question on table saws

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I owned a Jet contractor's saw with cast iron table wings and a long table extension. I liked everything about it except for two things:

1. The fence had non-stick slides glued on that used to come off. That was a hassle.
2. It was underpowered for my needs. With a 1.5 HP motor, resawing maple was slow and tedious.

I looked at the specs for the Ridgid and like what I see - except it has a 1.5 HP motor compared to the Jet 1.75 HP motor. However, the steel wing extensions are not particularly cool on the Jet, and the Ridgid has cast iron wings - always a plus. On the other hand, the on/off switch for the Jet is in a great location - on the left side where you can bump it off with a thigh or knee while the Ridgid requires you to use your hand to reach over and shut her down (never stand behind the blade as it is cutting).

Price is substantially lower with the Ridgid. Neither saw has an enclosed cabinet - which is a big plus if you want to add a dust collection system to keep the place clean and with less dust floating all over the place.

I sold my Jet a couple of years ago to purchase a used Delta Cabinet Saw that came up in the paper with all the bells and whistles. The tradeup for power alone was worth it, but the fence has been better too.

I guess if it was me and I was thinking that I didn't want to make a mistake, I would recognize the table saw as the heart of the shop and purchase one that will last you for more than five or six years before wanting to upgrade. Having said that, look at that Grizzly that Mannie suggested or consider the Delta as well. I purchased a Grizzly 1.5 HP shaper a few years back, and it was strong, quiet, accurate, and completely professional in every way - despite the smaller size and lower price. You should consider also the Delta brand. Specifically: Delta 36-715 Hybrid Saw with a 30" Fence/Rail system. I did a search and came up with a webiste and it is on sale for $899 or so:

http://www.toolbarn.com/product/delta/36-715/

Good luck!

Best wishes,
Roger Garrett
 
Originally posted by wdcav1952

Ed, they have a great site available called mapquest.com.:D It shows Garner about 5 miles south and east of Raleigh.
Click to expand...

THANK YOU!!!

It's SOOOOOOOooooo nice to be sitting around the house all day with nothing to do (or so I am told by others, I wouldn't know)

I'll see if I can find a few other tasks for you, just to be helpful, of course!:D:D:D
 
I have the Ridgid and have been impressed with it. The cast wings are a nice plus over steel, accuracy of the saw is within .002 - .003". I did take a lot of advice and spent a good amount of time setting the the saw up right to begin with. I also installed a router off the end of the right extension wing because the fence rails extend out far enough to accomadate it. You can install the on/off switch anywhere along the front fence rail which is handy (I move it as needed for various types of cuts). Dust collection is good. The fence is very steady because it grabs the rails on the front and rear as opposed to the style that hold in the front only. I frequently run 3/4" sheet goods through it and the fence hasnt moved yet. The built in rolling base is a plus. The only thing i havent been happy with is the stand. It is a little wobbly. I get a bit of flex and twist under heavy loads. I think it could be beefed up, but I wish they would have done it right to begin with. It's one of a few purchases that I felt I got a better quality product than what I paid for.
 
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