Table Saw Search

Don,

I believe you could add a category for safety features.

I.E SawStop….

just my .02…...

Having owned my general for a couple of years I would looks at things differently than before. I would consider
1. How easy it is to use the splitter or riving knife.
2. Is the Blade guard sufficient and easy to use. If it’s a pain to put on and take off you may find yourself leaving it off (bad idea, could lead to safety issues).
3. What is the Arbor length? Determines what size dado stack you can use…
4. Ease of adjustment / alignment.

-- Chris

Only suggestion I’m going to throw out is about the granite top. You won’t be using any magnetic feather boards or hold downs on it. I’d also be curious as to what happens to it when you accidentally drop something, like a cast iron tenon jig or a metal pipe clamp on it. That’s my $0.02.

-- Tim -- http://tmuli.com

I had the same doubts as tenontim about granite tops. Yeah, no rust worries in my high humidity climate, but…........ I recently made the decision to make do with my POS TS for a while longer while I save for a Saw Stop. My 12 yr old son has been spending some time in the shop with me and I think it is worthwhile to put off immediate purchase of a Grizzly or Granite City and hold out for the SS.

-- North Texas

I am quite pleased with my Sawstop. This is a 1st rate piece of equipment.

-- Pat, Colorado

From what I understand the sawstop uses an explosive cartridge which runs aound $100-$200. That is what I am told, obviously that pales in comparison to saving a finger or two, but if someone decides to do the hotdog demo a few times, it gets to be pricey.

Practicing safe technique is far more important. I think getting a sawstop would be a good idea, except don’t get complacent and rely on it as a crutch or excuse to do things half-butted or unsafe. If and when my sons decide to come learn the shop, learning safety will be number 1, even if I had a sawstop I would not let them know that or else things get taken for granted, etc.

-- Rich, WNY, www.nyrockingchairs.com

I have the Craftsman 22124, which is essentially the same saw…though I know there are supposedly some improvements in the SS, and I don’t know if this is a newer version or not. In any event, I replaced my Delta contractor saw with this one (bought last Labor Day as a floor model for $450!) and am extremely happy with it. The saw is solid, easier to adjust (with the cab-mounted trunions), and a pleasure to use.

I would echo Tim’s point re: granite vs. CI top…I couldn’t live without my magnetic feather boards/accessories.

If I were in the market for a new saw, I would absolutely consider the SS—though I would likely get the 3HP version instead of the 1.75HP.

Enjoy the process and, ultimately, your new saw!

-- Patrick, Chicago, IL www.TenonAndSpline.com

Thanks for the replies. Good point about the magnetics, and I was leary about chipping it, so granite is out. I can appreciate the SawStop, but wow the price. I guess cost vs. benefit would be more apparent after you’re down to 9 digits; but I reckon there’s some folks out there who have managed to keep all their fingers up to now.

-- Don, Royersford, PA

One more criteria I find important is how often you have to adjust and set your tablesaw.
I have owned many tablesaws and some of them had to be adjusted every few days. These are a pain in the butt. Others every month or so and that’s only because I have a maintenance ritual I go through every month.
If you plan to own your tablesaw for a long time, availability of parts is also a good thing to keep in mind. This is where Craftsman really shines. Delta and Jet aren’t as good in this department. I still have an old 20” delta scrollsaw that’s out of commission because Delta doesn’t make the parts anymore.

I’ve had my Saw Stop contractors saw for a month now and I’m real pleased with it If you’re holding out to save more money to buy a cabinet SawStop I’d go ahead and get it now. I just got an email from them. The price for the cabinet saw goes up by $300 Oct. 1. That’s for the 3 & 5 hp versions. The 7.5 hp goes up $500. T-Glide fence system with 36” and 52” extensions go up too. $50 for the 36” and I think it was $70 for the 52”. They say the price increase is due to increased material cost. You won’t be disappointed in any of the Saw Stop saws. The T-glide fence system is great too. Everything on my saw was dead on. Didn’t have to adjust anything.

-- Darell, Norman, Ok.

I have had the Delta 3hp 220V LT unisaw for a little over a year. It has been great and I have never had to re-adjust it from the first time I set it up. I check it every week for blade/table perpendicular, fence alignment, table damage, blade warpage, etc, I used to check every day I turned it on for the firth 2 months.

The price of the cabinet Stop Saws stopped me dead in my tracks too, couldn’t justify another $1000 for a table saw that seemed to have just hit the market and wasn’t put through the paces yet, but now a year later it has been tried and proven I guess. A year later I would still buy the Delta though.

-- Rich, WNY, www.nyrockingchairs.com

”...but I reckon there’s some folks out there who have managed to keep all their fingers up to now.”

My grandfather worked wood all his life. He died at 70 with all ten fingers. My father worked wood all his life. He died at 66 with all ten fingers. I spent a lot of time in both their shops as a kid. My grandfather’s shop especially would have given any OSHA inpsector nightmares – a huge bandsaw with no wheel covers and no cover on the blade return, a massive Craftsman 10’ table saw with no blade guard, no splitter and no kickback spawls (I don’t think these were even options back then), dust collection was the broom and dustpan in the corner, etc, etc.

The very first thing I learned at either of their shops was “Keep your fingers away from the sharp ends.” Both of them had hundreds of specially made, intricate little wooden push-sticks, blocks and other little jigs to make sure that their fingers were nowhere near sharp moving metal. Often they spent more time fashioning a jig or setup to do something safely than they spent actually doing the job. I learned it well – it just saved my finger out in the shop this morning while routing rabbets in cherry wood. I do have to replace a plastic pushstick with a 3/4” circular notch in it, though!

-- "Find out what you cannot do and then go do it!"