Dark Side alert! - looking at Griz G0478 ... any nay sayers?

[BadeMillsap]

It is a dark day ... very dark ... As I was proceeding thru the dimensioning of about 70bf of 4/4 white oak ... on the first real "rip" (after face and edge jointing more than I care to remember) ... my trusty BT3100 started to bog down ... I slowed the feed rate and started to smell burning wood ... then burning motor ... I hit the kill switch ... swapped out the Woodworker II blade for the orig China BT blade ... thinking/hoping it was just a blade issue ... restarted the saw ... noticed a noise I wasn't used to ... started to feed wood and immediately knew ... either the belts, the motor or both were shot ... sniff sniff ...

So ... I'm in the market for a new and heavier duty table saw ... I started reading every review I could find on this site and others ... and have come to the conclusion that since I want the drive out cost to be less than $1000 I am looking at a Jet JWTS-10JF ($675 + local tax), Griz G0478 ($871.50 delivered), Craftsman 22124 ($1099 + tax but has Biesemeyer fence) ... probably others but these are what I have circled around ...

The Griz G0478 gets very good reviews, as does the Craftsman ... the fence on the Griz is a "Shop Fox Aluma Classic" that seems to get good review as well ... so right now at $871.50 delivered it's leading the pack. I just bought a Griz 6" jointer and have been very pleased with the quality, delivery and price point.

I need to pull the trigger in next day or two so I can get back into production ...

Anyone have thoughts one way or the other? I'm open to suggestions.

[Knottscott]

How about the Shop Fox version of the G0478 for $880 shipped from Utterguys on Ebay after 30% ($200 cashback)? ....it has a 2 year warranty.

[atgcpaul]

I went from the BT3100 to a Griz 1023SLX 2 years. There is no looking back for
me! You might be able to get it for even less if you can get the Microsoft Live/
eBay rebate to work. If you can do that, maybe you should consider stepping
up to the 1023 which is 3HP and install a dedicated 220V circuit.


Paul

[BadeMillsap]

I admit it I don't see how that 30% cash back thing works ....

guess I'm a little dense ...I have a paypal account ... generally connected to my credit card ... so ... in this case I would I gather do the BUY IT NOW ... use PAYPAL ... and ....???? how does it cause the 30% cash back to kick in?

I'm all for 30% discount but apparently don't quite see the light as to how the mechanism works to get it ....

Clarification for and idiot ???

And ... $880 shipped is more than the $871.50 shipped for the Griz ... so why would I want to do this? The Warranty?

[Knottscott]

guess I'm a little dense ...I have a paypal account ... generally connected to my credit card ... so ... in this case I would I gather do the BUY IT NOW ... use PAYPAL ... and ....???? how does it cause the 30% cash back to kick in?

I'm all for 30% discount but apparently don't quite see the light as to how the mechanism works to get it ....

Clarification for and idiot ???

And ... $880 shipped is more than the $871.50 shipped for the Griz ... so why would I want to do this? The Warranty?

Yeah...for $8.50 you get twice the warranty. If you have 220v, the G1023SL is near the same price and is a much more substantial saw than any of the hybrids.

Here's how to get the Cashback to work:
You need to originate a search though Live.com that results in an Ebay hit that shows the "Live Search Cashback" symbol . The word "chisels" works for me just about every time. It doesn't matter what you search for initially, as long as it results in a hit that has that symbol that links you to Ebay.

Then enter Ebay thru the link from your Live.com search. You should see the "Microsoft" Cashback banner at the top of the page. . Once you've got that banner, that session and the stated discount is valid for one hour....after an hour you can repeat the process to refresh it. Now you can search Ebay for any item you want, but it must be listed as a "Buy It Now" item, and they must accept PayPal as payment, and you must pay using PP. You'll see the Cashback banner at every step of the checkout process right up to confirming the purchase, so you'll know what your saving. Note that the discount is subject to change without notice....it has and will change but you won't know when until after. 30% is as high as I've seen it. You're allowed up to 6 cashback transactions per Ebay account...each transaction has a cap of $200.

Once you make the Buy It Now purchase, you'll receive an email from the MS Cashback folks stating that you've earned Cashback. It'll provide a link to set up a "Live ID" account with Microsoft. Your cashback will be available after 60 days, at which time you'll get another email with a link where you can request your payment. It typically goes straight to your PayPal account but I've read where others requested a check. Your Cashback summary will look something like this:

[dbhost]

For me, one of the biggest selling points of the BT3x00 / 21829 is the riving knife. I would suggest looking for a model that includes this important safety feature, but that's just my opinion... Your mileage may vary...

[JimD]

My belts fried with an offcut fell into them. All you have to do to find out if that is the issue is remove the throat plate and look - might need a flashlight. They cost on the order of $25 to replace.

The current edition of Wood has a good test of hybrid saws. They like the Grizzly G0478 but they liked the Ship Fox W1748 better. Both had good power but need a dedicated 20A 110V circuit minimum. One thing they didn't like about both saws is the need for a big circuit and it takes 46 revolutions to go from full up to full down. They found a pretty big difference in power despite similar ratings. They thought the more powerful were pretty close to 3hp cabinet saws in power.

Jim

[Stytooner]

The only thing I will say is that the blade guard/splitter has to be realigned each and every time you remove or install it. It is such an antiquated design that it isn't even possible for me to make a guard for it.
If you never use a guard, this shouldn't effect your decision.
If it were me, I would pick something else solely because of this. You safety considerations may change over time and circumstances. This saw will allow the least leeway on such changes.
I would rather see you get something that has a smaller fiddle factor. The safety will get used more often that way.

[BadeMillsap]

Pulled the trigger on Griz G1023SL - used LIVE.com $200 discount

Sweaty palms here ...

Thank all of you for the replies ... I DO believe the Riving Knife is one of the best features of the BT3100 and will seriously look for an option on the G1023SL to improve that situation (Lee - is there a Shark Guard for this model??)

After the excellent help from Dustmight (thank you for the step by step guide) and the considerations from atgcpaul and other sites I reviewed ... and the fact there was a G1023SL available on Ebay that qualified for $200 cash back (so ultimately $851.50 delivered to the door ... I took a big swig and clickity click ... bought that puppy ... I'll talk to Griz tomorrow to tell them it's ok to ship (they always want to be sure you understand the shipping limitations).

I already have a 40amp 220v circuit in the shop that only gets used when I weld so shouldn't be any conflict with the saw.

I gotta find SOME SORT of mobile base for this beast cause my shop space requires fairly portable equipment ... I have a Hercu-lift still in the box but am betting that isn't heavy duty enough ... suggestions?

[poolhound]

Sounds exciting. Do give us a blow by blow once it arrives so we can see it installed like with Whaler's new DW hybrid.

[Knottscott]

Congrats Bade - I'll bet you'll love the 1023! The construction is considerably more robust than any hybrid....and you got it for even money!

It just so happens that a guy named Bob Ross who frequents Woodnet has been developing a "Bolt On Ripping Knife" (BORK), that is essentially an aftermarket riving knife that's retrofitable to the 1023.

[BadeMillsap]

Looks like there is a Shark Guard for the 1023's

Dustmite ... thanks for all the help and good advice ... I was checking Lee's site and found this ... Shark Guard for 1023s ... will see if he still has available once it gets here and I convince myself it's necessary.

[Popeye]

I've had my 1023 for two years. You'll be tickled with it. Short of having a riving knife it's still the best bang for the buck on the market. Pat

[cabinetman]

Here's what I recommend.
.

.

[Stytooner]

Dustmite ... thanks for all the help and good advice ... I was checking Lee's site and found this ... Shark Guard for 1023s ... will see if he still has available once it gets here and I convince myself it's necessary.

I have been making them for the 1023's for a few years now. Both left and right tilt's. What I don't make one for is the G0478.

I make them with splitters. Not riving knives for these.

There is a guy on Woodnet that makes some kind of riving knife thing that is adjustable for these. No guard, just the knife. I think his name is Bob Ross. Not the painter.