Which table would you buy between Delta and Jet

the Jet – hands down! it’s a hybrid, compared to the delta which is a contractor. the Jet has a better transfer of power over a shorter belt, and the motor is completely enclosed in the cabinet. with all due respect to the biesmeyer fence – I liked the Jet better (I used both).

with that said , for $1k there are better options out there. I haven’t personally heard much negative of Grizzleys… you’ll surely get a list of grizzly’s supporters commenting here, as LJ seems to have many of those.

as for “square and perfect out of the box” I wouldn’t worry about that too much, tuning a saw is no big deal, and is a good experience to go through – what more – it’s easier to do when the saw is new and clean, as opposed to when it’s already positioned in a corner, and is all dusty…

look for features that are important to you, and that will point you to the right saw for you, everything else can be worked through/around.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

I am a grizzly saw owner and I am very satisfied. Like Purplev said $1k will get you into a great grizzly that can honestly offer more than either the jet or delta you have listed. If you don’t want to go that route I too would go with the jet. I have owned my share of contractor saws and I hope to never go back. They are too loud, too light, too fragile and you can’t tune them like you will need to. Also, keep in mind that all saws, including grizzlys and delta, need to be tuned out of the box. Once you know how to do it though, it’s easy.

-- "That Government is Best that Governs The Least."-Jefferson

Lots of good reviews here on LJs about Grilzzly table saws

-- Jim from Heirloom Woodshop Southern Oregon

Thanks for the info guys. Here is the TS I was looking at grizzly’s site. I’d like to stay around the 1k mark if possible for now so I guess i’m going to rule out the Delta and try to compare either the Jet or the Grizzly. The only thing I saw negative about the grizzly’s was the shipping being sub-par on their part.

Grizzly:
http://www.grizzly.com/products/2-HP-Hybrid-Cabinet-Saw/G0478

The tuning out of the box isn’t that much of a conern really. My main concern is just durability, table top being straight and not warping andlongevity and able to rip through the wood without any hassle. There are probably a few more to mention, but I may just be picky, lol. I know the more expensive I go probably the better the TS’s will be, but i’m just looking for a really good TS in the $800-$1000 range if possible.

If they are other TS’s that you guys can suggest that are along the 1000 range then feel free to post, if not then I’m debating on the Jet or the Grizzly :)

Thanks!

Kevin

Grizzly sells a lot of tools…especially table saws. The vast majority of their shipments reach the destination in good shape. I wouldn’t let a vocal fraction of a percent prevent you from buying the best saw for you. Keep in mind that Grizzly doesn’t handle the shipping….trucking companies do. I doubt the truckers go out of their way to rough up the Grizzly machines, while babying the Deltas…LOL! When you buy from a dealer, that dealer filters any shipping damage and handles dealing with the truckers and the manufacturer. They also gets a deserved premium for their role. There are pros and cons to buying direct and pros and cons buying from a dealer…which circumstance has the most appeal to you?

I agree that $1000 for a contractor saw is way too much for a 60 year old design with the motor hanging off the back. Unless you can get a contractor saw for much less, a hybrid offers several advantages, and virtually no disadvantage unless you need to remove the motor frequently. That Jet is a very nice hybrid saw.

If you have 220v, a cabinet saw is even further up the ladder…the Grizzly G1023SL is $1075 shipped, and is simply a more robust saw than any of contractor saws or hybrids available. If you don’t have 220v, there are several excellent hybrids that will serve you well. The end performance all boils down to blade selection and alignment.

Guts of a Grizzly cabinet saw (similar to many others):

Guts of a G0478 hybrid (similar to many others):

In the end, pick the saw that pleases you most, but do your research so you can make an informed decision.

Thanks for reminding me about the trucking companies, that is very true. That is the main reason I joined this site is to get expert opinions that you guys have given. I do have 220v wired in my garage so that isn’t a problem. That 1023SL looks very nice at 1075 shipped.

From what I’ve read so far the 1023SL is a more robust saw like you guys have said than the Grizzly 478 Hybrid. If that’s the case and it’s a better bang for the buck than the JET then I’ll be getting it.

I’ve owned delta equipment and bought a couple of jointers from Grizzly, but have never had any experience with Jet though. I know cabinet saws are better usually than any hybrid and definately contracter saws. Is the JET a cabinet saw. All in all, I really like the 2 Grizzly’s you guys have pointed out and the JET, but JET seems to be really expensive for the most part.

LOL, i’ve looked and looked for the past few weeks over different saws ranging from 600 – 1000 trying to get my best bang for my buck. I think that I am finally getting it narrowed down :) I want to make a sound purchase that’s for sure :)

Thanks,

Kevin

PS: Right now I have a 50 dollar benchtop table saw that I have made modifications to. Basically it’s a cabinet with extension wings on both sides. I’ve also built my own T-square fence that I downloaded off the internet that is a Beismeyer clone pretty much. I have build small entertainment centers and right now in the process of building an oak desk for my computer. You would not imagine how frustrating it was before I built my own fence trying to get accurate cuts. So i’m really looking forward to a good quality TS now :D :D :D

If you want something you can pick up locally, check out Home Depot’s Ridgid and Sears Craftsman hybrids.

Kevin – The Jet Proshop (708482K) has very similar guts as the Griz 0478….table mounted trunnions, one-piece cast arbor carriage, 1-3/4hp belt drive induction motor.

You can see an exploded pictorial in the online owner’s manual that shows it’s construction, but it’s very similar to the construction of the G0478.

khays,

About a month ago, I was going through the exact same type of decision as you are. I was also considering the Delta and the Jet just as you are. In the end, I ended up with the Grizzly 1023SL and I do not regret it for one second! It is a fantastic saw!

I was originally in the markey for a $800-$1000 table saw just like you. I came to this forum asking for help in my decision just like you. What really made me consider the G1023SL for $1075 shipped is the fact that I was going to spend pretty much that amount for a hybrid saw that was 1 1/2hp. When I could spend the same for a 5hp cabinet saw, which is a considerable difference between the saws.

I too was worried about Grizzly’s reputation about shipping. Mine arrived in perfect condition and everything was there, no problems. When they handle the shipping they do send it by freight, mine was sent by UPS freight.

If you do not have 220v don’t worry, I didn’t either. But in 20 minutes I had 220v and a plug ran in my shop and waiting for the saw.

I say spend the extra $75 over you budget and get the big boy saw, you will not regret it! I use mine everyday here lately and its a dream to work with! BUY IT!

I also have the Shop Fox Classic fence with the saw and it’s great too…...

-- Check out my woodworking blog! http://woodworkingtrip.blogspot.com/

I have the G0478 and only have one thing to complain about. Shipping wasn’t a problem, it arrived in perfect condition and all I had to adjust out of the box was the fence and 0/45 bevel stops. The issue with this saw is the guard/splitter combination. It’s a pain to adjust when you need to remove/replace the guard, and a bigger pain to get the splitter aligned when using a thin kerf blade. If you plan on using .125” kerf blades this isn’t really an issue, or if you want to put on a 40 tooth all purpose blade forever, again, not an issue. But if you’re like me and need to change between ripping, crosscutting and dado blades frequently, then it becomes a bit of a hassle. It’s not impossible, though it is a pain…but again, it’s the only issue I have with this saw.

I don’t regret buying this saw over the other hybrids. The price is right, the parts are heavy duty. I haven’t had any problems at all once things are setup correctly. I’ve only had this saw for two months, and I’d still recommend it to others given my frustrations with the guard/splitter.

After reading all the replies I do think that I will go ahead and get the 1023SL saw. For just an extra $75 it seems that this is a no brainer as long as there are no rises in the price between now and a few weeks.

Thanks to all for the advice, suggestions and opinions.

Kevin

Hard to argue that choice Kevin. $75 more for an industrial style 3hp cabinet saw vs a 1-1/2hp contractor is $75 very well spent IMO. I’ll doubt you’ll ever regret that decision.

FWW, Bob Ross from Walnutacre Woodworking makes an aftermarket riving knife device that fits the G1023SL…..he calls it the “BORK”, short for Bolt On Ripping Knife. It rises, falls, and tilts with the blade just like a true riving knife. The biggest difference is that it’s retrofitted on a traditional swing arm, so it travels in slight arc just as the blade of that saw will. The newer stock riving knife designs tend to go straight up and down. The BORK works great on my Shop Fox 1677, and Bob’s great to deal with. If interested, ask Bob about any available forum discounts.

One more suggestion….last year Microsoft was offering a Cashback deal for using their “Live.com” search engine. Ebay was a major retail participant in that deal. They’ve renamed the search engine “Bing.com”, and the Cashback is currently at 12%. If you’re familiar with the deal, you might try contacting Grizzly’s Ebay Team and asking them to list a G1023SL on Ebay for you, so you can take advantage of the 12% Cashback…..that’s basically the equivalent of the “BORK” for free, or a really nice saw blade for free. Google “Cashback” or “Bing.com” and read up on it.

Thank you for the information above knotscott. I will definately have to look into that. Yeah, i’m excited about getting that TS :D

If the saw you get doesn’t have a riving knive, buy the bork.

Thats the one thing I need to figure out on my old iron table saw. Much nicer than a splitter.

The Grizzly 1023SL for $1075 shipped, no tax (in most states), is the best deal out there. The delta contractor saw and the Jet hybrid just can’t touch it. 3hp verses 1.5hp is a no brainer. 220V verses 110V is another no brainer. you will notice the big difference. I own a 1023 right tilt with the shop fox clone of the Beis. No problems, no regrets. JMHO and $0.02 thrown in.

-- david roberts, houston area, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but that has never been a problem for me."

I plan on ordering the G0691 wednesday. I’ll let you know how it is. Alot of good reviews. I was going to get a PM2000. Is the grizzly as good? I don’t have first hand knowledge of either of them but i do know for the price of the PM with 20% off i can get the G0691 with free shipping and all the accessories you could want for cheaper. They are both made in asia, Grizzly is just cutting out the broker or middle man.

-- FMG

as much as i love my grizzly TS, the PM 2000 is top of the line for your average, and not so average, american woodworker. the PM is a cut above. the question i had to answer is could i live with a very nice lexus verses a Beamer. the answer was, yeah, the lexus is fine. the G0691 at $1295 shipped is an excellent deal and would make a great long term investment in a quality tool.

-- david roberts, houston area, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but that has never been a problem for me."

Go to Home Depot and check out the Rigid. I think there was a write up in Wood magazine and it got great reviews. I have one and I’m very happy with it. It will save you a lot of money compared to the Jet. But it doesn’t matter what you buy. You have to set it up right when you get it out of the box. Tim

I’ll add my 2 cents here. I have a Grizzly 1023SL and it’s like a milling machine for wood. Out of the box, it was well within .004 of being true in all planes. I used a Wixey angle guage originally to set it up and things were functionally perfect. I’ve since used a dial indicator and the saw stays consistently within .001 of true in all planes. My only complaint is the lack of serious dust collection provisions but an hour of mods have solved all those concerns. I added a sloped bottom to feed sawdust to the extraction port, drilled 4, 1/2” holes in the left side of the ZCI and taped up all the gaps and holes in the cabinet to get extraction air to draw in around the blade. It passes the “standing nickel” test, the fence is easily adjustable to dead parallel and the miter guage has adjustable bars to fit them to the slots. Both slots are easily within .001 of being dead parallel to the blade. Overall, the saw is a BARGAIN!! And the table is dead flat and SHINY!!!!!

-- M1911BLDR

Yeah, I agree with you guys. Sure I’d love the PM or a few other that are much more, but I think that I will be able to get everything I want out of the 1023SL and then some :D I kept going back to the contracter style saws just because price was cheaper, but then if i’m going to make an investment in one I would like to think at least the 1023SL is a good one.

What is sad is that I had dreamt that I got the 1023SL in last night and was putting it together in my bedroom. I was just going to carry it out to the garage after that, LOL. Needless to say i’ve thought about it long and hard.

Whichever one I do buy, which it’s more than likely going to be the 1023SL I will write a review after the first few hours about the installation then after 6 months or so I’ll add another review about performance and the rest :) Gotta see how it peforms before giving it an actual review.

Thanks guys,

Kevin

Hello all

I purchased the Grizzly GO691 about 2 weeks ago. I got it in 5 days. I have to say this about the shipping:
It came with no damage to any of the parts whatsoever. The cabinet had a wood frame around it and the 3 other boxes were well packaged. I finally got it running today. It went together with no problem. The wings fitted up perfect with no shimming. Before I started, I bought a Shop Fox mobile base and extention. I was wondering how I was going to get the saw on the mobile base. No problem, you build the base around the saw. I had to do some modifications to the base. It was the super heavy duty base, good for 1300 lbs. The orther base was good for 700 lbs. Weight was too close so I figured better be safe than sorry. I had to run 220v to my garage (detached), I tapped into the 220v for the clothes dryer, have gas one. The run out on the blade was less the .002, the fence is right on. Not much adjusting I had to to. I fired it up (no wires smoking, must have done it right lol) Sounded great, cut some scrap boards and I am happy. One other thing,
Instead of the nickel test, I gave it the 5 nickel test, not one dropped. I am very pleased with this saw and hope it will last me awhile.

Nice mgb. Hope you enjoy it and i’m sure it will last a very long time for you. Now to purchase mine :D :D

Kevin

I too have the Grizzly G0691….It was a great decision. I was leaning towards saving a bit more and getting the PM2000….but after reading many reviews and trying one in a friends shop….I ordered the Grizzly. The saw came in great shape. The setup was easy and well documented. It needed very little adjustment…When I fired it up….what a nice sound…it tore through some extremely hard wood that I had been struggling with on my bandsaw – Higuerilla – without a blink…and the cut was very accurate (I had to cut twice as the piece was 5.5” wide)...so I wouldn’t take them out of the equation if you can…

-- Woodworking.....My small slice of heaven!

I too have the Grizzly G0691 – like reggiek and mgb. Just fired it up yesterday (I had to do some rewiring first). It’s a great saw, has free shipping, and even ‘discounted’ a little. I was thinking of getting the 1023 but the safety advantage of the riving blade and the upgraded motor made me lean to the G0691. While I haven’t had the chance to build anything on it (although my scrap wood pieces have doubled. hrmmmm.,,), this is a quality product. The saw was wonderfully packaged.

Oh..make sure you get the 2 shipping bolts off the bottom (they are cadicornered to each other) before you take it all apart. I didn’t and it took me a moment to realize it was the shipping bolts and no the saw (doh).

-rsdowdy

Ordered the 1023SL last Thursday and it will be delivered tomorrow (Wednesday Sep 9th). Can’t wait :)

I’m happy for you Kevin. That should make for a heck of a saw for you. Align it well, put a good blade on it, and you’ll be good to go!

Thanks scott, it will be tomorrow since they are only in my area on Tuesday and Thursday. Oh well, good things come to those who wait :)

I am also looking to order either the Grizzly GO691 or the JET JPS-10XL30CW, 10” Left Tilt ProShop Table Saw. The main concern I have is getting the Grizzly Go691 down the stairs into my basement. Its a basic width stairwell. For those of you that have ordered the Grizzly GO691 or the Grizzly 1023SL, did you move them into your basement or, if not, do you think you would have been able to move them down the stairs into your basement…...I don’t know how many boxes the saws are shipped in. Can anyone help me with my dilemma?

cjs1

I bought the Jet Pro Shop saw about three months ago and have been very happy with it. the saw was packaged in a couple of boxes. I would say you wouldn’t have any problem getting it down a normal set of stairs.

cjs1, I have the 1023SL and I am able to move it around my shop by myself without any mobile base. Once you take the cabinet saw by itself two people shouldn’t have much trouble getting it down into the basement. I would take the extension wings out and the other accessories before moving so it’s lighter.

BTW, I couldn’t be happier with my 1023SL. So far it’s been a dream to work with.

I would say the same goes for the 691 also.

CJS – Without the wings and fence attached, the base cabinet on the saws is only ~ 20”w x 27”deep. On the cabinet saws like the 1023 and 0690, the top can be removed to shave weight and reduce the depth down to ~ 20”.

As much as I like the Jet Proshop as a hybrid saw, I want to make sure you realize that the industrial cabinet saws and a hybrid saw are in two different leagues. The cabinet saws are simply more substantial machines and have more power. The only draw back is that they require 220v operation, and are typically a bit more money.