Completely overthinking first table saw purchase. Please help

[Bill Dufour]

PS: I found WAGO electric splices are easier to use then traditional wire nuts.
Bill D

[David Dille]

I have a Makita track saw and a Harvey 3 hp cabinet saw. Love them both. Harvey has, by far, the best customer service and delivery system that I have ever experienced.

That being said, I would get a good track saw, Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, etc. for sheet goods. I never throw a full, or even a half sheet on my table saw anymore. I would then get Dewalt DWE7491RS contractor’s saw. $550 at Lowe’s right now. I had one and for what you want to do, it would be perfect for you, IMHO.

My Dewalt TS handled the 8” dado set without issue. I resisted getting a track saw for years, kick myself for that. $800 including the tracks and connection kit. Very glad I got it.

[David Dille]

If you have the option to run new wire, I highly recommend putting in at least a 20 amp 220 volt instead of your 2 15 amp circuits. You can also use a double breaker if you just don’t have enough space in your box. Chances are you wil only be running one tool and your DC at any one time.

[Stephen McBride]

Thank you everyone for the continued responses. Had a lead on a PM 66 locally that I was too slow to come up with the cash for but a barely used Shop Fox W1888 came up near me for $900 with a 2 HP dust collector for an additional $150. I checked it out and the size was right for me and the projects I see myself doing and minus some rust on the cast iron it really looked like it had barely been used. Cut clean, straight and smooth.

Got it moved to my garage yesterday and rebuilt the rails, fence and dust collection. Currently being adapted to 110v by an adapter the previous/ original owner had. Not sure how comfy I am with just the adapter so I’m gonna have an electrician come by next week to install a 230v circuit for it as well as start runs for 110v so I can install more outlets and lights.

I know no one mentioned a Shop Fox and I honestly don’t know how great it is. Was a little nervous about that fact but after making some cuts and feeling out the size, for the price it felt like the perfect saw for me and my hobbyist garage shop. First project is a 4x6 outfeed table. Thinking double 1” MDF with a laminate top and the bones of a base to accommodate drawers in the future as well as dog holes in the top.

Money saved, especially on the DC, gets to help pay for electrician, track saw, paint sprayer and parallel clamps. Gonna eventually get a router table setup for the wing.

Currently have a 8” Freud thin kerf rip blade that I had in my buddy’s jobsite saw. When the time comes I’ll get a proper 10” Forrest WWII to be able to not worry about blade sharpness for the amount of use it will get.

Previous owner also had some leftover 8/4 8” white oak, about 20’ of it he gave to me as he was moving and was just gonna throw it out. S4S so I’m using that to make me feel better about the cost to move the saw…

Thanks again for all the comments and wisdom!

[Michael Burnside]

Congrats. Looking forward to some posts of the setup and projects you create thereafter.

[Bill Dufour]

Except for saw stop and the fence not much has changed in a cabinet saw since 1938 when the Unisaw came out. It was designed from the ground up for a internal motor never line shaft. A jet should be fine as long as nothing is broken.
Bill D

[Aaron Inami]

Hey Stephen,

That sounds great. I took a look at the W1888 and it seems like a much better version of the Grizzly G0899 that I mentioned in my post way back in the beginning of this thread. Not as robust as a Powermatic PM66, but significantly better than a contractor table saw!

Since you are having an electrician come by for re-wiring, I would highly recommend having him replace the stock power switch with a good magnetic switch (my recommendation below). This is the same kind of switch that is normally installed on all the traditional Powermatic/Jet cabinet saws.

https://www.amazon.com/Big-Horn-1882...dp/B002LVUWHM/

The stock power switch on that W1888 is a safety issue. If you lose A/C power, the saw will stop, obviously. However, when A/C power is restored, the saw motor will automatically start running again (major safety issue). The magnetic switch above will release the contactor when you lose power so that the saw will NOT automatically restart after power is restored. I have no idea why Grizzly is putting manual switches on their tablesaws, but it's definitely not a good idea.

Oh, I did mention the Harvey Sliding table option. I believe that it should bolt onto this W1888 saw as well since it uses the same bolt hole type and pattern on the cast iron wing. It's definitely a huge help if you are cutting plywood sheets. Something to think about for possible future upgrade, lol.
https://www.harveywoodworking.com/pr...37784413077687