My point is the table saw not all the other issues you are bringing up. The heart of the shop. Literally. When the day comes he wants to tackle a large project he will not be sorry he spent the amount he has alloted
for the single most important purchase he can make for his shop.
One day he may want to build a captains bed or some similiar project which will entail ripping thick hardwood. Very often these designs call for 3" and 4" hardwood. You need a saw that will handle it.
A contractor saw is called a contarctor saw for a reason. It is not designed to handle 3" & 4" hardwood. It can't; too much abuse on a 2HP motor will burn it out. Plus you don't want to have take all day to rip thick stock even if it would cut it. You also don't want to have to rip it halfway up, flip it, then finish it off. Then you have alot more edge treatment to deal with.
A woodworking shop usually gets around to producing furniture, and even if someone, in this case gedereco, doesn't think he'll ever tackle any big work, that usually goes by the wayside in quick order. Jay, I know you are keeping his best interest at heart wanting to help him get as many tools for his money as possible, but we do someone a big disservice when we advise them to purchase a tool with less capability than what they have already clearly stated they are able to spend on that tool. He told us "I am going to spend $2000 on a saw" he didn't ask "Should I spend $2000 on a table saw?"
But if he HAS the money to afford a saw he will never have to upgrade why would you tell him to buy something inferior?
This is a serious purchase not something to take lightly. I'm not accussing you of taking it lightly but your intital response seemed to indicate you do not fully understand the importance of advising someone how to spend their money on something that once spent, you can't go back. He would end up at some point having to sell his contractor grade saw, take a loss, and then make the purchase he should have made in the first place and by then he may NOT have the funds to make the purchase.
He never said "I can't afford the saw I need and want, so what should I settle for?" that would have been different.
It is called a cabinet saw not because it is designed to make cabinets but because it has an enclosed base cabinet the main purposes of which are to keep moving parts from being exposed and to facilitate optimum dust collection which is extremely impotratnt in an enclosed woodworking shop. A contractor saw can be dragged around on a trailer to jobsites, moved outside and used, or used in a garage/shop where dust is not a concern or at least can be tolerated.
If I'm not mistaken here gederco has his shop in a basement? And while some contractor style saws are sold with "Dust Collection Collar!" It is largely a sales gimmick because it will not capture the lion's share of the mess.
Another issue is weight. WHen you are pushing big stock through a saw you don't want it moving around. A contarctor saw will. Period. If you try pushing too much thick stock too fast through a lightweight saw like that it will move on a slick concrete floor unless you anchor it nd you don't want to do that to a contractor saw.
A cabinet saw is rock solid. It won't budge and it will not shimmy and vibrate asmuch as a contractor saw either.
The one I linked to is even considered lightweight for a cabinet saw but still at 600 pounds it is twice the weight of a contractor saw and it isn't going to go wandering around on him.
Like you said if we disagree that is all it is a disagreement.
gedereco, I might add, if you are going to be doing alot of crosscutting and you probably will, I would even spend a little extra and get a sliding table attacjment for that saw. I will repeat this. DON'T SCRIMP ON A TABLE SAW WHEN YOU CAN AFFORD WHAT YOU NEED IN THE FIRST PLACE! You will tham me. Believe it!

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