Should I get the contractor or professional sawstop

Billm0066

Bill
User
I was at Klingspors yesterday and got to see the demo in person. Sold

Currently have a delta, the one you buy at Lowes for $600. Its a great saw and the size works well for my 12x20 space. I cant go much larger and it needs to be on a mobile base. Heres what im considering

Contractor with mobile base
Upgraded fence with steel wings= $2,098
With cast iron wings $2,368

Professional
1.75 hp (no 220 in my shop) Right around $3000 with mobile base

I've been wood working for a few years. Just a hobby and does not make me any money. I build things for clients as closing gifts (real estate agent). Cutting boards, serving trays, other small things. Any cabinetry work wont be very fancy so I feel the professional might be overkill for my needs. Both have the same fence anyway I believe. Im leaning towards the contractor and if I need to upgrade im sure I can sell it for 80%+ of price paid like Festool sells for. Any opinions on which route I should go?
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
Safety. I had a piece bind a little and scared me pretty good. It wasnt close but close enough. My fingers are worth the extra $1500-$2500

OK. Sounds like it's your table saw technique and a momentary lack of attention. The SawStop isn't a 100% safety guarantee either to save your fingers, but they'd like you to believe it's failsafe.
 

FlyingRon

Moderator
Ron
Most saw contact accidents are usually the results of kickbacks and while proper technique can certainly go a long way to avoid them, they happen.
I've got the PCS. I am pretty happy with it. I bought a dial gauge and all sorts of things to "set it up" but my neighbor (a more serious woodworker than I) and I couldn't find anything that we thought we could do better than the way it came off the truck.

It was certainly a world of improvement over my old Delta Contractor Saw.
 

Billm0066

Bill
User
OK. Sounds like it's your table saw technique and a momentary lack of attention. The SawStop isn't a 100% safety guarantee either to save your fingers, but they'd like you to believe it's failsafe.

Yes it was a mistake. I didnt start this thread to discuss why I shouldnt buy one, but helping me decide which one. Its the safest table saw on the planet and it does help to prevent serious accidents. I have read hundreds of people swear by it and saving from a serious injury. I watched a hot dog get rammed into a saw with the blade all the way up and it barely took a piece off the size of an end of a pen. When I say rammed, he pushed it at full speed, way faster than anyone would ever jam a piece of wood into it.

Also I am not buying this saw to become lazy or practice bad habits. Its to help when a mistake is made. I am spending a lot of time in the shed and the table saw is probably my most used tool. If I can buy one to help me be safer then im all for it. I love my Delta but I can find it a good home with another wood worker. I will just go to the store and check them both out and make a decision. Thanks everyone.
 

drw

Donn
Corporate Member
Bill, I totally understand your reasoning for wanting a new SawStop. I have owned a PCS for over ten years and I have been extremely satisfied. Whenever we make a major purchase, I think most of us go through various mental gymnastics to justify our decisions. In my case, I have six grandchildren that I thought MAY want to work with me in the shop; so, I thought a SawStop made perfect sense for them. In truth, they haven't spent any significant time in the shop (none live locally), nonetheless, I am very happy with my decision. While I do not have any experience with the contractor model (I am sure it is an excellent saw), I can say the quality engineered in the PCS is outstanding.
 

gator

George
Corporate Member
I can't say for sure with SawStop but in general the cabinet saw has a smaller overall footprint than the contractor when you count the motor hanging off the back. You had said you were tight on space so the cabinet saw may be better from that view point.

George
 

Jeff

New User
Jeff
I didnt start this thread to discuss why I shouldnt buy one, but helping me decide which one.

I wasn't suggesting that you should not buy one but just asking a few questions. Geez, lighten up and don't be offended by a few questions.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I do some setup and adjustment for several people, some do yearly maintenance. I have worked on both saws and both are far superior to my Delta contractor that I bought in 1995, when they still made decent saws.

The professional model is a beast, I would not have room for it in my 14x24 shop. And you would need to run 220v. How far and at what cost?

If you are fairly happy with your Delta then you will love the SawStop contractor saw. Safety aside it is well designed and built better than most saws of that size. And it will fit in your small shop much better than the larger, much heavier, pro model.
 

Graywolf

Board of Directors, President
Richard
Staff member
Corporate Member
I saw several options with the professional Saw including 1.75 hp motor 120v. 30" or 52" spread on the fence and the up graded fence. The plus side is dust collection capacity is better than the contractor saw. Other than that it's a toss up to what you really want. Me personally I'd do the professional saw with the 30" spread.
 

Mike Davis

Mike
Corporate Member
I saw several options with the professional Saw including 1.75 hp motor 120v. 30" or 52" spread on the fence and the up graded fence. The plus side is dust collection capacity is better than the contractor saw. Other than that it's a toss up to what you really want. Me personally I'd do the professional saw with the 30" spread.
That’s a good point, I didn’t know they made a smaller cabinet saw. I thought it was only the 52 inch. And the 120v option if running a 220v line is cost prohibitive.
 

zdorsch

Zach
Corporate Member
Something else to consider—the motor is mounted underneath the table for the cabinet saw and sticks out the back for the contractor saw. The cabinet saw saves a bit of space at the rear of the saw.

Please don’t feel like you have to justify what you choose to buy. Sawstop makes a quality piece of equipment that does add a bit more safety.
 

Billm0066

Bill
User
I do some setup and adjustment for several people, some do yearly maintenance. I have worked on both saws and both are far superior to my Delta contractor that I bought in 1995, when they still made decent saws.

The professional model is a beast, I would not have room for it in my 14x24 shop. And you would need to run 220v. How far and at what cost?

If you are fairly happy with your Delta then you will love the SawStop contractor saw. Safety aside it is well designed and built better than most saws of that size. And it will fit in your small shop much better than the larger, much heavier, pro model.

You can get the pro with 1.75hp and it doesnt require 220. I looked at both today and the contractor has the motor hanging out the back so it actually seems wider. Professional and contractor are both 36" so the footprint feels very similar between the two. Professional seems so much better built, but the contractor has the steel wings which felt and looked cheap. I would need to go with cast iron and the price starts to get a lot closer. I will probably hang onto my delta until a used one pops up t save a few bucks. I like buying used when I can.
 

Billm0066

Bill
User
I wasn't suggesting that you should not buy one but just asking a few questions. Geez, lighten up and don't be offended by a few questions.

I think you must have read my response with a different tone than I was trying to convey. I do not get offended.
 

cyclopentadiene

Update your profile with your name
User
Another supporter of the Professional Sawstop. Size and power do matter. The only item that I would change is that I added the longer rails. The extra space just seems o be a junk collection area. If I breakdown sheet goods, it is much easier to handle alone in the shop by cutting with a Festool track saw.

The choice between the free upgrade of the overarm dust collection or a mobile base is a tossup. I was fortunate enough to get an awesome deal on new factory defect (some scratches etc.) laboratory case work made of steel (these typically cost about $750/lf). The cabinet I decided to use as an out feed sits at 36" height so my saw sits about 4" higher than standard. I opted for the overarm dust collection. I have an Oneida dust gorilla dust collector with a 5" drop to just a few inches from the saw (about 700 cfm at the saw). The overarm works OK but the split design of dust collection to the small pipe is not optimal. It tends tpo clog, especially if there are small slivers cut from the edge of a board.
 

FlyingRon

Moderator
Ron
I have a very small shop (10x19). The SS and the outfeed and extended table are a major part of it. There is a small Ridgid sander sitting on the extended table most of the time (it gets thrown under the table when I actually need the things). However, since I got a track saw (a cordless dewalt), I don't do much cutting down of sheet goods on the table saw anymore.
 

tarheelz

Dave
Corporate Member
I wasn't suggesting that you should not buy one but just asking a few questions. Geez, lighten up and don't be offended by a few questions.

Jeff, It's not difficult to understand why a reasonable (and "lightened") person could have been tweaked by your post. Your posting of, "Sounds like it's your table saw technique and a momentary lack of attention." was not just a question.

Full disclosure: Happy owner of PCS Sawstop.
 

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