Cabinet Saw Under $1500

[Rick Fisher]

I have the Shop Fox W1711 Cabinet saw. Its under $1500.00 Mine is 7 years old now. Its never given me any trouble.

I dont know how it compares to others but the trunnions seem heavy duty. The controls are smooth and easy.




This isnt a great picture. I took it because there is a nut that appears to be missing above the motor. I have never followed it up. Noticed it the other day..

Not trying to hijack at all.. This sorta gives you an idea of the innards.

[Brian Kerley]

They're all required to have riving knives now, so that's why everyone is jumping on the bandwagon. The US market is finally catching up to where the euro's have been for the last few years in this department. A riving knife is a huge improvement in safety.

[Arnold E Schnitzer]

Thanks for all the great info, folks. I think I'll find a dealer and check out the Steel City saws, though I think they might be a bit flimsy for my needs. I don't like the idea of a granite top, as I like to use a magnetic featherboard. Is anyone making a retrofit riving knife, or does that require a complete redesign?

[Chip Lindley]

Thanks for the heavy duty pix Rick! Your TS is a Unisaw clone which is a tried and true design, forsure! Is hard to go wrong with this design! I could not help but notice you are missing a bolt holding your motor onto its bracket. Without this bolt, the full weight of motor will keep stretching the belts over time, adding extra stress and wear on them. With my unisaw, I allowed the motor weight to pull the belts down tensioned for part of a day. Then I tightened the bolt securely. Belts are tensioned, and belt life is extended many-fold!

[Bob Genovesi]

Real world huh.....Personally I'd take a used 66 over anything that costs $1500 new. but that's just me good luck,
JeffD

I'll second this, Me Too!!

[David Keller NC]

"This isnt a great picture. I took it because there is a nut that appears to be missing above the motor. I have never followed it up. Noticed it the other day."

You are indeed missing the belt-tensioning nut (and bolt). It's not a dangerous situation, but it will significantly reduce the power your TS will develop, and will excessively wear the belt. Worth fixing for a couple of bucks from the hardware store.

[John Ricci]

After looking at that pic it struck me that in addition to hastening belt wear would it not also allow the motor to "hop" under a heavy load? Definitely worth the small expense of a nut and bolt to fix it. It looks somewhat unsafe to me.

J.R.

[Peter Quinn]

I have the Shop Fox W1711
I dont know how it compares to others but the trunnions seem heavy duty. The controls are smooth and easy.

I don't know how it compares to others either, but I have a PM66 and use several old ones at work. I don't have a photo but that same perspective seen on a 66, all you will see is motor and trunnion....miles and miles (or should I say pounds and pounds) of trunnion. A lot of trunnion. Nothing but trunnion. Very stout trunnion. Seriously large heavy trunnion. Big baldor motor too, with an interesting cast iron yoke mounted to....a massive trunnion. Did I mention it has a large trunnion? You look in the cabinet and all you can see is a giant black iron box, you can't even see the blade or arbor, just the trunnion....

Oh, one more vote for a used PM66 if you can find one. There is a reason people will buy a 35 year old saw for upwards of $1000, cause unless seriously abused and damaged they still work as if new, worst that can happen is they need new bearings? All I see around here are three phase.

A riving knife is nice, but a biesmeyer splitter like Chip has (and I have) works pretty well too, I still have all my teeth. You will hear people tell you that a riving knife is essential because it much closer to the blade when the blade is lower. Thats true, but thats also when the blade is much less likely to throw you a kick back at the beginning of a cut. Once you get 1/2" deeper into the cut, you are getting the same protection with either device where it counts. The critical weakness of a bies splitter is the user. If you don't put it in, it doesn't help, where as a riving knife can be left in all the time, which should help protect those forgetful types that haven't noticed the giant whirling blade spinning their direction at 3450RPM with nothing behind it to keep the kerf open.

I have heard the argument made with a straight face by professionals "What if you drop something on the blade after a non through cut where your splitter is removed? A riving knife would still offer protection, and accidents do happen!" Sure, if you are the kind of wood worker that likes to dangle work pieces over a spinning blade or one of those complete morons I see too lazy to push the wood all the way past the blade and step around to the out feed side to retrieve the work piece but prefers to reach over the blade with a tenuous grasp to retrieve the work piece, then by all means a riving knife is necessary and nothing else will do. In fact a hand saw may be in order.

Don't get me wrong, if I were buying a new saw, I'd be looking for a riving knife too. But if you are on a budget, want a serious cabinet saw and don't find satisfaction in any of the few options in your price range, a good used machine with a good splitter can be good option to consider.

[scott spencer]

I don't know how it compares to others either, but I have a PM66 and use several old ones at work. I don't have a photo but that same perspective seen on a 66, all you will see is motor and trunnion....miles and miles (or should I say pounds and pounds) of trunnion. A lot of trunnion. Nothing but trunnion. Very stout trunnion. Seriously large heavy trunnion. Big baldor motor too, with an interesting cast iron yoke mounted to....a massive trunnion. Did I mention it has a large trunnion? You look in the cabinet and all you can see is a giant black iron box, you can't even see the blade or arbor, just the trunnion....

PM66 trunnion:


Griz 1023SL/Shop Fox 1677 trunnion:



Griz 1023S trunnion:


Steel City industrial cab saw trunnion:

[John Schreiber]

. . . Is anyone making a retrofit riving knife, or does that require a complete redesign?

None of the big guys are, but there's a guy who is. He runs Walnut Acre Woodworking and has produced what he calls the Bolt on Ripping Knife.

I applaud his creativity and think it's great that he is working on increasing safety, but I'd feel more comfortable with a riving knife which was designed into the saw. If I already had a cabinet saw though, I would consider this retrofit.

[Todd Crawford]

PM66 are $1999 at Woodcraft right now. A little more than your price range, but a great deal.

http://www.woodcraft.com/product.asp...FamilyID=60008

[Grant Vanbokklen]

In spite of fact that the FFW video will not load, and I cannot peek at the eight FWW reviews of new riving knive-equipped saws for 2009 without the *membership,* I yield to your point that a riving knife is just that.

Do your own Google search and see how many manufacturers tout their splitter/pawl/guard combos as riving knives. Everyone is jumping on the bandwagon now I suppose. Since I got a freebie Biesemeyer non-riving knife included with my Gloat PM66, I am more than happy, and now am going to bed. ni ni !!

Jet offered a free month of December of Fine Woodworking online. There is still half the month left. There is some other great stuff as well as you viewing the Riving Knife video link I posted.

Free December to FWW from Jet Tools

[Rick Fisher]

Not too hijack but I downloaded the manual for the Shop fox with the missing nut..

Finally.

That nut was removed because it also held a "motor shipping bracket". I guess I removed it to assemble the saw and never put it back on.

That was 6 years ago? Possibly 7 years ago..

That nut has never been there.

I have made that saw do some pretty ugly cutting, ripping over the years.. I will definately install that nut... finally.

[Arnold E Schnitzer]

The PM66 is an awesome deal, and I may consider it. But right now I have a lead on a slightly used Sawstop for $2000! Wish me luck.

[Andy Casiello]

PM66 trunnion:


Griz 1023SL/Shop Fox 1677 trunnion: