12" table saw

[Lou]

Anyone want to recommend a 12" table saw? Lou

[Art Ransom]

The Grizzly 12" left tilt will be my replacement for my Delta 10"

[Pat Barber]

Old or New ???

Old = Delta 34-350 12"/14" Tilting Arbor table saw 3Hp 1ph

New = Powermatic 72A 14" Tilting Arbor table saw

Neither saw is in current production but both are big iron table saws.

More modern stuff like Jet,Grizzly,etc are poor copies of the real thing.

The Euro sliders would be my next choice.. Felder

Lou wrote:

[russellseaton1]

I'm curious why a 12" table saw is wanted? To simply get a heavier chasis, more cast iron than is available on 10" cabinet saws? Or are you looking at the various European models produced by Felder, Hammer, MiniMax, Martin, etc. and 12" (300-350mm) is the standard size?

If you simply want size and weight, then you might want to move up to the 14/16" size. I think they have a considerable amount more size and weight than the 12" saws that are a sort of beefed up cabinet saw.

[Doug Miller]

Deeper cut than a 10", perhaps. Cut depth on a 10" saw is pretty much limited to a bit over three inches.

[Pat Barber]

Just to keep thing in perspective...

A Delta Unisaw is "roughly" 388 lbs give or take a lb.

A Delta 34-350 is "roughly" 840 lbs give or take a lb.

Most 12" saws can use a 14" blade, which has a major advantage over a 10" saw in depth of cut.

Most 12" saws have the "mass" to handle larger(5-7hp) motors which can run non-stop for 8 hour shifts cutting wood or other materials.

Most production shops will be using a power feeder for daily runs. A 3hp can not keep up with high speed power feeders.

A Felder or one of it's brothers would be a logical choice for "certain" operations.

You can also still buy a real American made saw that is quite impressive..

I'm curious why a 12" table saw is wanted? To simply get a heavier

[Rick]

A side note to this thread regarding Northfield . . . Last summer I sent them my Powermatic #81 bandsaw wheels to true, balance and install new tires . . . they have a full service machine shop. I live in Kansas but was vacationing in Minnesota when the wheels were finished and went to their shop to pick the wheels up. I was expecting some large factory and all sorts of modern manufacturing stuff . . . but guess what . . . it's just a funky, typically messy machine shop, but can they ever still make machines! The guy who worked on my Powermatic wheels has been working on Northfield's bandsaws for approximately 35 years. I think there were only 10 or so guys working at the shop. When they get an order for a saw, they make it. No inventory waiting to be sold. Northfield could be the last real American made woodworking iron. I wish I had some of their tools. Really impressive stuff.

Rick