In the next couple weeks I'm going to be purchasing a Grizzly cabinet saw. Initially I was planning on the G0691, which has the long extension table and rails, giving it a 50" rip capacity. Now I'm questioning the need, and am considering the G0690, which is the same saw with a shorter extension table and rails, giving it a 29-1/2" rip capacity. Otherwise they're the same saw, with a $100 price difference. The increased cost isn't such an issue.
I'm upgrading from a contractor saw, which had pretty similar rip capacity to the G0690. I don't do all that much with sheet goods anyhow, and when I do I tend to break them down into more manageable pieces with the circular saw. So, I don't see myself moving the fence all the way to the right of that 50" capacity. And I certainly don't see myself cutting an 8' sheet of plywood into two 4'x4' squares on the table saw...That just scares me.
On the other hand I don't want to miss something that I could use the extra capacity for and end up wishing that I'd opted for the G0691 with longer table and rails. The G0691 also has support legs for the table.
This saw will be stationary in the middle of my shop, and overall length of the saw/rails isn't a concern...Plenty of room for either.
Does it seem like a no-brainer to spend the extra $100 and get the longer rails, or will it be something I'll probably never find a need for? I'd love to hear some opinions on rail length.