Replies

1. 
   highfigh | Apr 30, 2005 02:42am | #1

   There are a lot of threads on this topic here. They all pretty much come from the same place(factories) but the importer specs the level of finish, quality and the accessories. FWIW, I have the Grizzly 1023S and added the 7' rails, extension table and Shop Fox mobile base. I like it a lot and have had no problems of any kind with it. It's very accurate and level, nothing has loosened after nearly 4 years and the adjustments haven't changed at all. I may check it in a couple of weeks to verify this, but I made my kitchen cabinets from rough sawn maple and maple plywood last year and they are very square and straight.

   Have you checked all of the various websites yet?

   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
2. 
   DAC | Apr 30, 2005 03:09am | #2

   I too saw a General saw (50-220C) hybird. at a show... . looked so good, I bought one..  apparently so have a lot of other people.. the saw is back ordered with delivery in maybe 6 weeks.   

3. 
   nikkiwood | Apr 30, 2005 09:33am | #3

   The traditional "Big 3" in cabinet saws have been Powermatic, Unisaw, and General.

   I personally think the quality of cut is probably about the same for all, and you would be safe in making a selection based on price, features, motor, etc.

   "I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."
   -- Bertrand Russell

1. 
   WillGeorge | May 01, 2005 03:22pm | #8

   in making a selection based on price, features, motor, etc.

   Right on!.. Hard to beat that.. If the product is basically sound it all comes to that..

   I was in Marketing so I did that ALOT!

4. 
   bones | Apr 30, 2005 05:04pm | #4

   I am a hobbyist and can only speak for the Grizzly. I purchased the 1023slx last year and it has been great. The top is flat & the arbor is strait. I love the 7' rails.  I spent a long time researching and went to a lot of sites to get reviews of the Grizzly.  The only modification I made was to replace the standard blade guard with the PSI overarm guard.  I have their 17" BS as well. You won't be disappointed.

   Here are a few pics of the 1023.

    

   
1. 
   JeffHeath | Apr 30, 2005 10:42pm | #5

   Hey bones

   I'm not trying to hijack the thread, but how do you like the psi blade guard/dust collector.  I'm interested in it's dust control capabilities.  I'm tired of getting a faceful on my 66, especially when just shaving a wee bit off on a rip.  I felt like I was getting sand blasted in the face this morning. 

   Sorry if I stepped on anyones toes here.

   Jeff

1. 
   bones | May 01, 2005 12:12am | #6

   I purchased it as a lower cost option to the Excalibur. It is not as thick and heavy duty as the Excalibur, but does a fine job. If I had it to do over, I would still get it.  It comes with two ways to install. You can do as I did with the extending arm, or you can mount it overhead. I get their E-mail newsletter, and they just had a sale on the thing. I looked but I could not find it. You may want to check out their site if you are interested.

2. 
   WillGeorge | May 01, 2005 03:23pm | #9

   NICE FLOOR!

   By the way.. They say poor finish on Grizz stuff.. That last PIC of the Table Top not to 'scrubbie'...

   Edited 5/1/2005 8:26 am ET by Will George

1. 
   bones | May 01, 2005 04:11pm | #10

    

   I have not had any problems with the finish on my Grizzly stuff. You have to like Green!

    

   The floor is a  rustoleum product. It comes in a kit you can get at any of the big boxes. I got mine at Lowes.  One of the best things I did for my shop. I went by a friends house who put it down and it looked great. It seals the floor. My garage floor was bare concrete. If something spills a simple wipe up with a rag and its done. No more stained concrete. Secondly, my problem of surface rust on my tools was almost eliminated. I did not realize how much moisture was coming up from my floor.  The methodology I used for mine went as follows:

   I have a two car garage so I moved everything to one side and cleaned the cleared half of the floor. This is critical. If you leave any oil the epoxy paint will not stick.  I used a heavy whisk brush to sweep up loose debris and wetted the floor down. It comes with a crystal citrus cleaner. sprinkle that around and scrubbed the dickens out of the floor. Rinsed thoroughly and let dry completely. It was 90 outside when I did mine so it will not take long. I also used my sears shopvac/blower to help it along.  I taped the trim and a midway line down the center of my shop and mixed it up.  A two car garage will take two kits ($100). The video that comes with it says to mix the two parts together stirring for a few minutes and its ready to put down. Here is the gotcha. It said I would have about 30 minutes of open time. After I had mixed the two parts together and was waiting the appropriate activation time, I happened to see a very important note in the document that came with the product. Depending on the temperature the open time will be different! I looked and because it was so hot, my open time was reduced to about 15 minutes! The activation time was reduced as well. I had to haul butt to get it down before it set up in the can. I would roll a little 5 foot area and my son would sprinkle the flakes. I did not stop until it was done.  Kind of laughed about it when it was over, but it was not funny while I was rolling. Sprinkle pattern is up to you, but I found throwing it up in the air and letting it settle looked the best. We started out by dropping it close and it looks like little piles. It needs to set for a few days before you put anything on it. I moved everything back to the other side and repeated the steps. If I can say one thing, try to catch a day when the temp is reasonable!. The fumes for the product is not bad for Epoxy at all. My wife is very sensitive to VOC's and it did not bother her at all. 

    

    

   
1. 
   WillGeorge | May 01, 2005 05:35pm | #12

   I had a nice garage floor till I planted trees around my 'SPACE'!

    

5. 
   dwright | May 01, 2005 03:15pm | #7

   A search of this site will turn up plenty about cabinet saw choices.  Go to the library and check out magazine reviews in various woodworking mags too.  I would highlight the following three points:

   1.  In the last few years the big three (Delta, Powermatic, General) have been joined by Jet.  These four brands are available in many cities.  Buying from them, particularly if you buy local instead of mail order, might increase your chances of getting a good machine.  Customer service, if there is a problem, is much better if you bought the saw locally.  I would pay a couple hundred $ more to buy one of these machines locally, and give it a real close inspection before paying, instead of rolling the dice with mail order.  Retailers are cutting corners wherever they can; tools seem to be packed more poorly and arrive in worse shape than they used to.

   2.  The Craftsman 22124 has sold explosively.  If the budget is tight you might be tempted to consider it, but be aware that it is really a hybrid saw instead of a true cabinet saw.  The 22124 does have an enclosed cabinet, dust port, and cabinet-mounted trunnions.  It also has a 1.75 HP motor, rod-connected carriage, light duty tilt/elevation gearsets, and plastic adjustment wheels - so it's a hybrid.

   3.  Consider the SawStop Cabinet Saw.  Just a month or two ago the Web was full of speculation about whether the device would work, if the brake would misfire, non-brake features and quality, and the long wait list.  All of that has turned around.  Hundreds have been delivered and put into service.  As of this writing there have been three confirmed saves and no injuries.  Misfires have not been a problem.  Some experienced cabinet saw users who have bought the SawStop report that it is better designed and more solid than even a PM66.  One wrote that adjusting the blade height is like spinning the wheel on a bank vault.  Delivery has been reduced too, though there is still a wait.  You can't buy it locally, but the manufacturers are packing it pretty well and they are, at this point at least, providing very responsive customer service.

   Regards, Dave

1. 
   highfigh | May 01, 2005 07:13pm | #13

   Apparently the people at your local woodworking machine dealers are more competent than they are here in Milw(although Woodcraft may have someone who does good assembly). The rest are generally pretty useless and they don't even make sure the demo machines and accessories are set up correctly. In my case of buying locally vs having it shipped to me, I would definitely rather buy it and have it shipped. I have saved a good amount of $ on the machines and have had one issue that was so minor that I remember having it, but not what it was. I think it was a kink in the scale for my TS(OEM was a 36" and they sent me a new 54" after hearing that I was buying the 7' rails, so it worked out better anyway).
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

1. 
   dwright | May 02, 2005 04:03am | #14

   You may be right.  The store I usually buy from is also a regional service center for many brands.  They have extremely low staff turnover, and the salesmen aren't afraid to fess up if you just asked them a question they aren't qualified to answer.  They go get someone who knows.  Ya, I'm not talking about the Borg.  I'm also hacked off at mail order because the last few tools I got that was came in with boxes damaged to badly that the machines inside were dinged.

1. 
   highfigh | May 02, 2005 05:29am | #15

   Yeah, but the shipper is usually at fault in cases like that. You know, like looking at a box that says "Extremely top-heavy" and not understanding what that means. And you know some of the reasons for this happening, right?
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

1. 
   dwright | May 02, 2005 01:51pm | #16

   Si.  Packing materials seem to have gotten thinner too.  The last thing anyone would reduce is their own profit margin.

2. 
   highfigh | May 02, 2005 02:02pm | #17

   Or their losses. One of the hard things is to control anything you rely on someone else to provide. Fuel costs, steel/iron costs, insurance, etc. Either they have to find cheaper ways to move things around or they have to raise their prices.
   "I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."

6. 
   prauch | May 01, 2005 05:26pm | #11

   For what its worth, I chose the Jet Exacta with a 52" fence.  It compared most closely with the Delta and came in for about $100 less.  I've had it for about a year and I'm very pleased.  Plenty of power, precise and simple to operate.