and easy to align, the motors are stout, the fences are excellent, the wings are cast iron, the bases are fully enclosed, have good DC, and a smaller footprint. This type of saw is something many hobbyists aspire to own, though it falls more into the "want" than "need" category for most of us. Steel City, Grizzly, and Shop Fox have saws in the $1K to $1200 range (and up...)
If you've got 220v and don't mind spending your full budget (or a bit more after blade and a mobile base), I'd strongly suggest a full 3hp cabinet saw...the Griz 1023, Shop Fox, or Steel City are great choices. It'll be the last saw you own, will handle anything, and will be a joy to use for generations.
If 220v isn't available, and/or you can't eclipse your budget, a hybrid is a very good alternative for a hobbyist for < $1k. Ample power with good blade selection and proper alignment, improved DC over a contractor saw, smaller footprint, and have some of the advantages offerd by a full cabinet saw. The Steel City and Craftsman 22124 offer the cabinet mounted trunnion systems.
I started with a good contractor saw, then upgraded to a 22124 hybrid to take advantage of the smaller footpring, cabinet mounted trunnions, internal motor, and improved DC, but also discovered signicant mass and stability gains. There's alot of good choices in your price range. Choose features and a situation that YOU'RE comfortable with and you can't go wrong. A used saw is a great way to get the most for you money.
http://www.epinions.com/content_184778395268
Edited 12/27/2006 9:18 am ET by Knotscott
When anyone asks me about tablesaws, I always give a lecture about their dangers. I know two guys who are missing fingers and another who took a board in the belly from kickback. So, I make these suggestions: First, buy a set of those yellow one-way wheels to act as fence hold downs, which pushes down on the table and into the fence. They will eliminate virtualy all kick backs and serve to keep your hands away from the blade by forcing you to use push sticks. However, you need to choose a fence that either clamps down on two rails on either side of the table, or at least catches on a rear rail when the yellow wheels lift up the fence as it pushes wood down. The second piece of advice is to never rip thin pieces of wood on a tablesaw. The yellow wheels won't work and kickback is common. Instead, rip those on a bandsaw. Since I bought an 18 inch bandsaw, I now do almost all ripping on it and use my table saw mainly for cutting sheet goods. You don't need a $1000 table saw for that. Finally, whatever saw you choose, make an extension outfeed table for it. I made mine out of MDF with a plastic laminate top. I use that table for most of my assembly work.
You opened up a big can on this one. It's a lot like a Ford .vs. Chevy opinions on this one, mine included. You don't mention what type of saw you are looking for or what your power options are. If you have the ability for 220 and want a cabinet saw, I got the Grizzly 1023 and would do it again in a heart beat. A second alternative could be the sears cabinet saw, it has had good reviews. Third option would be to get a used older unisaw and if you are handy, restore. Those are the choices I would go with. Good luck and enjoy the new toy.
Edited 12/27/2006 2:07 pm ET by bones
Get a RIDGID contractor's saw for about $450 at Home Depot. With the money left over, go buy a Festool plunge cut saw.
TF
Yours appears to be the best idea yet! With a contractor saw and Festool or similar guide :) there is nothing he couldn't do.
That's the setup I currently have (thanks Santa for the Festool!!) and I'm feeling pretty on top of the world these days!
TFToolfanatic (a.k.a. The man formerly known as "Toolfreak")
In that price range I'd look for something from General, as WoodworkerGirl suggested in her post.
I can tell you one not to buy. I have a Ryobi with a sliding table and it has not been a completely satisfying purchase. Rip cuts are ok, it is when you make cross cuts that the problems begin. It can be inaccurate or dead on, you are never sure and usually frustrated.
If it where me I would get Delta or Steel City.
Regarding Ryobi
I know this is an old thread but, hopefully, the info will help someone else! I was thinking about buying a Ryobi RTS10G but then I Googled "ryobi table saw reviews" and was taken to a comparison of the RTS10G and RTS21G at https://electrosawhq.com/ryobi-table-saw-reviews/. It turns out these portable Ryobis are well known for being inconsistent with accuracy.
My point: I second this motion. Just go for a Delta, Steel City or maybe a DeWalt.
Precision is priceless!
Things to consider:
1. 220 v. or 110 v.
2. Space available. Permanent or temporary each use.
3. Mobile or fixed location. Use inside or outside.
4. Dust collection available, portable or fixed
5. Cast iron wings or stamped steel
6. Motor enclosed or outside
7. Buy one time buy person or upgrader constantly
8. Other tools (power and non-power) available. This will help determin how often it will be used.
I won't suggest a Brand/model but I would strongly suggest a good fence system such as a Biesemeyer or equivalent. A 10 inch is almost universally the standard.
I really like my Ridgid contractors saw for $450. However, I wish that I'd gotten the next sized up Ridgid semi-hybrid for $50 more as the table is much larger, and I've found that that makes a difference in convenience.
Now some unasked-for advice: (don't read the following if you hate un-asked for advice).
What ever you buy, you'll need an outfeed table, so research articles, and make that one of your first projects - don't get too hung up on the details of it - from what you learn using your first one, you'll include in your second one.
All new saws need tuning - go to your largest library branch and get several books on the table saw - apply their recommendations re tuning your saw - the most important message will be to be sure that you align your blade to be absolutely parallel with your miter gauge channel - ditto your rip fence.
Don't be afraid of your saw, but really, really, really respect that it is THE premier cutting-things-off tool. It won't grab your hand and put it into the blade, but if you are careless and do it yourself, you will find yourself explaining to your friends that you never even felt the fingers come off until after they were gone. No..., really! So be sure that you are balanced, and never never never put your hand where you aren't already, right that second, looking.
Most folks never experience a saw kickback. Those that haven't sometimes have trouble believing that it happens, or that it happens with any significant power. It does happen, and my personal experience is a resinous pine 2 x 4 stuck in my shop's cinder-block wall five feet behind the saw. It didn't hurt me because I followed my father-in-law's advice to never stand in the path behind the blade.
Edited 12/30/2006 10:20 pm ET by Mike_D
"I really like my Ridgid contractors saw for $450. However, I wish that I'd gotten the next sized up Ridgid semi-hybrid for $50 more as the table is much larger, and I've found that that makes a difference in convenience."Mike - It sounds like you have the TS2400 portable "jobsite saw" and wish you had gotten the TS3650 "contractor saw".
Yes, Knotscott, that's exactly right.
I had to go down into my shop and read the label to be sure. You know how the brain tends to forget painful memories.
When we were looking at the two saws, my brother was remarking how handy it would be to be able to take the "jobsite" saw places in the pickup, and my wife was remarking how the bigger "contractor" saw would make it hard to get around in my little shop, and I wavered (heck, I caved!).
So now I plot in the dark of night, trying to think of ways to "have" to sell the 2400 and replace it with the 3650 - LOL.
Anyway, my advice would be to get the 3650 - you'll wish you'd picked it when you are trying to balance a cross-cut sled on the 2400's table edge as you attempt to trim a panel that's just slightly too wide for your 2400's set-up ("don't talk to me right now or I'll ruin this panel").
Mike D :)
In the boating world, that upgrade phenominon is called "2-footitis"! LOL...
You mean, if I only had a boat 2 foot longer, why we (me and the whole family) could safely SAIL AROUND THE WORLD!?? (just think of it, dear).
How do I know this, you ask? Cause my brother, and other closely related folk are weekend sailors. You can't get around them without exciting tales (read "hair-raising") of pitch-poling around the Cape, 90 mph freezing gales, and Tahitian Goddesses (yes, Capitalized) canoeing over for a chat and a swim (usually all in the same story). Makes a feller positively yearn for simpler times.
So, in that vein ... if I only had a real "contractors" saw rather than this dinky "portable on-site" saw, why I could whip out that nice country hutch that you've been wanting, in quarter-sawn oak, and in little over a weeks time.
Sure I could :))
Mike D
Me thinks you meant to address this to Styko? :-)
A bad day woodworking is better than a good day working -- yes, I'm retired!
To my knowledge, RIDGID does not make a hybrid saw. They make a fold-up "benchtop" saw (which sounds like the one you have) and they make a "contractor" saw. The contractor saw has the cast-iron wings, open stand, built-in mobile base, etc. It does not fold up. I have this saw and it's a good buy!
TFToolfanatic (a.k.a. The man formerly known as "Toolfreak")
Toolpig and treehouse are both right!
Mike D
I bought the General 2 hp hybred it is great.
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