Well,
I actually got my hands on one of these – although the final production model may change a little. My bias is that I recently purchased the DeWalt (the base model w/ an outfeed table and mobile base for about $900). The SuperSaw is a response to the DeWalt.
One of the things that interested me most from the ad was the micro-adjustment fence. I imagined this to be like a fine tuner on a boombox – not so. It was worthless, IMO. The magnified ruler guide was nice, and the fence seemed sturdy and also would be easy to build jigs for as it’s basically flat on all four sides (w/ some slots for said jigs). I think the fence is good, but the micro-adjustment feature is a disappointment.
The stamped wings are a great feature. The sliding table also seems nice – and the built-in miter gauge seems very functional. But some of the readings on the gauge are covered when you set it – so at 22.5 degrees, which is one of the notated degrees, you can’t see the exact mark through the plastic window – it’s covered up – you can find it yourself but why did they make a separate notated marker? Note that when you see the $900 price, it doesn’t include $300 for the sliding table. I don’t know if DeWalt’s is better because I don’t have it – but a recent article I read made it sound like Jet thought they had DeWalt beat here, something like “…you don’t need to add extra leg supports for the sliding table because we put it 3 inches from the blade versus 7.5 for the DeWalt – so the Jet is more stable….”.
The dust collection seems similar to a cabinet saws, but the motor is pretty close to the bottom of the dust collection cabinet – I would think the sawdust might get into the motor. On a contractor saw the motor hangs out the back away from the dust being blown out the bottom, on the DeWalt there is a dust shroud around the blade so the motor should stay pretty clean.
It will be interesting to see the reviews in the coming months. I don’t regret my DeWalt purchase – and I do think the real competition to it are cabinet saws, and those that say you should look at the XXXX for about the same price have a point – and then mobility and footprint make a difference, along with price and performance.
Replies
I was planning on purchasing the DeWalt TS this week. But once I heard about the Jet SuperSaw I began to consider waiting for it. Are these two a wash or should I hold out for the Jet? I'm planning on using it for basic furniture/cabinet making in my basement. Thanks
I was worried that the Jet might be a step ahead - I'm now confident I bought the right saw. One of the reasons I bought it was because WoodCraft was running their semi-annual 1 day 10% off sale, and I knew based on shopping around that this was the best deal I was going to get. I also got a few extras thrown in. I got the 31" rail, mobile base, and outfeed table for under $1000 w/ tax and delivery to my basement. I figure if I really get into it I can add the sliding table later (it's too expensive for me to justify now), and I would never be in the market for a cabinet saw due to space limitations.
Depending on how you're buying, the Jet may give you some negotiating power since there is now a solid alternative - Or you can wait as in the next month they should start showing up in stores (release late September to early October). Also, there will be some reviews coming out shortly, I'm sure, which may better define the advantages/disadvantages for you. A guy who I think is biased towards the DeWalt suggested that the miter on the Jet sliding table was weak, the fence wasn't sturdy enough, the footprint was bigger than the DeWalts, and that they probably put the motor reset on the front of the saw because of all the problems that might crop up with the way the dust collection is set up. Even with that said, if I didn't have a sale price and could wait a few weeks, I would.
Early on, I saw a review that said the DeWalt's fence was out of tolerance - DeWalt fixed this and replaced the piece for owners who called them. I guess it's possible w/ Jet's experience they will avoid any early manufacturing problems.
MARK:
I saw the Jet at the International WW Show in Atlanta several weeks ago. I liked it, but did not get to see it in action. There were a great number to things to see and I had time constraints. That show is gigantic.
I also like the Dewalt. There are things I would change on both. The Jet as ST stated has not been put to work yet. If you have the time and patience I second ST's suggestion and wait till it is then make your decision. With any kind of luck, Jet and Dewalt will get into a price war which means advantage YOU! ha....
They should let WoodWorkers design the tools and price them.. If we could do that, we would All have a shop full of perfectly engineered tools with money left over to pay the bills.grin>> Ugh, I just woke up....where am I!?
sarge..jt
This forum post is now archived. Commenting has been disabled