They have ample table space and good operating room in front of the blade, making them inherently safer to use. There are many good fence options available, most will accept standard accessories, and are built to last for decades with basic maintenance. They’re also usually easier, and cheaper to fix in the event of a failure. Many of the motors are on a standard NEMA 56 frame, so off-the-shelf replacement and upgrade motors are readily available. Many parts like the wings, fences, and miter gauges are directly interchangeable with all three classes of stationary saws, or can be easily modified to fit, so upgrades for basic features are often possible, making stationary saws a good long term investment.
Contractor Saws:
For years, the most common full size stationary saw has been the traditional contractor saw with a belt drive outboard induction motor hanging out the back of the saw. These were developed over 60 years ago as a jobsite alternative to heavier cabinet saws, and were used by carpenters and craftsman in the field. These were the true original “contractor saws”. The motor was designed to be easily removed to improve portability, were initially typically ½ to 1 horsepower, and could run on standard residential 110v circuits (now known as 120v). The belt driven arbor was suspended between two trunnion brackets that mounted to the table top. This design was lighter and cheaper to manufacture, but were a bit difficult to reach and made alignment more of a chore. Over time, the horsepower increased to an average of 1hp to 2hp…about the maximum horsepower rating that a standard 120v circuit can support. Though more portable than a 500 lb industrial cabinet saw, at 250 lb to 300 lb, a traditional contractor saw was still very heavy to be moved regularly from one location to another, but were capable, accurate, and reliable. In addition to being heavy, the location of the outboard motor had some disadvantages,
The vast majority have standard ¾” miter slots on each side of the blade. A standard full size top tends to have a main table that’s approximately 27” deep x 20” wide, with 10” to 12” extension wings made of steel or cast iron on each side for a total width of roughly 40” to 44”. There are exceptions and variations across the board, with some having deeper tables, extra wide extension tables, router tables, outfeed tables, longer fence rails, etc. In a standard configuration, these saws all tend to take up about the same amount of floor space. However, the older style contractor saws with the motor hanging off the back take up an additional 12” to 13” for the motor. It’s a common misconception that cabinet saws take up more space. In their stock configuration, the cabinet saws actually have a smaller footprint than a traditional older style contractor saw with an outboard motor. It isn’t until you add longer rails for more rip capacity that the area increases for any saw in this class. The misconception arises because it’s simply more common to find a cabinet saw with wider rip capacity than it is a contractor saw or hybrid with a similar setup.
This is the class of saw that most hobbyists, smaller professional shops, and schools will gravitate toward. Many will run on a standard single phase 20 amp 120v residential circuit, while others require a 240v circuit (2 horsepower and up). Many motors of 2hp or less can be converted between 120v and 240v. If you’ve got easy access to 240v, I’d recommend running the saw on 240v to reap the benefit of lower voltage loss, faster startup, and faster recovery times. Some saws that are used in industrial settings will operate on 480v 3-phase circuits, which is something to be aware of if you happen to be shopping for an older used industrial saw….most residential areas only have single phase power, whether it’s 120v or 240v. These saws tend to have good adjustability and can be made to be very accurate. They’re large and stable enough to handle most sheet goods, powerful enough to cut most lumber to near full blade height if aligned well and fitted with a proper blade.