Replies

1. 
   Telemike | Aug 28, 2003 06:52am | #1

   I've had a supersaw (a 55th gift!) for about 9 months now.  So far, I like it a lot.  I've mounted a router table off of the rails and an outfeed table behind the blade.  I've done lots of "home improvement" cutting and a bit of finer work and it's cut everything well.

   Last June, I ripped a bazillion board feet of 8/4 hard maple for a workbench trestle base and top.  It went through the wood like butter.  I use a thin kerf Forrest blade, something I think is important with less than 3 hp.

   Condition:  When it came, the splitter was fairly out of line.  It needed adjustment.  Also, I had to assemble the mobile base.  Not a lot of complaints!  Note that others have had issues - search the archives.

   Why this saw?  After six months of research and agonizing, I was caught between this saw and the DeWalt - I'd passed on the Grizzley, Delta, and Jet Cabinet saws.  I chose this saw because it was much easier to install the router table given design of the Jet rails.

   Why not a cabinet saw?

   1.  I wanted a sliding table.  This was an absolute after using one a few times.  The cabinet saws with accessory sliding tables were too big and more expensive.  No matter which saw you get, GET A SLIDING TABLE!

   2.  A 3 hp cabinet saw would take another 20 amp 220 circuit and I had every space in the subpanel occupied.  That's a lot of rewiring to put in a bigger panel, never mind a building inspection!  The supersaw is on a 30 amp 220 circuit with the 2 hp dust collector - also might be a code violation, but not a big risk.

   3.  Add a sliding table and the short fence rails, never mind the long ones, and a cabinet saw takes up as much space as a minivan and I don't have that kind of space.

   I'm also graduating from a '50's craftsman 10".  It was actually an accurate powerful saw(1 1/2 hp motor) if you didn't try to angle the blade.  I got rid of that, but kept my first table saw, a 1973 8" motorized craftsman saw.  It fits under a counter along the wall and always has a 3/4" dado in it.

2. 
   forestgirl | Aug 28, 2003 07:24am | #2

   Doc, last night I was reading through some saw reviews for another thread.  There seems to be a significant difference between the DeWalt on one hand and the Jet and General International on the other.  The Jet and GI have the same trunnion and connecting-bars assembly as a contractor's saw, with perhaps slightly beefier bars.  The DeWalt, on the other hand, uses a cast-iron "connecting cradle".  From my perspective, this is a major difference.  The connecting-rod arrangement lends itself to nasty, nasty alignment problems -- I've been there and wouldn't wish it on anyone.  The iron cradle design, which is similar to what's used in a cabinet saw, should help keep alignment steady, and also reduce vibration even more than the modified suspension in the other two saws.

   Remember, there's always the Grizzly 1023 (SLX, it is now).  True cabinet saw, about $1,200 delivered.  Recent review reported some questions about the fence, but Grizzly has promised to make a couple of changes that will solve the problems.  (Fence was a bit sticky to slide and deflected a bit more than othes in the test).

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

3. 
   JeffKurtz | Aug 28, 2003 04:11pm | #3

   Doc,

   Link is for customer reviews at Amazon.  (Although these aren't "professional", they aren't biased either.)  If you go with one, I suggest you buy a good thin kerf blade (such as a Forrest), especially if you plan to cut heavy stock.

   http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00006J6PP/qid=1062075680/sr=1-3/ref=sr_1_3/002-2637876-2987248?v=glance&s=hi

   Jeff

4. 
   Len | Aug 28, 2003 06:46pm | #4

   Doc,

   I almost bought the supersaw. I ended up with the Grizzly 1023.

   I went to look at it at Rockler. The fence wasn't right. So I asked the salesman to see if he could adjust it. He did and watched him fiddle around for 20 minutes. It still didn't work that well. I could push it when it was locked. Granted, the salesman wasn't used to the saw and he had to read the manual. It's a really nice looking saw but there was a waiting list at the time, everywhere I looked.

   I was also a little concerned that I would end up with the similar situation I had with my Ryobi BT3000. It's a great saw and it served me well, but I was always reading articles about doing something on a tablesaw and then trying to figure out how to do it on my Bt3000. After a while, I got tired of it. So I wanted a more traditional type of saw.

   I really like the Grizzly. I didn't have any problems setting it up. It was dead on when I put it together. I'm told, I'm lucky.

   Here's a interesting review.

   http://www.woodworkersjournal.com/ezine/archive/2003/4.01/webreview.cfm#4

   Good luck,

   Len

5. 
   DeskJockey | Aug 28, 2003 09:35pm | #5

   I had a supersaw, and after several months I gave it back to Jet.  The fence is unusable at best, the timing belt broke (although this manufacturing problem has been fixed) and an afternoon half-lapping 2 by 4s left the thing shaking like a leaf in a hurricane.  I think the last problem was an anomaly, but many people have reported problems with the fence.  In my opinion whatever good things that jet has done with the saw--and there definitely some--are a waste without an excellent fence.

   By the way I got the Jet Left tilt cabinet saw to replace it, and I love it.

   Good luck.