I wanted to upgrade my Craftsman contractor saw with a good quality cabinet saw. I read all of the owner reviews and tool comparison articles that I could get my hands on. I especially enjoyed reading the Amazon.com reviews. Everyone seemed to be pleased with their Jet saws,and seemed to have less negative remarks than many of the other brands. Now that I own one, I can see why. It is a great cabinet saw!! If you have any reservations, let me assure you that you won't regret trying a Jet. I recently had the opportunity to compare the Jet JTAS 10XL to the Delta unisaw and the Powermatic at a woodworking show. I had always wanted a Delta (maybe too many New Yankee workshop shows, who knows?!) but upon review of the various options, especially the fit, and finish, I became convinced that the Jet was much better. I really liked the mirrow like finish on the Jet, almost as good as the Powermatic. I am not kicking the others because I know that you would be happy with Delta or Powermatic, but for my money I liked the Jet package the best. The saw came in five boxes, with each well identified as to their contents. A note on the cabinet: Cutting the metal bands allows you to remove the box by simply lifting the box - it sits over the saw, no bottom (this is not apprent when looking at the package) Also, Note: there are mounting bolts which attach the cabinet to the pallet. You will need help moving it onto the floor or mobile base, it is very heavy!brThe instructions are excellent and have sufficient pictures to aid in assembly. By the way, You can download a copy of the owners manual from the Jet web page - which is WMHtoolgroup.com. I downloaded a copy while I was waiting for my saw to be delivered - when it arrived I was ready. By the way, I had no damage, even the outer boxes were in good shape- Thanks.brEverything aligns easily. I had no problems getting parts flush and in line. If you follow the instructions, you will be led to open each box in a sequential order: cabinet saw which includes the motor cover and extension wings; accessory packages;mounting rails,extension table, fence, router, router lift. The router and routerlift have their own instructions. Note: be sure to see the xacta lift "special instruction sheet supplement" -which tells you NOT to drill mounting holes for the Bosch router- it is already drilled along with holes for many other types of routers. I found one for my Hitachi M12V and my Porter Cable as well.brI also found it interesting that Jet includes a copy of the Inspection Record for the saw. I borrowed a friends micrometer calibration tool and found the data to be very accurate as recorded on the sheet. For example, my parallelism between the blade and the mitre slot was .0024" against Jets allowed tolerance of .0118", I was well satisfied. One final note. Jet includes a folder called the Tool Doctor which aids the consumer in cases where you may have a problem in assembly, instructions, or damaged parts. By the way, Jet has excellent response on problems, parts or warrenty. Note on Tensioning the motor: Be sure to loosen BOTH motor mount bolts (there is one on the back of the motor support bracket), this allows the motors weight to tension the belts, then lock both bolts. Also, after running the saw a few days, you may want to check and repeat this step in order to get the best setting. I found that it was necessary on mine . Boy, this saw has cutting power! I ripped and cross cut 8/4 red and white oak with ease. There was no blade wobble or kerf marks in the wood. The new xacta fence is excellent. It is the best on the market in my opinion. Very rigid when locked, and does not slip. I exerted some extra force and it did not budge. The fence faces are removable, which is a plus if you like to have special fences for special purpose cutting which I have found very usefull. They are also easy to take on and off. One final note, I liked the Delta mobile base better than any of the others that were available. The Delta model 50-289 (also available from Amazon) fits the saw perfectly, the only problem is the auxiliary table will not fit inside of the extension. However, I added a 24" piece of "L" angle to the end of the extension, using two 1/4" machine bolts. The legs of the table sit on the angle - works perfect. This mobile base has excellent rubber leveling pads and an easy to use single position footlever swivel caster when you want to move the saw. One push of the footlever and the whole saw and extension table are lifted for easy moving.brI have had this saw about a month and like it better each time I use it. Everything works and works like it is supposed to and the 3 HP motor has power to spare. I've used a CMT "General" and a Woodworker II full kerf blade and can not believe at how smooth this saw cuts. Its powerfull and extremely smooth and vibration free. I can't wait to get out there and make some sawdust. Happy woodworking!!

I have had this saw now for about 2 months and it has more than impressed me. I was worried about delivery since the fine print says that it will be driven to the curb and the driver would not assist in unloading. I was worried about forklifts, or hiring another truck and pallet jack to get it from the dock, but all was not needed as the guys (ABF here) that delivered brought it on a lift truck and rolled it right into my garage. Setup was *easy* and logical. I had just wired in a length of romex 220 for my planer, so plugging in was not a problem. I had my 30 amp breaker and locking plugs all ready to go, as they are NOT included. I did not choose the cabinet and roller stand as that was[considerably more money]. Instead I made my own from a 3/4" sheet of plywood I ripped in two with my new saw. It went through it like balsa wood with a new GP blade. The whole rig with casters was $60 and some left over melamine thrown in, and is much much stronger than the store bought version. The exacta fence is just that. You can really use the installed tape for measured cuts, and when you set it on 4 15/16ths, by golly that is what you get. It was a snap to square up, and I have made no adjustments to the saw itself (only table and fence) and it will shave a consistent piece off a stud that is transparent if you just want to show off for your friends.pThe router took longer to set up than the saw did, but once you figure out the bolt pattern is off by one circle on the crazy 10 million circle diagram, you have the hardest part solved. The fence goes together in about 10 minutes and you are complete. Be careful when you are rocking the 540 lbs into position, as it is easier to do than you think. It moves easily on the rollers as well. This is a SOLID tool, and one that will last many lifetimes if cared for, as they should.pUse care in tightening bolts. The only reason I have not snapped a head off of a JET tool bolt, is because I know so many guys here, and read about here, that have. It is easy to do. Throw a cover on your saw and then a 3/4" sheet of plywood on top and you have a rolling workbench too. Awesome.

My saw was back ordered and arrived about one month after I ordered it. I was so excited to finally have it. It was in great shape - no scratches, no dings, all parts were there. I put it together with no difficulty at all. Their instructions were terrific. The only gripes I have are:br1) The dust hood was bent so far in that it was about 1/32 of an inch to the blade, but that was easy to fix - just bent it out.br2)The router lift did not fit flush in the opening, so I had to sand it down. Also the opening was a little bit too big as well, but that is okay, since the weight of my router keeps it were it needs to be.br3) The magnetic switch failed, and I am getting a new one from via Tool Crib's warranty support, which is great.pThe only other negative thing to say is that the extension table really isn't supported well enough to not bow with a router in it - so I added some straight graines white oak battens to the underside, which seems to have minimized the problem. But, I do not think that this problem would be avoided with any extension table if you dropped a router in it. I just think that Jet should design a little bit better extension table for the kits that include the xacta lift.pOtherwise (and those were all minor complaints), the saw is great. It cuts amazingly accurately, there is very little runout at the arbor, it's got sufficient power (and then some), and it sure is pretty. Also, I have a small shop and the convenience of being able to add my router table into the saws footprint is very helpful. pThe fence is very nice and the micro adjust feature works well, although I must admit that I don't use it much as of yet. The Bosch router is a great router. I use out of the table only, and it just feels right in my hands.

I had been looking to upgrade my 10 year old Grizzly contractor saw for awhile. At first I thought of upgrading that saw, but when I realized that the $ I'd be putting in it would still leave me with a saw that would bog down on 2" hardwood I decided to get a good cabinet saw. brAfter some consideration I found this Jet cabinet saw was on sale and was a great chioce for me because of the following:p1) Enough HP to rip 2-3" hardwood (with the right blade of course).br2) 50" Fence to handle plywood sheetsbr3) Left tilt which helps prevent kickback on miter cuts. It also puts the motor on the left side of the cabinet which frees some additional space under the extention table for the shelf.br4) I needed a router table and this setup saved me $. The router lift is great - it's the way to go.br5) The Bosch router is excellent. At 2.25 HP it will do a much better job on the table than my Porter Cable 690. Plus I can pretty much dedicate that router to stay on the table. A very nice bonus!pI aslo opted for the Cabinet and mobile base.pSetup is pretty straight forward except you need to be careful attaching the base so the router lift has enough clearance to fit into the cabinet. I learned that if you have the mobile base, don't attach the rubber end covers to the exention tube. That extra 1/4" will mess up your cabinet alignment with the router lift - I know this from experience! :^0p...If you need a good cabinet saw and router table, I'd highly recommend this package.

For the last 2 years I'd been using a contractors saw in a shop that a friend and me shared. After building my own shop I started looking to replace a few tools and a "cabinet" grade table saw was first on my list. For a month I researched magazines, Amazon reviews, questioned woodworkers, and so on. Finally, I decided on the Jet and MAN what table saw. I drove 2 hours to pick up my JTAS-10XL (Amazon was sold out) and paid an addition $100(Ouch). Brought it home and began to assemble, BY MY SELF (not a good idea, the cast iron top/motor is quite heavy). Some people see assembly as tedious labor; I view it more like a child standing in front of the tree on Christmas morning. Assembly took about 3 hours and plus an addition hour to dial it in. Everything went together smoothly as a matter of fact I don't recall opening the instruction book. Having used a contractor's saw for 2 years it was like trading in a Yugo for a Ferrari. This saw is solid, little or no vibration and accommodates all 13/16 of my dado blade stack. The biggest surprise to me was the quality of the router as well as the lift. Honestly, as with most "bonus" items I expected a so-so router and a lift that I would have to replace in a year or so. The Bosch router runs smoother than my DeWalt 618. The other saws I seriously considered were the Grizzly and the X5 but the router table pushed me over to the JTAS-10XL and boy did it pay off. If you must have a con I not real fond of the magnifying bubble on the fence. (There I said it) Seriously, this might be best purchase I've made to date. Solid, smooth and accurate you get you money's worth.

I have had the opportunity to compare the Jet with the Unisaw for a period of more than 2 years because I have both saws in my small cabinet shop. Why 2 saws in a small shop? I'm glad you asked. Both saws are set up with mobile bases. Typically I have the Unisaw on the left and the Jet on the right with about 2 feet between so I can walk between them. The Unisaw is a left tilt and my Jet saw is a right tilt. I have a mobile off-bearing bench immediately behind the Unisaw. The Unisaw is used for ripping both hardwood and sheet goods. The Jet will come into play for all the cross cuts. The two saws are levelled to each other and lubed with Boeshield, so when I am crosscutting an 8' piece of sheet goods on the Jet, the Unisaw provides smooth support for the piece. When I want to set up a dado operation, I use the Jet and this is the only area where the right tilt is an advantage because the scale for the fence still reads accurately with a dado blade.
br /I frequently cut a 45 degree bevel in the lower section of base cabinet bulkhead where it will join with a toe kick piece. These cuts are either a right hand or a left hand. I can safely handle either right or left if I set up both saws for a 45 degree bevel. If only one saw is used the only way to get the other handed bevel is to creep the piece backwards...very carefully...not recommended, or to use a jig saw and be satisfied with an imperfect cut.
br /But to the comparison: Both saws are winners. The Jet is very impressive with its finish. I like the compact knurled knobs for locking the wheels which adjust the height and blade tilt. The Unisaw has large wing knobs which are more awkward; the extra leverage they provide is simply not necessary. Now the cons on the Jet: The Exacta fence is equipped with a very slick material on either side. The idea is to reduce friction against the fence and I assume that it works, but the reduced effort is not particularily noticable and it comes with a price--for whatever reason, even when material is tight against the fence, there seems to be a shadow line separating the fence from the material. This is not a problem most of the time; however, I usually am ripping sheet goods by myself which means that I am positioned at the far back left corner of the sheet and I have to proceed by feel more than sight. Another gripe: the magnifying lens on the fence would seem to be a great idea; however, even the slightest movement of your head seems to change the sight reading drastically. I end up checking the setting with a tape measure every time to be sure. My Unisaw, set up with the standard Biesimeyer fence does not have either of these problems. One of the best positives about the Unisaw is the switch. The "on" switch has an indentation; you have to be very intentional to turn the saw on. The "off" switch, on the other hand, is oversized and very accessible. If I get into trouble with a cut I can kill the saw with a light touch of my leg. In fact, until I got used to this, it sometimes would happen that the saw would unexpectedly die when I was pushing forward and came into contact with the "off" switch.
br /Neither saw has a very good system for latching the door which accesses the interior for dust removal or retrieving the inevitable dropped nut. Someday I will replace the Jet magnifying bubble and the switch with comparable Unisaw parts, then it will be nearly perfect. With my current set-up, I use the Unisaw for the bulk of the work. If the Unisaw were right tilt and the Jet left tilt, the the Jet would get the bulk of the work, and if that were the case the magnifying bubble on the fence would absolutely have to go. A significant factor in my production is not having to slow down to check the fence setting with a tape measure. Both of these saws are excellent; if I had to choose between them, I would most reluctantly give up the beauty and finish of the Jet and go with the Unisaw.

I ordered this saw after exhaustive research. I had eliminated the 5hp models from JET, Delta and others due mostly to price. I knew (and I was right) the 3hp model would handle the oak and maple I like to work with. The fit and finish is first rate. Everything about this saw feels first class. I have no complaints at all
br /
br /The saw arrived with no difficulty. I used the free shipping option, and contacted the carrier to ensure it was delivered on a lift gate truck (thank you to all of you who warrned me!). The whole shipment is 680 lbs. 580 of it is just the saw. I was able to slide it down my storm cellar entrance on my own (however, I don't recommend this as a 1 person job!!!), as the saw comes bolted to a wood skid.
br /
br /I set the saw up in about 3 hours, with another 1 hour for the router base. Again, thanks to all of you who provided an order of assembly, and the note about the router plate holes being off by 1 mark.
br /
br /In terms of cut quality, I'm very pleased. The best saw is worthless without a good blade. Again, I'm value-consious, so I've been using the Freud blades - I have about 6 of them between my radial arm saw, table saw and mitre saw. I've not been given a compelling reason to spend the extra money on Forrest blades. I've also added the Freud Super Dado set, and made some unreal dado cuts.
br /
br /I would recommend a few extras: 1 - stabalizer. This has made good cuts excellent cuts. It really is a must, even with the quality Freud blades. 2- Zero clearance insert. In combo with a good rip blade, I've been ripping oak plywood without any tearout or splintering. 3 - Outfeed table. I've just ordered the Delta, and I'll be positing a review later in the week.
br /
br /This saw has PLENTY of power for any cut. I've cut 3/4" x 3/4" dado's with out any bogging of the saw. I've rip-cut 3" solid maple stock without any hint of bogging down. This thing just GOES!!!
br /
br /UPDATE:
br /
br /I've installed the Delta outfeed table. It took drilling a few holes in the cabinet, and removing the splitter/ blade guard. It took about 3 hours to install, but it fits perfectly. This is an excellent addition to an already great saw. It really make the saw more useable, and more importantly, safer.

I have had this cabinet saw/router lift combo for about four years. The saw performs fantastic day-in and day-out. The Bosch router works great. The problems I have encountered are with the router lift. The top plate has bowed up across the extension table. I noticed that the plate is reinforced lengthwise with bars, but nothing sideways, which is the direction the plate bowed. It has bowed about 1/64". I have tried to adjust the rabbit and top plate, but I can't get it flat enough (or at least to a compromise position) that will allow good routing. After contacting Jessem I discovered that this top plate is not the same as their regular router lifts - it was contracted out to Jet who sub-contracted to a different supplier. The lift has obviously been "cheapened" to sell in the package deal through Jet. This has been a disappointment. I am also disappointed with the fact that I had to add the "Extreme Extender" in order to change router bits above the table. I am soon going to replace the extension table on my saw and buy a Bench Dog Prolift (best on the market).

In this category of saws, I have a friend with a PowerMatic, and it IS a little heavier built saw (I even had a WMH Tool Group rep admit to this). Mine has performed great though, I added Jet's sliding table later, and this is one super combo. It has had daily use since Dec. 02, when I started my cabinet shop. I have another friend with a Delta, and I prefer this one over a Delta any day.

Top notch system and a great price ($1,599 w/ $100 refund in April 2004). The saw is very powerful and accurate. With the included router setup you just can't go wrong. A great saw for the money ...