This looks like a forum in need of a post so here goes...
What type of table saws do folks have?
Dato heads?
I have a ryobi all in one setup that is a table saw and a router table built in. I have had it for a couple of year and it works pretty well. The fence is better than many I have examined in that it is pretty precise. Some of the cheap machines have very sloppy fences.
I would like to add a dato head. Any recommendations? Also how much trouble is it to take off and adjust, etc...
For 22 years in a custom mill, we always used Delta Unisaws for utility work. They are not cheap, but by no means the most expensive, either (used to be around $1500). They can be fitted with different kinds of aftermarket fences that are quite accurate. You can work one of these saws all day long with no problems.
We also had a 15HP 3 phase rip saw for dealing with thicker hardwoods. [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
We always used the stacked type dado cutters rather than the adjustable. For "in between" sizes (anything less than the 1/32" chipper) I'd stick a piece or two of sandpaper into the set.
I prefer the stacked units although the adjustables are fine for rough cutting. I own a Freud for general use and a Forrest for furniture use. Definently purchase the carbide tipped ones.
I owned a 12 inch Craftsman for 10+ years. Worked fairly well. Outfitted it with a Biesmeyer fence after 4 years. This definitely improved its performance. Traded it to a contractor for some work on my house and bought a Powermatic 66. I wanted a beefier saw/motor for working with hardwoods plus a true cabinet saw for sawdust collection. I really like the Powermatic; very smooth. I've got a wide table plus a flip up extension for an extra 3 ft length. I moved last year so it's in storage until my shop is built. I bought a used sliding table saw attachment from a friend who owns a custom cabinet business. Now he's got a beautiful saw; a Felder; sliding table, shaper combination; but $$$. [img]/forums/images/icons/ooo.gif[/img]
I think the 3 hp Powermatics are roughly $600 more than a comparable Delta Unisaw now (both with 50" table and mobile base). When I bought mine they were closer in price, differing by approximately $300. I looked at both and really liked the Powermatic castings. Very heavy resulting in a very smooth operating machine. Even when very dusty I don't have problems changing the blade angle. My Craftsman would gum up and have to be cleaned regularly. I haven't run a Delta enough to offer any opinion although I've never heard or read of anyone complaining about them. The Jet and General lines are supposed to be comparable.
I stopped by the local Woodworker's Warehouse today to look at tablesaws. They didn't have a Powermatic 66 on display so I couldn't compare them. They did have a Unisaw and the Jet competitor on display. It was pretty tough to see a lot of difference in them. You can get them with 3 HP or 5 HP motors - what do you need to be cutting before 3 HP isn't enough?
I've also been looking at the new Laguna Tools tablesaw. It appears to be aimed at the Powermatic market. It weighs a wopping 1,000 pounds. The table is split down the middle instead of in thirds, so the optional sliding table comes right up to the blade. There is also an optional scoring cutter. Its priced in the same ballpark as the Powermatic, but shipping from CA to NH puts it over the top for me. I still don't know what I'm going to buy, I'm still researching.
<font color="blue"> what do you need to be cutting before 3 HP isn't enough? </font color>
Anything goes. I have heard the same thing said on TBN, though I don't have personal experience there, yet, since my CUT acquisition will be coming very soon. The lower your HP, the slower you need to feed the work, but you can still do it.
I have resawed 2x6 white oak on a 1.5 HP Craftsman table saw (a very demanding application). You just need to listen and feed according to the saw's ability. You can also compensate by taking smaller cuts, raising the blade incrementally for each pass until you are done.
<font color="blue">Even when very dusty I don't have problems changing the blade angle. </font color>
At one time (I've been out of the trade since 1995), a major difference between the Unisaw and the Powermatic was the direction the blade tilted. Unisaws tilted towards the fence, which I always thought was the more dangerous approach since it tends to create a bind situation. We just worked around that by either placing the smaller scrap portion between the blade and fence (having a helper to pull it through), or by placing the fence on the other side of the blade for some angle cuts (such as beveling threshholds).
If I had to 45 the long edges of lots of pieces of (ply)wood, I would cut the pieces exactly two inches wider (one inch for each edge), then set the Unisaw's fence so the saw removed exactly one inch to the finished feather edge of the 45. Then, you could cut lots of pieces of a variety of sizes to a finished, mitered size with a single setup.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote