If it's not going to see a lot of use, then the benchtop would probably be OK. If you want to have a saw that will last 20 years, then go the contractor route. When you say projects around the house, I take that to mean very light use. Do you mean cutting parts to build your CNC, or cutting up large sheets for stock to be CNC machined? Cutting 4 x 8 sheets on a small table saw can be difficult. Even with a contractors saw.
Another thing is that benchtop saws are usually direct drive, and are noisier and tend to have more vibration. A contractor saw will be belt driven, and usually smoother running.
I did some research, and these are supposedly 2 of the best.
General 50-185M1
Jet JWTS-10CW2-JF
I'd also recommend Delta, but not the cheapest ones. The ones priced similarly to the 2 above should be of similar quality.
These are all probably more than you wanted to spend, though.
__________________
Gerry
Mach3 2010 Screenset
http://home.comcast.net/~cncwoodworker/2010.html
(Note: The opinions expressed in this post are my own and are not necessarily those of CNCzone and its management) |