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Dream table saw

Webb Willmott

Webb Willmott

Joined
Feb 25, 2025
Messages
312
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353
Location
Jackson, MS
Most of the higher end saws are similarly priced, so excluding price, what would you buy?

I have my dream lathe so now it’s time to update my table saw. While your posting, please include bandsaw if inclined.
 
I’ve been very happy with my SawStop and the 52” fence plus a Harvey slider. I’ve never had a table saw injury (knock on wood) and would not have changed saws except we had a friend who did and my wife told me I could buy a SawStop or she would buy what she thought I should have. Regardless of how you feel about SawStop, I’ve been very happy with the saw.
 
I still have a Powermatic 66 used from an auction (2018)which replaced a Grizzly 1023 purchased used in 2014, which had replaced an old Craftsman 10” from 1978.
Delta 14” and Grizzly 17” bandsaws in the shop.
Someday perhaps a SawStop!
 
SawStop. I sold a few year old Unisaw 10-15yrs ago to get the safety features. Turns out the SawStop is also every bit as good of an overall saw as the Unisaw AND won’t cut off my fingers. I live in an RV community where 4-5 of us have SawStops…two others should have as the cut fingers off on their tablesaws in the last 3-4yrs.
 
I have a 70's Delta Unisaw. I have used a Sawstop frequently and cannot tell any difference in performance or accuracy between the two. Of course the Sawstop gets the nod due to safety. But lets add in another factor, a sliding table. The sliding table adds a whole new dimension to performance. I think it is also a safety feature. I added an after market sliding table to my Unisaw and love it. Sawstop also has one but I have not used it. If I were to upgrade it would be a saw with the sliding table. I like the old Oliver's, Hammers, or maybe a SCMI. I also have a small Hammond Glider Trim O Saw with a sliding table. Extremely accurate and just a joy to use, it cuts everything for my segmented turning.

For my bandsaw I have a old 20" Delta. I really like the large table and its probably good nuff for me.
 
I visited the Harvey booth at AWFS in Las Vegas. I really liked their table saw and bandsaw. However I already have a Jet 18" bandsaw and 2 Delta unisaws. So I don't plan on another anytime soon.
 
I forgot to mention bandsaws previously - Minimax MM16 is a workhorse and used extensively for resawing with a 4.8hp motor, and 1970 Delta 14” which is a great every day saw.
 
I'm planning next year to buy a Sawstop 3HP 52" fence, likely with the router table attachment. I'm not sure I can fit the sliding table attachment. This saw will be a giant upgrade from my current Rockwell delta contractor saw with a 46" rip capacity.
 
In my 11' x 21' clear dimension shop, I have no room for a table saw. For several years I had a second-hand Jet contractor saw, but it was more a junk collection surface, and square footage eater, than a useful tool. I moved it along to a good home. When I need to knock down large pieces, a clamped straight edge and my Milwaukee 18v circular saw serve the purpose.

After that, a second pre-1990 Delta 14" bandsaw came to me, so I have one set up for log work and long rips, and one for smaller, intricate work. And my new Metabo slider chop saw takes care of cuts to 12" wide. (Learning to properly use hand planes has allowed me to part ways with a jointer and surface planer, too.)

After retirement and a new home and shop in 5 years (if the world is still in one piece), maybe a table saw could be in my life again, but only in a big shop space, min. 2-car garage size shop. But unless I have a specific, constant need again that only a good table saw could serve, I probably won't have another. They sure are useful when you need one, though. I could see a good track saw system being an acceptable compromise for me.
 
Ron Solfest said:
SawStop. I sold a few year old Unisaw 10-15yrs ago to get the safety features. Turns out the SawStop is also every bit as good of an overall saw as the Unisaw AND won’t cut off my fingers. I live in an RV community where 4-5 of us have SawStops…two others should have as the cut fingers off on their tablesaws in the last 3-4yrs.
Click to expand...

I read the average the US average is 10 finger amputations per day. Yikes.

Do you keep a moisture meter nearby and test questionable wood or touch it to the blade to check for possible false stop?
 
For a new cabinet saw I don't think you can do better than Sawstop, well designed and made plus the safety tech. The old Powermatic 66 and Unisaw are equally good and a lot cheaper if you don't want/need the flesh-sensing gear.

shop photos 008.JPG

As a recovering cabinetmaker I would have a hard time giving up my 8' slider. I would argue that if used properly it is as safe as a Sawstop because you don't need to get your hands near the blade. My dream saw would be a Martin T72 with hydraulic blade raise/tilt, digital readouts and the rip fence adjustment on the operator's side, but I'd need a bigger shop. Martin A sliding attachment on a cabinet saw is better than no slider.
 
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Price is no object? Felder made a saw with a flesh sensing safety feature. The blade retracts instantly, but is not damaged in the process, and no cartridge to replace. Just reset the system and you're good to go. I can't remember how many tens of thousands it went for.

BTW, I bought a 52" SawStop at an estate sale. Great saw, but too big and too heavy. I wish I had the contractor model.
 
I had a Delta Unisaw for maybe 15 or so years, can't remember. Bought it from a cabinet shop that 2 friends owned, and they both had PM 36s, I think that is what they were. I did get a Saw Stop a couple of years ago, and it was a BIG step up! For bandsaw, I have a Laguna 16HD which I think they don't make any more. A 4.5 hp Baldor motor on it and with the correct blade, it walks through just about everything, well as long as the blade is sharp.... I do have a small bandsaw, an old PM with cast iron body for cutting circles.

robo hippy
 
Webb Willmott said:
I read the average the US average is 10 finger amputations per day. Yikes.

Do you keep a moisture meter nearby and test questionable wood or touch it to the blade to check for possible false stop?
Click to expand...
I’ve never set mine off. If I saw wood that might have a nail in it I switch off the mechanism (easy to do for single cut). I think I’ve only switched it off because of fear of wet wood once.

In our neighborhood only 1 of the 4 SawStops has been set off. That guy did it twice, and both times was very happy to still have fingers. I’m not aware of any false-fires but I’m sure they happen.
 
Tripped a Sawstop twice?! Easy for me to say, but there was some serious operator error going on there. Twice.

I do not understand why machine tool users don't get themselves some training of some kind before using the machine. Even the owner's manual. All excuses, and no reasons.
 
Steve Tiedman said:
Tripped a Sawstop twice?! Easy for me to say, but there was some serious operator error going on there. Twice.

I do not understand why machine tool users don't get themselves some training of some kind before using the machine. Even the owner's manual. All excuses, and no reasons.
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I don’t disagree, not real experienced but thankfully has all his fingers.

Before judging too quickly I have to admit that I was using my saw a couple months ago on just a couple hours sleep and got an operator error kickback. Woke me up enough to turn the saw off and leave the shop until the next day when I was better rested.

We all make mistakes. That’s the primary reason I splurged for the SawStop after both my father and father-in-law errantly put their thumbs into their tablesaws in their 60’s (fortunately both just ended up with a few stitches).

Be safe out there y’all
 
Mark Hepburn said:
Altendorf F45. A guy can dream right?
Click to expand...
Certainly not as high end as that, but I have a small slider in my shop, a Grizzly G0623X (heavily modified for improved dust collection...), and love it. Sliding table saw workflow is a big mindset shift from a cabinet saw, but the slider (plus the obligatory Fritz and Franz jig) replaced a passel of jigs and workholding accessories from my co-op shop days using cabinet saws. I theoretically have a rip fence, but I can't remember the last time I even needed it. My entire usage and workflow of this saw has my hands on the slider, nowhere near the blade or line of fire, not even with a fancy or shop-made push stick.

So if we're dreaming, then probably any of the Felder sliders with their PCS system. hmm. it only used to be on the highest-end line, but I see the PCS has moved down to the new K 945 S now; wonderful. The PCS works similarly to the SawStop's emergency brake, but it's non-destructive. Just press 'reset' and get back to work. As understand it, some of Felder's engineers realized that their blade height servo systems could already move the entire trunnion really, really fast. So they pushed that engineering into a fully resettable system.
 
John Whitley said:
Certainly not as high end as that, but I have a small slider in my shop, a Grizzly G0623X (heavily modified for improved dust collection...), and love it. Sliding table saw workflow is a big mindset shift from a cabinet saw, but the slider (plus the obligatory Fritz and Franz jig) replaced a passel of jigs and workholding accessories from my co-op shop days using cabinet saws. I theoretically have a rip fence, but I can't remember the last time I even needed it. My entire usage and workflow of this saw has my hands on the slider, nowhere near the blade or line of fire, not even with a fancy or shop-made push stick.

So if we're dreaming, then probably any of the Felder sliders with their PCS system. hmm. it only used to be on the highest-end line, but I see the PCS has moved down to the new K 945 S now; wonderful. The PCS works similarly to the SawStop's emergency brake, but it's non-destructive. Just press 'reset' and get back to work. As understand it, some of Felder's engineers realized that their blade height servo systems could already move the entire trunnion really, really fast. So they pushed that engineering into a fully resettable system.
Click to expand...

I had a Grizzly slider too, but had to downsize my shop and sold it. it was a great saw but sometimes the right tilt was an issue for me.
 
Mark Hepburn said:
sometimes the right tilt was an issue for me.
Click to expand...
Yeah, I get that. Sliders can take up a lot of space relative to a small cabinet saw setup (unless you "splurge" on a massive outfeed table that is...) I spent a lot of time laying out my shop before it was built out, including a diagram of the entire footprint-in-motion of the saw, slider, and outrigger table.

I actually have a custom ground 14° flat top (left tilt...) blade for cutting dovetails on the table saw... which is now useless on the right tilt G0623X. sigh.
 
John Whitley said:
Yeah, I get that. Sliders can take up a lot of space relative to a small cabinet saw setup (unless you "splurge" on a massive outfeed table that is...) I spent a lot of time laying out my shop before it was built out, including a diagram of the entire footprint-in-motion of the saw, slider, and outrigger table.

I actually have a custom ground 14° flat top (left tilt...) blade for cutting dovetails on the table saw... which is now useless on the right tilt G0623X. sigh.
Click to expand...

I'm building a new shop but still space constrained. If I could, I'd have a slider and another cabinet saw. Even though I've sworn off building large projects. I am apparently a tool junkie. :-)
 
Fred Hargis said:
My dream saw would have been a PM66, if they were still in production. As it is I've settled on a SS ICS, which is also very nice saw.
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If I can swing it in my shop budget, I'd like to upgrade to a SawStop.
 
Ron Solfest said:
Ask your wife what your finger is worth, one of the few tool purchases I didn’t need to justify 🤣
Click to expand...

That's a pretty good point. I've been using table saws for 50+ years, so statistically I'm probably due for an accident. :)
 
A sawstop can be very dangerous. I know of someone who lost 4 fingers on one. When you start thinking the machine is smarter than you and you can't get hurt. I have never been hurt on a unisaw, I know it is dangerous and respect it, using push sticks or jigs when necessary. The sawstop that cut off 4 fingers had been set off twice that day, all the spare cartridges were used up. So the safety was disabled. However when the kid went to use it he was overconfident that it was a sawstop and couldn't hurt him, and didn't realize that it had been disabled.
 
Wyatt Holm said:
The sawstop that cut off 4 fingers had been set off twice that day, all the spare cartridges were used up. So the safety was disabled.
Click to expand...
There's so much wrong with this story overall, but this takes the cake. The saw should have been disabled at this point, with the safety clip removed and secured if potential users couldn't be trusted to not respect its out of service status. (Heck, I've worked in shops where the saw was offline for the day for exactly this reason!)

I suppose I have a hard time blaming the saw here. Reading between the lines, it also sounds like the kid in question was being allowed to use the saw without proper training, which is a whole other category of error.
 
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