Which cabinet saw?

[Michael Gibbons]

Billy, I believe that Delta was the inventor of the cabinet saw design. I have a Unisaw and like it a lot. When I finally get my shop built, I'll upgrade to a Sawstop and not just for the safety features. I saw the Sawstop demonstration at my local Woodcraft and was really blown away by how smooth and quiet the saw is. Plus I think the table is a bit bigger which makes it a heftier saw.

[Pat Germain]

I'd really like to have a riving knife on my next saw. I also like Shop Fox machines. Anyone know if Shop Fox makes a saw with a riving knife? I wasn't able to find one on their web site.

[Bryan Rocker]

I love my Delta X5 left tilt with a 50" Bies fence. Timberline delivered it to my doorstep for $1,500. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again.

As to the contractor/cabinet saw. Once you go 220V you won't want to go back.

[Brian Kent]

Shop Fox makes a 12" table saw with riving knife for about $2600. Grizzly also has a 10" with riving knife for $1695, whether 3 HP or 5 HP.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

I can tell ya this: I've seen the work produced by guys with Jet, Griz, Delta, PM, Felder, MM, and even ( dare I say it) Royobi.

It has occurred to me more than once that it's the man not the tool. The man appreciates a good tool & he overcomes a lesser one.

So buy the best you can and don't worry so much about it

[Rich Schneider]

I haven't read the Fine Woodworking reviews on the Powermatic, but I can say that I have a PM2000 that I bought a couple years ago and it has been great (I had two Delta Unisaws that I ended up selling after I bought the Powermatic) I wrote a review of it that you can read on Amazon. The SawStop is also a good quality saw in its construction from the times I have used one. As far as the safety feature of the SawStop I think it is a very fine idea but I have so many other pieces of equipment in my shop that are equally as dangerous as my tablesaw. To me safety is function of three things...first and foremost the operator's techniques/control, second the equipment setup/tuning, and third the safety features/guards. The guards and safety features are there to protect the operator in the event of an error in technique or a lapse of judgement. Marc Adam's safety video is really good and something like it should be delivered with every piece of equipment sold. I don't think you would go wrong with either unit whether it is the Powermatic 2000 or the SawStop.

[Peter Quinn]

Very happy PM66 owner here. I'm guessing any body having a problem with their PM66 is also having issues with tying shoes, walking and talking, and remembering their own name. These are fine machine worth the price of admission. The PM2000 has some nice features I'd love to have so when my 66 dies in 125 years or so I'll probably get one!

That said I have worked on a uni-saw and it is also a fine machine. I picked the PM66 because I like the sound it makes better than the delta. Very petty. Completely irrelavent to performance but thats my reason.

I have never used a grizzly saw but own several other pieces of their equipment and they all perform well. Every piece of grizzly equipment I have used is what I would call a reasonable trade off. Grizzly is able to cheapen their equipment in ways that tend not to affect performance but annoy me; a plastic handle here, an annoying part there, an adjustment screw placed where a third hand is neccessary to reach it. This statement will annoy the 'Grizzly Crowd' who are very loyal and happy at the value they have achieved. I invite them to enjoy and use their machines.

I'm guessing establishing a good relationship with a local vendor is a good idea. Beyond that any one of these machines will last your lifetime, so get your best eni-mini-miny-moe going and pick one.

[Roger Bull]

I replaced my saw with a SawStop in December. In addition to the safety features, it is a very impressive saw. As far as I am concerned it is the best available. It oozes quality.

It is more than the $2500 you mention but how much is the safety worth to you? Yes, there are a lot of tools that want to eat you but one less in the shop is a good thing.

SawStops are only sold through authorized dealers so you may need to go to sawstop.com to find one in your area.

Good luck,
-Roger

[John Yogus]

Not sure if you're close to Pittsburgh, but email this guy if you are cbaird@steelcitytoolworks.net. I can't take credit for discovering this guy, it came from another on this forum. As of earlier this week, he had a steel city cabinet left for $1000.

[Billy Dodd]

The thing on the grizzly I wasn't sure about was the weight and the fence. I know nothing about the shopfox fence and I believe the grizzly is the lightest in the cabinet saw class. I want to be able to flop a sheet of plywood on the table and push it through without having to worry about the fence being knocked out of square.
I have other grizzly stuff and have been happy with their customer service. The 1066 sander I bought from them had a motor problem and a pilar block broke. They replaced both with no questions asked.
I live in between grizzly and a woodcraft store which I believe the woodcraft has the powermatic and jet. The sawstop I think is a little more then what I want to spend. I don't really play very safe. I'm one who has know idea where the blade guard went for the saw I have now.
And what kind of fence do you get? I always thought the bie*** (don't remember how to spell it) was the best. Now others are suppose to be just as good?

[Billy Dodd]

Just have the country away John

[Al Garay]

I have been thinking and tempted by cabinet saw. In fact, I can get the SteelCity 3hp Deluxe, 52" fence-rail with Titanium for around $1200. Too big for my 1-aisle garage shop. I also visited Grizzly and became concerned by the short 20-26" rip capacity of the 1023SL.

I recently bought a Makita 1013 slider that's on its way to do cross cuts and have been thinking of buying the Rousseau miter saw stand that comes with a nice fence and stop gauge. And then getting a Sunhill hybrid (same as the Woodtek that was well received and GI hybrid except it has a cheaper aluminum fence) but I can get it for $630 total. That's too tempting.

Use my Makita 1013 slider and Festool TS55+MFT1080 table for crosscuts and the Sunhill hybrid saw for repetitive cuts and rips.

I have almost $2k to spend and it is also tempting to just buy the Powermatic PM2000.

Decisions.

[Jim Andrew]

I have a uni and like it very much, no comparison to the old craftsman I had before. Course it was a 40 year old contractor style, with a old style unisaw fence. Which of course was much better than the original fence. Thought I read somewhere that the gov had passed a law that all new tablesaws sold after some date have to have the riving knife? That true? Anyway, I went to my local hardware store, she called Delta and they gave me a hardware show price with no freight that saved about 700$ over the amazon price. It came with 2 sets of rails, as I wanted the 50" and had to make a new tableboard, as it came with the 30" and the table board wasn't big enough. Good luck with your purchase!