Sliding Table saws

I’ve always had good luck with Grizzly tools.

Thanks Jim…It’s tough because it is several hours away to go have a peak. I did go look at a brand new Hammer today and it took all of my will power not to buy it on the spot! Tough to compare European technology to Taiwanese but it is almost more than double in price

I’m no expert on these things, but I did see one feature on one once that was really cool. It was a second blade that was small, in front of, and in line with the regular blade. The small blade turns in the opposite direction and scores the bottom side so there’s no tear out on the bottom. Ingenious!

Angellos
Please forgive the question but after looking at your website and your projects I’m wondering why you need a sliding table saw, this is a saw I always viewed as a saw that people who make lots of cabinets need, but the work you have posted seems that you’ve have minimal cabinet work and lots of carving and metal work. All wonderful BTW .

I only post a fraction of my work. The house that the wine room is in also had a couple of rooms done in wall to wall wood panels. (Shaker style, frame and panel) The ceilings as well. I went through the better part of a lift of plywood by the time it was done. My saw has an excaliber table extension but I want something sturdier and more accurate. I like to do a lot of my cross cutting etc on the table saw too. And a scoring blade would be so nice! I was getting tear out fairly frequently…nothing horrendous but if it can be done better that’s how I want to do it if possible. Also, I’m a tool junkie!

Here are the two saws: https://www.feldercanada.com/product/hammer-k3-winner-table-sawhttp://www.grizzly.com/products/10-7-1-2-HP-3-Phase-Extreme-Series-Sliding-Table-Saw/G0623X3

The Hammer has a 52" rip fence while the Grizzly only has a 32" rip fence. The Grizzly is also 3 phase which I’m not liking too much (extra wiring, noise, two switches to turn on etc)

And thank you, btw!

Brian…yes, they are very cool. It’s called a scoring blade. Usually around 3-4" diameter and used to eliminate tear out. My saw is pretty old and has some worn parts so I’m thinking if I’m upgrading anyway i should get the best I can afford.

One thing you should consider is having 3 phase wiring installed. If you add new service, it can be used for other tools in the future. I don’t know where you are located, but if you’re in a rural area the cost will be prohibitive, but if you’re in an urban area, or close to a school, hospital or manufacturing district, it might be worth looking into. If you’re close enough to a 3 phase transformer, it could cost you as little as replacing your existing single phase service, which around here means about $2k (new drop, new panel, meter, grounding, etc – not including circuits). Could open up a new world for you.

I sometimes hear about schools selling shop class equipment which is really industrial stuff – all 3 phase, and cheap. And on Craigslist, the 3 phase stuff often goes for cheap because there’s a much smaller market for it. Anyway, food for thought. It really all depends on the direction of your business in the end.

Good luck with your search. New toys are fun. :-)

Too far to get 3 phase installed (rural area) but the one saw comes with a roto phase convertor which is the only reason I am considering it. It will still cost a bit to get it installed but nothing like bring in a service from the road. I knew a guy that brought in service from around the corner (3 poles away) and it cost him $12,000 by the time the dust settled (and he shared some of the cost with another shop that was next door). Everything is expensive up here in Canada! Also, I am renting the shop..

Rotary phase converter is good. Just be sure to locate it somewhere out of the way. It’s basically a motor coupled to a generator. Moving parts spinning at high speed. Keep away from children, pets and loose clothing.

I went with the Hammer. It is fantastic. The quality is awesome. It can rip 4". I didn’t think that was a big deal until I had it and suddenly I’m needing the extra depth..lol. The cross-cutting fence and table can be removed in seconds (which is major in my shop) and they go back on just as quickly and are indexed so they go back on square. I’m very pleased with it. I haven’t used the scoring blade yet.

You should have bought a 1950’s Powermatic 35" table saw with … what was that dear? This isn’t Lumberjocks? Oh, ok… well never mind then…

Seriously, it’s nice to see a grown up discussion on tools.

I like the panel saws that have a separate motor for the scoring blade. I find the ones that share a belt can be a nuisance.

Whitacrebespoke
congrats on getting a great saw that’s no toy, it’s going to be your life time saw with all the features you could ever want. Enjoy!

Here is my set up. I’ve been only been working with solid work so haven’t tried the scoring blade yet. I’ll be putting cabinets under it soon. Have to say, I’m really liking this saw!