Do you actually use 52ish inch rip capacity?

[Scott W]

I am looking at getting a new table saw and am undecided between 36 and 52 inch. Seems the 36 inch would fit way better in my garage but I don't want to have to cry twice so I'd rather buy the bigger if there's a reason. Don't most cut down sheet goods BEFORE they hit the TS? Is there any other reason to need more than 36 inch?

Thanks for your opinion in advance.

[MT Woodworker]

Mine is 36” rip capacity, never had a problem with the width .
And yes I always cut down sheet goods first .
To old to be wrangling a 4x8 sheets alone, plus a bad back

[Cooler]

My saw has a 48" rip fence.  It means I don't have to measure the drop to figure the cut.

So if I need a 40" rip, I set 40".  I don't have to cut off 7-7/8" from the 48" board.

If you use MDF, the extra with is handy.  They come in 49" widths. 

I would get the 48" width again if I were buying a new saw.

I do have a Festool track saw, so this is less of an issue.  I do like the track saw for cutting sheet goods directly to finish size (I originally planned on just rough cutting to size on the track saw and then finish-cutting on the table saw).

[Bill Holt]

I have a Jet TS but I installed a Biesemeyer 52".  Was not interested in ripping to the left of the blade so I have 58" capacity and have made many repeatable cross cuts wider than 36".  The router table is mounted to the right of the TS.  Love the setup!!!

[Scott W]

Thanks. I am leaning to the 52 instead....you can't add length if you get the shorter....I just would like to save that 16 inches in a small shop. Thinking about the sawstop pcs.

[jteneyck]

I have a 52" fence on my two tables saws (bolted together) and router table extension.  I rarely cut wider than 32" or so, but the fence serves both saws and the router table, and I have the space.  If I were space limited I would go with a 36" fence with no regrets.  

John

[Scott W]

I had thought about doing the 36 and then a track saw and parallel guides until 1. I didn't realize the upgrade to 52 was so cheap and 2. I had idea track saw stuff (right angle guide, parallel guides etc) is so dang much $.

[TDKPE]

I have a 52” Beisemeyer fence and table, and use that extra width all the time.  Sometimes for ripping, and often for cross cutting.  

As to storage, yes it’s big and gets in the way in my small basement shop, but when I had a two-car garage shop, I’d store it against a wall, with ‘stuff’ under the table.  Filed in neatly like a Chinese puzzle, under a utility bench that was just high enough to clear the table.  Basically, the only extra space required over the short table was the thickness of the table and the vertical slot the two legs went into (between stacks of ‘stuff’).

Oh, the mobile base was only under the saw cabinet, and didn’t have the extension for the legs. The caster wheel with the paddle to raise/lower it was in the front. If the mobile base had the extension part, it would have fouled with the stacks of ‘stuff’ under the table, which defeats the purpose.

[handi]

I owned a Unisaw with a 56” fence for a couple decades. Left it in St. Croix when I moved back to the mainland.

When I replaced it, I bought one of the last Excaliber fences available. It was a 36”. I was worried about missing the extra length, but wanted the Excaliber too much to pass it up. 

Honestly, I have never missed the full capacity and I have had this saw for nearly 15 years.

[fredhargis]

MY first real table saw had a 36" Unifence. For the 12 years or so that I used it I needed extra capacity maybe 5-6 times. I replaced it with the 52" Unifence on my next saw. In the last 20 years or so I've used the extra capacity maybe 5-6 times. If you don't have the space, go with the shorter fence...there are workarounds for the times you need more capacity. If you do have the space, it doesn't cost much more and it comes in handy once in a while. Also provide a larger surface to pile things on
. If you get a PCS and the ICS base, the whole thing is really easy to move around (your DC setup may hamper it), so keep that in mind.