Replies

1. 
   vacabby | Jan 24, 2003 03:58am | #1

   Thank you.   I was excited to hear that Jet and BW have made no products lacking in quality.    I will certainly toss out this PC, Dewalt, Makita, Powermatic and Grizzly crap I now have, and have had for over 25 years and get with the program.   Maybe not.   You will not find a manufacturer out there that hasn't screwed up royally with a product, customer service, QC or all of the above.   There just ain't one out there.   I have said this on Knots to many people on many occasions.   If everyone were to drive only Mercedes then we wouldn't need Ford, Chevy, Honda, Toyota, etc..   You need to buy the best product you can for the work you intend to do with it.   Buying more is a waste of money as is buying less.    Don't spend alot on a piece of equipment you will only use periodically.   Spend the money on the workhorses.   Take them home and use them, really use them, and then get back on Knots and bash 'em.   Every WW has a horror story to tell about some manufacturer.

   JB

1. 
   pics63 | Jan 25, 2003 02:34pm | #5

   JB,

   Thanks so much for responding so thoroughly to my post. It's clear you are too full of the only RIGHT answers to have read the question to begin with, but thanks for your valuable time.

   Since the two saws I picked were at a given price point ($550) great saws like powermatic weren't in the list (same for unisaw). PC makes great tools, I own a few, but Contractors saws aren't on their list. For $500 I could get a Dewalt bench saw, not CS (though I do own a dewalt screwgun). In my original post I stated I had a Makita Sliding Miter. And from reading your previous post, I've learned you have a Grizzly, so I can understand your insecurities when it was attacked by someone you clearly, though incorrectly, feel superior to. While Grizzly has a small but loyal and vocal following, and no doubt it can produce outstanding results in the hands of a talented woodworker, the majority of posts speak of substandard quality at an amazing price. And I've seen over and over the truth of you get what you pay for.

   I've been working professionally, quite successfully, with power tools for twenty years myself, just not in woodworking. Like you said, each manufacturer screws up, just not with every tool. Porter cable makes great portable bandsaws, but their screw gun uses a non-standard tip-that's why sheetrock-type carpenters don't use them. Ridgid makes the best pipe-threader there is (300),  and their hand stocks and dies for threading rule the market-but that's not a table saw. Craftsman is a power tool you will NOT see on a construction site where people make money with their tools, so I won't even go there.

   Appreciate your comment about mercedes, but the price I listed made clear I was choosing between Ford and Chevy.

   My concerns, which you were too self-impressed to read, were not being able to see a Bridgewood in person so it's quality was unknown (though it got a great write up in a magazine and on http://www.wwforum.com), and the importance of left-tilt vs. right-tilt. Also whether a bandsaw was a better first choice, as other posters here have convinced me it is not.

   Thanks again for reminding me not to blindly trust what is on the internet, even on a great forum such as this.

1. 
   vacabby | Jan 25, 2003 08:30pm | #6

   Good luck with your purchase.

   jb

2. 
   RANGERP75R | Jan 25, 2003 11:24pm | #7

   pics

      Bridgewood has great jointers and customer service. I have never seen the TS in action. I did see it breifly at a WW show here in Atlanta last year. Looked good on the show-room floor, but I did not get a close up as that problem has already been resolved long ago for me.

      My bottom line I suppose, is call Bridgewood and see if their CS has flat spot on the inside of the arbor shaft for putting a second wrench for securing blade while changing. FGirl informed me a while back her Jet CS does not have the slot. This would be a big consideration IMO as I change blades for tooth count frequently. Just thought I would give you a little inside on that before you make the decision. May matter to you, may not..

      I'm sorry someone with a BW did not respond, as I am curious to know what their opinion would be from where it really counts. Does the BW have aluminum tables or cast iron? I can live personally with aluminum as I ground mine down to .001 and they don't rust. I think either way you go, you'll be ok. Price shipped could be a diciding factor.

   Good luck with the decision...

   sarge..jt

2. 
   JeffKurtz | Jan 24, 2003 08:40pm | #2

   Alan,

   Choosing between the two is ultimately a matter of personal preference.  I won't buy machinery by mail order or on the internet simply because I want to deal with real people face to face, people who know me and whom I trust.

   If you check the archives, you'll find a number of discussions on left tilt vs. right tilt.  I prefer left tilt because it's safer.

   I like my band saw a lot, but if I had to choose only one, it would be my table saw hands down.  A band saw can't cross cut pieces longer than it's throat width, can't saw a dado or a groove, and, given its tendency to drift, isn't the greatest at ripping.

   On the other hand, the band saw is quieter, safer (not much danger of kick back), can resaw, and, with it's narrow kerf, produces less waste.

   Jeff

3. 
   RANGERP75R | Jan 24, 2003 08:56pm | #3

   pics

       Ditto Jeff K's comments on TS first, BS second for the exact same reasons. Left tilt or right tilt is personal. I prefer left for safety even though most of my angle cuts come off the SCMS.

       Also Ditto jb's comments. Don't rule any tool company out before you have researched and got feed-back on an individual tool. All companies have their hits and misses. It's your responsiblility to find out which are hits and which are misses. ha..ha..

   Good luck and do your home-work....

   sarge..jt

4. 
   BG | Jan 25, 2003 03:15am | #4

   Pics63,

   I struggled for many months over the BS versus TS.  The reality is there really is no 'either / or' but rather which to buy first.  I went with the TS (first) and am now very glad I did.  The main reason is because you have to start out any project with squared up stock...the TS is made for that.  Second, only the TS can take a paper thin shaving off a piece of stock to improve the fit, etc.  Third, between jigs and aftermarket attachments, TS can do a lot...and produce quality cuts.

   As far as which TS...I decided I wanted a cabinet saw.  I could not justify the need from either a volumn of work or quality/skill level.  So to satisfy my ego and my pocketbook I decided to buy a cabinet saw at the same price as I would pay for a CS.  That left two choices:  used Unisaw, Grizzly.  I bought the Grizzly.  good luck with your decisions