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SawStop question -- 1.75 vs 3 hp
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03-23-2022, 10:22 AM
1.75HP is a right choice only if money (or power source) is an issue, or thick rough lumber is not the wood of choice. But not every woodworker needs a bigger machine.
Serious woodworkers do want a 3HP PCS. When I use the 5HP pcs, I dont find it overpowered. Simon 
03-23-2022, 11:04 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-23-2022, 11:49 AM by fredhargis.)
(03-23-2022, 10:22 AM)Handplanesandmore Wrote: 1.75HP is a right choice only if money (or power source) is an issue, or thick rough lumber is not the wood of choice. But not every woodworker needs a bigger machine. I think there's a lot of "serious" woodworker's who get by just fine with less than 3 HP, and they do great work (look at John's post above). As for 5 HP, I have it on my ICS and have regretted it since the day I bought it. It's not a horsepower issue, but having to have the larger power circuit makes it at best unhandy....I've moved once and I had to upgrade it at my last shop. Plus the bigger motor does cost more, which is just wasted money. While the 5 HP is great for the commercial shops that run the saw maybe 6 hours+ a day, for just about anything less than that it's not needed; so yes it's overpowered in these cases. I'm a hobbyist and it was crazy for me to get it, live and learn; and yes, I consider myself a "serious" hobbyist. (At least that's how I see things)
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
03-23-2022, 12:08 PM
(03-23-2022, 10:22 AM)Handplanesandmore Wrote: 1.75HP is a right choice only if money (or power source) is an issue, or thick rough lumber is not the wood of choice. But not every woodworker needs a bigger machine. There are plenty of 'serious' woodworkers getting along just fine the 1.75. I'm sure I'm not the first guy that stepped down from a 3HP saw to the smaller Sawstop. Helluva lot of fine woodworkers started out with and did beautiful work on any number of crappy contractor saws that would wake the neighbors at the end of the street. I'm sure some still do.
03-23-2022, 12:38 PM
How often do you work with 3" thick stock with a full kerf blade, KC on your 1.75HP saw? Not often, I suppose. I'm clear about bigger saw for thicker wood.
Simon (03-23-2022, 12:38 PM)Handplanesandmore Wrote: How often do you work with 3" thick stock with a full kerf blade, KC on your 1.75HP saw? Not often, I suppose. I'm clear about bigger saw for thicker wood. How often do any of us cut 3" stock on our tablesaws? I can't remember the last time. If you do, then of course you need a saw with enough HP to do the job. John
03-23-2022, 07:54 PM
John,
3" thick stock isn't unusual. I had resawn turning blanks a lot for a local turner before I retired my previous shop where many use a bandsaw. Simon
03-24-2022, 05:01 AM
(This post was last modified: 03-24-2022, 05:01 AM by fredhargis.)
Unusual or not, I would think serious woodworkers would go to the band saw....which most turner have sitting not far from the lathe.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
03-24-2022, 11:35 AM
(03-22-2022, 11:18 PM)Derek Cohen Wrote: Get as much HP as you can afford. I concur with Derek. Although with normal cutting operations one may not see much of a difference, things will get noticeable with dado work. If price doesn't matter, go with the bigger hp. Better to have it and not need it vs needing it and not having it.
03-24-2022, 01:26 PM
(03-24-2022, 05:01 AM)fredhargis Wrote: Unusual or not, I would think serious woodworkers would go to the band saw....which most turner have sitting not far from the lathe. Serious or not, most would use a bandsaw for that to avoid the possibility of blade pinching and to reduce the amount of waste. It's just the better choice for the job. John
03-24-2022, 10:12 PM
From the SawStop PCS 1.75 HP on-line manual, p. 36 ff:
"Re-Wiring a PCS175 Saw for 208-240V Power The 1.75 hp Professional Cabinet Saw (PCS175) is configured from the factory to operate on 110-120V power. However, you can convert the PCS175 to operate on 208-240V power by replacing the contactor assembly and rewiring the motor. If you want to convert your PCS175 saw to run on 208-240V power, follow the procedure below. "1. Replace the contactor assembly: The contactor assembly on the PCS175 is compatible with 110-120V power only. If you want to operate the saw on 208-240V power, you must purchase a 230V contactor assembly from SawStop (p/n PCS-WA-025). When you receive the new contactor assembly, follow the included instructions carefully to install it on your saw. Be sure to unplug your saw before proceeding. "2. Rewire the motor: The motor included on the PCS175 is a dual voltage motor. It is wired from the factory to run on 110-120V power. To convert the motor to run on 208-240V power, follow the steps below exactly" Read all 'bout it: https://www.sawstop.com/images/uploads/m...th_WEB.pdf The contactor is US $77.00. https://www.sawstopstore.com/product/230...30v-power/ SawStop has all the saw models manuals, parts lists. etc., here at "support" as well as "shopping" to build and price out what saw you want. See: https://www.sawstop.com/ |
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