Replies

1. 
   gdblake | Jun 08, 2010 05:25pm | #1

   The Jet Hybrid saw has great power, poor dust collection

   Keith:

   I got a great deal on a Jet Hybrid tablesaw with cast iron wings two years ago ($659 including sales tax).  Power and accuracy are great, I'm very happy with the saw.  My only complaint is with dust collection.  I strongly considered a used Delta Unisaw but don't have 220v in my garage (nor the space).  If you have the space and 220v you may want to consider a used Unisaw or a new Grizzly cabinet saw.  Either will beat any of the hybrid saws.  Otherwise, I think the Woodtek is still considered top of the line in hybrids.

   gdblake

2. 
   forestgirl | Jun 08, 2010 10:14pm | #2

   Cabinet for that $$

   I'd hold out for a good used cabinet saw if it were my money.  If you buy a new hybrid saw, you're spending alot for something that depreciates 35-45% the minute it hits your shop floor, and may or may not keep you happy for many years.  A good used Unisaw or Powermatic cabinet saw will leave you smiling, at the same price point or perhaps lower (my used Unisaw set me back $750).  You're right in thinking that a contractor saw design isn't the best -- it has inherent drawbacks.

3. 
   bones | Jun 09, 2010 10:10am | #3

   from another keith

   Hey from another Keith, I'd look at the Grizzly if you can do 220 and get a cabinet saw.  I've had my 1023slx for eons and it's a great shop addition. 

4. 
   RalphBarker | Jun 09, 2010 10:42am | #4

   saw choices

   While I agree with the suggestions of going 220v and buying a cabinet saw, there's also the practical side to consider. Reality imposes compromises - both budgetary and space-wise. Another apsect to consider is what you'll be making, and how you'll be using the TS. For example, I'm still using an old Delta 9" contractor saw that I bought in the late '60s. I've upgraded the fence with a Delta T2 fence bought on sale, which is a significant improvement. But, I don't have the space for a cabinet saw, let alone the dedication of space that goes along with it. (Sure, there are mobile bases, but they defeat some of the advantages of going with a cabinet saw.)

   To me, Hybrid saws have the same sort of assumption about space dedication, just on a somewhat smaller scale. And, if all of your work is "small", there are a couple of contractor saws that might be worth considering. For example, the combination of a (Bosch?) contractor saw and a Festool TS55 (with guide rails) for sheet goods might be quite workable.

   So, ultimately, I think it's a matter of what compromises you have to make within your available shop space. "Precision" and stability may fall farther down the decision matrix.

1. 
   Tinkerer3 | Jun 10, 2010 10:05pm | #7

   But with the motor hanging out in back doesn't the contractors saw take up more room than either the hybrid or the cabinet saws?

1. 
   forestgirl | Jun 11, 2010 12:07am | #8

   Contractor saw space-hungry

   Good point, Tink.  I don't know if contractor saws take up more space than a cabinet saw (may depend on the cabinet saw), but they're definitely a pain with that motor sticking out, and take up more space than one would guess just looking at them from the front!  What drove me nuts about my old Jet contractor saw was how it went out of alignment when the blade was tilted to 45 degrees.  That's a very, very common occurence from what I understand.  PITA.

2. 
   RalphBarker | Jun 11, 2010 01:07am | #9

   close, but not quite

   The side-motored hybrid may be slightly more shallow, but the Delta specs aren't detailed enough to tell for sure. From the back of the motor to the front of the fence, mine appears to be about the same as the Unisaw depth. Both, however, are wider than the contractor model I have, and substantially so in the case of the Unisaws with longer fence rails.

   My issue with the cabinet saws is the dedication of a more-or-less fixed space, including an outfeed table, needed to take full advantage of the larger saw's capabilities. While they can be moved, doing so is not very convenient, especially if it needs to be done often. Actually, my issue is not so much with the saws as with the space I have, which is already over-filled.

1. 
   Tinkerer3 | Jun 12, 2010 08:53pm | #10

   So far, I have plenty space for the table saw.  I would like to build an good outfeed table.  Size wise, so much depends on the extensions and support tables.  I've seen a lot of table space connected to the contractor saws.  I'd hate to go back to the contracter saw, expecially when you go to the trouble of getting it all aligned as best as possible and then have it go out of allignment when you tip the blade as FG mentions.

   Tink (for short)

5. 
   JohnWW | Jun 09, 2010 05:54pm | #5

   A long, imprecise, answer...

   Keith,

   First off I have to tell you that the magazine's policy is that I can't  comment on machines currently on the market except to refer you to reviews that the magazine has published, if I started to personally recommend one brand over another it would cause problems.

   I haven't  looked at hybrid saws since the review I helped with a few years ago so I am not up to date in any case.  Also, I no longer work full time for Fine Woodworking so I don't get to play with new tools like I used to.

   In general, contractor's saws are very difficult to keep properly adjusted, especially for keeping the blade aligned parallel to the fence and the miter slots, but the Ridgid contractor's saw, when it had a cast iron top, had a number of unique design features that made it much easier to line up and hold its settings.  I don't know if the new version of the saw with the granite top has the same features.

   Hybrid saws were all over the place when I last looked at them, some were little more than slightly reworked contractor's saws with all of their flaws still there, while some others were designed more like small versions of industrial quality machines and could turn out good accurate cuts.  For marketing more that technical reasons the manufacturers have only mounted smaller motors on hybrid saws so they can be a bit underpowered.

   Full size cabinet saws, if you can afford one, are still a step up in power, and often in accuracy, from hybrids.  Although it can take some time and effort, finding a good used older cabinet saw and hauling it back to your shop, can give you an excellent tool within a smaller budget.

   The full sized Saw Stop cabinet saw is a very good machine and of course has the unique advantage of the blade brake.  The contractor's version still has the safety advantage, which is priceless if it saves a finger, but it is otherwise still a contractor's saw.

   I really feel that a Euro style blade guard is much safer, and much more likely to actually be used on the saw, so I would give strong preference to saws with that design, but you aren't likely to find one on an older saw.

1. 
   kemakeda | Jun 09, 2010 06:53pm | #6

   My thanks to John and all who preceded his post on the hybird saw isue. I've sensed that the hybrid was was largely adressed up contractors saw though some do seem to have been we reviewed since their introdcution. After revieing all posts I'm prbably headed  down the path of holding off on the hybrid didea until I come across a decent used unisaw - all I have to do then is either run 220 to my garage or figure out how to man handle it through my bulkhead into my basement shop - oh the trade offs we make !

   Thanks agin to eeryone for their thoughts.

   Keith