Posted on 04/12/2014 11:59:24 AM PDT by Little Bill
I am thinking about replacing my 40 year old Table Saw with a heavy duty type with an extended table. I have several projects planned and will need more beef. (Not as in Cow.)
Powermatic would be my first choice but I’ve always settled for Grizzly and have been happy.
In that price range I would consider going to Craigslist and look for a Shopsmith V. You might be able to find a deal.
I need some advice on how to justify an $1800 table saw to my wife :)
I know exactly zero about table saws. However, one of my go-to websites for researching purchases is ConsumerSearch. They don’t do reviews, but they organize and evaluate reviews from other sites. When it comes to table saws, for instance, they reviewed reviews from magazines such as Popular Mechanics and Fine Homebuilding.
Check out their summary report of table saws at http://www.consumersearch.com/table-saw-reviews. At least it’s a good starting point for your own research.
I had a Shopsmith back in the early 80’s. It’s OK for small projects, but no where near the accuracy of a real table saw.
I know they’re a little more, but I’d sure take a look at a Sawstop. They’re great saws and the safety technology is unbeatable.
You might check out Eureekanones products .I don’t work for them .https://m.facebook.com/Eurekazone
I do like their products
You might wsnt to look at a radial arm saw. I think that are superior to a table saw.
I have been doing woodworking for over 40 years. I don’t know what kind you have but my advice is invest the money in some precision measuring instruments to set it up accurately and use it to make extension tables for larger work.
Less expensive and you will end up with a tool you understand as far as performance. If you buy a new saw you will have to go through the same setup steps to make it right anyway.
Yes, you might consider a chop saw or a radial arm saw. I have an old table saw—probably not made any more—but I also have a Hitachi radial arm saw that’s very useful for building projects. Of course, it depends what kind of work you need it for.
I used to watch many home-improvement programmes and have just recently been considering purchasing a radial saw to take care of certain projects while I do some more research into milling machines. I actually only need a small to midsize (hobbyist?) milling machine since I would be working with mostly small projects, but yes I do plan on building some larger prototyping forms as time goes by and could use some advice as well. For both radial saws and a decent and cheap milling machine as well.
My Table Saw is 50 years old a 10 inch Craftsman. I considered a new one but after investigating I got a new Carbide Blade and a new Electric Motor for the old saw.
Regarding “selling” to wives - forget it. My wife and I settled this years ago - She doesn’t have to justify new clothes, purses ,shoes, gifts to the Grandchildren and I don’t have to justify Tools, Guns and Electronics Gadgets.
If you really need the power of a 240 volt saw, then go for the expensive Cabinet saw. If you look at the magazine articles in woodworking magazines at the machines the editors are actually using, they almost uniformly use a solid contractor saw. I think the Ridgid at $500 will do everything you want or need. You can buy the SAME saw with the Craftsman name plate. Normally it’s $650, but I just looked and its on sale for $450.
I’ve found the Wood Magazine tool comparisons to be the most helpful. If you do much ripping,a 3hp motor is well worth it.
My advice is to go with a table saw. I have a wood shop and have both radial arm and table saws. The crown jewel of my shot if my Delta Unisaw. It’s dead on accurate, requires very little maintenance, is power full enough to cut through 3’ thick hard maple without bogging down at all. A radial arm saw is good for many projects, but if you want accuracy, and the ability to make the same precise cuts multiple times, go with a good table saw.
I won’t suggest any brand names, I would just give you this thought:
You can do small work on a big tool, but you can’t do big work on a small tool.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.