sawstop vs. other saws

[Keith Hankins]

Nice. I just ordered today...K3 Winner w/ 79 inch slider. I sold my sawstop earlier this week. Don't get me wrong, I liked the sawstop very much as a high quality product with a great safety feature, but I wanted slider functionality and a different way to process sheet goods (without help from my wife). We'll see how it goes after a few months of using the slider.

I thought the SS was a very nice quality saw, I had the 1.75HP cabinet saw...which was a step up from my prior saw was a Ridgid table saw. I'm just a hobby guy with a few years experience, but I thought the SS was a very compelling product.

best of luck with your search/buy decision.

-Craig

I don't mean to hijack at all. I posted about looking for a used sawstop ICS, and someone else suggested a slider siting its safer design. I can see the design being safer from a crosscut perspective and the riving knife, but now a lot of traditional saws now even have that. For ripping boards, which I do a lot, I don't see them any safer than a cabinet saw. Now if you buy the biggest hammer or fielder with the longest sliding table, you don't get the full advantage. Am I missing something. I even went to youtube to look for videos to see if I was just missing something? (my question is only releated to the statement that slidders are more safe by design). While I can do the ICS, the slidder questions has peaked my interest. (again did not mean to hijack thread)

[Kent A Bathurst]

Another SawStop thread? Groan.

Myk - Gotcher popcorn out yet?

munch. munch. munch...................

[Craig Behnke]

For ripping boards, which I do a lot, I don't see them any safer than a cabinet saw. Now if you buy the biggest hammer or fielder with the longest sliding table, you don't get the full advantage. Am I missing something.

to clarify. i agree, and wrote it, the sawstop has a great safety feature and i don't claim a slider is safer (i have no idea if it is or not).

as for thin rips on a slider, I have seen jigs and methods that seem very simple, effective, accurate, repeatable, and intuitive. see this video on youtube, it's in German, but you'll easily see what they are doing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqzVglze9Nk

I do quite a bit of thin (1/16th to 1/4) and long (up to 3 feet) rips in hardwood and the slider method in that above linked video just made sense to me. I don't know though, I may use the slider for 6 months and think it's the same, worse, or better for what i do compared to my old sawstop. If I think it's materially worse than my old sawstop you'll see the slider in the sawmill creek classifieds. time will tell.

hope that helps.

[Keith Hankins]

Cool vid. Thanks.

[Tai Fu]

I wish Grizzly had a Taiwan version, but they seem to have an embargo on Taiwan, plus they absolutely will not reveal who made them like it's some trade secret or something. That alone makes me question the quality of the stuff... it limits accountability on the part of the manufacturer. I only seen that slider offered for sale but I do not know if there are other sliders with smaller footprint. There's not a lot of support for smaller scale woodworking here simply because people don't do that as hobbies here, so the only choices are massive industrial machines or tiny toy-like machines that are only for occasional use.

[Mike Heidrick]

I wish Grizzly had a Taiwan version, but they seem to have an embargo on Taiwan, plus they absolutely will not reveal who made them like it's some trade secret or something. That alone makes me question the quality of the stuff... it limits accountability on the part of the manufacturer. I only seen that slider offered for sale but I do not know if there are other sliders with smaller footprint. There's not a lot of support for smaller scale woodworking here simply because people don't do that as hobbies here, so the only choices are massive industrial machines or tiny toy-like machines that are only for occasional use.

Geetech
Chiu Ting Machinery Co Ltd , 78, Yuang Feng Rd, Taiping, Dist. Taichung, Taiwan 41161. TEL:886-4-22700258 FAX:886-4-22701096.

Every slider saw Grizzly has listed other than g0674 (germany), under the other specification, lists country of origin at Taiwan.

Those include G0699, G0493, G0623x, G0501, G0588, G0493x3, G0700

Geetech also makes the Sawstop.

[scott spencer]

Geetech
Chiu Ting Machinery Co Ltd , 78, Yuang Feng Rd, Taiping, Dist. Taichung, Taiwan 41161. TEL:886-4-22700258 FAX:886-4-22701096.

Every slider saw Grizzly has listed other than g0674 (germany), under the other specification, lists country of origin at Taiwan.

Those include G0699, G0493, G0623x, G0501, G0588, G0493x3, G0700

Geetech also makes the Sawstop.

Good info Mike. The G1023RL is also made in Taiwan AFAIK, but it's not a slider format in it's stock configuration.

[Tai Fu]

I found a cabinet saw, with specs similar to Sawstop cabinet saw (but without the safety feature) for far less than the Sawstop contractor saw. I think I will get that one if I get a tablesaw...

[Frank Trinkle]

Well..... I've had my 3HP PCS since it was a prototype. (I was one of the original testers). I can't imagine having been as satisfied with any other saw. Safety features aside, the design, fit, finish, and ease of use are unparalleled in my opinion. The only better saw for me is coming later this year when I replace my PCS with a Sawstop Industrial Cabinet Saw (ICS) with 5HP single phase motor.

I dressed up my PCS for these pictures. Sawstop and Incra rails, fence and router extension.... unbeatable combo!

Decked out SS Incra.jpgRipping Setup 1.jpgRouter Table Incra 1.jpgRouter Table Incra 3.jpg

As a professional helicopter pilot, I MUST have my fingers, so the safety feature is paramount...beyond that the saw is just a perfect as can be!

[Ralph Butts]

I found a cabinet saw, with specs similar to Sawstop cabinet saw (but without the safety feature) for far less than the Sawstop contractor saw. I think I will get that one if I get a tablesaw...

Tai congratulations on your selection and I hope that you will be very happy with your choice should you decide to actually pull the trigger.

[Tai Fu]

You know after reading the sawstop manual, it's too much trouble for such an expensive saw. You have to cut wet wood in bypass mode but the problem is, you can't always tell if the wood is wet... particularly if you cut home depot woods... I heard that if the brake activates it can actually trash the saw because it places such a huge strain on the saw. Might be great for companies looking to limit liabilities though.

[Mike Heidrick]

You have Home Depot in Taiwan? Cool.

Guessing you have never seen a sawstop in person or been to a demo where the sawstop brake was demoed. Id do that before you state untruths or rumors about the sawstop again.

If in doubt if a wet wood would set off a brake, holding it against the blade while the saw is in green light ready mode will tell you if it would fire. I have cut green looking treated lumber with mine and it did not fire my brake. One touch of the blade tooth while armed just after the cut showed my finger would have set off the brake.

[Dave Kirby]

I would never buy a "contractor" saw if I could get a cabinet saw or slider at the same price. I guess unless I did all my woodwork at different jobsite locations every day or something. Then maybe I'd consider it.

[johnny means]

You know after reading the sawstop manual, it's too much trouble for such an expensive saw. You have to cut wet wood in bypass mode but the problem is, you can't always tell if the wood is wet... particularly if you cut home depot woods... I heard that if the brake activates it can actually trash the saw because it places such a huge strain on the saw. Might be great for companies looking to limit liabilities though.

No, the brake will not ruin the saw, no more than a panic stop will destroy my truck. You do have to the brake cartridge and, usually, the blade. Wood with a high moisture content, 2x4s and such won't trigger the brake. Wood that would set off the brake is literally wet, soaking, dropping wet, probably shouldn't be milled at all.

[Tai Fu]

Another thing is using small diameter blades for slotting fretboards, Sawstop won't even start with that one, but I've seen people loop a wire around the arbor to use moulding heads in the sawstop. It just seems like a lot of trouble when I could buy similar saw for 1/3 of the price.