table saw education

[Rbohno]

I need some expertise advice on table saws. i currnetly have a Hitahci C10fl and am going to try and get $200 for it so that being said I need advice on a new saw.

Two choices both Grizzly a G0715 $ 795 and a G1023RLX $1525, other than the obvious ripping capability, is the 1023 worth twice the price. What would I be gaining by using up 50% of my initial tool by choosing the 1023RLX.

My main four purchases for my new shop are:

Tablesaw
Bandsaw
Planer
Joiner

So if I go with the 1023 I will have to bypass the joiner. Is the 1023 so much more accurate? They identify the 715 as a hybrid which indicates a crossover from a contractor saw. Being a general contractor for years and realizing you get what you pay for, what am I actually getting with the 1023 that the 715 couldn't do other than the obvious extended ripping capabilities.

Don't want to buy one saw and wished I would have purchased the 1023 later but also don't want to spend double the money for something I don't need.

What do you guys think?

 

[Berta]

A table saw can not replace a joiner. Do you really NEED that extra capabilities?

 

[golfdad]

Not much difference except ones a 2hp and the 1023 is 3hp
and that model 1023 has a larger fence and a side table. Depends on what your going to do with it. If you go on Grizzly's site and look up ea saw...scroll to bottom of page and they compare about 5 saws. Either would be a good choice

 

[Jim M.]

Rich,
I have to agree with Berta, and if you don't need the extra hp or rip capacity, I'd go with the G0715. You can always dress down larger material or build a mobile side and outfeed table to help with larger materials. Jim

 

[Mike Davis]

If you regularly work on large furniture or build outdoor arbors and handle big timbers then the extra horsepower is essential.

I have used a Delta contractor saw for 18 years and only once wished I had something with more HP. I was ripping 16/4 white oak and had to slow my feed down to a crawl. One hour out of thousands on that saw is not worth the extra cost in cash and shop space to me.

 

[frankc4113]

I have the General International 2 HP saw on 120V and it works perfectly and never bogs down. About the biggest thing I cut on it is 2" and it works perfectly. You can make a fence extension out of UHMW in that it is straight as well as slippery enough. I think that unless you are going to do the bigger work, you should go with the 2 HP.

 

[chris_goris]

The hybrid saws are a marketing thing. They are made light duty and "look" like cabinet saws. DO NOT confuse the 2. Grizzly has some good resources on their site. Look at the parts manuals at the exploded views and youll see how much more heavy duty the 1023 is over the 715. Look specifically at the mounting trunnions and related mechanism. For any machine, more weight equals less vibration and less vibration equals smoother operation.

 

[Jeff]

Will your new shop have 220/240 v single phase on 20 amp circuits? I've always found horsepower ratings to be confusing vs what'll it actually do without stalling and burning up which = horsepower rating.

The G0715P seems like a good $ spend for general use in a non-production shop. The videos at the Grizzly site are instructive for comparison of the two models.

About 400 lbs total for the 715 seems pretty hefty.

 

[Rbohno]

yes it will have 220/240 I am very lucky that one of my best friends owns one of the largest electrical contracting companies in Charlotte so the sky is the limit on what I need electrical wise.
When he wired my garage/man cave he would come over with a crew and tell them what he wanted and then add whatever I asked for. I get materials for cost and we barter my I.T. services for labor.

 

[Skymaster]

to answer your question you must answer this question: What are you planning to do in the shop? Production, commercial work, DAILY run machine for hours at a time. What materials, ie sheet goods, 2x , 5/4 3/4 for face frames, cabinets?????? Until what you are planning to do is known only then can you decide what equipment is needed. I have a cabinet shop that is operated as needed, like Mike I have run Delta contractor saw for 15 years on 220 without a hickup. I added a Jessem slider attachment to the left side which allows me to crosscut up to 30". My saw is on a rolling stand which allows me to move it out of the way if I need more floor space.

 

[SubGuy]

2HP is good in a saw. I have 3HP and never have to slow speed down feeding. There are a few times when I have needed all 3HP: Large dado cuts, Thick Hard Maple and Cherry and doing cove cuts on my saw. Those woods that burn easily are the ones you don't want to slow down feed rate too far or your gonna get burning. I have never had to really slow down my dado cuts either as my friend has complained about before. If you ever do cove cuts, I promise you that you will want a beefier saw that doesn't slow down when feeding. Honestly, I would go 3HP. You can find a 3HP saw for much cheaper than $1500 on CL. I got a JET JTAS 10XL 3HP for $340. It was missing the blade guard, but I don't like blade guards much anyway. Another important thing to consider is infeed and outfeed distance. If you have a short infeed, I have found it aggravating to add to that support. Outfeed is easier because you can generally make it more permanent. I have seen a few jigs to add infeed, but I have found them too specialized and annoying to fool with. Maybe just me:icon_scra
Fence is very important. I like the Biesemeyer style fences as well as the Xacta Style Fence (which I have). I don't care much for aluminum extruded fences. That is just my 2 cents.

 

[cpowell]

You may want to consider used WWing machines if the cost is an issue. Used cabinet saws (Unisaws, Powermatic, Jet, Griz) seem to come up for sale pretty regularly as folks upgrade to Sawstop technology.

You should be able to find a very good used cabinet saw with 3HP for less than $1000. If you can find one that was used in a hobby shop by someone that cares for his/her tools it will last you a lifetime at a fraction of new price.

If you buy good used machines then if you want to upgrade later you will be able to sell the machines at about what you paid for them.

If you buy newer lower end machinery you may not recoup the money should you decide to upgrade later on.

 

[Rbohno]

I will be working by myself doing sIngle piece work in which ripping 4/2 boards and 3/4" dado cuts being the most demanding. My Hitachi has been fine for light work that didn't require supreme accuracy but I want to move up to the next level so I can produce different types of quality furniture. My carpenter work in the past has been limited to a few pieces of furniture but for a living has been high end decks and remodeling.

 

[Guy in Paradise]

Yes, the 3HP is worth it. There are often deals available for the patient buyer that doesn't mind driving to the sale though. I spent years with cheap inherited tools and wished I have gone to quality machines sooner in life. Using a problematic 6" jointer for years, gives you a gleeful appreciation when you do get that 8" or larger machine. Same with a 14" bandsaw when getting that 17" or 19" saw. And, after using a skill saw for years, or using the hard used military base tablesaw for years, getting that first cabinet saw. After getting good quality tools, I have had to stop myself several times from taking my hand and slapping my forehead while thinking "Why did I wait so long?"