Who, besides me, is happy with their contractor's saw?

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have a Ridgid TS3660 that does everything I need a TS to do.
It's only real limitation - for what I use it for - is that the arbor is too short for a Dial a Width dado.

It would also be great if it was equipped w/a riving knife, but, an MJ splitter has been working just fine.

In all honesty though, I've supplemented it with a track saw (TS55EQ) that set me back about $800.00 all told.

I'm curious how many others don't see the need for anything else?

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Rich,

While I would like to have a cabinet saw, my Ridgid TS3650 has served me well. As it was a gift from the LOML, I will have to wear it before I can replace it.

[Neil Brooks]

[raises hand]

Decked out, tricked out Bosch 4100-09.

Spins my WWII and my Dado King set with relative ease.

Rips through 6/4 hard maple, without sweating.

Accurate.

Last night, though, I was laying out some stopped dados, on my pair of 3' x 1' QSWO panels, for a wine tower that I'm building for friends.

The notion of being able to _fairly easily_ stick a 1' wide panel onto a burly old cabinet saw, and run it over the dado stack, instead of using my plunge router and a jig ... sounded awfully good.

I probably COULD extend my miter gauge enough to get a 12" panel on there, but ... it seems risky.

This may be the FIRST time I think I identified a NEED, rather than a want

[Bruce Page]

I guess I have never used a “Good” contractors saw. The difference between my old Craftsman contractor and my Unisaw is like the difference between a Yugo and a Porsche.
They will both get you where you want to go but one will be much more fun.

[Neil Brooks]

I guess I have never used a “Good” contractors saw. The difference between my old Craftsman contractor and my Unisaw is like the difference between a Yugo and a Porsche.
They will both get you where you want to go but one will be much more fun.

And you hit on two of my favorite points:

I've, similarly, never had any real opportunity to use a cabinet saw for any length of time.

And ... my philosophy is ... I DO NOT test drive Porsches simply because ... of course, I'll want one.

[Bruce Mack]

Rich,
I have the same saw. Like you I assembled it and later tuned it to very good alignment. I have a Woodworker II thin kerf blade. I adjusted the guard and splitter and use it all the time. I added an Incra gauge. I do mostly smaller boxes now but occasional building tasks. Today I ripped and crosscut 3/4 plywood for steps for a mounting block (horses) I am making for my wife. Perfect 90 degrees, though not required for this task. I haven't the room in my shop for a 52" right of blade or for very long ripping so I do this on sawhorses in the garage, using a circular saw and an aluminum guide.
The electrician who just wired the barn for my wife, put a 220 box in my shop. I'll be retiring Aug. 2011, and fantasized larger equipment, but frankly, I just want but don't need it. I use handsaws both Japanese and English style, and love handplanes including the sharpening.
Truly, I could do no better with a cabinet saw for my work.

[Cary Falk]

the arbor is too short for a Dial a Width dado.

It would also be great if it was equipped w/a riving knife
I've supplemented it with a track saw (TS55EQ)

Are you sure you are happy?

I was happy with my Delta till theses froums convinced me I needed a cabinet saw. I'm happy with that also, but it is a better saw.

[Jim O'Dell]

My first TS was (is?) a Ridgid 3612. It was a workhorse for me. So much so, I couldn't bring myself to sell it when I got my cabinet saw. It is decked out with a modified factory dust collection chute to 6" for my cyclone hook up, Bies fence moved all the way to the right for 50" rip with a laminate covered torsion box for the extension table. Custom made ZCI from Corian with replaceable inserts made it cut very cleanly.

BUT, it's not any where near the saw my G0691 cabinet saw is.

So why keep it?? It makes a great outfeed table for the extension side of the cabinet saw, and it will make for a great dedicated dado saw. Just need to replace the wobble dado with the Infinity Dadonator!!

Will it make me a better woodworker? No. But it makes me a happier one!!! Jim.

[Dan Friedrichs]

I'm annoyed at my new-ish Delta contractor saw's inability to say aligned. It seems like it moves from 90* all the time (without me wanting it to!). I can't use the positive angle stops for anything, because they don't have a real positive "hit" - they feel squishy, and if I crank too far against them, it twists the trunnions enough to significantly mis-align the blade.

If it could stay aligned decently, I'd be totally happy with it....

[Mark Ashmeade]

I'm happy with my contractor saw. So happy I am selling/sold my hybrids. Coincidentally, it's a TS3660 too. Much better saw than the R4511s I am disposing of.

That said, one of the reasons I like it is the huge table. The other one being the fence. I was in a tool store in TN the other week and they had a Shop Fox with the roller guide fence on it, and the wide rails. That was pretty good, and I would make room for it. However, the basic table was more along the size of the R4511, ie small.

I think my next TS will likely be the last one I buy, and table size will be one of the determining factor. I'm in no hurry though, the TS3660 is doing its thing just fine.

[scott spencer]

I had a great GI 50-185 contractor saw that did everything I needed it to do, but I never did like the motor hanging out the back or the dust collection. As soon as I used a friend's 22124, I realized that it was everything I wished the contractor saw was. I've since move to a 3hp cabinet saw, but both the 22124 hybrid and the Shop Fox cabinet saw were a "want" as opposed to a "need"...though I will say that I've enjoyed using my last two saws more than the contractor saw even though they're all capable of making the cuts I needed.

[Chip Lindley]

Contractor Saw? Happy? I can't speak for ALL CS's! But, I certainly was--with a good ol' Rockwell Model 10 CS. In the '90s. I took a bucket of rust that had been in a barn fire and rehab'd it up to run like a champ. New Bearings, paint and reground tabletop. I still had only $250 in the saw! It replaced the '70s Crapsman CS that I was totally unhappy with. The saw was just ok, but the fence was absolutely unusable!

The Rockwell's 15A TEFC motor tripped my garage breaker on tough cuts, but, switching to 230v solved my problems. I cut lots of 8/4 hardwood with the little beast! I really enjoyed that CS!

But, honestly, a 10" cabinet saw takes up less space than a CS, unless a 50" fence rail is installed. No motor hanging out the back! The stock JetLock on the Rockwell would rip up to 24" wide was dead accurate and did not cause me to suffer much. I parted with the Rockwell for a PM66, still a little bit weepy.

[Alan Bienlein]

I have a TS3650 tablesaw. I love my saw! At work I use a 5hp unisaw and a 5hp ICS sawstop everyday and for some reason they were lacking something compared to my saw. Found out mine is about 2" taller than those saws. Makes a big difference. The sawstops dust collection is way better than the unisaw but nowhere near as good as my ridgid.

Do I desire or lust after one of these cabinet saws like I used to? NOT ONE BIT ANYMORE! There are other tools in my shop that need upgraded before the tablesaw will ever need to be.
5-18-2010 004.jpg
It has a jessum slider and in the photo I just finished attaching the wixie digital readout for the fence. I also have a second fence for the router lift.

[Steve Griffin]

I might hold the record for producing the most kitchens with a contractors saw. For 7 years my little 2-3 man shop used the Rigid 3660 and we cranked out a million bucks of cabinets and furniture.

The reason it worked, was I tricked it out--48" capacity sliding table, $800 of blades and Dado sets, out feed table etc.

While I'm glad to have upgraded to a cabinet saw, the only significant differences are 50" rip capacity and better dust collection. Cut quality is exactly the same.

One thing which was superior with the RIGID was the fence--since it locks from both front and back, I could use the yellow hold down wheels. These don't work as well with the Beismeyer style fence which is really sloppy in the up and down axis.

So 3 cheers for contractors saw. Many hobbiest think if you throw money at a big tool you will get the best results. But a well taken care of, and well set up contractor saw is all a hobbiest needs.

-STeve

[Anthony Diodati]

I guess I have never used a “Good” contractors saw. The difference between my old Craftsman contractor and my Unisaw is like the difference between a Yugo and a Porsche.
They will both get you where you want to go but one will be much more fun.

I have never really used a Uni, short of high school, but my old craftsman 113.XXXXX with up graded align a rip fence,has served me pretty well.
Although maybe I don't know what I'm missing.
I drive an 94 Escort wagon.........LOL
Never drove a Porsche either.
thanks, Tony