Table saws

Hello,

I responded to this thread a while ago, and wanted to chime in again on Sawstop vs other saws.

First, let me say that I personally own a left tilt Jet 5hp Xacta saw. I got it when I worked at Woodcraft in Salt Lake City. At that time it was an outstanding deal for the money. I have sold Unisaws, Powermatic 66's, Sawstops and Xacta saws.

Based on my experience, the Sawstop is by far and away the best of the lot. The table tends to be flatter than any of the others, and while it doesn't have the beautiful polish that the 66 has, the cast wings are larger. In fact, the table is deeper by about 3 inches than the other saws.

Internally is where the Sawstop really shines. If you are able to look at the other saws side by side with the Sawstop, pay attention to things like the size of the trunnion, and arbor bracket. Also, the Sawstop is a 4 bolt mount, and the Unisaw is only 3. The arbor bearings are the largest of all the saws, and the arbor shaft is also larger than the others.

The dust collection is also better than any of the others. The blade has a shroud, as well as the cabinet having dust collection. Hooked up to a dust collector, there is very little above table dust.

The Riving knife, blade guard choice is also another nice feature. They simply pop in and out with the twist of a lever. I do not run a guard on my saw at all, and I don't have the option of a riving knife. In using the Sawstop in the Woodcraft classroom, we would run the saw with just the riving knife in place. The guard was also there for those students that felt more comfortable with the blade covered.

You all are probably wondering why I don't have a Sawstop in my shop. The answer is economics. I'd dearly love to have one. I have lost the tip of a finger (about 1/2") to a saw without the technology. I can't justify selling my 5hp cabinet saw for 700 bucks (if I could get even that) and spending 3500 for a Sawstop. I am much more cautious around my saw since I got bit, and a little care goes a long way. But rest assured, if I was in the market for a saw now, I'd pop for a Sawstop in a heartbeat. It pays for itself the first time you pop a cartridge.
 
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Yep, it was purchased from a Chapter member cheap, but boy is it built strong. Cast iron top, and body, looks like it will run forever I replaced the old motor on it with a 11/2 hp. but the fence is solid and the thing keeps on going. I didn't know it was a collectible...Ban saw is old too; 1947 Delata 14".
 
Mark,

Thanks for the observation. I'll look closely at the innards.

When you say the saw stop has a larger arbor, are you saying it is possibly a 1" instead of a US 5/8ths "( undersized when compared to the rest of the world who use 20 mm or 1" or 30 mm) ) .. or that the arbor up to the blade mount section is larger but still 5/8ths . That beiing the case I would expect some "whip"

I have an older saw with 3 HP ( true 3 hp with a hand wound motor)
and a full 1" arbor with a 12" capacity. I usually run 10" blades with 1 " arbors, I have these blades made in Japan. Once in a while I use 12" blades, but not often.

The top of the line SAW STOP is quoted at around $4K here in Oregon and virtually no deals to be had.. ( hmmm.. price fixing?)

I also use a sliding table, mine was a dedicated unit as supplied by the manufacturer of the saw. As yet, I have not heard back from Saw Stop on the possibility of a sliding table. A saw without one has no value to me.

If I could afford it, I would have a Reinhold or an Ulmia.. but not at the current exchange rates.
 
Hi,

IRC it is a 1" shaft with a 5/8 arbor. There is no discernible "whip" to the arbor or blade. With the right blade, you can cut a strip thin enough to see through.

As far as I know Sawstop does not offer a sliding table. About the only accessory they do offer is a mobile base. If you are looking for a sliding table, look at the Exactor sliders. The shop I was foreman of had 2 of the 69"ers mounted on Unisaws, and they worked great. We ended up upgrading to a monster Powermatic sliding tablesaw though.

As far as price goes, you'll never find a deal. Sawstop does indeed price fix. They do not allow dealers to discount, under pain of loss of license. You cannot even discount the things like table inserts. They are kind of a wierd company to eal with. Things like you gotta charge freight to the customer. If the customer lives next door to the Sawstop building and wants to pick up their saw, there is a 50 dollar charge. They are kind of an arrogant company, but they do have a unique product.
 
I'll check out the Exactor.

"SawStop does indeed price fix. They do not allow dealers to discount under pain of loss of license. "

Strictly illegal. No manufacturer can dictate to a dealer what the final price will be. Once the dealer pays for and owns the product, they can sell it for more, or less, or give it away. Trust me, it is strictly illegal for a manufacturer to enforce a selling price.

Full disclosure, I was a factory rep for high line Euro made products as well as 2 Japanese manufacturers. 25 years.

A manufacturer can enforce an "advertised" price to be used in print or other media, but again, the final price is up to the seller.

If SAW STOP is truly "arrogant" they are automatically off my list.
I'll contact them directly and see how they come across.

Thanks.. good info.
 
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