# Used Grizzly G1023Z Table Saw



## forestfellow (Jun 29, 2009)

I've been putting off purchasing a table saw for almost a year now, but I'm now in the market for a nice quality cabinet saw. My budget is around the 1k range, so I've been looking at the Grizzlies. I want a good, accurate saw for furniture building that'll be within that price range and the Grizzlies seem to fit the bill.
Just yesterday I happened to stumble across a used Grizzly G1023Z (right tilt, 3hp, single phase) in the local paper for sale. It had only been in the paper for a few hours, and after work I went by to take a look at it. This saw was purchased new in 1999, and he's asking $400 dollars for it. For the most part it looks pretty decent. There's a small gash in the table top where he claims that his brother nicked it with a circular say blade (I didn't ask how in the world that happened), but besides that it runs smooth and everything else seems to be in good shape.

He's missing the entire blade guard which I priced today at Grizzly and it would be $75.00 to order the entire assembly, but he's throwing in a Shop Fox wheeled base for it which he never put together.

I didn't check the runout since I met him in his garage and it was cold and dark out - I'm not sure if that would really matter since I know the top and fence will need some fine tuning anyway once I got it back to my place. I've heard that sometimes the wings can be warped, but that's yet another thing I didn't check.

Not knowing a whole lot about table saws I told him I'd think about it and contact him in a few days if I was still interested. I'm not sure what a person can mess up on a table saw, but I don't want to buy it and once I get home find out something expensive needs to be replaced.

It seems like it's a good price, but is there anything that I should look out for or check before making him an offer? Any advice would be appreciated…


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## RvK (Nov 22, 2009)

You can take a steel ruler or other good straightedge with you and lay it on edge across the top, thats a quick way to check for warping.


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## forestfellow (Jun 29, 2009)

I'll probably do that if I decide to go pick it up just to be on the safe side - thanks.


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

As my dear old Daddy once told me, everything sags. Some are obsessed to the point of using a feeler gauge the thickness of a piece of notebook paper to determine the flatness of their tablesaw top. I have an older Grizzly 1023 right tilt. I can tell you now that Grizzly is a good product, but not perfect. You can shim the wings with strips of soda can, if required. This is a common fix. I would not be too concerned with a little bit of daylight shining through the bottom of a straightedge. It wouldn't be a deal killer for me. More important is the integrity of the motor and bearings.


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## forestfellow (Jun 29, 2009)

Thanks for the input and I'll keep that advice in mind; unfortunately, it sold the next day so I guess I'm back to square one.


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

as a personal opinion, this is the best deal on the market for a new tablesaw under $1000, shipped.

http://www.grizzly.com/outlet/10-Left-Tilt-Cabinet-Table-Saw/G1023SLW

a cast iron router table wing is included.

but if you can wait, buy used, and spend your savings on a quality saw blade, or two.

a saw is only as good as the blade (and fence).


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## forestfellow (Jun 29, 2009)

davidroberts - you just had to show me that ;-). I've actually been eyeing that particular model this week because of the price as well as the G1023SLX & G0690. I'm tossed between saving a few hundred at the expense of a riving knife on the G0690 in lieu of a splitter on the SLW/SLX models.

I'm also wondering if the fence/rails are better on the G0690/G0691 - in other words, are they as good as the "shop fox classic" setup on the 1023 models? It looks like grizzly has their own fence on the G069X saws.

Anyway, it's something to think about.


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## davidroberts (Nov 8, 2008)

My only experience has been with really crappy fences that come with benchtop saws, and the shop fox. I have used other fences that friends own. I could be wrong but just looking at the pictures on the Grizzly website, it looks as good and maybe a bit beefier than the Shop Fox classic fence. You can give Grizzly a call and ask what the difference is, material construction, a comparasion, especially the weight. But the pictures look good to me.

The contractor type saw G0661 has a fence similar to the Delta T2 fence, which is a "starter fence" once you get past the benchtop saws. The T2 type fence is not as heavy and is made of aluminum. If you have a choice, stay with the heavier models. Heavy is always better when it comes to anything dealing with tablesaws. The T2 type fence is less expensive also. It's always a tradeoff. I think the SawStop cabinet saw is about the heaviest for the hobbiest at the moment. Built like a tank and costs about as much. It seems true that you do get what you pay for in woodworking equipment.


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## juniorjock (Feb 3, 2008)

If you were ready to spend $1000….... why buy this saw?


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