Is it 3hp Sawstop table saw enough for home use?


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Old 10-17-18, 10:33 AM
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Is it 3hp Sawstop table saw enough for home use?

I'm thinking about getting a Sawstop table saw. I just wasn't sure if I should get the 5hp or 3hp. When is it good to get a 5hp Sawstop table saw?
 
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Old 10-17-18, 02:33 PM
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3 HP should be good for home use. If I could afford it I would get the 5 HP one.
 
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Old 10-17-18, 02:51 PM
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Is there any difference in voltage requirements between the two? (120v. vs 240 v.)
 
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Old 10-17-18, 06:15 PM
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See, that's the thing. Of all the ads I've seen, 5hp showed 230v but a person (I believed must from Sawstop) said to check their site. Sounds like it can be configured to run on 220v for 5hp. I have installed a 220v in my garage. But it seems like 5hp uses 230v.
 
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Old 10-17-18, 06:16 PM
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I have a 1.5HP delta contractor saw and it does everything I need it to do. It does some times struggle to cut green 2x4's but will get the job done. 3HP would be perfect. 5HP is overkill IMO

Voltage is nominal. A house normally will have 240 volts (you have 240 in your garage) but people and manufactures will state anything between 220 -250 volts. It is all the same. You will want to run the saw at 240 volts. My saw has a duel voltage motor to run on 120 or 240 volts. It runs better on 240.
 
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Old 10-17-18, 06:32 PM
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Toyln, thanks for the response. Perhaps I should ask the electrical forum for this, but my receptacle is currently 220v. So, if I'm going to run a Sawstop 5hp, it would be better to wire my receptacle for 240v?
 
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Old 10-17-18, 11:22 PM
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As TI said, the voltage is nominal, so if your receptacle is wired for "220 volts" it's actually wired for 240 volts. Although former identifiers of 220 volt or 230 volt linger, the standard today is 240 volts, so you'll see and hear it referred to all three ways, including by equipment manufacturers, but it's 240 volts today. As far as the saw, I suppose more is usually not a bad thing, but 3 horsepower is a lot and I tend to agree that, for most users anyway, 5 horsepower is probably overkill.
 
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Old 10-18-18, 04:46 AM
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Thanks, aka Pedro, for the clarification -- much appreciated.
 
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Old 10-18-18, 04:56 AM
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And I'll add my two cents worth about 5 hp being over kill. I have even less power than Tolyn (mine's a 60+ year old upgraded 1hp) and I do just fine. A 3 hp would be very nice, though.
 
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Old 10-18-18, 06:34 AM
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Will someone give an examples of what a 5hp can do that 3hp can't do? Perhaps that will give me some idea if I'll ever do those jobs/tasks to make my decision. Thanks!
 
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Old 10-18-18, 06:47 AM
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Unless you plan to rip dripping wet 2X with a dull blade all day long, you'll never need 5HP in a home shop.
 
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Old 10-18-18, 08:09 AM
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Thank you for the example. And no, I don't think I'll ever do that.
 
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Old 10-18-18, 08:16 AM
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I have a 3HP table saw and the only time it has ever started to bog down is ripping hard maple at full depth about 3" thick. That size motor will be just fine for any kind of soft wood / construction lumber.

You would only really use the 5HP motor if you want to make thick smooth rip cuts in hardwood using a combination blade such as a 40 tooth or greater. If you use an actual ripping blade around 20 tooth you can't lift lumber thick enough to stall the saw.
 
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Old 10-18-18, 10:23 AM
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Thanks! Hardwood would include oak, correct?
 
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Old 10-18-18, 02:11 PM
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Yes oaks are hardwood. Should be no problem with that saw.
 
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Old 10-18-18, 05:41 PM
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Perfect! Many thanks for all the responses.
 
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Old 10-19-18, 06:14 AM
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I had another thought that I meant to mention yesterday, but then forgot. First off, I generally think of a table saw as the centerpiece of a woodworking shop, so of course bigger is better, and a table saw needs to be stable for safety and to ensure good cuts. But that said, I wondered if you had thought it through as far as even a 3 horsepower model. I am not all that familiar with the Sawstop line, but bigger is generally going to be heavier, so, for example, do you have a designated space for your saw that will allow you room to rip long material without moving it? Or will you have to reposition it for some applications? Just asking rhetorically because, although I have cringed more than a few times at some of the not so stable saws I have seen people use, I know that not everyone has the luxury of wide open space, so unless that's you that extra weight might be something to consider. I have a 2 horsepower saw setting almost dead center of my 1200+' shop and still have to turn it a bit for longer boards. And that didn't used to be a problem, but these days it's a chore sometimes.
 
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Old 10-19-18, 02:37 PM
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Another place where you may need high horsepower is if you are cutting dado cuts quite often. Dado blades obviously require a lot more horsepower because you're removing a lot more wood..
 
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Old 10-20-18, 09:21 AM
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aka pedro: No, wish I have 1200+' of space. I have a single garage dedicate for it. If when I'm purchasing the Sawstop, I planned to purchase the mobile base with it so I can move it if I need to.

MSradell: Occasionally I will but I don't know if I'll do a lot of dado works at this point.
 
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Old 10-20-18, 11:06 AM
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This whole debate makes me smirk. EITHER sawstop saw is a fine saw that blows away anything I own or probably ever will. * It's a CABINET saw. * That in itself tells you what you need to know. So it is several steps above a "homeowner" saw or any portable saw. I have only portable table saws... Dewalt 744, Bosch 4000, (all 120V) and they have been just fine for the past 27 yrs of carpentry, which i do professionally. If I had a big shop for a permanent cabinet saw, the sawstop would be nice. My buddy has 2 of them in his cabinet shop hooked up to huge dust collectors. Nice saws.
 
 

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