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Thread: Cabinet vs Slider Saw

  1. #31
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Pacific Northwest
    Posts
    272
    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Coers View Post
    No where near the blade? Kinda depends on the operation wouldn't you say? Cutting big plywood pieces on a traditional table saw won't get your digits close either. So why spend another $4,000 if are considering it for safety?
    I think Rod addressed this nicely. Not sure where you got that number from but it appears you might be comparing an attractively price cabinet saw to a 8 foot slider. It does not read to me like you are comparing apples to apples. Grizzly G0623, G0700 or the Hammer K3 are not $4000 more than a comparable cabinet saw.

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Virginia
    Posts
    3,178
    Quote Originally Posted by Kelby Van Patten View Post

    To me, what distinguishes a slider is its ability to smoothly handle large material of any type -- sheet goods or solid lumber.
    Totally agree, and the cuts are often (usually?) better than you'd get with a sled, and with the long crosscut fences with adjustable stops standard on most of these machines, faster and more efficient. And once you get into angled or beveled cuts, sliders win hands down. IMO.

  3. #33
    I use a slider at work everyday. In my own personal shop I have a Unisaw My opinion on sliders..... you can have them, I will keep my unisaw. I do cabinetry and furniture in my shop. I buy my lumber in the rough and straight line rip it with a Festool track saw.. To me, a slider is more for for sheet goods not lumber.

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Nov 2009
    Location
    Peoria, IL
    Posts
    4,447
    I like the direction of this side of the comments. Can I come over to this side? They are killing me on the other ladder for my comments on sliders are not for everyone!!!!! LOL!!!!

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Apr 2006
    Location
    Phoenix AZ Area
    Posts
    2,505
    I have been an avid WW for over 30 years. In that time I've owned a 1970s Unisaw, a PM66 I bought new in 1990, a 5HP SawStop ICS, and now a Felder KF700SP slider. I also have a 14" Dewalt RAS set up with a cut off stop system as a dedicated 90 degree cut off station and I can cut perfectly square up to 17" with that setup. Of the cabinet saws, the Sawstop was clearly in a class above the PM66 and the Unisaw. Much better built and the blade heel was adjustable compared to the PM66 and the Unisaw. The Felder is in a tier way above the Sawstop. I used a fair amount of sheet goods but I mostly work with solid wood. I went with a slider because I was very frustrated trying to get wide square cuts when I did work with sheet goods. I couldn't keep a cabinet saw and add the slider as my shop is too small for that. If I ever get a large shop I will add a basic cabinet saw with a power feed to use for ripping stock.

    It took me several months to adapt to the slider. Here is what you get with a slider;
    1) if you clamp the wood to the slider you get a PERFECT cut. I mean really PERFECT. I also had a scoring blade put on the saw when I ordered and I've never even set it up. The cut is PERFECT. I get zero tear out or chipping with hardwood veneered ply. I don't use melamine, perhaps I would need the scoring saw for that.
    2) If you set the outrigger cut off fence for a square cut, you get a square cut.
    3) Tons of versatility. I have added and built lots of jigs to utilize the slider.
    4) My slide is 9 ft so when I have the crosscut fence on and clamps I can comfortably cut 8 ft sheet goods. I don't really have a need for a longer slider and if I was more constrained on space I could use a 4 ft slide but the cut from the slider side is SOOOO much better that what you get using a rip fence that it would be a big step down.

    I started many years ago standing to the right of the fence on cabinet saws to rip. I was taught that this was safer in the case of a kickback. Of course this was on a 1940s Sears saw with no guard or riving knife so kickbacks happened. Over the years I always stood to the right of the fence. With the slider I have to walk around about 2 ft of machine to get to the right side of the fence so I've adapted to working left of the blade now. I do have to reach across a bit more and it was a change to how I do work but it seems plenty safe. When I do have multiple pieces to rip I go back to standing to the right of the fence I I rip like I used to.

    On my saw the table top is about the same size as a Unisaw so one could work with it just like you would a cabinet saw.

    Downsides:
    1) price, the Felder KF700SP was a big step up in price over the Sawstop ICS. I tell people it's no more than a nice Harley
    2) Space, the saw with a 9 ft slide needs a lot of space. I have a 3 car garage and I have to use the whole space when working on projects that require the saw. I have the bigger outrigger for the Felder and it's heavy. I bought the cart they sell and you can remove or install the outrigger in a couple of minutes but in 4 years I've only removed it two or three times. With the outrigger installed you need 6 or 7 feet of free space to the left of the saw when working, in addition to the room in front and behind the saw. Of course when you are ripping an 8ft sheet of plywood you need 8 feet in front of and 8 feet behind the blade, but you only need this space on the occasion you are cutting that big. With the slider you need that space pretty much all the time. When squaring the end of a sheet I need 8 feet to the left of the blade. I have to clear part of a bench top off and move my planer to clean up the end of a sheet. I have that dedicated cut off station so I don't crosscut longer than 8 feet. I did I would have to move several tools to make the room.

    All in all I consider the Felder saw/shaper the best tool purchase I've ever made and I would have a hard time going back to just a cabinet saw.

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