Safety features aside, what is the best quality 10" cabinet saw made today and why?
Safety features aside, what is the best quality 10" cabinet saw made today and why?
This will open up a hornets next for sure....but I woudl say Saw Stop.
That being said, I would buy a Grizzly 1023 before I woudl buy a saw stop. 3 HP, decent customer service...
And if we are allowed to go used, One can pick up a Unisaw or PM 66 for 1/6 or 1/5 the cost of a new saw stop. A cabinet saw will run virtually forever taken care of. One of my woodworking friends has a 1940's era Unisaw his father bought during WWII, it still sees regular use and still is going strong.
Assuming you value your fingers, I'll suggest SawStop.
Mike
You need to specify desired price point when you talk about "best".
Jerry
"It is better to fail in originality than succeed in imitation" - Herman Melville
Used Unisaw for me was $700 with excalibur dust system I can easily sell for $250. Had to add a front rail, mobile base. For christmas I got a Sharguard riving knife setup as older saws dont have them.
I appreciate the safety features of the sawstop and if you have $3200 for a 3hp 52" fence go for it. If not, a used 3hp Unisaw or Grizz is a good deal. That Grizz 1023 is close to Unisaw you can get, good deal! Left tilt, riving knife, 500lbs.
"You need to specify a desired price point when you talk about the 'best.' " --Jerry Wright
BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
OP, whats your price range?
If at first you don't succeed, redefine success!
This sounds like trolling for woodworkers. Just trying to get us fired up!
Best is whatever fits the individuals subjective desires best. Some guys like Old iron, some people like new machines. Some people would not live without the Saw Stop feature, some guys would scrap a brand new 3HP Sawstop out of spite just because they don't like Mr Gass. You might as well talk about the color of the machine....by that criteria, my vote would be 1960's Powermatic Green.
Depends on your needs, your budget, and your definition of quality....build quality, most powerful, user features, largest, most precise, longest lasting?
$1400 - new Grizzly G1023RL
$500-$1800 used Uni/PM66/General 650, etc., if you're willing to forego a riving knife and warranty, and accept prior usage....possibly heavy usage.
$3900 - new Saw Stop ICS
Best quality overall is subjective to a large degree, and I'm just not very familiar with much beyond the $3000-$4000 range.
The Saw Stop ICS is pretty robust under the hood, even without consideration for the safety feature, but also in part because of it....likely the most robust of the currently available standard "cabinet saws", excluding sliders and specialized commercial saws. The PM2000 is very substantial also, but I suspect the ICS has the edge. The Unisaw is close too, but issues with foreign ownership and manufacture, and recent stories of poor service and parts availability would scratch it off the list considering other solid choices. The SS PCS 3hp isn't quite in that league, but is a very solid saw with the T-Glide fence upgrade. Grizzly has some heavier duty saws beyond the G1023 and G0690, but I'm just not very familiar with them.
Last edited by scott spencer; 03-14-2017 at 3:11 PM.
Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....
Sorry forum members, I didn't intend to create controversy and no I'm not a troll. And yes my question was about the best quality at any price safety features aside. I'm aware of the patented SawStop safety technology. What I'm not aware of is its overall quality compared to other cabinet saws.
And I am sorry, maybe I was not clear in my response.
Find the one you like the most from a subjective viewpoint (try to use an actual version of the machine) buy it, make sawdust, rinse and repeat. A 1947 Unisaw and a modern Sawstop will work equally well for 98 percent of what you are going to do.
My only input would be four fold;
#1. I like how 3 phase motors run and the subjective feel of how the saw operates with a VFD and soft start/controlled stop. Used 3 phase cabinet saws can be had at a bargain price if you are patient and wait until you find a nice clean machine at a fair price. YMMV.
#2. I would choose a saw with 3 HP over a lower powered saw. A really ugly 1968 Powermatic with 3 HP would beat any 1.75 HP Saw stop IMHO. A 3 HP Sawstop would beat any nice restored vintage machine that ran on 110V and had 1.5 HP.
#3. You will probably adapt to the individual quirks of whatever machine you choose.
#4. Your own techniques with the saw will outweigh any brand decision-a skilled operater with a less than ideal saw will outperform a less than skilled operator with the best saw on the planet.
Bottom line-check out a few saws, buy what you like, and make sawdust. There is not one particular 'best saw."
If every other class of machines had one or more companies who made one with a safety feature equivalent to what the SawStop has, I'd recommend the one with the safety feature. Just because you can't get an equivalent safety feature on a jointer (for example) is no reason to not get the safety feature on a table saw.
Mike
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