"Dave" wrote in message news:go5Rc.33403$J06.11147@pd7tw2no...
It seems also that if you make a mistake and hit a nail, those 8"
knives will be worth a lot more to replace.

Not really. A Freud 6" knife set at Amazon.com is $19.75 and the 8"
is $25.46. Less than $6 difference. On the other hand, by moving the
fence around to distribute wear, you go longer between knife
sharpenings on the 8" machine.

With this being a small market
tool, resale value of a bigger device would probably not match up as will
with purchase price.

Maybe think about buying a good used 8" machine? Then you're paying
the resale price, which it should hold indefinitely. Figure on new
knives (have the old ones sharpened and kept as back-up), maybe a
drive belt, and you're in business.

Have fun!

Tim