On Sun, 4 Sep 2005 07:40:53 -0500, "Hedley"
wrote:

More then 500$ for a "decent" table saw? Really? We're talking about a
project here and there, no production-type work, where a little extra set-up
time for each cut isn't that big a deal. Right? I thought the extra 200$
or so for an "entry level" conractor saw at the 500$ mark was for an
upgraded fence system and bells/whistles to make the work easier/faster.

[...snip...]

There's no doubt in my mind you can find a saw at this price point
that meets the needs you have expressed, and I believe knowing the
constraints you have, you will be happy with it. For that money and
with some care a new saw will get a contractor's type saw with a motor
in the 1.5 HP range, and enough accuracy to do quality work assuming
the saw has a respectable fence.

I believe others who advise to spend a few hundred more for a higher
end saw are saying that, among other things, you might find the motor
a little weak for certain kinds of woodworking, a little flimsy in the
construction. You might also find that you do better with a thin-kerf
blade married to a blade stabilizer, when working with hardwoods.

For what it is worth, the advantages a cabinet saw has over a
contractor's saw are significant if you see yourself using the thing a
lot.

I myself was faced with the same question you are, decided on a
Grizzly cabinet saw which was in fact about $400 more than you
budgeted. It suits my needs and I appreciate the power to cut through
thicker/harder materials, smoothness of operation, accuracy, dust
collection, that you get.

In my opinion it is another notch below a Delta/Jet/Powermatic
cabinet, and if I thought I was going to use the saw day in / day out,
I would go with the best I could get.