Replies

1. 
   RickL | Oct 15, 2007 04:43pm | #1

   Forget the PM 66. I bought one 35 years ago for the left tilt feature and after having spent the next 35 years in big and small shop working with sliding panel saws and 25 years of machine repairing and rebuilding I would definitely go with a slider. The so called massive trunnions are hardly a selling point in my experience. A cabinet saw is only half a saw after using sliders.

   I'd look st the new Rikon and the Seco/Kufo  line...

   http://www.kufogroup.com/

   Seco has been in the country at leat 20 years. We used to sell their dust collectors as they were the best deal around. Not too many folks know of the brand but that doesn't mean much in my book.

1. 
   bones | Oct 15, 2007 08:50pm | #4

   Seco has been in the country at leat 20 years. We used to sell their dust collectors as they were the best deal around. Not too many folks know of the brand but that doesn't mean much in my book.

    

   I've had one of their dust collectors for about 15 years and it still is going strong.  Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.

2. 
   forestgirl | Oct 15, 2007 06:03pm | #2

   I doubt the Rikon is in anywhere close to the same league as a Powermatic, quality-wise.  Just a guess, mind you.

   It doesn't look like the cabinet saw hit the shores yet -- can't even find any advance-views of it with a quick search.  If you want to save $$, why not stick with one of the companies that's been around for awhile and isn't introducing a brand spanking-new tool?  Steel City has a short but excellent track record.  Grizzly certainly has some good cabinet saws, and their newest one comes with a riving knife and outfeed table, comes in 3hp and 5hp versions.  And, of course, there's always the SawStop.

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-) 
   
3. 
   Vic Damone | Oct 15, 2007 06:34pm | #3

   I think Rick L and Forestgirl make good points. After using one the advantages to the slider are very obvious in both safety and ease of use. I currently have a Mast R Slide replacing the left wing of my table saw but it's simply not the same thing.

   My local WoodCraft has the Rikon in stock. It's an odd design in that they've left about five inches of table to the left of the blade which poses limitations for ripping using the wagon. I've had no experience with Rikon tools, hopefully someone can speak to their quality.

   Vic

1. 
   RickL | Oct 15, 2007 09:01pm | #5

   "It's an odd design in that they've left about five inches of table to the left of the blade which poses limitations for ripping using the wagon."

   It's not really an odd design and is quite common. You remove the "carriage"  cross cut fence for ripping.

   The Rikon stuff I've seen looks to be of a good quality. After being in the business for 35 years I've found woodworkers to be the toughest sell on new technology or new brands of tools. Most won't buy soemthing untill their buddy buys one first. C'mon, take a chance. You can't really loose. My second saw after my Dad's old Craftsman 8" was an Inca. After 6 months I decided it was the biggest crock of marketing nonsense. I sold it and got my money back. The guy who bought it was happy with it and plenty of others think Inca stuff is top notch but it was junk to me. All the Inca stuff was of toy quality but that's based on my using big Industrial stuff. The Inca stuff works but it's over rated in quality I think.

   I've been pushing the slot mortiser for years but most folks don't have the slightest clue and until the Festool Domino did their massive marketing campaign. Of course folks don't know the other options available to them but that's the nature of wooworkers.

   Edited 10/15/2007 2:03 pm ET by RickL

1. 
   Vic Damone | Oct 16, 2007 01:13am | #6

   Rick, The slider I used had a nine foot wagon that ran right next to the left side of the blade. I did all the ripping, including from stock that was only three inches wide, using the wagon. The only time I used the rip fence was as a stop for cross cutting. It seems to me adding table to the left of the blade simply limits the width of stock you can rip from using the wagon. Unfortunately I've only had thirty minutes on a slider. Vic

1. 
   RickL | Oct 16, 2007 02:54pm | #7

   You have to see the Rikon for what it is. An affordable slider with dado capabilities for the small shop.  Most slider don't accept dado blades.  A 9' carriage is pretty much typical but there are just as many 4' crosscut carriages out there. One cannot expect to do the same with a 4' carriage as a 9' or 12'.

   I first used a slider in 73 and have been using them ever since so it's just a normal thing for me. A cabinet saw is only half a saw to me. It eliminates needing a radial arm saw and miter saw so sliders aren't really that expensive in my book.