Allen Bryant - Bumpass, VA
Charlie, you are correct I don't need a cabinet saw, I want one. I'm not trying to put you down or make fun of you or go ballistic. I know that having a cabinet saw will not make me a better woodworker, only skills and patience will do that. I have seen some wonderful work come from people using bench top saws and I'm quite proud of the work that has come out my saw. The decision was not one I took lightly and I wouldn't recommend anybody take lightly the decision to put that much money into a tool. I've been saving up for almost 4 years to purchase one and have had plenty of time to reflect and research on what I wanted. I also have intentionally not named the type of cabinet saw that I'm getting ready to get because I didn't want to start a big discussion on brands and why I choose the brand that I did. Suffice to say I did my research and picked out the saw that worked for me.

My contractor's saw was purchased in 1997 and has served me very well. Over the years there are a few features about it I just don't like. For instance the saw I'm looking at even when I move the 52" fence over has a smaller footprint than the contractors saw. In my shop space is at a premium and with the new shop being delayed yet again for 4 to 5 years, having a saw with a smaller foot print will be nicer. Not having the motor hanging out the back means I can push the saw another 12 to 14 inches closer to the wall and free up some floor space when I need it. The shop shares space with the vehicles and I can actually do quite a bit while having the vehicles in the garage, which makes dust collection an issue. I've tried for years to come up with some effective way of collecting dust from the current saw and I'm just tired of trying. The other problem I've been having is that to save weight the manufacturer used an open mesh cast iron extension wings, which are a pain for several reasons, they are difficult to keep clean and waxed, I'm constantly dropping stuff through them or having small parts fall through and while I thought at first that it would make a good clamping because of the open mesh, it actually hasn't. All these decisions went through my mind when I started looking. I also considered hybrid saws, but didn't really see one I thought was worth it. In addition the blade guard and riving knife that come with the one I'm getting is leaps and bounds better than what came with the contractors saw.

Notice that I didn't mention horsepower of the saw. I have rarely bogged down my contractor's saw even with 8/4 oak. The fact that the saw is a 3 horsepower is a bonus.