Cabinet Saw Type Suggestions Please?

[diarmaid]

Hi,

I was going to buy the sawstop cabinet saw for $3500 but after lengthy emails they wont deliver to Ireland because they cant provide after sales support.....I didn't want after sales support... . Anyway, this leaves me back where I was originally thinking about the Jet 10" Cabinet Saw, which is 1/3 the price at €950.

Does anyone own, or has anyone used one of these. All reports and comments I've had so far seem to be positive so Im just wondering what your experience has been, either positive or negative. Thanks a million.

Also if you use a different make of cabinet saw and would like to specifically warn me away from it, that would be appreciated aswell.

http://www.southern-tool.com/store/1...ight_tilt.html

[ger21]

I have a delta Unisaw. If I had to replace it, I'd buy another Unisaw. But it should outlast me by quite a few years.

[turmite]

Ditto what Gerry said. I don't onw one but my brother does and I promise you it has seen a lot of use.

Mike

[Mcgyver]

question for the woodworkers; the home shop saws i see in North America are regular table saws like the unisaw, but in industry and a lot of European machines like Felder and Robland (albeit expensive home machines) are sliding table saws. I've never used a sliding table but it seem a superior design, either for crosscutting or panels. Of course you can use it as regular saw for ripping. so anyone have thoughts on why hasn't the sliding table become more prevalent in NA - anyone have one/use one, and do you typically find sliding tables in European home shops? (don't mean to hijack but thought it relevant to the request for suggestions)

[ger21]

You'll see a lot of sliding table saws in smaller commercial shops in the US. But, for home use, they need a lot more space, and they are expensive.

As for cutting large panels, I built a vertical panel saw that only takes up about 18" of floor space. I crosscut all my panels with that, and rip with the table saw.

[diarmaid]

Thanks for all the comments so far folks. Delta seems to be very popular but maybe thats just in the USA? I'll decide later if I need a panel saw, I probably will, but for now the table saw would be a good start.

[martinw]

Thanks for all the comments so far folks. Delta seems to be very popular but maybe thats just in the USA? I'll decide later if I need a panel saw, I probably will, but for now the table saw would be a good start.

Dear diarmaid,

I have a Powermatic 66 with a cross-cut table of my own, extremely modest design (about 15 years ago). It can do panels of 8 by 4 ft and is pretty much OK when I measure the diagonals.. maybe out by a couple of millimetres. It does, however take up an awfully large amount of workshop space.

My best advice to you is to consider your future needs NOW and get a good European panel saw. It will do everything that a US (or indeed European) cabinet saw will do, and do the panel stuff as well. OK, it will cost quite a lot more, but I would go for the longer term view.

I'm not knocking US manufacturers, it is just that there are a lot more people hereabouts who are now making good quality panel/table saws compared to 15 years ago.

Best wishes

Martin

[diarmaid]

How are you doing martin, haven't seen you since my crazy thread about the mains frequency!
Thanks but I dont envisage cutting much sheet material, at least not within such a timeframe as to require a panel saw initially. I need the table saw for accurately ripping boards into correct widths, standard length 4.8m, (I dont think a panel saw will be good for this...but maybe it would...) and maybe cutting grooves to then be chiselled out for joints. I'll allow the space around my table saw initially to allow for working with sheets, but I think I'll probably end up being able to reduce that at the sides, and just leave space front and rear. Thats why I figure I can get a panel saw later, as or if the need arises.
Thanks for all the advice so far.

[martinw]

Dear diamaid,

I don't know what you want to make with a cabinet saw.

They are good at ripping, and you can cross-cut short lengths of timber at a pinch. They are absolutely useless at cutting large sheets. OK, you can build a cross-cut sled, but that will not work conveniently on a quarter sheet of 8 by 4ft, let alone a whole sheet.

Sooner or later, you will want to do the latter.

Keep saving your hard-earned money, and buy once, not twice.

Best wishes,

Martin

[ViperTX]

Mcgyver....well the sliding table saws are great when the piece you are cutting fits into their "stroke length"....but alas eventually the become just like the others when doing cuts beyond their "stroke length".....

[bigz1]

How about buying 2nd hand you get a hell of a lot more for your money. All the small Wadkin panel saws in my place of work were bought used(pick one of these up for £500 at auction). After a further 10 years of use they still produce a good result.

Make sure you buy one with a tilt facilty, and if its for shop use it must be able to stop within 10 secs to comply wiyh current UK regs.

As you say 4.8m maybe best cut on a beam saw. You could always put a powerfeed on to improve matters though. Cost approx £300 buying these 2nd hand is not a good idea(take it from experience)

Comparing small UK panel saws to US ones. I prefer the riving knife supplied on the Uk ones to the Antikick back devise on most of the US products. Also a good strong sliding fence(mine in work vary from 1m to 3m cross cutting capacity) is far superior to the cross cut box you would have to make for the one in the link.

[martinw]

. I prefer the riving knife supplied on the Uk ones to the Antikick back devise on most of the US products..

My 15 year-old Powermatic 66 came with a riving knife and "anti-kickback" pawls", riding, and fixed to either side of the knife. Unfortunately, the saw blade throat plate always managed to catch the pawls and jam into them. The "anti-kickback " pawls thus guaranteed quite the opposite as the workpiece jammed. It was a spectacularly stupid piece of design.

For panel ripping, get hold of a couple of wheels that fix to your ripping fence and pull the piece against the fence. For ripping lumber, use a riving knife (splitter) and put the pawls in the trash bin before they injure you.

IMHO

Best Wishes

Martin