I really appreciate your responses, woodworkergirl, Jeffnreno and marking. Your emails are probably indicative of what I suspected…3 responses…3 different suggestions. So maybe I should rephrase my question….
“What brand and/or type of table saw is everybody using??”
Ya know what might help me (this decision-making process is so frustrating), how/why did you all decide on the saw you folks have? What is crucial criteria? I’ve already concluded I will probably have to replace the fence, and get new (better) blades. I can’t let this be a “toss of a coin”. I’m hoping to see a consensus.
Thank you very much.
Replies
What is your budget? What do you intend to use it for? I suppose the best (only ?) made in America table saw is the Northfield no. 4, but the price for the base model is $11,760. On the otherhand, you can get a Craftsman saw for darn close to $99. Both will crosscut a 1x4 piece of pine.
This is a frequent sort of question so I'd do a search in this forum and get a little more background to narrow the question a bit. Broad questions get too many answers to be useful.
It's a matter of experience, budget and what you want the saw to do. After working in commercial shops I personally find the slider to be the best choice. It elimates the miter saw and radial arm saw so the higher cost isn't as high as it would appear to be. It's also not limited to just working sheet goods. Being able to trim a table top to size more than simplifies the hassle of using a router and straight edge. A consensus isn't always the best way to choose things. The majority isn't always right or the most informed or experienced. Rojek, Robland, Knapp, Minimax, Hammer are but a few options.
I've been using a Delta UniSaw purchased new in 1995. I love it. But I suspect I would be satisfied with probably any 'good' brand. Only reason I have it is my wife bought it for me for a Christmas present because I was (and still am) a Norm Abrahm (This old House) fan and if good enuf for him......
My entire shop is Delta... saw, jointer , drill press, band saw, mortiser...... color coordinated. When I sit in m y shop and play computer and watch tv (like now), I feel very color coordinated....!!!!!
The Unisaw and all the Delta tools are in better shape than me..... !
Good luck
I use an old, blue, Jet contractor's saw, because that's what I could afford (used, dead motor, free saw, spent ~$250 for new motor, alignment, and cast iron wings).
Given about $3,000 to spend, I'd buy a Saw Stop, no hesitation. But I see from your earlier post that you're in the $1,000 range. T'were it me, I'd either gamble on the "zip-code" hybrid from Sears (which is looking less and less like a gamble, as time passes since its introduction), or buy a Grizzly 1023S cabinet saw.
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
All the major equipment in my shop is used. My 1965 (Rockwell) Unisaw is a real workhorse, I have $725 total in the saw. Don’t be afraid to look at the used market, parts and information is very easy to come by. And if you are the least bit mechanically inclined, the rebuilding of any woodworking machine is not at all difficult. It’s pretty nice to look at my shop, (table saw, jointer, planer, band saw, shaper, lathe, belt/disc sander, drill press, all for under $3,900 and some elbow grease). As an example, a good friend rebuilt a Northfield No. 4 with the rolling table and has only $4,500 and five weeks of part time labor invested. That’s a lot of machine for that amount of money, (I make excuses to go over and use it whenever I can!).
I'm also in SE Mich. and all of my large machines except the woodmaster drum sander are used. I'm running four unisaws and a pm66 all rebuilt as good as new and have less cash invested than the cost of a new sawstop. I've been on this site for years telling people to buy used, glad they don't because it leaves more older machines for us that want them.DJK
No doubt, I have been singing the same tune also, but I’m glad they leave the classic old iron for us. I found that re-building a Unisaw or a Delta band saw was about as difficult as a brake job on my Jeep, only a lot cleaner, and requires the same tools for the most part. My Rockwell 13” planner was a little harder, but not much. I have less cash in that big chunk of iron than most benchtop light weights cost. The other upside is that you know how to adjust and maintain them very well after the re-build.
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It is funny, people will agonize over learning to cut dovetail joints and yet think turning a wrench is just too difficult, I don’t get it….
I've got a Delta Contractor's saw at home. Bought it because I got a good deal on it. It won't cut some thicker hardwood, but there is a PM66 at work I can use anytime I need/want to. If I was buying a new saw in the $1000 range, I would look at:
The Sears "Pro" grade hybrid. It is getting good reviews, both in the magazines, and discussion groups.
The Grizzly 1023 saws have a good reputation, and have gotten good reviews in the past.
Depending on how much experience/capability you have in basic mechanics, you might want to see if you have a local woodworking store, and what they sell. Most of they try to be competitive, and will do things like deliver and tune up the saw onsite so everything is trued up and ready to cut.
<<"What brand and/or type of table saw is everybody using??">>
Stykbo,
Be careful what you request. You're probably going to get so many different responses that you'll be more frustrated than when you started your search.
I agree with RickL's advice to go with a slider. It's much preferable to a standard table saw. It will easily handle sheet stock, it's extremely accurate, and generally safer than most cabinet type saws. Sliders are expensive, but you can find them used at affordable prices or just save up for a new one. The problem is the space required -- you need more room than for a standard table saw, and many of us with home shops just don't have it. If I had the room, I'd get one in a heartbeat. I've worked on a couple different sliders, and it's tough to go back once you've become used to the upgrade.
Forestgirl's response is worth noting. She states that she owns a used Jet contractor's saw because that's what she could afford. Better that she got something and got started, than agonizing over which saw was the best, or waiting until she had the cash for something better. From my experience, I really don't think the type or brand makes a ton of difference. A little time with any properly adjusted saw, new or used, top of the line or middle of the pack, and you'll be comfortable enough to get good results. In the end, it's more you and your skill than the saw -- though a good sharp blade helps a ton.
I think it's more and more difficult to buy new on brand name alone based on some recent comments here on Knots. I own a Powermatic 66 which I've had for 20 years, and it's great, but from what I've read, the current model 66 may have some quality issues. If I were in your position, and based on your budget, I think I would be shopping for something used -- slider (if you have the space) or maybe Powermatic, Delta etc. You'll need to know what to look for in a used machine though. The Old Woodworking Machinery site is a good place to visit for information on vintage equipment -- http://www.owwm.com/
I doubt this thread will yield one strong brand/type recommendation, but hopefully you'll find something in it that will help you. Good luck in your search -- just get something soon and start having some fun.
Mike
Edited 12/27/2006 3:00 pm ET by Mike_B
What we use shouldn't matter to you because your needs will be different. First thing you have to do is define what you need the saw to do. Mostly ripping, you need torque and a good ripping blade and sturdy fence. Accuracy isn't absolutely critical for ripping and you can take it down to finish width another way. If it's accurate enough, you won't have to do much and that's a plus. The fewer operations you need to do, the less chance of the dimensions being wrong and nobody wants to make a career out of building a handsome credenza. If you're going to do a lot of panels and other cross-cutting, you want accuracy, period. Different blade, too. A slider is probably the way to go here.
What is your budget? That alone will tell you what you can buy. How much space can you dedicate to the saw? If you're like me, you need to park it along the garage wall. That said, I have an extension table on mine with my router in it, 7' rails and it's on a mobile base so it's over 8' long but I have the space for it against the wall.
Once you define your wood cutting needs, THEN you can decide on which saw is best for you. If you will be cutting sheet goods, a TS is not the ultimate machine. It works well if you don't mind hoisting the sheets in various awkward positions, though.
Some better questions may be, "How well has your saws met your needs and wants, what have you needed to change because of bad design or wear, what was cheesy and would you rather rather have something else?
To get to the point of your original question, there have been a lot of this asked here over the past couple of years and you could do a search but I don't know how many of the posts are still accessible. FWIW, I have the Grizzly 1023S, Shop Fox mobile base with extension and shop-made legs (black pipe, pipe flanges from Home Depot and feet from the cabinet hardware aisle, screwed to the bottom of the ext table), 7' rails and shop-made heavy duty laminate covered MDF
ext table, Forrest WWII blade, Freud 8" dado set, Oldham 40T blade for cutting when I don't want to worry about what's in the wood and I'm very happy with it. The faces on the fence are polyethylene or something like it and when the temperature goes up, they "grow" and become wavy. I bought a piece of phenolic that's really smooth, stable and durable so I will be replacing the face with that soon. Other than that, I have no reason to want a different saw because I like it a lot. Maybe a riving knife but there aren't many consumer saws that have one (yes, I know about the PM 2000 and SawStop).
If money was no object, I wouldn't buy a consumer grade saw but mine is over 5 years old and is more accurate than I really had expected it (or any saw) to be, and I'm one of those annoying people when it comes to accuracy.
I have a 30 year old Delta/Rockwell T.A. saw I bought used in 1986. The T.A. is a big, heavy saw, and is right under the Unisaw in quality. It came with cast iron table extensions and a big back and side table, and a big Biesemeyer commercial fence. It had a new motor then too. I've fed and entertained myself with that saw, and built shelter for myself too. It has gone out of adjustment two or three times in the last 20 years, and I just tune it back up. I also use a Delta 1172 tenoning jig with it and a bunch of home-made jigs for cutting specialized things over the years. It pays to buy quality, and you can buy quality used saws cheaper than new.
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