10 Inch 3 HP Single-Phase 220V Left-Tilt - Grizzly G1023SL Table Saw

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Rating:	5 (Excellent) 4 (Good) 3 (Average) 2 (Poor) 1 (Very Poor)
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Review:

3 H.P. single-phase, 220V motor; 4 inch dust port included; Cutting capacity: 8 inch left and 26 inch right of blade; Triple V-belt drive. Built with the same heavy steel cabinet and cast iron table as the extremely popular Model G1023S, this left-tilting saw became an instant hit when introduced last year. Just as with the G1023S, the motor is 3HP, single-phase, 220V and has a triple-belt pulley. The blade splitter has been redesigned from that of the G1023S for even easier adjustments, and the accurate and dependable Shop Fox Classic fence also comes as standard equipment.

This Grizzly saw has received high marks in a number of recent reviews in woodworking magazines, typically being recommended as the best cabinet saw for the money. So I bought one. Grizzly shipped the saw by Fed Ex Freight, and I decided to pick it up at the freight depo using my neighbor's trailer (highly recommended...this avoids having to request lift gate service on the delivery truck). As others have noted, the packaging is a bit flimsy, but I got it home with no problems, and the saw was in fine shape. The assembly was straightforward; I followed the suggestion of another reviewer and used WD-40 to remove the preservative goop, which worked OK. Amazingly, when I went through the alignment procedure the saw needed no adjustments.

I have only two negative comments: (1) Grizzly doesn't provide an arbor wrench (!). There is a wrench for the nut on the arbor, but no wrench to hold the arbor. Fortunately, the arbor wrench from my old saw fits. (2) The front rail for the Shop Fox fence has to be shimmed to provide clearance for the fence. The shims consist of six stacks of four washers each that need to be positioned between the rail and the front bracket (to which the rail is attached). Besides being nearly impossible to get these "shims" in position (made possible only by using double stick to hold them in place), the arrangement is just plain Mickey Mouse.

Overall, I really like the saw.

this company is not a good place to shop if you want good quility.i bought router bit's and all they do is tear the wood out and there not even the right size they say they are....then when you want to return them it cost more to shipp back then what they are worth........not a good company to do business with.........unless you want thing's that won't work.

I researched cabinet saws on and off for nine years. In the interim, I made do with sliding chop saws, a buddy's saw, etc. as best I could. Finally, I decided it was time to take the plunge.

Given that (and I am sure some will disagree) most decent cabinet saws are more alike than different, I decided to focus on my specific needs and not rely too heavily on the reviews of others. I decided right away that I wanted the precision of the Jointech saw train/clincher/smartfence. This allowed me to focus on finding a good saw without worrying too much about the accompanying fence (one of the few differences among good cabinet saws)

The Grizzly fit the bill. It is stout and strong with good fit and finish. I did not have any problems with the condition of the shipment. I had the shipping company hold the boxes and then set them on a trailer using a forklift. Two people and a dolly made quick work of unloading and positioning othe saw on a mobile base.

Many have commented about troubles with removing the cosmoline. I simply doused the surfaced with WD-40, waited about a minute, and then wiped the majority off (start at one end and go to the other, discard paper towel, repeat). Once that stage was completed, I re-doused the surfaces, waited another minute, and then worked through more carefully. This worked like a charm. Once complete, I cleaned everything thoroughly with a citrus degreaser. The one thing I did not do right away was wax the surfaces. This was a mistake as surface rust formed in a couple of days. Once re-cleaned, paste wax and a buffing wheel laid down a beautiful coating of wax.

I cannot comment on the ShopFox fence because I am using Jointech products (expensive, but incredible value if you want precision)

Out of the box alignment was decent, but just about everything required some tweaking. The extension tables required shimming, the table was a bit misaligned. Not a big deal. In fact, I was kind of happy - it gave me a chance to really learn more about my saw. The entire alignment process (using a Superbar as needed) only took a couple of hours. Not a big deal.

All in all, I am pleased. The Grizzly was definitely worth the wait.

Like most, I was debating between the Delta, Jet and Powermatic. I ended up cutting my budget for equipment by about $500 so I had to find a way to cut a few corners. Enter the Grizzly. I was skeptical at first, but there are plenty of good reviews on the saw, so I ordered it. I just finished tuning the saw tonight and made my first cuts, so here are my first impressions.

Anyone who has assembled a Unisaw knows that Delta is not without flaws. The machining on the 1023 easily equals that of the Delta. The 1023 is HEAVY and is assembled well. As for the fence, it took a little tuning to bring it to within my desired tolerences. Save yourself some time and get a Superbar from Grizzly when you order any table saw. You may not be able to see or feel .005", but it will definately make a difference in your work.

Now that the saw is tuned, it cuts very nicely. The fence is accurate (when properly adjusted) and the table is flat and true. It doesn't "purr" like the Unisaw, but I can live with a little more noise knowing that I saved more than $600 on the saw.

If you spend the time setting this machine up right before you make your first cuts, there is no doubt that this saw is every bit as accurate and tough as its other more expensive relatives.

WOW!! THIS SAW IS THE BEST SAW FOR YOUR MONEY..PERIOD. WHEN I RECEIVED THE SAW FROM THE FREIGHT COMPANY THE BOX WAS DENTED AND RIPPED OPEN. FOR SOME REASON THIS TENDS TO BE A TREND FOR GRIZZLY PRODUCT SHIPPING. MAYBE THEY SHOULD CONSIDER CRATING THEIR TOOLS. MY NEIGHBOR AND I UNLOADED THE SAW WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS, YOU ARE GOING TO NEED SOME HELP UNLOADING THIS BEAST!!. ONE SUGGESTION, KEEP THE PALLET THE SAW COMES WITH. AFTER THE BOX WAS CUT AWAY I WAS ABLE TO SLIDE MY SAW OFF THE PALLET AND ONTO THE ROLLER STAND, YES ONE PERSON CAN DO THIS ALONE. I PURCHASED AN INCRA FENCE PRIOR TO GETTING THE SAW, SO I HAVE NO COMMENTS ON THE STOCK FENCE THAT CAME WITH THE SAW BUT THE REST OF THE MACHINE IS FAR BETTER THAN I EXPECTED. FIT FINISH, MOTOR, TABLE ARE ALL TOP NOTCH FOR THE PRICE YOU PAY FOR THIS MACHINE. IF YOU WANT THE MOST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK GO WITH THIS SAW WITHOUT HESITATION, FORGET THE HYBRID SAWS (DEWALT,JET). AFTER MAKING SAWDUST WITH MY G1023SL AND SEEING HOW WELL IT PERFORMS, I AM CONFIDENT THIS SAW IS THE BEST VALUE OF ANY TABLE SAW ON THE MARKET. I WILL BE CONSDERING GRIZZLY FOR ALL MY WOOD WORKING TOOL PURCHASES IN THE FUTURE.