Table saw, any tip?

[honist_bob]

I too would go with Sears as a source for a non-pro table saw. Almost all saws are nice and precise when running new and with a new (sharp) blade.

The difference is that a professional model like a Delta Unisaw will have the same precision after years of daily use--long after portable saws become worn-out.

Buy at Sears and use the money you save to buy a dust extraction system (or a large shop vac and hoses). That mdf dust is just awful!

[speakerdave]

Like it or not, China is the new manufacturing capital of the world. They will get better and better as time goes by.

It's not a question of where it is made as much as it is a question of the intention with which it is made. The Jet and Grizzly stationary tools I had a chance to examine twenty years ago appeared to be very imprecise knockoffs of the Rockwell tools.

David

[edgewound]

It's not a question of where it is made as much as it is a question of the intention with which it is made. The Jet and Grizzly stationary tools I had a chance to examine twenty years ago appeared to be very imprecise knockoffs of the Rockwell tools.

David

Unfortunately they've come a loooong way in twenty years. New Delta's are made in asia too. Try Tools 'r us, or Lowes for Delta, the Home Depot brand Rigid looks pretty good too for a consumer saw. I have a 1960's Rockwell 10" 3-phase on a roller cart from a movie studio prop-shop....but I really need a new fence....probably a Biesmeier T-Square.

[mbottz]

Purchase the largest blade capacity and the largest table top your shop and budget will allow. Also look for a heavy duty self squareing fence. The larger blade saws are far more accurate and produce superior results with less stress on the motor. The large table top allows you to cut 4'X8' plywood and mdf very easily by yourself. Seems there is never any help around when you need it.
Also purchase a can of Car paste wax. Wax your table top every time prior to using and the wood will not bind or stick. Your work will be much easier.
I personally own a Delta 10 inch contractor saw which I would never be without. If you are going to cut a lot of angles such as crown molding or frame work, invest in a 10 or 12 inch motorized miter saw. Table saws do not cut these type of angles near as accurate as the miter saw.

Just my .02 cents

MB

[speakerdave]

Here's a web site outlining the table saw buying decision. It describes six levels of quality in table saws and gives detailed accounts of the important differences.

http://benchmark.20m.com/articles/Se..._tablesaw.html

David

[Mr. Widget]

If you have the room, a stationary saw with extension tables and as big a motor as you can afford and have electricity for is the way to go. Here in the states many of the smaller saws run on 110V... the current draw is too great the voltage drop is huge and you loose so much power that it is impossible to cut 8/4 maple (2" thick). I assume Norway, like most of Europe is on 220V so that's a big plus.

My saw is a US made Powermatic Model 66 with a 240V 5hp motor... it is one of the best built cabinet saws available... they used to come with a biesemeyer fence... Delta bought biesemeyer so now they come with a copy... on the surface the Delta Unisaw and the Powermatic Model 66 seem very similar... they are. The Powermatic has more massive castings all around and most importantly the blade tilts the correct direction. The Delta tilts to the right... cutting miters with a right tilting saw will increase your problems with tear out.

I would assume there is a European make that is comparable... for awhile I had an Italian Mini-Max... too much aluminum.. the Inca from Switzerland is also too light weight for my taste... I like quality iron in my stationary machines... You might look for Luna... they are from Sweden... I've never used one of their saws, but I have one of their planer/jointer/mortiser combo machines and it is pretty good. It is a little wimpy, but not bad for a 1000lbs "lightweight" machine.


Widget

[Phil H]

Mr. Widget,

Oh no, you are behind the times. Delta has offered the Unisaw with left tilt for a number of years. One of the biggest problems with a right tilt is that it tilts toward the fence and it is easier for the material to be bound between the fence and the blade. But, I have to admit that the Powermatic has a slightly better reputation. I've never used one. I only have experiance with Unisaws and an older 12" Davis and Wells (plus some delta/rockwell contractor saws). I've never used a left tilt saw.

Flodstoem,
You have gotten some good advice. If I were buying a table saw, I'd look for a Delta contractors saw or Unisaw. But, I don't know what they have in Norway. If you want to make your life easy, make sure the saw has a good fence. Beisemeyer is (was?) the top name in fences. Beisemeyer is the Xerox of fences; there are other brands, but Beisemeyer was the first.

If you are considering a cabinet saw and are mechanically inclined, you might consider a used saw. Used contactors saws can also be a good value. In my opinion, the contractor saws from 30 years ago were made better than the new ones. I still kick myself for not responding to an ad for a free, but very old Unisaw.

[chad]

.....Whichever way you go, though, invest in a top quality blade for precision cuts. I think Forrest blades are the best. They run true and stay sharp after much use.

I used to make cuts with my stepfather's old craftsman, it had an el cheapo stamped steel blade. I dug through a stack of blades we acquired at an estate sale, found a nice quality carbide toother. Put that sucker on to try it out....

Made a few cuts with the good blade and it was like night and day - a good blade makes a HUGE difference. HUGE!!!

[Flodstroem]

Unfortunately there is no Craftsmen representatives in Norway as far as I have found out
But looking at other branches I have found a couple of machines that could work for my purposes.

Hamilton

I own three, two portables and one stationary. And it is very true, the more you spend the better you get. This is my latest portable aquisition and it is working very well.

When looking at those table saws I think I will go for the Bosch and also I have checked availability and price. But it would be fine with that Delta saw but to expensive (and no representatives to)

Hamilton, I guess the model on you picture is a GTS 10, am I right? Could you tell us any further about working with it ? Could you recommend it as a good buy?

BTW, where did you find the "portables" for that saw Hamilton, havnt seen it here anywhere.

Regards

[Mr. Widget]

Mr. Widget,

Oh no, you are behind the times. Delta has offered the Unisaw with left tilt for a number of years.

Guilty as charged... I don't really hang out at the local tool stores since I haven't needed to buy any new tools in over a decade. I have used both Powermatics and right tilting Deltas for years and both are very good. While the Sears Craftsmen saws look a lot like the Delta Contractor's saw... they aren't in the same league. My first saw was the Craftsman, I upgraded the motor and fence before ever setting it up and got many good years of service from it, but you get what you pay for.

I've always preferred the Biesemeyer fence, but it is such a simple design, I am sure the clones are fine.

You are right about the right tilt being more likely to bind... but after pushing a few thousand board feet of lumber through a saw it becomes less of an issue. You get a feel for that sort of thing... I would highly recommend that what ever saw you do buy, you get one with a left tilt.

Another issue with the portables is that they tend to use universal motors, the same sort as found in routers. They are just plain loud and obnoxious.


Widget

[JuniorJBL]

Ihave a JET Supersaw and it is ok but the fence is a joke. They now have the new supersaw and it has an accu-fence (Beisemeyer knock off). With that said I got really tired of going slow to rip large boards so...


I found a 3hp single phase Unisaw w/52" unifence. The saw is 20 years old and really eats wood for lunch. I use a variety of blades Forrest, Systimatic are the main blades I use.
The model 66 is an awesome saw but was more money then I could afford but a very fine saw none the less.

There is very good info here that should help. Just buy the BEST quality saw you can find/afford or you will be spending more money down the road.

This is just my opinion.

[Hamilton]

Hamilton, I guess the model on you picture is a GTS 10, am I right? Could you tell us any further about working with it ? Could you recommend it as a good buy?

It is the Bosch 4000-9, the "-9" indicates it comes with the stand, which is way cool by itself! Those sell for $539 here is the states and can be seen here :

http://www.boschtools.com/tools/tool...=54932&I=58462

As far as being a good buy? Well, I like it as far as portables go and that's as far as I will go with that, and it does perform extremely well but there's no way to compare it to a stationary saw, even a mid priced one.

Now Mr. Widget owns a REAL saw!!

[Woody Banks]

I will side with Widget on the choice of table saws if you budget will allow. The new Unisaw has a butt load of plastic compared to the old models.
One saw you may want to avoid is the Shop Fox. As it turns out it is simply a Grizzly saw painted white instead of green. The saw itself is a Delta clone made overseas. It has a lot of good features such as left tilting, 3HP single phase motor, and cast iron extension wings. The problem I had was that the fence system interfered with the blade guard and wouldn't allow you to get within 1.5" of the blade. The Shop Fox was about half of what the Powermatic costs, but I wish now that I had held out for the one I really wanted.

[Flodstroem]

Now, all these information you have given to me is VERY useful. But its not easy to find anything cheap over here. The Bosch GTS10/4000 US for example, the best price I have found in the US was $ 499.99 including the "Gravity Rise Wheeled Stand", unbelievable. Best price I have found at my country was NOK 7,085 = $ 1,085.00 and this price do NOT inklude the Wheeled Stand either

It means that my limited budget will be a disadvantage for a purchase of a stationary (pro) saw. Maybe I should try to find a saw at eBay. But this will not be easy either to find a saw equipped with a motor for 230V 50Hz

My budget will look for a saw at the price of a Norwegian Bosch.

I really appreciate all your feedback in this subject , thanks.

[loach71]

I like the General Tool table saw (cabinet saw, NOT the contractor saw).
Made in Hamilton ONT Canada. Good workmanship, reasonable price. You can always get replacement parts form General, unlike thew non-name Taiwanese copies. I also like and use the Beismeier precision fence.

I don't like the contractor saws because the blade tilting mechanism if flimsy - and this make for imprecise cuts and second rate joinery.