Completely overthinking first table saw purchase. Please help

[Richard Coers]

I'm going to stop replying to any table saw discussions. It always turns into a Sawstop battle and we've had that battle about 100 times. But I would look for an old Unisaw and forget the cheap imports.

[Michael Burnside]

I'm going to stop replying to any table saw discussions. It always turns into a Sawstop battle and we've had that battle about 100 times. But I would look for an old Unisaw and forget the cheap imports.

Battle? A bit over reacting aren't we? I actually find numerous posts above quite insightful with zero malice in the bunch. Particularly John's. Good grief, if we can't use the brand name without causing problems, is it really the people that own the saws or those that don't?

[andrew whicker]

Used all the way. I'm also an auction or fb marketplace buyer. I've never had a real miss.

I can break down sheet goods decently w a table saw. The problem is the left side of the Blade where you don't have as much support but you can fix this.

They are called cabinet saws... but yes my tracksaw is easier and more fool proof. I can also break down sheets with less waste because of the tracksaw. But a tracksaw (festool etc) can be duplicated fairly well w a circular saw.

[Tom Trees]

Big difference between a saw with an actual riving knife, compared to those who only have splitters.
Mainly the mechanism for raising the blade.

I wasn't aware of this, and thought making a true riving knife for one of those old Unisaws or whatever cast iron equivalent
wouldn't be that much bother.
How very wrong I was, lol.
That is,....a proper riving knife, which can be set 8mm away, or closer, so it actually works, in terms of kickback.
The splitters simply aren't up to the task, and only half arsed come into play, when much beyond the blade.

Here's what you'll likely have to do, in order to make a riving knife for one of those unsafe machines.
Over in Europe, we pretty much always had "true riving knives" on the ones made/sold here.

Might seem a lot of bother, but perhaps someone CNC's those parts, not came across such, but then again I didn't NEED to look,
as my old Startrite has one already.

Have fun trying to figure that one out, if leaning towards the likes.
https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread....knife-retrofit

All the best
Tom

[mike stenson]

I don't believe that the trunion design supports modification to a true riving knife. You're correct, the change would not be trivial as the linked modification shows.