I went down at lunch today to a local industrial woodworking tool showroom today and looked at a real life Sawstop and the new Powermatic 2000. After looking at those two machines, I was in awe of their just their sheer size and massiveness. My BT is a great machine but it is a bass boat compared to a yacht. At ten times the price! I tried the blade adjustment on the Sawstop and it was like butter. The fit and finish were beyond reproach. The same could be said for the Powermatic. Each weighed in at over 500#'s but the PM had a built in caster set that could be raised and lowered with a handle. Very cool. The Sawstop brake has been discussed ad naseum here so no need to bring that up again but even without that feature, it is as solidly built as anything in the market, at least that I have seen. The riving knife comes out with a simply twist of a lever. No fooling around with nuts to loosen and tighten. The size of the ZCTP is huge. It would be very easy to change blades if you have bigger hands. You would be envy of the neighborhood with one of these. Well, anyway, can't afford either one right now and don't have the room even if I could but it's nice to dream!
-
Howard, the Plano BT3'r.
Confucious say, "Man who get too big for britches will be exposed in the end."
I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."
- Mark Twain -
Yep, to me, those saws are the next step up from the BT3100. If I get more money and shop space when I get older, those are the types of saws I'll look at. Anything less than these simply isn't worth consideration; all the "cheap" ~$1000 saws are missing critical features such as a riving knife and decent dust collection.Originally posted by Howard
It's really pathetic how Ryobi can offer these features on a $300 saw and other manufacturers can't offer them on saws costing 2-3 times as much. -
Yeah, I've drooled over both of them. In fact, my local Woodcraft won't let me near the PM because my drool made the table rust.
I checked out the SawStop in a high school shop, and it is one nice machine. I asked the teacher what happens if a student triggers the brake for S&Gs. His policy is that if you trigger the brake, you buy the replacement.
Anyway, both are incredible saws. I love my BT too, but it's like .... .... .... (I can't think of a metaphor)
Ah, how the other half lives......
g.Smit
"Be excellent to each other."
Bill & TedComment
-
I can come up with a list of at least 16 different "cheap" < $1000 saws that do have decent DC, it's not "all" of the cheapies but it's a start ...thank God they offer other characteristics to make up for that huge price discrepancy!Originally posted by dwolsten
(can't show pics of all of 'em...)
Last edited by Knottscott; 08-02-2006, 06:18 PM.Happiness is sort of like wetting your pants....everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth.
Comment
-
Right at this point I'm thinking that either a Laguna or the PM2000 will eventually replace my bt3100, but we'll see when the time comes.Keith Z. Leonard
Go Steelers!Comment
-
my other expensive hobby is photography and the users group I belong to is Nikonians.org. It is fairly common to spend $3000 to $5000 for a high end digital camera only to have it rendered "obsolete" within 6 to 9 months. That's not including lenses, scanners, printers, etc. I spent $3200 for a pro body 18 months ago that was top of the line at the time having 4 megapixels. I recently sold it for $1200 and was lucky to get that. You get the picture. It can be expensive and the expediture is made with the expectation of seeing it having to happen again within a couple of years. Considering that spending $2000-3000 for a top end TS, if you have the room for it, that it's money well spent for a "lifetime" investment, not a 2 year plan before replacement. It's the centerpiece of our shops and is one of the most versatile tools we own. Personally, when finances and room allow, I will be purchasing more than likely the Sawstop. It's easy to amortize (rationalize?) the extra money over a 20-30 year period with knowing that I won't accidently cut my fingers off, no matter how careful I am. We all love our BT's...but obviously it's not in the same league as these machines for quality and safety. Just my two cents worth...Howard, the Plano BT3'r.
Confucious say, "Man who get too big for britches will be exposed in the end."
I didn't attend the funeral, but I sent a nice letter saying I approved of it."
- Mark TwainComment
-
An excellent perspective on the big TS investment...Originally posted by HowardHappiness is sort of like wetting your pants....everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth. Comment
-
I am in the graphics industry, and while not quite as horrible as digital cameras, I can relate. I replace my graphics card about every year, and it's usually in the 500$ range, fortunately a write off.
When I personally bought my bt, I didn't really know how into woodworking I'd get, apparently I got pretty into it. If I could go back in time, I'd probably convince myself to invest in a high end saw, but at this point, it's not yet worth the jump up, as my bt is perfectly servicable.
Certainly it's a worthy investment if you are sure that you will be involved in this hobby for the long run.Keith Z. Leonard
Go Steelers!Comment
-
I've used Delta's unisaw and Holtzer verticle panel saw on the job but, if you're doing WW as a hobby, the BT does the job. Most of us have space & $ issues to consider b4 buying a good cabinet saw. But it's good to dream.Comment
Comment