About Table Saws

[Patrick Lesher]

I have a Sawstop and Incra TS/LS on the right side of the blade. When I want to use the router I flip the Inca around the other direction which takes a couple minutes at the most.
The 3HP is great choice if you can do the 220v.

[Paul K. Johnson]

You may come to deeply regret giving up the independent router table. Mounting the router on the saw table works well for many people but you won't find it as nice as having independent devices. My "shop" is also small (long single car garage the car has to go into at night) so I have everything on wheels and just shoved against one end at night. it takes about 10 minutes to put things were I want them for use, and another 10 to put them away again - but everything works.
One note: good wheels are important for this - if you do this, don't cheap out on them.

I'm so over-crowded that I sleep in my living room. Other occupants of my living room include a DeWalt thickness planer, a Craftsman jointer, a Makita chop saw with stand, all my wood including about 20 3/4" sheets of ply, melamine, etc. and two cats.

I would be much more inclined to keep the router table but the top is bowed. The top is really thick MDF with some kind of golf-ball skin laminate. The bow causes me all kinds of problems so if I keep a router table I still need to build a new one.

It has to be huge to mount the Incra fence. A smaller, more standard sized table would need some kind of extension to mount the fence which would make the table just as big as what I've got.

But yes, you're right. I don't like multi-purpose tools very much. I would never buy a printer/scanner/fax for example. If one breaks then you lose all those functions while it gets repaired. More likely for me is I wouldn't get it repaired and buy either the unit that broke or a whole new multi-unit.

Edit: Yes, I use very good casters. I really like the total lock type because if you just have a brake the tool can still swivel which is very annoying and probably dangerous.

[Paul K. Johnson]

I have a Sawstop and Incra TS/LS on the right side of the blade. When I want to use the router I flip the Inca around the other direction which takes a couple minutes at the most.
The 3HP is great choice if you can do the 220v.

That may be the best way to go. Then I get more support on the right without having to add extensions to the left which make the saw 9 feet wide. My shop is 10' x 30' and there is stuff all along both walls. I have about 4' of walking space down the middle (between my workbench and the garage door).

[Steve Cowart]

I have the PM1000 with a Bench Dog table extension on the right side. I built a cabinet to put the entire assembly on one mobile platform with wheels and drawers for my bits and other tools. It includes dust collection and works GREAT. If I had all to do over I would exactly the same thing. I have cut 3" hard maple on many occasions and 3" IPE, no problem.

I had an older JoinTech router fence and I made a base that has lips on the front and back and one that sits in the Miter track on the saw. then I just mounted the fence on that. The entire assembly can be easily placed on the saw in a few seconds. It gives me a much better fence with a vacuum attachment. I just pull the hose off the Table saw dust guard and move it over to the router fence. If the bit is captured in the wood I still have the option to just use the table saw fence.

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[Paul K. Johnson]

OK, electrician just left. He said I'd have to upgrade the service into the home which is more bucks than I'm willing to spend on a place that I rent. So he said if I bought a 10-wire extension cord he would assemble it to plug into my dryer outlet and to my saw for basically free.

Not an elegant solution but it does allow me to buy a more powerful saw so I guess that's what I'm doing.

I have to get my tax stuff to my accountant and figure out what I owe and see what's left. I'll have enough for any saw I've discussed but then there's extension tables and mobility. It might almost be worth getting the PM 2000 because it already has wheels. Well, not really. A $1,500 saw won't become $3,000 just getting or making a mobile base for it. I figure $100 plus if I buy angle iron from Lowe's or Home Depot and my buddy will weld it for me. I can cut it to finished length so it's ready to weld.

[Paul K. Johnson]

This is the base I made for my Dewalt. The interior frame is all 2 x 6. It's on 4 casters - the front two are total lock. It's VERY easy to roll around and very heavy. I did everything I could within reason to make it as heavy as possible.

I bought this saw because of the top. A lot of contractor saws have grate-type tops and I make a lot of small parts that would constantly be getting hung up. That would be a safety issue and a major irritant.

The problem with this saw is that the fence has too much play. When I move it in it's out of alignment with the front closer to the blade than the back. When I move the fence out it's just the opposite. So all fence adjustments have to be made by moving the fence out, then back in and locking it. I got it as parallel as I could when moving the fence in.

It's been a very reliable saw otherwise and I'd love it if not for that. That's why I bought the Incra fence. But I don't have room for 6' rails. I can make room if I get rid of the router table and incorporate it into the saw.

If I do that then I'll have about 18" at one end of the saw where I can get around it.

So yeah, I also need a bigger shop.

I appreciate everyone's input so far. It's helped a lot.

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[Paul K. Johnson]

This is the interior before it got covered up.

As you can see, two rods support the extension table. They get pulled out completely to fold the table down.

Obviously not a work of art but much better dust collection and it's not on the rickety X-base it came with. I don't have to pick up the saw, move it, move the base, then put the saw back on. I just roll it where I want it.

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[Paul K. Johnson]

I have the PM1000 with a Bench Dog table extension on the right side. I built a cabinet to put the entire assembly on one mobile platform with wheels and drawers for my bits and other tools. It includes dust collection and works GREAT. If I had all to do over I would exactly the same thing. I have cut 3" hard maple on many occasions and 3" IPE, no problem.

So you're saying I wouldn't regret purchasing a 1.75 HP saw.

[Paul K. Johnson]

This is the saw. I looked but I guess I never took any photos of it mounted to the base.

One other problem with the saw - the blade lift screw get covered with sawdust in about a month and it's next to impossible to raise the blade. So I have to unbolt the saw, clean up the bolt and put it back together. I've tried T-Shield and various dry-lubes and nothing has helped. It's not a good design. Blade tilt is hard to use with any accuracy as well.


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[Chris Hachet]

This is the saw. I looked but I guess I never took any photos of it mounted to the base.

One other problem with the saw - the blade lift screw get covered with sawdust in about a month and it's next to impossible to raise the blade. So I have to unbolt the saw, clean up the bolt and put it back together. I've tried T-Shield and various dry-lubes and nothing has helped. It's not a good design. Blade tilt is hard to use with any accuracy as well.


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A cabinet saw will be an enormous upgrade from that.

[Steve Cowart]

So you're saying I wouldn't regret purchasing a 1.75 HP saw.

That is correct. I can certainly see the need for more in a production environment, or if you constantly cut thick hardwood, but there is definitely a cost involved.

I wanted the flexibility to operate at 120 or 240 volt. I also am VERY pleased with the accuracy of the saw and since I always keep my blades sharp, I have no problem occasionally cutting thru 3" of hardwood. ESPECIALLY since I have invested in a good band saw for re-sawing. It also saved me about $1100.

[Adam Merritt]

I just went through this exact decision making progress (and haven't honestly come to a full conclusion). I received my new SawStop PCS31230 on 3/8, my Incra TS-LS Joinery package on 3/9, and left on 3/10 for vacation; time to set things up has been scarce! Anyways, when I stopped in at Incra (they are 10 minutes from my office) to pick up my tS-LS package, I talked with Perry McDaniel about several mounting options. He personally likes the router table to the left so you can use it head on (90 degrees from the table saw usage side) or from the table saw side. I liked this as well, but brought up the left mounted motor issue. We came to the conclusion that I could mount my router table insert (cast iron) to the left of the SawStop extension, but that I should add legs to support the extra weight so far away from the main table (and this would also help counter some of the Incra weight on the far right). If I mounted it to the right of the saw, he would recommend mounting it directly to the SawStop table and then perhaps mounting the 12'' SawStop extension to that, so the router table would have more support for the additional weight hanging from it, but this would basically eliminate using it head-on. I had planned to try and use their router table mounting kit, but he suggested using their big L shaped rail mounts instead (and told me the TS-LS package came with three sets, but only two were needed to mount it, saving me a purchase). I'm trying to choose between two different lifts, but hope to make a decision in the next day or two and order the lift and table together. Until then, I can keep debating how to mount it.

[Paul K. Johnson]

I really wish I'd purchased the Incra lift. I'm REALLY aggravated with the plastic rings in most lifts. They are not dead flush with the plate. The Incra has metal rings and if it's the same quality as the rest of the stuff they make I'd guess the rings are flush with the router plate.

I've never seen the Incra lift in person so I could be wrong.

[Paul K. Johnson]

A cabinet saw will be an enormous upgrade from that.

My yellow plastic saw cabinet will not stand for aspersions cast its way. It feels it's the finest saw ever crafted.

[Adam Merritt]

The Incra rings are of nice quality and sit flush. I took a look while I was there. I'm really wanting either the Next Wave Automation Ready2Lift or MLCS Powerlift Pro, otherwise I would buy the Incra without hesitation. Ready2Lift does have metal inserts (Incra knock-off), but it is priced higher.