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Table Saws

Hello again everyone. For this month's tip, the guru has chosen a machine that confuses even the most knowledgeable woodworkers. It starts a major debate between people who own these machines as to who's is better, and which has the best features. The machine I'm talking about is the staple in each and every true woodworkers shop. I'm talking about cabinet type tablesaws.

Before we touch on the features, let's take a minute to address safety. Now I know what you're saying. I'm careful and don't need a tool guru telling me to be careful. When we sell tablesaws at International Tool, we stress safety and the need for several pieces of safety equipment. For the most part, we are ignored, until an accident occurs. It is always at that point that the person comes strolling into our store, minus a few fingers, and is ready to listen to us. Take my advice and use this equipment before the accident occurs. You should always have good protective safety glasses or goggles on at all times. Ear protection is also advisable. Make sure your guard is functioning properly, and always use push blocks or push sticks when feeding material through your saw. These are basics that should be followed by everyone.

Enough on safety, let's take a look at the saws. For the most part, cabinet type tablesaws are the same in respect to the fact that they have motors in the three to 5 horsepower range. Is five horsepower necessary? My answer is based upon your application. If you are not using it for production, three is all you will ever need, and if used for production, stepping up to five horsepower might be advisable, especially if there is only a difference like in the Powermatic Model 66. For several hundred dollars more, I'd give it more thought. The truth is that if the motor is a quality motor, such as a Baldor or equivalent, it is highly unlikely that you will bog down the three horsepower motor.

There are three major components of a table saw that will make or break your projects. The first is a very powerful motor that we just spoke about. The second is a very good quality carbide blade that is the right blade for your application, and this subject is one I will address in a future column, and third is a very accurate fencing system. There is somewhat of a fence war going on right now, with several new additions to the market, and trying to decide which one to go with is difficult. Most saws will come with a 50" commercial fence. The 50" means the fence extends 50" to the right of your saw blade, and 12" to the left. This gives you the ability to rip 4 x 8 sheets easily. The difference between the commercial fences and the "home shop" fences is basically the diameter of the front rail that the fence rides on. It is about half the size of the commercial model. The three fences that I recommend are the Beismeyer fence, the Powermatic Accufence, and the Delta Unifence. All offer incredible accuracy, and are very well constructed. You wouldn't be going wrong with any of these fence systems.

The cabinet saws we push are the Delta Unisaw and the Powermatic Model 66. People ask me all the time, "why don't you carry Jet, Grizzly, etc.?" The reason is simple. These brands, as well as all other brands for the most part, are imported from Taiwan, where the Delta and Powermatic are proudly made in the USA. The Taiwan quality might be there at the outset, but for the long haul, I feel they are much more susceptible to failure down the road, and that's where the problems really begin. Parts availability for the Delta and Powermatic are wonderful, and I cannot say the same for their so called competitors based upon feedback I have gotten from the owners of these imports. The worst scenario is when you have a breakdown and you are told by the manufacturer that you will need to wait four to six weeks because the part is not in stock. I also feel the castings and the trunions on the Delta and Powermatic are the best in the industry. The bottom line is that you get what you pay for. If you are saving several hundred dollars on a table saw, there has to be a substantial quality difference.

You will also notice that some of these saws have blades that tilt to the left, and others that tilt to the right. If you speak to the manufacturers, they give you several reasons why you would benefit by one or the other. My read on it, without listing all of the manufacturers selling points, is that it is a matter of personal preference. Go with whichever you are most comfortable with.

These saws all come with wonderful cast tabletops. Delta gives you a cast extension wing which mounts to the left of the table, where Powermatic gives you two, one for each side of the table. Both manufacturers run specials that add value added features from time to time, as well as rebates and other promotions. The critical items you will need to add to your saw if they don't already come with them are a tableboard to mount to the right side of the table, and legs to mount under the table. We sell the tables that are laminated, as well as the legs, or you can make them yourself, but either way, you will find that they are a necessity.

That covers the basics of the cabinet tablesaws. As always, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me and I will get back to you with a quick answer. I also encourage you to e-mail me with ideas for upcoming columns. I'll speak to you again next month.

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Read previous months' tips:
Slide Compound Miter Saws
Mid-Sized Plunge Routers
Cordless Drills
Detail Sanders
Random Orbit Sanders
Brad Nailers
Hammer Drills