From: bennett@adobe.com(Bennett Leeds)
Subject: Re: What about Unisaw competitors?
Reply-To: bennett@adobe.com
Organization: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Distribution: na
Date: Tue, 15 Dec 1992 00:53:55 GMT

Douglas N. Surber writes
> Anyway, the default choice is of course the Delta Unisaw.  And a fine
> aggreation of cast iron it is.  The Powermatic Model 66 is also in the
> running.  ...
> I have also looked at the Inca 2100, but $2200 is just too much money to 
> pay for a table saw (and $1600 isn't?).  It's a beautiful tool, but I just
> can't talk myself into spending the money.

When pricing saws, I recommend pricing them with the accessories you expect
to buy within the first year or so. If you buy the Unisaw, won't you also
buy an aftermarket fence? What about a good carbide blade? An aftermarket
miter gauge? Dust collection hood? The total could put you over what a 
better-equipped saw would cost.


> What about other choices?  I have heard of General and Davis & Wells (?),
> but have never seen either and have no idea where to find out more about
> them or even where to buy one.

The General is an excellent saw. Very similar to the Unisaw/Powermatic 66
in scope and price. Some say it's a half-step up in quality. General is
located in Canada, but is sold by a number of places in the US. Try
Highland Hardware (800) 241-6748, Sisco Supply (sorry, don't have it
handy, but they advertise in FWW), and J. Humfrey (800) 387-9789 for starters.

There was a recent thread on the Davis & Wells. Apparently, it's made and
sold by them from Los Angeles. One poster seemed quite impressed by it.


> Are there others I should look at? 

If you expect to work with sheet goods often, MiniMax makes a sliding table
10" scoring saw, but it's priced near $3000.

If you're just starting to set up shop, the Robland combination machine
is an interesting unit if you're tight on space. At $5500, it's not cheap,
but you get jointing, thickness planing, horizontal mortising, and
shaper capabilities as well (if you can stand the change-overs).

 
> One of the local tool dealers carries Hitachi and can get the Hitachi
> table saw for me...

You should be sure to see this saw in person first. I saw a used one a 
few years back, and don't remember being impressed at all. Matter of
fact, you should be sure to at least see, if not try, any saw before
you buy it. Even if you can't run the saw, ask the store if you can 
take the blade off it. That'll get you into the inner-workings of the
beast.


> That Hitachi resaw bandsaw is one of the most awesome things I have ever
> seen.  A three inch bandsaw blade is truly a sight to behold. 

Yeah, but the sound of that universal motor can't be that great to hear.


> If only the table would tilt, I'd get that instead of a table saw. :)

For less than the $1500 or so the Hitachi bandsaw would cost you, you 
could get something like the MiniMax 18" bandsaw, which will resaw 10"
and has a tilting table (as well as induction motor).

A bandsaw is very handy to have, but don't forget about throat size
limitations, cut quality, dealing with a smallish tilting table, and
the inability to cut grooves (dados). If you don't do panel work, can do
big cutoffs with a handsaw, have other tools like a good router (or 
router plane), and don't mind cleaning up every cut (with a plane/jointer,
for instance), you can certainly get by with a bandsaw, smileys 
notwithstanding.


- Bennett Leeds
bennett@adobe.com
Newsgroups: rec.woodworking