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Re: Tools: New saw recommendations *PIC*
By:JohnAbercrombie
Date: 2/9/2017, 12:31 pm
In Response To: Re: Tools: New saw recommendations (Mike Bielski)

For folks who might be considering used table saws (which I'd recommend), a bit of history.....

This is what most folks called a table saw in 1950 or 1960 or 1970, and what you would find in 'home' shops (except for wealthy guys' shops):

Cast iron table, with the motor 'hanging out the back'.
Later, the corporate marketing folks renamed this as a 'contractor saw' -which I what I bought in the late 90s - Busybee and Grizzly, etc sold them as 'contractor saws' to differentiate them from 'cabinet saws' which were knockoffs of the Rockwell Unisaw . I don't see these 'motor out the back' for sale new much at all any more, but that's what most of the used tablesaws will be.

Unisaw a.k.a. 'cabinet saw':

Notice the motor under the saw and the closed base - now with bigger bases, these are called 'cabinet saws'.
They used to be for pros and serious money home shops, now these are the 'standard' tablesaw at Grizzly and similar places.

This type of saw used to be called a 'tabletop saw' or 'portable saw', 'self-powered table saw' or more commonly, 'junk':

Essentially a Skilsaw hung under a table, the saw arbor is the end of the motor shaft. Since there is no speed control via pulley size selection, the motor spins at higher speed. When the motor goes, the saw is garbage.

Now, the corporate types have re-named these saws as 'jobsite saws' or 'contractor saws'. And they aren't that cheap.

IMO these saws are 'an accident waiting to happen', unless they are built into a larger table, and then they aren't portable any more. I've seen people singlehandedly ripping 4x8 sheets of 1/2" plywood and 12' 2x10 lumber with these...I just shudder at the accident possiblilities.

Messages In This Thread

Tools: New saw recommendations
Ralph Merriman -- 2/7/2017, 3:46 pm
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
scottbaxter -- 2/7/2017, 4:42 pm
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
jaybabina -- 2/7/2017, 5:33 pm
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Paul Sylvester -- 2/8/2017, 5:32 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
scottbaxter -- 2/8/2017, 7:41 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Paul T -- 2/8/2017, 8:21 am
Re: Tools: Rigid Warranty
Nick Schade - Guillemot Kayaks -- 2/8/2017, 10:02 am
Re: Tools: bargain saws
jaybabina -- 2/9/2017, 9:26 am
Re: Tools: bargain saws
Mike Bielski -- 2/9/2017, 9:58 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Rich D -- 2/7/2017, 10:04 pm
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Etienne Muller -- 2/8/2017, 3:33 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Bill Hamm -- 2/9/2017, 12:19 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
jaybabina -- 2/9/2017, 9:34 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations *PIC*
JohnAbercrombie -- 2/9/2017, 2:04 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Nick R. -- 2/8/2017, 10:01 am
Re: Saws: Thanks for the help
Ralph Merriman -- 2/8/2017, 8:38 pm
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Mike Bielski -- 2/9/2017, 10:15 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations *PIC*
JohnAbercrombie -- 2/9/2017, 12:31 pm
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Mike Bielski -- 2/9/2017, 12:47 pm
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Bill Hamm -- 2/10/2017, 2:26 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Steve Solomon -- 2/9/2017, 3:33 pm
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
JohnAbercrombie -- 2/9/2017, 5:36 pm
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Bill Hamm -- 2/10/2017, 2:24 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Paul Sylvester -- 2/10/2017, 5:13 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Bill Hamm -- 2/11/2017, 12:02 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Steve Solomon -- 2/10/2017, 10:57 am
Re: Tools: New saw recommendations
Mike Bielski -- 2/10/2017, 11:41 am
We beat this one to death ... next *NM*
jaybabina -- 2/10/2017, 4:18 pm
I think this group needs to get out for a paddle *NM*
scottbaxter -- 2/10/2017, 5:46 pm
Re: I think this group needs to get out for a padd *PIC*
JohnAbercrombie -- 2/10/2017, 7:42 pm
Re: I think this group needs to get out for a padd
Bill Hamm -- 2/11/2017, 12:00 am
Re: I think this group needs to get out for a padd
JohnAbercrombie -- 2/11/2017, 12:22 pm