Popular Woodworking 2001-10 № 124, страница 57

wings instead of the stamped steel ones. The extra weight will make your saw vibrate less, and your top will be flatter, which will allow your jigs to ride more smoothly and increase the reliability of their cuts.

Here are other things to look for while in the store:

• Which way does the blade tilt, left or right? This is a personal preference, but people with left-tilt saws swear they are safer because the blade tilts away from the fence.

• How long are the bars for the fence? Most brands let you choose between a 30" rip capacity or 50". Take the 50" if you have the space so you can crosscut to the center of a full sheet of plywood.

• Is the switch easy to reach or a pain? This is as much for safety as for convenience.

• Is the miter gauge worthless, or does it feel heavy-duty and have preset stops at 0° and 45°?

• Can you remove the guard easily? If it's a pain to take off, you'll likely leave it off all the time and compromise your safety in the name of convenience. Finally, check the fence. It is the most important (and sometimes most expensive) part on the saw. Buy the best fence you can, but rest assured you can always upgrade for about $300.

That aside, for the home wood

worker on a budget, the contractor saw is the best combination of value and performance.

Cabinet Saws

Cabinet saws are a lot like contractor saws, except everything is beefier and generally better. Most of the features that are important on contractor's saws are important on cabinet saws as well.

They are built to industrial standards, which means they can be used all day, everyday and provide years of service. Instead of an open stand, cabinet saws are mounted on a steel cabinet. This improves dust collection. The motor is bigger (usually 3 hp or 5 hp) and is enclosed inside the cabinet and turns the blade using three v-belts, so cabinet saws actually can take up less space than a contractor saw. The trunnions are beefier and mounted to the cabinet instead of the underside of the top, as with contractor saws. Also, the blade adjustment wheels are bigger and easier to turn.

All this comes at a price. An entry-level cabinet saw starts at $800, and you could spend $2,000 in a heartbeat. However, this is a saw that will last through a lifetime of woodworking, and you'll probably be able to pass it down to the next generation. PW

_PW

Recommends

occasional user

» Grizzly 1022SM, Instead of a bench-top saw, consider this unit. Upgrade it with cast wings and a beefier fence later on.

» Delta 36-444, This saw has stamped wings, a decent fence and the capacity to upgrade later.

» Jet JWTS-10JF, Jet's entry-level saw is comparable to its competitors' and is easily upgraded and expanded.

> Bridgewood TCS-10CL, Bridgewood's entry-level saw costs a bit more, but it comes with an excellent front-locking fence.

serious home woodworker

' Delta Series 2000, The saw to beat for woodworking, and the reputation is well-deserved.

• Jet JWTS-10-PF, Clearly a challenge to Delta's saws, this Jet features a world-class rip fence.

• Powermatic 64A, Another serious contender, Powermatic's left-tilt contractor saw also sports an excellent front-locking fence.

• Grizzly 1023S, An excellent cabinet saw at a contractor saw price. We flat-out love this saw.

advanced woodworker or professional user

• Powermatic 66, The Cadillac of 10" saws that's famous for its three-point yoke and mirror finish. At this level, you might also want to eye the 12" saws, where everything is bigger.

• General S350-T50 cabinet saw

• Jet JWCS-10A-PFX cabinet saw

• Delta 36-821 & 821L Unisaw

These tools have been tested or used by

the editors of Popular Woodworking

and have earned their recommendation.