Cabinet saw: 3 HP or 5 HP???

Boondox · Mar 16, 2004

I'm replacing my 1.5HP contractors saw with a cabinet saw. I work exclusively with hardwood: black cherry, red oak, and rock maple up to 8/4. My little saw is hopelessly outclassed by maple that thick. But will 3 horses be enough?

Should I go for 5 HP?

Pete

Cliff_Johns · Mar 16, 2004

Personally, I think the 1.5 (if wired 220 with sharp blade)
is quite sufficient, but if your wanting to buy bigger, here are
some things to think about.

How heavy is the 5HP unit. Where are you putting it? A
five HP motor is very heavy by itself.

The power requirements for the 5HP unit are higher
and you may or may not have the wiring to support it.

Even the plugs and wire from the box will add to the expense.

5HP means that kick back is just that much stronger.

Usually 5HP models have other features beyond just the
increased HP. Different switches, soloniods, brackets etc.

Lots of people use 1.5 HP contractors saws working with the
size wood you are talking about and are successful. 3HP (which
is 220 by definition) is definitely enough. The extra HP just
means you can increase your feed rate. If you in a big hurry,
or cutting miles of wood, the go for the 5HP.

By the way, I assume when you are talking about HP, you
are not talking about Sears HP (AKA "develops 1.5 HP"), but
real HP. That is, you 1.5 HP motor is drawing 15amps at 120
volts or about 8 amps at 220. Sears and others like to claim
higher HP in their ads.

Cliff

Egon · Mar 17, 2004

Pete:

More omph is always nice but does it come in a package that will meet your needs and fit your situation?

I'm thinking about accuracy and fine finishing cross cuts. Riping depth and finish would be enhanced. How about blade size? Will larger blades be required and are there dado heads to fit?

If the table dimension increase work piece stability would surely be a plus. Larger blades give more depth for angled cuts.

I do not have a table saw but would surely like more omph in my radial arm saw.

How's the new shop working out?

Egon

Boondox · Mar 17, 2004

Cliff -- The old contractor's saw was fine when I had a tiny shop where everything had to be on wheels, but since the shop expansion I'm looking for a cabinet saw for a few reasons. One is the power. Rock maple 2" thick is tough to rip. The other is mass; An 8/4 maple board twelve feet long weighs a bit. A third is the extension table on the cabinet saw would do double duty as an outfeed table for my band saw, jointer, planer, and router table. So in a very real sense the cabinet saw would become the heart of my new shop.

You raise a good point about the amperage draw of a 5HP motor. At 28 amps, it would be pushing it. And it's definitely 5 HP; that deceptive peak HP crud Sears uses is one of the reasons I no longer buy from them.

Egon -- The shop is still a work in process. With temps in the 30s, we're in that awkward time of year where it's too chilly to work comfortably for long periods...yet too warm to justify lighting the woodstove. Besides, Tamara has had me working on her new sheep shelter. It's a palace compared to what they had all winter -- complete with lighting and a GFCI outlet so we don't have to lamb by Braille!

Besides, till I get my big stationary tools in place I don't have a feel for where the shelving, dust collection, etc should go.

Like my bride says, this should keep me off the street for years to come! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Pete

GareyD · Mar 17, 2004

I have the 3hp Delta Unisaw...with a quality blade you can feed 12/4 hardwood just as fast as you desire without burning...the plus side is a cabinet saw is steady/heavy enough to let you do it...

A couple of my friends have the Grizzly 1023??...they say it is every bit as nice as my saw...and costs about $600 less /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

GareyD

Henro · Mar 17, 2004

Pete,

Cabinet saws are like tractors, aren't they? I bet if you asked your L3010 this question it would tell you to go with... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Myself, if the price difference were not an issue, I would go with the higher HP. Not because the higher HP is needed for what you seem to want to do...3HP would probably be more than enough...but because it gives a little more cushion for those unplanned for future things you might want to do, and expecially because the larger motor will have more mass, more cooling area, and run a little easier when you are really working it on a hot day.

When I upgrade I am going to get a 5hp saw, 12" minimum blade size. Mainly because the larger blade size saw often equates to a larger table size, along with thicker cutting ability.

In the meantime, I will continue with the old 10" craftsman setup I have. It has evolved over the years to a very satisfactory setup, considering what it started out as... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I've attached a photo. I am sort of /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif that my shop is looking more and more like Junkman's garage... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

boustany · Mar 17, 2004

I've got a Delta Unisaw. 3HP is more than enough - I've cut thick hardwood @ 45 degrees and never stalled/thrown a breaker. Of course, you want to run @220 V.

Although 12" is nice, actually getting an assortment of 12" blades is mui $$$, vs 10". Plus, I would bet that a thin kerf 12" blade would wander a fair bit.

Henro's photo shows a good outfeed table. Outfeed and side support can make a huge amount of difference, especially when working with plywood.

Cliff_Johns · Mar 17, 2004

Yes, the big advantage is not just the extra HP, but the
size and mass of the box and top. That's where you get
the payoff for the cabnet saws. Have you decided on a brand
and fence?

I would recommend a sliding table as well. That's money
well spent. Now that I've been using one for a few years,
I can't even imagine how I did without one.

Cliff

RonL · Mar 17, 2004

Pete

I have a 3 HP Delta Unisaw and find 3 HP sufficient. 5 HP may give you a little more leeway but as others have said, if you have kickback it will be more severe. The more important point is the fact that a heavy shop saw is more stable, holds its settings even with heavy use and will last a lifetime. Cranking the trunnions is somewhat analagous to breaking open an old Belgium made Browning Superposed. A certain amount of pleasure is taken in using a well made piece of machinery.

RonL

fivestring · Mar 17, 2004

"I would recommend a sliding table as well."

I haven't used one with a sliding table yet.
A friend of mine has a Jet with the sliding table.
He wishes he didn't have it. (a do-over)
He has to make all-new jigs for the sliding table.
His old jigs don't work because of no miter slot on the side of the sliding table.