I'm sure you will receive a multitude of answers on this one.
Your first question said your first, and hopefully your last table saw.
If you only want to buy once and not upgrade later, you should be looking for a 3 hp machine or bigger. Delta and Jet make very good saws in this category, and Grizzly is also a good saw - although, in my opinion, not as good a saw as the first two mentioned. The Saw Stop, mentioned earlier, received rave reviews from a recent Fine Woodworking magazine - which reviewed the top cabinet saws. But - it is very, very expensive. And - while the safety factor is great, if you ever have to use the safety brake, you are out a blade and a brake - which will cost you nearly $200 to replace. Still it is cheaper than a vist to the doctor for a prosthetic. Jet, Delta, and Powermatic all received good reviews as well.
When I first got into woodworking, the advice given me by a friend who has a woodworking shop as his living was to purchase the best I could afford at the time - as the table saw is the very heart of your woodworking hobby/business (if you are talking general flat work). I couldn't afford much more than $700, so I purchased a Jet Cabinet Saw with the extras - extended table, cast iron wings, etc. It had a 1.5 hp motor - and it was a very, very nice saw - although it had an open setup compared to the cabinet saws. The biggest problems I ran into had to do with the lower power (resawing thick pieces of oak or maple tended to bog down or heat up the saw - causing it to overload and me have to wait to reset it) and the fence - not nearly as exact as I would have liked in terms of measuring and quality of build. It cut square - but the fence had cheap friction pads that liked to fall off - and I had to continuously heat glue them back on.
When an ad in the paper came up two years ago, it had a whole slew of top line equipment (table saw, planer, jointer, lathe, drill press, shaper, accessories galore) - a guy was selling all of his stuff out of his garage - no place to put it in his new home. He was trading DOWN for a Shopsmith (don't react Shopsmith owners - he was trading the dedicated equipment that is always better for a nice Shopsmith that saved him tons of space). I got his Delta Cabinet Saw with hinged extension table, mobile base, complete cabinet system, pro-guard, sliding miter table (left side of saw), extra blade, zero clearance insert, and all manuals for $1100. I sold the sliding table for $300, so I was out $800 for a saw that, with the extras, would have cost nearly $3000. After having used a smaller, underpowered saw, the Delta is like a dream. The resale on the Jet was great - I got $550 for it six years after purchasing it with well over 2000 hours on it - but I kept it nice, and the guy has reported back that it is perfect for him. Maybe Jet is a good way for you to go? Whatever you get - be sure it has a good fence system and cast iron tables that can adjust.
If you can afford a cabinet saw - it is worth looking at those I have mentioned. I've also heard very good things about the ShopFox.
Good luck!
Roger Garrett
