Thread: Cabinet saw advantages over Contractors saw

Originally Posted by colburge

Hi all,

I am looking at getting a table saw around the $1200 mark, and I can see from previous threads the various models have been discussed at length so I wont bore you with any more talk on them. I am interested to know however what advantage the cabinet saw has over the contractors saw. It looks to me maybe they are a bit more sturdy, portable and maybe dust collection easierl

The contractors saw is marginally lighter and in principle more portable but once a good set of wheels is put on either they are the same

Another advantage of the cabinet saw is the motor is tucked away under the cabinet instead of hanging out the back.

In terms of performance unless you look at the second hand market, $1200 is not going to buy much of a cabinet saw either. Contractor and cabinet saws around the $1200 mark will have a 2 or 3HP motor with a single belt and a real working cut of around 75 mm. If you really want to cut more than this a triple belt system is needed and that I have only seen on >$1800 cabinet saws.

The built in dust port on cheap TS is good to get you up and running but as these are usually 4" diam they need to be opened up to be of any fine dust collection significance. With the Contractors saw a dust collection port needs to be fitted from the start but at least you can fit a 6" diam port from the start

One would think that one might get a better fence with a cabinet saw but that has not been my experience.

Originally Posted by BobL

The contractors saw is marginally lighter and in principle more portable but once a good set of wheels is put on either they are the same

Another advantage of the cabinet saw is the motor is tucked away under the cabinet instead of hanging out the back.

In terms of performance unless you look at the second hand market, $1200 is not going to buy much of a cabinet saw either. Contractor and cabinet saws around the $1200 mark will have a 2 or 3HP motor with a single belt and a real working cut of around 75 mm. If you really want to cut more than this a triple belt system is needed and that I have only seen on >$1800 cabinet saws.

The built in dust port on cheap TS is good to get you up and running but as these are usually 4" diam they need to be opened up to be of any fine dust collection significance. With the Contractors saw a dust collection port needs to be fitted from the start but at least you can fit a 6" diam port from the start

One would think that one might get a better fence with a cabinet saw but that has not been my experience.

Thanks BobL for the reply,

Unfortunately even if I had the money to spend on a bigger saw I am limited to a 10amp saw as the shed is on a 30amp mixed circuit. I am planning to move over the next year so I don't want to spend the money for the 15amp wiring, I would rather save it for the next place. If my calculations are right I think even a 3HP saw would probably trip the circuit breaker in my place on start up.

Anyhow I just need a saw that will cut straight when I need it too, if a contractors saw can do that, I will buy one of those and safe my money for the million other things I need.

This might sound dumb, but how do you actually fit a dust collection system to a contractors saw being that it is open on all sides? Not knowing too much about it, I thought that the cabinet saw was semi-sealed around the base and you could suck everything through the base. I thought the contractors saw just had the collector above the blade on the sheild, I have no idea really.

I should add that I am going to have a crack at building a guitars and general household type stuff like shelving etc so maybe a half decent bandsaw might be the go, I think I need both.

Col