Hybrid saws
#13
What Hank & Doug just said.  I started with an older Craftsman table saw equipped with a 1 HP motor.  It did fine for a small saw sawing small amounts of hard woods.  Then I had the opportunity to buy a 3 HP Jet cabinet saw.  Incredible difference.  The saw was more stable, solid and powerful.  It went through hard oak like butter.

Then about 2 years ago Saw Stop ran a promotion (they usually do in the spring).  My wife took a look at the safety features of the Saw Stop and said, "You need to get one of those!"  So, I laid down my $3,000 (those suckers aren't cheap) I've got the 3 HP 52-inch professional model sitting in my shop.  It is as well made as any saw of its size and type plus it has the added safety benefit which gives my wife (and me, too) more peace of mind.

Yes, it's a boat load of money but think about what the cost would be to go to the ER with a table saw injury to your finger, hand or other extremity.  The cost to treat would likely be more than the cost of a Saw Stop.
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#14
(12-13-2018, 12:18 PM)dg152 Wrote: What Hank & Doug just said.  I started with an older Craftsman table saw equipped with a 1 HP motor.  It did fine for a small saw sawing small amounts of hard woods.  Then I had the opportunity to buy a 3 HP Jet cabinet saw.  Incredible difference.  The saw was more stable, solid and powerful.  It went through hard oak like butter.

Then about 2 years ago Saw Stop ran a promotion (they usually do in the spring).  My wife took a look at the safety features of the Saw Stop and said, "You need to get one of those!"  So, I laid down my $3,000 (those suckers aren't cheap) I've got the 3 HP 52-inch professional model sitting in my shop.  It is as well made as any saw of its size and type plus it has the added safety benefit which gives my wife (and me, too) more peace of mind.

Yes, it's a boat load of money but think about what the cost would be to go to the ER with a table saw injury to your finger, hand or other extremity.  The cost to treat would likely be more than the cost of a Saw Stop.

I agree with the others that 3 hp or 2.2 kW is the smallest motor one should think about. Smaller motors are just not strong enough to rip 2 inch thick bords with at least some degree of efficiency.
A solid and accurate table saw does improve the efficiency and reduce the level of frustration. In my book many American cabinet saws are a little bit on the light and weak side but generally I think a cabinet saw should be good enough for most hobbyists.
If you cannot afford a new saw of good quality buy secondhand. Good machines don't wear out very fast and they can usually be repaired. My oldest tablle saw was manufactured in 1885 and I rekon it has at least half it's lifetime left to go. There seems to be plenty of used cabinet saws on the market in your country. The only downside with boying secondhand is that many old saws lack a good riving knife. It can be retrofitted to some models but not to all. Retrofitted with riving knife and a good overarm guard most 60 or 70 years old table saws will be as safe as new ones.


On my side of the Atlantic most professionals use much larger and more powerful table saws. We are talking about 3 kW (4 hp) and upwards to 7.5 kW (10hp). Usually with a sliding table of one sort or another except for dedicated rip saws.
Part timer living on the western coast of Finland. Not a native speaker of English
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