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Table saw recommendations

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table saw
57K views 133 replies 44 participants last post by  windfall 
#1 ·
Anybody have any good suggestions for a table saw. Really need something fairly rugged, with a fairly large table yet not so large that it would require a large storage area. Seems like the choices go pretty quickly from light duty stuff that wouldnt stand up to huge high end professional quality equipment with not a lot in between.
 
#3 ·
The Delta Contractor's Saw and others similar, Grizzly etc., works good at a decent price and can use Dado blades. Any large table saw will work, just make sure it will take Dadoes. You can use it without the table extensions for normal work or install them for cutting wide stuff like plywood. For storage concerns buy or build a dolly or get the wheels for it to permanently reside on. I have a really big cabinet saw that was formerly a high school shop saw, and weighs at least 500 lbs. I made a dolly and can push the saw out on my driveway to work. A good fence is another must have; fasten a 2x4 to the blade side of the fence for all operations, but especially for dadoing as you won't be using the full width of the dado blade for beehives with the exception of handles. Easiest for me is to just install the whole dado set and adjust the fence for the right width cut. Craig's List is a good start!
 
#4 ·
Second the dadoes. There are several saws about in the $5-600 range that take dadoes, at the big three home improvement type stores. I was recently shopping for just such a saw.

I ended up going for an old used Craftsman I found on Craigslist. None of the snazzy features, but did include full cast iron table and wings.
 
#6 ·
...I saw a nice Porter cable at Lowes for 5 or 600.
I have a.tiny 8" craftsman direct drive, but have my father in laws old.giant craftsman coming, and I have a nice.radial arm saw.that I do a.lot on.
also just got a shopsmith that I'm starting to play with...a fine decor saw, but not recommended. As a.primates table saw.
deknow
 
#7 ·
I have a Craftsman $200 Craftsman table saw and I am satisfied. Table is large enough. As for dado blades it is such a pain to change the blades on table saw, that I plan to buy a radial saw and do dado and crosscuts using radial and rip only using table saw.

I am not running any long series so it is a blessing and time saver having both radial and table saws.

I also have a router, did not learn how to use it yet, but I will eventually get ambitious when spring build up will force me to make more hives. LOL
 
#9 ·
Just shopped at the big box stores this past week-end and was only luke warm on what I saw. Probably dont really make what I want, a nice quality saw with a large table, enough weight to be stable and a good fence but not too much of a pain to stow away the 95% of the year it isnt in use. Some type of stowable extensions like fish stix and barry are talking about is something I should definitely consider.
 
#11 ·
Jim, You are exactly right on the jump from junk to fairly expensive.
Take a look at Grizzly.com they have a range from around $400 all the way up to $12,000 without any gaps.
My experience is that you cross the line into the higher quality saws at around the $700 range. Below that the saw is simply going to be lacking in certain features. Not all those features are going to matter to you depending on what type of work you do. I have a Craftsman that is just fine for basic cutting that I woudl sell in a heartbeat for $300. then put that toward this.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-Hybrid-Table-Saw-with-Riving-Knife-Polar-Bear-Series-/G0715P

That saw is likely to be over the line for what you want though.
 
#13 ·
Take a look at Grizzly.com they have a range from around $400 all the way up to
http://www.grizzly.com/products/10-Hybrid-Table-Saw-with-Riving-Knife-Polar-Bear-Series-/G0715P
Very nice saw indeed, if you get one like this pay attention to:

"Motor: 2 HP, 110V/220V, single-phase, prewired to 220V" (Translation motor will be underpowered and subject to overheating/tripping fuses at 110V)

Further confirmation of above concern:

Quote: "NOTICE: 110V operation requires part #T23999 circuit breaker and wiring procedures that must be completed by an electrician or other qualified service personnel. See Owner’s Manual for details. "

Translation : this unit requires dedicated 110V circuit installed by "qualified electrician".

Well I feel "qualified" enough to warn you do not want to run induction (AC) motor drawing 16 Amps at 110V from household outlet, even "dedicated" household outlet.

I'd only run this baby ONLY from 240V outlet as it was designed for, however if they marketed it as 240V only there would be a limited market for it.

Speaking from 10 years experience with sales/installation of 240/110 pumps and an Associate Degree in electronics.
I,ve seen many 1.5HP pumps "prewired" to 240V and run at 110V prematurely fail due to voltage drop and overheating.

Also if you run this particular saw at 110V it may feel underpowered and rapidly bowing down from the possible voltage drop on the line or if you push it too hard creating more safety hazard than less powerful (1HP) saw run at 110 voltage.

This is not to knock off this saw , just give it the voltage it needs to operate properly.

240V

Just like your kitchen range of water heater.
 
#14 ·
Jim, I just bought a Bosch refurbished 10" table saw with stand from Bosch.CPO that works very well. Looks like a brand new saw. It came with a decent blade included, which was surprising. I have a delta 10" contractor's table saw in the basement, but wanted something that I could use outside, rugged and portable and which stored in the garage without taking up a lot of space. This saw has a decent fence, blade was square to the fence and to the miter gauge slot in the table. The saw also has a pretty clever sliding extension for the right side of the table, and a similar table extension is an option for the left side of the table. Out of the box, it was ready to go. The stand is well designed, one end with wheels, very sturdy and does not walk around during use. The only thing it lacks is a locking feature on the wheel for the blade height adjustment, which most of the similar saws would have, but this wasn't a big deal for me. The base of the table saw itself is heavy duty plastic, but is solid. And if you want to use the saw without the stand or store/transport it separately, just unscrew 4 bolts to remove the saw from the stand. If you don't need the stand, the saw itself is $399.00 right now. Also, it has a pretty good blade guard, easier to use than the one on my older Delta saw. I'm not building furniture, but I can heartily recommend either one of these two 10" table saws. Just depends on how you plan to use it. Hope this helps. Bryan
 
#119 ·
Jim, I just bought a Bosch refurbished 10" table saw with stand from Bosch.CPO that works very well. Looks like a brand new saw. It came with a decent blade included, which was surprising.Bryan
What model did you get? I see they have a portable on sale new for 399. Looks like it is very stoable.
 
#15 ·
bought a new Delta 36-L552 unisaw last last. saw is 5HP and has a big table extension. even if you dont need the extension it is still an amazing saw and will last for many years. hate to think about trying to save a penny and regret getting a mediocre saw. it was time for an upgrade from the saws we were using. not quite sure but i believe our old unisaws were from the late 40's or so. motor has never had any work done to it. cant even imagine how many boxes, frames, and pallets that saw has cut in it's lifetime. just dont make them like they use to. one thing i do recommend is if you get a cabinet saw, BUY the mobile base for moving it. makes life so much easier lol
 
#17 ·
To reply to pascopols thread; 220 volts is easy! Make an extension (heavy wire, 10 gauge or better) that will plug into the wife's clothes dryer outlet. My extension cord is 25' and the saw cord is about 10' so I can get well out onto the driveway for working. No dust in the garage, and no wife in the garage either, while I'm working! :D
 
#18 ·
Since we are talking about using the saw outside.....

I was doing the same thing...sawing outside in order to minimize the mess in the house. Small 8" saw with extension wings. I clamped it to a lightweight folding work table (for safety, haha) and proceded to rip some 2x4s that were a little long for comfort.....brand new good blade.

Halfway through the cut, freak wind gusts....I was trying to finish the cut when the wind got under the wings and lifted the saw, table and all.

In any case, I essentially "threw" the saw and jumped backwards...it landed upsided down (on the new blade of course..."butter side down").

It wasn't windy out, and it never occured to me that I wasn't being safe. Always expect the unexpected.

deknow
 
#20 ·
look at your local Paw shops. with the housing market at a dead stop. builders are pawning their disposable equipment.IE; table saws, portable air compressors, and air nailers. they are normally top sheilf stuff. ( just remember that the price on the ticket is the fair retail NOT what you would give them for it.)
 
#21 ·
I am happy with my 30 year old Rockwell and my much newer Delta. I see a lot of Deltas for sale on Craigslist here.
 
#22 ·
i did alot of research before i bought the delta. came across sooo many bad reviews. things such as parts missing, table wing extension didnt line up or had a cup to them. in all honesty i assembled the saw myself and am very pleased with how it works. only thing i dont like is that i had some complications getting a throat plate for a dado head. they sent me the wrong part twice. saw is pricey but worth it. for years i wanted a saw with a big extionship to make working plywood easier.
so awesome having a sawdust collection built in also
 
#24 ·
I was actually thinking of spending more like $1000. The Grizzly kind of got my attention......that is until Tom and Greg got me thinking Delta. Wow Greg you guys really went high end, not sure I can quite justify that unless I find a buy on a used one. Have to do some more research on dealers and freight costs. thanks all for the input.
 
#25 ·
Jim, will this be used for making woodenware? If so, The Grizzly is simply overkill. You're not making fine furniture here. Unless you're planning to go into production as a business, you will be hard pressed to out use a Rockwell/Delta contractor saw, at least the older ones. Contractors use their saws day in and day out.
 
#28 ·
Jim, will this be used for making woodenware? If so, The Grizzly is simply overkill.
Perhaps you are right. Just looking for something rugged enough to stand up to some abuse and can stay accurate without having to constantly use a square to insure that your blade won't bind in the middle of a cut. Fine furniture making? Nope that wouldnt be me.
 
#26 ·
It's by no means the best saw out there, but for convenience and ease of storage I've been using a Rigid from home depot.
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053
It has done the trick for me so far. I've been remodeling the house and adding an addition and it has held up well to all of that and the mobility has been a Godsend. All the parts I use pretty much store on the cart so I'm less prone to lose things when I'm moving around. I started building some boxes and frames on it recently and it has done alright at that as well. My only beef so far has been that it has a composit top, which though it works well and is obviously lighter I can't use my magnetic stops on. Some day I plan to get a floor model for the shop in the barn, but really I haven't been able to justify the expense because the cheaper one has done all I've asked. I will note that blade change is a snap, but it just barely will hold a 3/4inch Dado on the arbor. Of course going larger than that would probably overwork the saw. I also have a nice dual bevel sliding miter saw that takes some of the workload of my tablesaw.
 
#27 ·
I went through the a similar thing about a year ago. My little saw was not cutting it but I did not have the room or the dough for a big saw. I kinda went down the middle and got a used craftsman cast iron contractors saw thats about 30 years old. Its been an awesome machine. I wish they made something like this still. Nothing in the big box stores is going to really fit the bill...its all cheap.
If you want to get a big table...Biesemeyer Fence all the way. A lot of guys take an old craftsman and take the wings, legs, etc off and mount a Biesemeyer on it. Then you can make a rolling cart for it all to set on. 50" rip capacity. Pretty much the optimal setup.
Mike
 
#29 ·
Mythomane; you can buy those (extension cords) in stores, just not in your big box stores. We use them all the time in the construction business and guess what? We get inspected by OSHA on a regular basis and they have found no fault with them. If you have 220 volt tools on a job site and the power pole is 75-100 feet away how do you suppose you get power to where you need it? :rolleyes: BTW, explain the difference to me of a 30' power cord attached to a 220 v. motor and an extension cord of the same size to feed that motor. And, yes I'm well familiar with the effect of "length" and conductor size on a power source.
 
#33 ·
Mythomane; you can buy those (extension cords) in stores, just not in your big box stores. We use them all the time in the construction business...
I would like to know where you get these 100 foot 220v power extensions. Please post a link/info. I will buy one just in case I decide to build a house in Florida. Inspectors are mostly failed contractors and its a low bar to begin with. Speaking as a contractor, I have never used 220v from a line like that. The power source is usually from a generator, which is usually what you have when you are building anything fresh, and from which you can get 220 easily. That being said I have had a hand in building hundreds of homes and we never had 220 on site. I do not know any contractor that uses 220 equipment. Cabinet makers, ok, but not men in the field. And cabinet makers do not need or use cords like that. It is just not portable or necessary. I have seen 10k sqft. Mcmansions go up with Ryobi equipment and a crew from Alcatraz. The difference in the line is that it is easily cut/tripped over/exposed etc. I myself could handle it, but is it up to code? Probably not. Then again, maybe things are different in Florida. I worked on a few scrapers there and things were generally out of hand. But again, things are virtually always out of hand on a building site. Please post a link for the cords as it will save me starting up my generator.
 
#30 ·
I went to my "Go To" group when it comes to the latest in the know about shop equipment.
for a small saw (easy to store) but accurate and strong this is the first recommendation.
http://benchmark.20m.com/reviews/RyobiBt3100/RyobiBt3100Review.html

Problem is it is not longer available from Ryobi. you will have to find one used.
IT was mentioned that Seas now makes a copy of it but the model number was not given for the Craftsman version.

Another Craftsman model that was recommended was this.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921833000P?prdNo=5&blockNo=5&blockType=G5

Okay that was my shot at finding the best bang for your buck and still keep it semi storable.

Keep in mind you can get rolling stands for the larger saws to help in the keeping it out of the way issue.

That last one looks a lot like what I own. It has problems but only minor irritating ones. A fence that is not all that accurate, the blade insert is flakey, Table top is to small for me but anything less than 4X8 will be and a miter gauge slot that is not standard.
 
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