Time for a new table saw....need some help.

[Robert Phlipo]

So this last weekend, my old 1.5 hp delta conked out on me and gave me an excuse to start looking for a new one. I'm 30 yrs old and would like to get a table saw that would give me no regrets and last a loooong time. Price is not a huge issue, i would like to keep it under 4k. I was seriously looking at a powermatic but recently had an omen that made me believe a sawstop would be the wise choice due to the fact that my day job would be impossible without one of my digits. What would you guys and gals reccommend...brand, size, best place to buy. Thanks for your help.

[Arnold E Schnitzer]

I looked at the Sawstop before I bought my Powermatic 2000, which I am quite happy with. That said, had price not been an issue I would have gotten the Sawstop. I'm an older guy, with a healthy fear of all sharp things, and I'm super safety-conscious. If I were 30 and could afford it, I would opt for the safest machine available. Sounds like you've already had that same thought...

[Troy Turner]

I've got an early 80's Craftsman, so take it for what it's worth...

Looks like the Sawstop has the bells and whistles that the high end saws do w/ the added safety feature. Also, not sure how the fence on one is, but I know alot of folks look to see if they're going to need to upgrade the fence on saws. My theory is, if you're spending the money like that on a saw, you need to spend any extra few $$$ and get a quality fence that's going to last as long as the saw and give you a great experience all around.

[John Lanciani]

Rojek PK250A with a 59" slider (pic shows the 36" sliding table) will fit your budget. I've had mine for 5 years with no regrets (it replaced a PM66). Made in the Czech Republic...

[BOB OLINGER]

Hi Robert,

After nicking my left thumb on my Delta contractor saw a little over a year ago, I purchased the Sawstop 4 mos. ago. This was the first serious accident in like 40+ yrs (I'm only a hobbiest). However, my accident made me step up and realize that no mater how careful you are or think you are, accidents truly happen in a split second. So far, the saw is great, I'm gradually getting used to dust collector over the blade and not seeing the blade cut the wood, but finding this is workable. There are several other saws available, some less money, that likely do a comparable job. But, the safety issue was a clincher for me. Wish you well.

[Ray DuBose]

I'm Late 30's as well and just went through the same thing. I was replacing a Delta Contractor Saw. I really wanted a Custom Powermatic from Woodwerks but apparently they don't make them anymore at the times. Went through all the pros and cons of all the saws out there.

It pretty much came down to this for me. If I was to get an American style table saw the saw-stop was a no brainier. I was looking at the IC version. Love my fingers and want to keep them attached. At the end of the day though my thought was that the saw-stop is a fix for a poor design of a table saw. Most every thing you do your pushing your hands towards the saw blade so if there is a slip your hands go into blade. Also you stand in front of the Blade so if there is kickback its coming at you.

I chose to go with a Euro Slider, specifically the Hammer K3 Comfort. So far no regreats although I'm still figuring out how to do some things that were easy on an American style saw. But the saw was designed around safety. Most operations you are standing to the side of the saw so kickback may happen but it won't hit you and your usually moving the piece past the blade rather than pushing it into the blade. Downside is the slider takes some room depending on how long you purchased.

[Matt Kestenbaum]

+++++1 on the Sawstop. I love my 3HP PCS and have had it 18 months. I've never had the brake fire and hope not to...the riving knive is great and for ripping the over blade guard with pawls and integral dust collection is nice too. Even before I started using it though I was so impressed by how well written the owners manual/assembly instructions were! Every bolt and nut is blister packed and the sub-assemblies are color coded (book and hardware matching colors). Sawstop customer service even helped me out of a jam with another tool made another company!

[David Kumm]

with 4K the sky is the limit for traditional saws. You can buy any used saw on the market for that. There is more quality in the old but much more safety in the sawstop. I saw my first tablesaw accident the other day. won't sell my rockwell 12-14 but there is a real case for the newer technology. If you do cabinet work, there is real value in a slider. For furniture work, I'd get a traditional saw and for a few hundred more pick up a hammond trim saw. It will crosscut about 18 inches dead square. I have the rockwell, a bigger slider and the hammond. Use all about the same amount. Dave

[Rod Sheridan]

Having gone from a General 650 cabinet saw to a Hammer B3 Winner with the 49" sliding table, you couldn't convince me to go back to a cabinet saw.

The slider is more accurate, more capable and has far greater capacities in the same floor space as a cabinet saw.

Ray mention buying the Hammer K3 which is the saw only, it's at a great price in the USA, and it's a quality machine with a great aray of options. You really do get a custom machine that fits your work perfectly.

http://www.feldergroupusa.com/us-us/...osgruppen_id=0

http://www.feldergroupusa.com/us-us/...osgruppen_id=0

http://www.feldergroupusa.com/us-us/...osgruppen_id=0

Above are three videos of different machines in use, the first is the K3 saw, the second B3 saw shaper, the third, a desk being built using a full 5 function combination machine.

I suggest that you watch all 3 to get a good idea of what a sliding saw will do for you.............Regards, Rod.

[Mike Hollingsworth]

My biggest injury was due to kickback. Sawstop won't stop that.
Slider was my answer. Specifically MiniMax Combo. I could never go back.

[Chris Tsutsui]

I narrowed down my choices to:

Hammer K3
Grizzly G0623X
Sawstop
Powermatic/Unisaw/Grizzly cabinet saw

The cheapest way out is going with a grizzly cabinet saw. I owned one and felt as though it did everything I expected a cabinet saw to do. The money you save can be spent on other machines or tools if you go this route. I added a sliding table attachment to it, but wanted something better designed to do the same tasks.

If you can try out a slider then be careful because you might fall in love with it like many others on this forum. (including myself)

[Rick Potter]

Come on, admit it. You have already made up your mind. Get the sawstop. In my experience, there are two major items that add to safety, the riving knife which comes on most new saws now, greatly helps with kickback, and the Sawstop technology.
Sawstop incorporates both. Sliders are great for sheet goods, I have one, but I kept my cabinet saw, and seem to use it much more. Old dog, new tricks.

Rick Potter

[Brent Ring]

+howevermany on a slider. I just purchased the Grizzly G0623X, and have been very pleased. It's a 5 HP saw, solidly built, and less than $3K. It does not have the brake system of a Sawstop (which was the saw I was considering prior to the slider), but by changing the way you think in terms of cuts, the slider takes nearly all of the potential danger away. Panel Cutting and Straight-line ripping - once you have your slide set up, are very fast. I still need to shoot some video of using mine. I am so glad I opted for a slider over a cabinet saw. I expect this to be my last table-type saw.

[johnny means]

I bought my Sawstop ICS about 3 years ago. I don't miss the extra 2k it cost me over the competitors saws. Really, what is a couple of thousand really worth nowadays? Heck, I spent over $600 on gasoline in the past three days alone. So, I can't see how the price of something as permanent or substantial as a table saw should be a driving factor. If you amortize the premium spent over ,say, 40 years, it's really not much more.

BTW, I see no reason why my Sawstop won't still be cutting wood in 40 years. I'd put it up against "Old Quality" any day.

IMO, if you have the money, prefer a cabinet saw and absolutely need to guarantee that you keep all 10, go with the Sawstop.

Also, I don't know your parental status, but you are certainly at that age. I feel a lot better about having my two eager little shop rats learning on the safest thing I could provide.

That being said, if I was in the market for my one and only table saw and had 4k to spend, I would go with a slider.

[Ray Newman]

“…but recently had an omen that made me believe a sawstop would be the wise choice due to the fact that my day job would be impossible without one of my digits.“
--R. Phlipo

I think you have answered your own question and gave a valid reason for buying a Saw Stop, but you just haven’t realized it yet.

But as one poster mentioned, it will not stop kickbacks and this is something that most people overlook.