Len wrote:

Please forgive my ignorance.

Except for a variation of the Grizzly 1023, all the magazine and
on-line reviews I've read since starting the hunt to replace my
ShopSmith have said 'real' cabinet saws require 220V. I don't
have 220V, so I've been focusing on saws the reviews generally
say are decent, and will run 'out-of-the-box' on the 120V my
ShopSmith uses.

Len

Len

The issue is power. The 1hp RI (bullet style) motors on the older
unisaws are EASILY rewired from 220 to 110. That 1hp motor has more
power than the motor on any saw that you can buy today that is wired
for 110 "out of the box." Does 220 work better for those motors? The
answer is yes. Though the difference is that on 110 the motor runs
hotter so you can't keep it on all day. The power is the same. But
for a "weekend warrior" like yourself it will not be an issue.

Do yourself a favor and keep your eyes out for a used older style
Unisaw or PM66 with a 110/220 motor. You'll get so much more saw for
your money.

My saw was $350. I spent $80 plus shipping to have someone replace the
bearings (Sawcenter), $25 for new belts and $40 for a new switch and
power cable. Removed the top, tuned it up based on the FWW article of
last year and it is a dream to use. The $300 I spent on a biesemeyer
was optional, however a bies, or any other new fence, is going to add
~$300 to the cost of any saw whether new or used.

Point is. Refurbishing used equipment is not as daunting of a task as
it seems. If you're handy enough to make some small home repairs and
turn out some doodads in the shop, you should definitely be able to
tackle this project. And you get more for your money.

Good luck!