36" vs 52" rails?

[Mike Davisson]

New to table saw use, but not wood cutting in general.

I am trying to decide on the rail size I need for the SS PCS e saw I wish to get. First off I am sold on the SS saw. My SWAMBO (She Who Must Always Be Obeyed) is sold on the fact that I just might keep all my digits, end of brand discussion.

My use for this saw is general hobbyist and some home cabinets. I already have; Skil saw, radial arm saw, band saw, router table, planner, joiner, etc..

the cost difference is negligible between the 36" and 52" models (~$100)so space is the only real issue. I could fit it but would prefer not to. What would I need a 52" for? I am trying to understand what cutting would require that much more room on the fence side? Seems to me (maybe errantly) that needing to move the fence that far out (52”) would negate the safety of the fence length (long axis of wood perpendicular to saw blade). I am sure I am missing something here, could someone enlighten me?

[Dell Moore]

Is SWAMBO going to ask you to make things like boxes or shelves or other items that may require cutting large pieces Ply or MDF? If so, the go 52"

I've got a 52". That extra space is nice.

The water's cold, and it's deep too.....

[Joe Shinall]

I am sure you can get by with the 36" as many many people do. I have the 52" on my Unisaw and wouldn't ever go down to 36. Just a luxury that when you need it, it's there. I have made very simple pieces longer than 36 and as long as you setup and pay attention, you do not compromise the integrity/safety of the cut.

[Cary Falk]

I had a 32" fence. I then had a 42" fence. I now have a "54 fence and wouldn't go back. I have used 48" quite frequently making hope chests and such. I agree with Joe that if you pay attention you can make the cuts safely.

[johnny means]

I have a slider with about a five foot rip capacity, It never gets past the 24" mark. I also have a cabinet saw with a 36" rip capacity, it also never gets past the 24" mark. Some of my staple sizes for my panels are 60" x 38", 60" x 44", 54" x 76". I never saw the sense in cross cutting or dadoing against a fence when a sled can be made for a few dollars. If I was starting over with just a cabinet saw, I would save the space and the pennies for one of those cool sliding attachments some where down the road.

Also, you are going to need to square any long panels before cutting them to length and a rip fence will not square anything up. So you will most likely need to use some other system to make your initial crosscut on longer panels. So why not do both ends with that system.

Don't even get me on the how tricky it can be crosscutting against the fence.

[Rick Moyer]

I'm not sure anyone as yet has answered your question so I'll try, too.
The longer rails makes it easier to break down sheetgoods. Picture needing a certain size from a 4X8 sheet, and having or nor having the extra length of rails and table to lay the piece on. You could cut off a piece to about 46" X 48" wide, and then rip to size needed. If you will cut all you sheetgoods down to size with a circular saw, the benefits of the longer rails may not be worth it. I find I make a huge mess when I cut sheets with the circular saw as dust goes everywhere. It is nice to have that extra flat space to set stuff too when you are cutting, like cut-offs, safety stuff, plans, etc. Most would say if you have the room, go with the longer rails, but it will really be up to you to decide what you want.

[Mike Davisson]

So from what I am gathering here (thanks all!) longer rails are for cross-cut of full sheets or long pieces. I have somewhat limited table saw experiance since most of my wood work was mobile and in the boat business where the band saw did most of the ripping. I always wondered why the miter slide of a talbe saw was so small as to no give much real support. I found that Jessem tools makes a sliding table and miter that mounts on the left side and it looks really cool but also comes with a very steep price.

[Peter Aeschliman]

It comes down to space, but if you can fit the saw in your shop with some room around it and put your router table in the extension, I'd do it.

I use the longer rails all the time on my saw.

By the way, I'm replacing mine with a Sawstop PCS this weekend so I'm right there with you... I'm super stoked!!!

It amazed me how easy it was to convince my wife!!

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I have 52" rails and exactly once I have cut more than the 36 would have allowed.

I have a small shop in one bay of a garage but I haven't cut them down yet.

[Tom Hintz]

I also have 52" fence rails on my table saw but rarely (actually I can't remember ever using it) use the capacity beyond 24" or so. It is way easier for me to break down large sheet goods outside with a circle saw on saw horses and then bring the pieces in to fine tune the cuts on my table saw. If I had a huge shop the 52" fence wold make more sense and be less of a space concern than it is now in my 2-car garage shop.

[Bill Leonard]

I have both, 36 on a Delta set up for dadoes, and 52 on a PM 66. Seldom have I needed the extra saw capability on my PM, but the extra table space is used extensively. I am in a 18x45 shop with a full compliment of tools, read limited space. However I would not sacrifice the extra table work space.

[Rod Sheridan]

I just sold a cabinet saw with 32" rip capacity for a slider with 30" rip capacity.

I never use the fence for cross cutting because all a fence does is give you a parallel cut.

When you are cross cutting you need a certain angle, normally a right angle. This is where you need a sliding table or a cross cut sled.

If you cross cut with a fence, you're stuck copying the existing edges of the plywood, which often aren't square.

Save your shop space and get the smaller saw, in addition as others have mentioned, break down your sheet goods at the lumber supplier, or with a circular saw.

It's easier on your back...............Regards, Rod.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

As a lot have already said, the choice is up to you. I have a 52" and I do like using the extra space. I did break down plywood just because I could. The extra length does come in handy. For me, I'm not a pro, and don't use the saw every day. The saw doubles as my workbench. I cover it with a sheet of ply. I do use it as a workbench every day. Lots of space. Very expensive workbench.
Oh yeah, I also dropped in a router plate in the right extension wing, so it also is my router table. If you have the room, I'd get it.
You'll love the saw.

[Sean Nagle]

It depends on what your rip and crosscut operation needs are. I've had a Unisaw with a 52" fence rail for years. I could rip to capacity and I used a sled on the right side of the blade to crosscut just about any length I needed.

Recently I rearranged my basement shop to use the available space more efficiently. I can now only rip to 36" and crosscut to 36" on the right side of the blade. The new arrangement forced me to setup a separate crosscut station using a RAS for lengths greater than 36". The reason I didn't just use a sled to the left of the blade for longer crosscuts is that a roller stand is required for sled support and I didn't want to set one up every time I needed to crosscut anything over 36". Even with the new addition, my shop space is still used more efficiently than before. My tablesaw and RAS are essentially optimized for their respective uses.

If you have the shop space, I would definitely go for the 52" size. However, as has been mentioned, ripping beyond 36" is a rare requirement.

[Eric Gustafson]

I went with the Grizzly 690 and the shorter rip rails that come with it. My shop is a two car garage and I decided early that I would conserve space wherever possible. Plus, I have never been comfortable feeding big sheets of ply into a spinning blade. So, when I need something cut bigger than my fence can handle, I bring the saw to the work and use the Festool saw and guide rail. It has worked very well and preserves my precious space.