"Best" Table Saw?

[Jeff Radwill]

First off, I am new to the forum. I have done loads of research but have not been able to find a good answer. I have been to brick stores where the sales guy tries to steer me to what he thinks I need, or what he wants to sell. Some sales people (St. Charles Rock Road Rockler in St. Louis) have even been rude when I questioned the logic behind their sales pitch.

Most sites I have visited have a bias (or so it seems), so I thought I would ask this group of experts what you all consider to be the "Best" table saw for fine woodworking. I'm not talking about a contractor saw. I want a GREAT saw. One that is above all Accurate and Precise. Following that, accuracy and precision must be Repeatable from cut to cut and setup to setup. Great dust collection capability is required.

I have 220 vac outlets and am willing to put in the needed dust collection system once I get that figured out.
I wish I could say "Money is no object", but I can't. Having said that, I would rather pay more for quality machinery. You know what I'm talking about, right?

So, please, if you have a few minutes to give me your very best recommendations (and the reasons behind them), I would greatly appreciate it.

All the best,

Jeff

[mreza Salav]

Welcome to the forum. It might help if you tell a little bit more about what you do (hobby/business), what size of saw you are considering (contractor saw, cabinet saw, a small or big slider, etc), and if you are talking about new or used. Also, the approximate budget you have in mind.
You will get many suggestions. In terms of cabinet saws the top ranking ones are Powermatic and Sawstop. Both seem to be good saws (sawstop comes with their unique safety technology). There are also entry level slider saws but their prices start at the top end of cabinet saws.
If I was going to buy a new cabinet saw Sawstop would be my choice (either their PCS model or ICS). They are very well built, very accurate and solid, and have good dust collection.

[Larry Browning]

I've got my popcorn, this could get good!
Welcome to the Creek Jeff.

You do know that your question is just shy of "Who is the best candidate for President?" don't you? We don't get to talk about politics around here, so this is the next best thing.

[Chris Fournier]

"Best" threads are useless. Tell us what you want to do and we can suggest options for you. Define fine woodworking and tell us why you have limited your quest to a table saw!

[Kelby Van Patten]

The saws most of us use look like toys next to some of the very high-end $15k+ sliders out there. But I'm guessing you don't really want something like that.

For $3-5k, you can get a really nice 5 HP Sawstop or Powermatic. Both will be extremely accurate and precise; Sawstop adds very nice safety features and some of the best dust collection available in tablesaws. As between Sawstop and Powermatic, you will pay more for the same horsepower on the Sawstop because of those added features.

Once you get over $5k, you can find some entry-level European sliding tablesaws. Laguna, Minimax, and Hammer are all very high quality saws, but pay close attention to the specs because they vary in subtle but very important ways. (For example, I prefer the Dado King dado set, and when I bought my saw, I think the Laguna was the only European saw that worked with that dado set.)

Over $10k, you can start looking at the next level of sliders. Felder makes great saws in that price range, but I don't know much about that market. It's way over my budget.

[Ben Rivel]

I just bought a new saw a few months ago and from my research and my budget the SawStop 3HP PCS was the best saw out there. So thats what I went with. If youre going to buy new and not going for a slider then IMO SawStop cabinet saws are the best way to go. They really arent that much more than their competitors and offer a lot more quality and safety wise.

[Cary Falk]

I have a Grizzly G1023RL. It is accurate, precise, and repeatable. I would put it's cut up against any saw and you would not be able to tell the difference. I would guess it wold not appear on anybody's best list. It is the best saw for me for many reasons

[paul cottingham]

If I were to lose my mind and buy a tablesaw (handsaw and bandsaw guy) I would consider a slider or a Sawstop for safety. My preference would be a slider, 'cause I'm not keen on the predatory proprietariness of Sawstop, and I think a slider has more utility.

[Rick Potter]

I won't get into the saw choice, but I will mention that for repeatability, there are digital fence gages that fit most saws, and will get you within thousandths of an inch, or centimeter (your choice). Wixey is the brand I am familiar with, although I had a Felder slider with one from the factory (it was an add on though). They work great.

[Prashun Patel]

I think you should define a budget.

I like my saw stop becaus is has the safety features and all the fit and finish of the other good saws in its price range.

You will find that most of the popular cabinet saws are accurate for fine woodworking. Most people are happy with their saws. These threads tend to get heated as everyone defends their own choice of saw.

[Robert Engel]

You'll need a budget of at least $2500 to get into the commercial cabinet type saws.

IMO any of the top brands (Jet, PM, SS, Unisaw) 3HP cabinet saw basically all be about the same. That being said, I don't think a PM is worth the extra money.
Same with SS unless you're freaked out by the thought of losing a finger (which you can even easier on a miter saw or bandsaw IMO).

I can only comment on the saw I have (Jet 10" Xacta) which has been a great saw for me. I've never had to touch it. Every time I check it for alignment is it dead on and has stayed that way for over 12 years.

[Jesse Busenitz]

YOU asked...... My preference would be an older PM66 or Delta Unisaw if money is tight. If you can swing a little more I'd definitely be open to a Sawstop or even a slider if sheet goods make into your shop. Make sure you get something with a good fence! I still remember the days where I moved the fence every time with a tape measure!

[Cody Colston]

On just about (if not all) of the cabinet saws, accuracy is dependent on set-up. They will all give good, accurate cuts if you have the saw tuned correctly, the correct (sharp) blade installed and use proper technique. Do not rely on the factory settings. As for repeatability, an Incra fence is probably the ultimate there, although your methods of work can take care of the repeatability issue, also.

Building fine furniture (furniture with proven, well crafted joinery, functionability and a pleasing appearance) is reliant on the skills of the craftsman, not the machines used. There are some people on this forum who could craft fine furniture with a pocket knife, given enough time.

That said, I'll echo the above replies...define what it is you want to build, your experience level and your budget. That will go a long way in getting usable advice.

[Larry Browning]

Can someone explain to me the difference between accurate and precise? Since the requirement is for the saw to be both accurate AND precise. I think you would be hard pressed to find a saw that was accurate but not precise. Those two words seem to me to be synonyms in this context.
Also, as others have said, just about any saw can be adjusted to cut accurately, I think maybe the better question would be how well does the saw hold that adjustment.

[Tom Ewell]

Regardless of which saw is chosen, repeatability is dependent of proper setup and technique.

Going into a project, plan ahead so dead nuts repeatability requirements are not as critical, setup for a cut and cut all parts needed with that setup, move on to the next setup.

Going back to repeat a setup for a part gone lost or other reason is the only real reason for dead nuts repeatability within a project.

Fixing mishap or just-off stuff is part of the craft, expecting a machine to do it for you without acquired skills just doesn't happen. Even the best of us misread a scale once in a while or forget to re-calibrate a digital device after a tune up or a dead battery. It's all part of the fun.