I have finally decided to bite the bullet and upgrade my contractors saw to a cabinet saw. The problem I’m running into is nobody has any good info. on brands and features. There are two major questions I have and any input would be greatly appreciated.
Question #1: I noticed about a $400-500 price difference between a 3hp and 5hp cabinet saw. Is there a big difference in quality and performance?
Question#2: I’ve also noticed about a $300-400 price difference between the Grizzly or Shop Fox saws and the Delta saws. Is the quality and performance that much better to justify the additional cost.
PS I mostly make furniture and cabinets with my saw.
Thanks for input,
FiremanKent
Replies
I've had many and I love my Powermatic..5 hp only cost me anothe cpl a hundred bucks.
I'd rebuy it in a heartbeat!
Be well
andy
My life is my practice!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I have a Delta Unisaw, and it's great. Andy has a Powermatic, also a great saw,probably better, with it's heavier trunnions and castings to make it run smoother. If you're serious about your work, I'd steer clear of imports, just my opinion. In general, I always try to buy the best tool I can afford.
you cant affordnot to buy a good saw no matter how little money you have.......maybe thats why people that need a good saw have little money.they just don't get it.
I'd rather have a great saw than a great truck.then I'd get a great truck.
Egg before the chicken??????
; )
Be well
andyMy life is my passion!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
I have a Unisaw.. I would rather have a Powermatic. I just found a good deal on a good used Unisaw when I was lookn for a good saw. I missed an old Yates American by 15 minutes. It was a beaut.
I've had a unisaw for maybe 12 years now. still runs like new. I am considering buying a second only because I want left tilt and a biesmeyer fence. the unifence is a PITA to keep changing for tilt operations.
steve
Firemankent,
You might want to post this over at knots, Fine Woodworking's thread. The kind of table saw you're talking about is their bread and butter so to speak.
The basic cabinet saw isn't very different from various manufacturers. The main difference is the fence system that you choose. Many cabinet shops use the beismeyer type fence because it is very repeatable in its setting accuracy. If you cut a lot of panels for cabinets, this is an excellent system. If you do a lot of unusual size parts for things like furniture and you would like the option of attaching accessories to the fence, then the delta unifence or similar fence may be more user friendly.
A left tilt saw is better if you cut mitered corners for you cabinet carcasses as it tilts away from the fence while cutting forty-fives without trapping the board under the blade and between the fence and blade. A SAFETY ISSSUE.
A long extension table to the right of the blade will make cutting your panels for cabinets much easier than on a contractor saw, and the better dust collection of a cabinet saw is a plus in the shop air.
I have owned both types and prefer the cabinet saw hands down. I have both 5hp three phase and 3hp single phase motors currently, and there is a difference if you cut 3" thick cherry and maple. The 3hp will make the cut but under some protest compared to the 5. If your shop is at a residence, you may not be able to get three phase electricity to the property. It is uaually only available to industrial sites. Delta has recently introduced a 5hp single phase unisaw which I have not tried, but may be worth the extra money depending on your needs.
Check out used equipment. You will not find very many Unisaws available because they work so well for so long. Same with the Powermatic. If you live in a large metro area, there are usually used/refurbished saws available from tool dealers.
Hope this helps.
I don't know what kind of saw you're looking at for $500, but that's about half of what you'll spend for a good cabinet saw. In our shop I have a year old Powermatic and a Unisaw from the '60's. They both work great. But don't plan on moving these saws from job to job. They are HEAVY.
Delta used to make a pretty good mid-line saw. They called it the Contractors saw. It's not the same now as it was then however. Jet makes that saw now. It's good enough to build cabinets with if you add the Beysmeyer fence and a 6' right side table to it. But get a 2hp (minimum) motor and run it at 220v. You might be able to get the whole set-up for less than $1000.00. We have several of the old Deltas and one of the newer Jets, and we can move those from job to job.
I'd stay away from the Grizzleys. I've been told that repacment parts have to come from over-seas where they are manufactured. I'd hate to wait three weeks for a switch or a bearing.
Good luck,
Ed. Williams
Where have you been Ed?
Maybe it hasn't been as long as I think, but welcome back.
Dave
Hey Dave,
I'm still around. Mostly I hang over at JLC. It doesn't get as much traffic. It's hard to post on someone's question here when there has already been 36 post over the first few days. I really don't have that kind of time to review everything said to see if I could add anything.
Me and the crew are still bouncing around. We're up to 27 good men right now and working about 6 projects at a time. We've expanded the wood shop and put in a drum sander. Most of our work is still in the field, but a few of us stay busy in the shop most of the time - making small runs of moulding, cabinets, repairs, etc.
Work here is still good, although we're slowing down some due to the economy.
Take care,
Ed.
Ed, think I asked you this a while back but what is it that you don't like about the current Delta Contractors saws. A factory rep tells me the internals are still the same as the older style ( the ones with the curved stand legs). Still messin' with handsaws?
Hey JC,
Yeah, I was in a pinch for another table saw last year and bought one of the new ones. They just arn't built as tough as the old ones. The legs are wobblier, the sheet metal thinner, the saw seems a lessor grade. Don't get me wrong, it works and all, but it doesn't seem as sturdy as their previous Contractors saw. More on the lighter duty side.
I think I bought up all the old handsaws on eBay. I went a little crazy there for a while. It happened after someone stole all my old Disstons and I realized they don't make them any more. I found styles of old saws that I never knew existed. My mantra was "Boy, I gotta have that one!" I've got some pretty unusual saws and drills in my collection now. I just sold my first. Next I'm offering up an old Stanley hand drill - mint in the box. Most I'll keep, but some I'm selling off.
What's been going on with you?
Ed.
Starting over in a manner of speaking, Ed. Got married a little over a year ago, moved halfway accross the country, and trying to get things going again.
I've had a Grizzly cabinet saw for 10 years now. Never a problem and still runs great. Impossible to bog down the motor, the saw blade will warp first.You get out of life what you put into it......minus taxes.
Marv
JC,
Best of luck with the move and the marriage. I think the move may be the hard part. I've been married 28 years.
Good luck,
Ed.
Ordered two switches from Grizzly, got them in 48 hours.Grizzly machine tools are for the most part high quality. Customer service is excellent.
Ordered two switches from Grizzly, got them in 48 hours.Grizzly machine tools are for the most part high quality.
Other than the switches?PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
I have the G1023s cabinet saw, G1073 16" bandsaw, and the 12" disc sander. I only mentioned the switches in the post as a response to another post that said Grizzly may take weeks or months to send a switch.I have a number of accesories such as end mills, calipers etc , more than satisfied with everything I purchased.
mike
Sorry, couldn't resist. <g> Only Grizzly tool I've used was a shaper. Worked OK, but the castings were sure rough compared to the Powermatic I was accustomed to. Now that I think about it, there was something odd about the spindle too.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
ED.
you are wrong about Grizzley! they overnite you parts from their warehouse's Never have heard of that story and since I own a bunch of Grizzley stuff I can flat state that it as as good or better than most brands and considering the price a real bargin..
I had a Delta and was so unhappy with it that I literally gave it away after trying unsuccessfully to sell it for a tiny fraction of it's cost..
None of my Grizzley's has given me any trouble and the only repairs required in working with over 40,000 bd.ft. of hardwoods has been one belt broken on the three belts in my 20 inch planer.. (the local parts house had it in stock and from removing the broken one to starting the machine back up again it was about 15 minutes..)
You'd be doing yourself a big disservice if you didn't at least look at the Canadian made General 350/650 saws. http://www.general.ca/
I love Generals.....I have three, between the school shop and mine, and another one should land here soon, it's ordered (one of those is a 14" saw, but the rest are 350's with the 650 on order). IMO, best saw by far in it's class. I won't buy a Delta machine unless I absolutely have to.cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, N.S
I first learned of them from you- I'd never heard of General till you had mentioned them quite a few years back (pre dispero). Their one weakness here in the US is their dealer network- there just aren't that many. When I lived in Maine, not a dealer to be found. There's a few here around the Twin Cities here in MN.
I'd never heard of General till you had mentioned them quite a few years back
General was making very good saws back in the 70's, available in Denver. I ended up with a Unisaw which was quite a bit cheaper at the time. Now have a Rockwell 12-14" which needs a paint job but will then replace the Unisaw. Maybe this week. A good fence is all most saws need.PAHS Designer/Builder- Bury it!
Adrian
Is that 14" have a score blade? and do they make one that does?
Curious, since I was in a shop that had a large Robland I got a bit spoiled, now that I work for a guy that has nothing but a Jet I'm thinking of selling my old Delta UNI and getting something with a score blade.
Doug
Doug;
Mine doesn't....I have it set up for ripping with a powerfeed. I THINK they do make one with scoring, but I'd have to check.cabinetmaker/college woodworking instructor. Cape Breton, N.S
I have the shop fox 1677 ( about a year and a half now), and it works well. I have used Delta, Powermatic, and altendorf. For most purposes it is as good as the Delta and Powermatic. I think it has more power than the new unisaws - not a scientific fact, just an observation on using it. I have used older Unisaws and newer ones. I haven't been able to slow it down with anything I've shoved through it. The blade guard and splitter aren't as good as the Delta and powermatic, but with the cost savings you can buy after market ones which are better.
I bought it because of the price point- I build cabinets and furniture, and the cut is just as good, if not better than the unisaw. Would I buy it again? more than likely.
FiremanK,
Been using Delta Unisaws for over 30 years. The old ones you come across from the forties through the early seventies tend to be under-powered, and have a lousy fence system. Now that can easily be changed (upgraded) but $$$$. The PM or the Delta are the way to go if buying new.
I have a (think it's a 3HP) unisaw I bought new in '95. I love it. One thing to think about, when a board starts to warp as you are ripping it, it takes a more effort to hold it with more HP as the the blade binds before the CB trips.
Jon
Edited 3/5/2004 4:36:58 PM ET by WorkshopJon
Edited 3/5/2004 4:38:34 PM ET by WorkshopJon