[OP]
Contributor
I'm looking to replace my older Dewalt contractor table saw and would like some feed back on what's available.. I hear a lot about the Stop Saw with all the safety feathers, but don't know anyone locally that own one except the local school shop. Looking for recommendations.
Contributor
If you don't go with a SawStop then save some money and go with a Grizzly G1023RL or G0690. Many happy owners of both saws. I have the G1023RL, which replaced a Unisaw, and I couldn't be happier.
Member
Steve, you didn't say whether you would stay in the jobsite saw category or move up to a cabinet saw. I have space issues, and went from the Dewalt to the SawStop jobsite saw. It's not a cabinet saw, but compared to the Dewalt the SawStop jobsite is, IMO, a much better saw, safety features aside.
What's your budget? IMHO for a solid entry level cabinet saw the Saw Stop PCS, Powermatic 2000, Grizzly G1023 or G0690 all pretty much fit the bill in the $1500 to $3000 tier. Make a short list of what is important to you and compare the differences. Some folks just love Powermatic, Saw Stops get impressive reviews safety feature or not, some folks want to save a buck and will pass on the brand or the safety feature. In the end the fundamental machine is the same, it is your personal preferences for certain things that will tip the scales.
"A hen is only an egg's way of making another egg".
– Samuel Butler
Member
Steve,
I am relatively new to woodworking and started off about 4 years ago with lots of ideas, a two-car garage and no tools. I had to wait until we owned a house instead of an apartment and until the kids were a bit older. I did not want to be caught in cycles of upgrading, so I tried to buy the best equipment I could limited by the size of my budget and space. I ended up with the SawStop Pro Cabinet Saw (PCS) with extension table, industrial mobile base and 120V 1 3/4 HP motor (did not have 220 at the time). I have been extremely pleased with the saw - it is excellent quality and works beautifully. I use mine with full-kerf blades and the 120V motor is plenty strong for my needs. It is just absolute pleasure to use and the safety mechanism provides some peace of mind. If it's in your budget I have no reservations in recommending this saw. Putting it together is a breeze and the instructions are fantastic. It was absolutely dead-accurate on the first cut...and has stayed that way. I may upgrade to the bigger 220V motor someday, but as said I have been impressed with what the 1 3/4HP motor can do.
Scott B
Member
I bought a Sawstop 3hp PCS a few months ago. I was back and forth between it and a Grizzly, until someone explained it in a way that clicked. The SawStop is an insurance policy, you just pay the premium once. I don't know why, but that line has stuck with me ever since. I work in IT, so my hands/fingers are critical to my day job. Anything I can do to protect that in a hobby is money well spent in my opinion. Also, as mentioned, the saw is very well built, so I wasn't trading safety for quality, which made the decision easier.
Member
Do you have 220v? What's your budget?
Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....
[OP]
Contributor
Shop size and budget are not an issue. Shops 30x50,220 outlets. I'm doing more segment cutting for
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Bowls and HF's. if I had to justify cost with the woodworking I do I'd be ----- out of luck. It's going in my play house and keeps me out of the Out House.
Contributor
If you want a new saw, and budget is not an issue, Sawstop. If budget is an issue, and you want a solid cabinet saw, look for a used Unisaw or PM66. Good used ones are less than a grand.
Member
I love the shop size Steve. I would have to say SawStop 3HP PCS with the mobile base. You will never regret that purchase. Funny that I saw your Craigslist post and then saw this thread.Originally Posted by Steve Nix
Member
The Grizzly G1023RL and the Saw Stop PCS 3hp with the T-Glide fence are the two "sweet spots" IMO. The G1023RL is about the most saw $1500 can buy. For about the twice the price, the SS PCS 3hp is a really nice setup that won't bite the hand that feeds it.
Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....
Member
There will be no end to the fawning over sawstops.... that's fine. It's a good saw. But I urge you to consider the powermatic 2000 series. I was in your same boat and could buy any saw I wanted under $4k. I got the powermatic. It's absolutely perfect.
i looked closely at the saw stop but im primarily a woodturner and I cut wet wood quite often. That makes the saw stop a no go for me. A buddy of mine has even triggered his saw stop mechanism while cutting super oily woods like cocobolo. He's done it twice. That gets expensive.
in order to turn off the sawstop wet detection technology you have to hit different buttons and when you turn the saw off between cuts, it defaults back to safety mode so you better not forget to hit those buttons again. For every single cut. It just seemed like a huge pain in the rear, to me.
Im 25+ years into using table saws on a regular basis and only had one incident of "kickback" and never had my fingers near a blade. (The "kickback" happened because a piece of wood slipped out of my hand after finishing a cut and as I was lifting it back over the blade it fell on the spinning blade and flew back at me. No harm no foul.)
If you plan on doing all flatwork with plywood, melamine, and kiln dried lumber, I'm sure the sawstop is great. But for me, even head-to-head foregoing the pluses and minuses of the wet detection option, the powermatic is a better saw overall. If I were running a community shop where different folks were constantly using the saw, I'd go for the sawstop. But I'm a one man shop and I have a healthy respect and understanding of industrial machinery so I'm ok living on the edge...
I also drink water right out of the hose on occasion... and I often drive my quad around my property doing chores without a helmet so I'm a risk taker by nature....
Climbing off soap box now....
If not Sawstop, go with a Grizzly. Had a friend cut off two fingers on his TS this summer.
Member
Budget and space not an issue? Hands down a SawStop with an Incra LS positioner. That's the combo I have and don't think I can live without it today. Tracksaw for breaking down sheet goods to workable size, TS for final cuts.
Contributor
Steve,
If it was my money, I would look for a well taken of USA made Delta Unisaw with a quality fence.
Mac
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