Hello all,
I was recently in drastic need of a table saw upgrade, and after extensive research and speaking with several companies, I purchased the Baileigh TS-1040P-30 cabinet saw. As many people have the misconception that this is essentially a Grizzly in different clothing, I wanted to provide a very detailed initial review of the saw and what sets it apart. You can view my post on lumberjocks to read other peoples thoughts/replies and pictures I've posted of the saw, but I will post my write-up here as well. I hope my efforts in researching and buying this saw will help others who may be in the same boat. Cheers from northeast Ohio, and happy woodworking.
As it’s inherent in our woodworking minds to over-analyze nearly every detail of a machine prior to making a large purchase, I found myself with very few (if any) non-biased reviews of Baileigh’s new woodworking lineup. At first glance, the machines have a tremendous “fit & finish” and claim to offer comparable tech-specs to machines that fetch a much higher price tag. I was skeptical and wanted to see if this was in fact true and after diligent research on comps and several calls in to Baileighs technicians to confirm small details, I took the plunge. Like many of you, I was leery that Baileigh had priced themselves a bit high on this saw. There are cabinet saws available for less money, but looking beyond the lipstick, it’s the components you rarely see that define a saws quality. I am here to assure you that this machine blew away my expectations that I’ll delve into below. My approach here was to buy my last saw first. By that I mean I wanted to buy the saw that I knew would suit my woodworking needs both now and in the future and do so without any compromise.
So after much ado, here is my “initial” review of the Baileigh TS-1040P-30 table saw: (Yes,I will do another after 6 months of hard use to re-evaluate)
The saw arrived very well packaged, bolted to a skid, and no apparent damage to any components. One thing I immediately appreciated when unpacking the machine was that Baileigh wrapped all major components in oil paper rather than coating the cast iron and metal in oil and leaving you to clean it off. Yes it’s minor but I hate cleaning off that mess. Of particular note, I ordered this saw on a Tuesday and it arrived in two days (nice!). Installation is rather straight forward. I highly suggest removing the top for two reasons. One, it removes a lot of weight from the cabinet so you can maneuver it. Two, it gives you a look at the mechanics that you can’t see otherwise. While removing the top, be careful not to lose the metal corner shims. These metal shims help level and stabilize the top to give you the best experience (something that other manufacturers overlook). With the top off, you’ll notice the massive cast iron trunnions and permanently sealed bearings which are purposely spaced as far apart as possible for equal weighting and to reduce vibration. A key detail that made me buy this saw was the dovetail lifting mechanism. The majority of cabinet saws on the market feature a lift that follows an arching rail. The problem is this lends to less rigidity and more vibration with the housing and arbor assembly. With this dovetail system, your arbor assembly travels on a geared rack which is extremely solid. Turning the machine on is simple, and vibration is near non-existent; just try the nickel test – it will stay put as long as the saw runs.
The 3hp Leeson is just fantastic. Being in the industrial distribution field myself, I can attest that Leeson makes a superior motor in comparison to others. I don’t like to comment on other manufacturers because many other companies make fine saws and motors, however I believe this combination here is vastly superior and more importantly doesn’t break the bank. After a late night last night setting this up, I couldn’t resist running a scrap piece of 6/4 maple through it for fun and it felt like I was cutting 1x pine. The blade that comes with the saw is a suitable general purpose blade for ripping rough stock and other tasks. I use a Tenryu GM 40T for all of my projects
Other pros are the solid metal adjustment wheels which are very smooth to operate, and feature a locking insert for you to dial in and lock a certain measurement for repeatable cuts. The adjustment wheels are surrounded by bristles to keep as much dust inside the cabinet as possible – this may seem minor but it’s hard to believe not all saws feature that. The dust collection is what you would expect from a closed-based saw and you definitely need a collection system as without it too much dust remains on your work surface. The saw comes with a very nice quick-release riving knife and blade guard system that pop in and out easily. I would never look at a saw that doesn’t have a quick-release feature as that would discourage use of these safety tools.
Probably the most important feature to buyers in the market for a professional saw is the table top (and maybe the motor). This machine has a beautiful finish to the cast iron top and there are zero visible mill marks on the glass smooth surface (only in the miter channels but this is normal). The T-Bar style rip fence is very smooth and slick on both sides, and can be dialed in perfectly using the keys (supplied) to adjust the nylon runners. When locked down with the cam-lock handle, I got zero deflection on my fence while ripping heavy stock. And lastly, as I’ve gone on too long with this review, the miter gauge that comes with this saw is on par or better than many after market units. I really like the cast aluminum miter gauge with built in t-tracks for securing jigs, and presets for cutting common angles. Baileigh even machined off a 45 on the right side of the gauge to allow you as close to the blade as possible when cutting 45’s while still providing support to your work piece. The miter fence also features an adjustable flip-stop for making repeated cuts, and the fence can slide laterally on the base to accommodate unusual cuts or larger work pieces.
When you weigh all of these things together and consider the engineering that Baileigh put into this machine (and others in their woodworking lineup), it becomes apparent that these are first class machines. I don’t think your biggest factor when buying a quality machine should be price. While it is something to consider, you should really focus on what type of work you like to do and what requirements you have of your machine. With this TS-1040P-30, pricing concerns will quickly diminish when you see how it’s justified. With all of the extra attention to detail and the standard accessories, you’d be hard pressed to find a better saw package or value. I am greatly looking forward to many upcoming projects with this table saw. Sorry for being long-winded, but I put a lot of thought into purchasing this saw and I’m just an excited woodworker (if it wasn’t blatantly obvious). Best regards, happy woodworking, and be safe.
