Subject: TS: Belt vs Direct Drive, Benchtop vs Free standing?

From: [email-masked] (Mike McDonald)
Date: 12 Feb 1997 22:18:17 GMT

I'm really new to woodworking and I'm dreaming about getting a table saw. So
I was wondering if someone can tell me the pros/cons of the various types of
table saws? I imagine a free standing TS would be more versatile than a
benchtop model. But a benchtop model is a whole lot cheaper! All of the direct
drive models I've played with in the stores seem smoother in operating the
depth and tilt adjustments than the belt driven models. The belt drive models
have more cut depth (at 90 that is. At 45, both have about the same 2.25) than
the direct drives. BTW, I've read the review of several free standing models at
http://www.augusthome.com/tsaw_rev.htm. 

  Mike McDonald
  [email-masked]

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From: "John Hofstad-Parkhill" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 21:42:22 -0600

Mike:

There are a few easy answers, and a few difficult ones.

First the easy ones:

Direct drive saws suffer from the following, some more than others

* Depth of cut
* Power
* Adjustability (during setup)
* Vibration direct drive + lack of mass
* Poor fence 

The contractor's style saws (belt driven) alleviate those drawbacks, and
further due to the increased outlay, are typically better machined, have
more cast iron (mass). Also there are more after-market options available
to the widely accepted "standard" dimensions of several popular
contractor's saws. You can also expect to be able to mount a full 8"
stacked dado set on a contractor's saw.

The cabinet saws (Unisaw, Powermatic, General, etc), go a step further.
With vastly reduced vibration, smoother & more effiecient power.

Generally - the Jet Contractor's saw is considered the benchmark for a
"quality" budget saw, that will serve you well. 

The tougher questions come then... Does a bench saw cut wood ? Surely, and
with some work can do a very respectable job. Just not as quickly or as
accurately. So what do you do ? Buy a saw you can afford now & learn... or
wait. I'm a member of the first camp.

Be prepared to throw away your bench saw, as you'll have a hard time
recovering more than a few $ from it. A contractor's saw, well maintained
has a resale comparable to boats here in Minnesota.

A weak analogy would be:

Bench Top/Direct Drive	= am/fm portable radio
Contractor's saw	= JVC Mini-stereo w/cd changer
Cabinet saw		= McIntosh rack-mounted

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From: [email-masked] (Richard MacDonald)
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 10:42:05 -0700

On 12 Feb 1997 22:18:17 GMT, [email-masked] (Mike McDonald) may have

>http://www.augusthome.com/tsaw_rev.htm. 

Hi, cuz,

IMHO it really depends upon what you're planning to do with it. The smaller
benchtop models are OK for rough work and are really what you want if you
intend to move the thing around a lot. I personally have (and you'll get lots
of pros and cons about it) a Ryobi. It is basically a benchtop saw but
usually comes with a well-integrated stand with wheels and can be moved
around easily. With accessories it can handle just about anything you'd want
to do with a table saw. I use mine mostly for cabinet making. It has a rather
large ripping capacity so it's good for cutting up plywood. I find it quite
smooth to change depth and tilt. It is belt drive but it uses very short
belts and seems more like direct drive since the motor is still under the
table and not in the back as in most belt drive models. It suspect that the
belts are used to allow the motor to be lower to give a wider range of tilt
adjustment and a deeper cutting ability than most 10 inch direct drive
machines.

The biggest complaint that I have with it is that it is rather noisy. They
use a universal motor and that requires hearing protection. On the other hand
it offers more capability for about $600 (with accessories) than most any
other brand.

Good luck, Mike
Dick MacDonald
dickmac@(delete this to reply)fastservice.com
The extra info is included to foil the automated collection 'bots.