Equipment/tool recomendations.

[rseeley13]

My shop is coming together slowly. The cold and rain has stopped construction for over a week. So I've been spending time searching for a good table saw. I've looked at all the major brands that fit my needs. I don't want any thing that is 3 phase, but am looking for 5HP. The one I had was a Delta/Rockwell unknown age. It was a 3HP and I could shove a 2" X 4" through it. I purchased used in 1996 and had new bearings, belt, and arbor installed about 2 years ago. It was great. My thinking is that I will need 5HP just to have as good as I had. Has anyone had any experience with Baileigh machinery? They are in Wisconsin. Made in Taiwan. Wish there was a place close by to see some of these saws before purchase.

Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.

We went over to Baileigh this past fall to look at a plasma cutter we wanted to buy, long story short they showed us a machine that was a rebuilt with full warranty and was in our price range but then they called and said he didn't know the CA office had already sold the machine. (keep in mind he was the sales manager of both branches so not sure how that would happen). We saw their show room and a lot of their machines are built in the same place as Grizzly. We have a lot of Grizzly equipment (and have been very happy with performance) and while we were there we notice that my father's large lathe was the same as ours minus the colors and the guy tried to tell us that it is very different. Same motors and everything just painted in their colors. We were told from Grizzly that as long as their stuff says made in Tawain that it is a good product. They do sell some stuff from China and Grizzly told me directly to stay away from those.

Just my two cents worth...

[donek]

A few years back I performed a hybrid table saw review for Tools of the Trade magazine. I had a similar Delta Unisaw in my shop at the time. The saw that won out was the Grizley primarily because performed as well as the unisaw. My unisaw motor eventually died and we've been using the Grizzley ever since. The cost of replacing the motor on the unisaw was more than the cost of the Grizzley. The review is here:
http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/table...able-saws.aspx

[Ajcoholic]

Old fashioned and poor now, but never regretted buying my 3 hp Unisaw/Unifence with sliding LH miter fence and mobile base in '94. Still passes the nickel test after 18yrs and 20,000+bf of hardwood and a lot of Redwood and Cedar and a few Exotics. Only time she ever bogged was 12/4 (17" wide-HEAVY) Hop Hornbeam slab and that was because it was 10' live edge and the crew got her in a bind. 10/4 Teak no big deal
Now a days mainly cross cutting by myself in the chair, but still love it.
NOT a professional environment though except for the first 3 years building the house with a 3 man crew 5 days a week.
Just saying.
Would love to see some of the newer saws though.
Amish carpenter we buy hardwood from has TWO Unisaws of unknown Vintage in his shop being driven by a Diesel outside his shop running a full length shaft under his floor. Belt driven through floor
Weird seeing a Unisaw run pretty much silently that his Dad passed down to him 20 years ago, after HE'D been using them for most of his career
scott

Scott,
We ran three Unisaws in my previous shop. all 3 phase, 3 HP. I have to say I wouldnt go back to a 3HP 10" saw after having 5HP on tap... I used to push 8/4 maple, oak ash etc through and had to watch my speed (I have a tendency to go fast when working on a lot of millwork). I used to trip the overload a LOT on the 3HP saws..

With 5HP, it can take anything I throw at it, ie, I can out run the saw so to speak.

No matter what brand of saw, I'd not want less than 5HP and sometimes I wish I went with the 7.5 But I do have the Griggio 14" slider with 7.5 HP when I need to rip a lot of material.

[Xray]

You guys with saw stops ever get any false stops ... And what is the procedure to get back and running once it stops ?

[scottp55]

Thanks Andrew, 3Ph was out of the question at the time, and by the time we got to the thick slabs the guys had a good feel for the saw, so never tripped that I saw. After the 3 yrs building this Craftman style house, I regularly saw that 3 man crew whenever they were doing another house that required thicker rips that their contractors 1.5hp on site saw couldn't hack Figure it did 6 houses thick stuff and cabinets
Yep, not in the same Ballpark as you for Volume.
Just saying if David Loved his old saw, And it did what he wanted, "Don't fix what ain't broke" and I saw a LOT of Uni's on the market at good prices.
Putting a whole shop together at one whack?!! Ouch$$
Good luck David!!!
scott

[dmidkiff]

Thanks all for your help. I have researched online for several days. I have ruled out Baileigh for sure after a phone call and visit to dealer and what rseeley posted. Thanks donek for the link to the review. I read another similar reveiw, also in 2006 that had Grizzly #2 behind Saw Stop. This short post has Saw Stop 5 and Grizzly 4 with delta way behind. I read some faqs about Saw Stop last night and am liking what I see. If someone that has a Saw Stop would kindly post a pic of inside the cabinet so I could see the dust collection, I would appreciate it. Xray somewhere in this link it says that you can override the safety feature if you are cutting wet lumber. http://www.sawstop.com/support/faqs
Maybe someone with a Saw Stop can confirm. Thanks again I have made up my mind.

[barrowj]

Back in 05 I bought a 5hp single phase Grizzly and have never looked back, I would have bought a Saw Stop if the price wasn't so high. I would reconsider now if I had the money but fixing to retire from my real job and will not be doing any major upgrades until I see how it goes. This is what happens when you don't have a Saw Stop, I have been doing woodworking for 46 years and it's only happened twice and this was the 2nd injury in 10 years. Hope the picture doesn't make you sick, my wife ended up taking me to the ER to get it cleaned up.

Joe

[dmidkiff]

Scott, It's not that I don't want a Delta. I have looked at them and Jet and Powermatic. I fear they are not made with the same quality as they were when my old was made.
Joe, I'm sure that was painful. Hope it has healed well. You have sealed the deal. And here is a link to the other 2006 review. Have not found one more recent.

http://www.finewoodworking.com/tool-...inet-saws.aspx

[barrowj]

Thanks, it has healed quite nicely, it is only slightly shorter than my other thumb. My wife says the quick healing and the fact that it is completely covered over and almost the same shape/size as it was before is due to the testosterone treatment I am taking (I am almost 65).

Joe

[mtylerfl]

You guys with saw stops ever get any false stops ... And what is the procedure to get back and running once it stops ?

No, never had a false trigger. I have overridden the safety just once when I was nervous cross cutting a wet 2x4. The brake itself (and the blade) have to be replaced after a stop. If you've seen any of the videos of the stop in action, you'll understand why!

Some time ago, I was cutting some cheap particle board and after making the cut I noticed a speck of something shiny on the waste side. Looking closely, I discovered it was a tiny piece of something metallic embedded in the particle board from the factory. I've always wondered if I hit that if it would have triggered the stop or not.

In any case, you can easily override the safety at any time, if you are cutting something you "think" might trigger the stop.

Here's a photo of the inside of my saw showing the dust collection. Nothing unusual...just a flex pipe going from the blade housing out to the hole in the cabinet for DC connection.