Hello Everyone:
After lurking here for three years, this is my first post.
First of all, I would like to thank everyone for providing an invaluable source of information to a hobbyist like myself. I have been impressed by everyone's willingness to provide advice and answer woodworking questions.
After almost 20 years of using my Ryobi BT3000 (the best rhombus-cutting saw on the market), I am finally about to pull the trigger on a new cabinet saw.
I am planning on purchasing a Sawstop PCS with an industrial mobile base. My shop is located in my garage. My garage is three car size but is intended for two cars only. The "half car" space on one side of the overhead door is devoted to bike and garden storage and stairs to an attic. The other "half car" space on other side of the overhead door is my shop space where I will locate my new saw.
Given my space configuration, If I purchase a saw with 52" inch rails, I will have to store the saw lengthwise along the wall and rotate it perpendicular to the wall when I want to use it. If I purchase a saw with 36" inch rails, I think I will be able to leave the saw perpendicular to the wall on a more or less "permanent" basis, which would permit me to also build a "permanent" outfeed table for the saw.
After spending years moving everything every time I wanted to accomplish anything, the 36" rail stationary configuration with outfeed table greatly appeals to me.
I have a Festool tracksaw for use breaking down sheet goods, so having the extra table width does not seem critical to me. While I have worked on a handful of projects that required rip cuts greater than 36" inches, those projects are few and far between and generally involved cutting case backs which really don't have to be perfect anyway. In any event, I managed to get by on those projects using my tracksaw.
So here is my question: Am I better off with a mostly stationary 36" saw, or a 52" saw that I will have to re-position whenever I want to use it? Since I have never owned a cabinet saw, I really have no idea how much of a hassle it is moving a 52" saw, even on an industrial base.
Thanks in advance for your comments and advice.