Grizzly Table Saw Reviews and Owner Ratings

There are more Grizzly table saw models available than from almost any other woodworking tool company out there. They currently have 24 models to choose from, ranging from a sub-$800 hybrid table saw to an $11,500 14" sliding table saw. They also sell some other brands of portable jobsite table saws, but do not produce a portable saw of their own.

Grizzly woodworking tools in general are regarded to be an excellent value. They offer most of the same features and quality as you get with many of the more expensive brands, but at a significantly lower price. Grizzly is the importer, and does not have a dealer or service network. This essentially makes YOU the middleman. In exchange for your cost savings, you take responsibility for servicing your equipment. Grizzly will supply replacements for defective parts, but you have to install them yourself.

Here I will cover the Grizzly table saw models with fixed tables; I will save the sliding table saw models for a separate page. This is just a quick summary of the main features and specs of each series of Grizzly table saws. Unlike the Grizzly website, I have grouped similar saws together for easier comparison; the company website has them jumbled together and is a little hard to sort out.

All of their current tablesaw models come with a riving knife, quick-release blade guard, cast iron trunnions, and a left-tilting blade. The main tables are cast iron with a beveled edge, and all use the standard 3/4" x 3/8" T-slot miter gauge.

Contractor Table Saws

There are currently two contractor-style Grizzly table saws available, the G0713 and the G0661. They both have a 36" rip capacity. The Grizzly G0713 has a 1.75 HP motor wired for 110V (can be converted to 220V), and the Grizzly G0661 has a 2 HP motor wired for 220V (can be converted to 110V). An owner of the G0661 did a review on the Sawmill Creek forum, and gave it 5 out of 5 stars even though he had a few minor issues getting it set up. There were also three owner reviews on Amazon when it was listed on their site, where the G0661 averaged 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Edit 2012:  New for 2012 is the G0732 Contractor Saw. It is costs less than the other Grizzly contractor saws above, and has a 1.5 HP motor and a 30" rip capacity. The table is a little smaller also, but most of the rest of the specs are similar to the G0713 and G0661.

Hybrid Table Saw

Moving one step up the table saw ladder is the new-for-2011 hybrid G0715P Grizzly table saw. Currently (04/2012) it is being offered at the same price as the least-expensive Grizzly contractor saw! It has an interchangeable riving knife, a 2 HP 220V motor (can be converted to 110V) and a 30" rip capacity. The Grizzly G0715P uses a Poly-V serpentine belt for quiet, smooth operation. There are 8 different owner reviews on the Lumberjocks forum, and this saw received an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars.

Note:  If you are buying your first table saw, or need help tuning up one you already own, I would recommend getting a good book on the subject. The two that seem to be recommended most often on the woodworking forums are Jim Tolpin's Table Saw Magic and Kelly Mehler's The Table Saw Book. Both have good ratings on Amazon, and they cover all the basic operations, as well as safety, maintenance, and accessories.

10" Cabinet Saws

The 1023 series of Grizzly table saws has been their most popular seller for a number of years. The newest version has been redesigned and updated with a Poly-V drive belt and encapsulated dust collection around the underside of the blade. There are four different variations:

- G1023RL has a 3 HP 220V motor and a 25-5/8" rip capacity

- G1023RLW has a 3 HP 220V motor and a 25-5/8" rip capacity, plus a cast iron router extension table

- G1023RLWX has a larger 5 HP 220V motor, a 25-5/8" rip capacity, and the cast iron router extension table

- G1023RLX has a 3 HP 220V motor, plus an extended table and fence with a 53" rip capacity

There are tons of positive reviews for the older G1023S series (right-tilt) cabinet table saws, but the new Grizzly G1023RL series haven't been out long enough to have very many owner reviews available. One owner on the Sawmill Creek forum says, "... All in all, I am VERY happy with the upgrade from my old (Delta) Unisaw..."

The Grizzly G0690 and G0691 cabinet saws have been around for a number of years in their current form, and have a bunch of enthusiastic owners. The G0690 Grizzly table saw comes with a 3 HP 220V Leeson motor and has a rip capacity of 29-1/2". The G0691 adds an extension table and extended fence for a rip capacity of 50".

The features and specs for the G0690/691 models are similar to the G1023 cabinet table saws, but the prices are a little higher. A number of Grizzly table saw buyers have had a hard time deciding between the G1023 series and the G0690/691 models. The G0690/691 models are a little dated, but they are also proven designs that are tried and true, whereas the current G1023RL series is a new design.

There are several differences that separate the two model lines. The G0690/691 cabinet saws have a 3 v-belt drive system instead of the more modern Poly-V drive belt. The G0690/691 models have interchangeable riving knives, and weight almost a hundred pounds more than the comparable G1023RL cabinet table saws (heavier is good!). The trunnion on the G0690/691 seems to be a little heavier-duty, too.

The G0690 has 4 different owner reviews on the Lumberjocks forum with an average of 4.5 out of 5 stars. There are also 7 owner reviews on Amazon where it averages 4.9 out of 5 stars. On the Sawmill Creek forum, there are a number of owners that say the G0691 is a great cabinet table saw for the price. There are some minor complaints about the dust collection not being up to snuff (it tends to get clogged) and the fence faces not being perfectly flat (easily correctable). The Grizzly G0691 received the Top Value Award in the May 2010 issue of Wood Magazine.

Next up we have the G0651 and G0652 cabinet saws. These are considerably more expensive than the other 10" Grizzly table saw models, but they come with a 52" rip capacity, a digital bevel angle readout, plus outfeed and extension tables. The Grizzly G0651 has a 3 HP 220V motor, and the G0652 has a 5 HP, 3-phase 220/440V motor. Both use a Poly-V drive belt. On the Sawmill Creek forum, a G0651 owner had a warped table (that was replaced under warranty), and he found that some of the assembly bolts were too short. He was happy with it after he got the bugs worked out.

12" Cabinet Table Saws

There are four different 12" (non-sliding) Grizzly table saw models currently available. They are all based on the same basic machine, but with different options and accessories. They all have a digital bevel angle readout and use a Poly-V drive belt system. The differences are:

- G0696X comes with a 5 HP, 220V motor and a 36" rip capacity

- G0697X adds a larger 7.5HP 3-phase motor that can be set up at the factory for either 220V or 440V, with the same 36" rip capacity

- G0605X1 has the 5 HP 220V motor, but comes with both outfeed and extension tables, and offers a 52" rip capacity.

- G0606X adds the larger 7.5 HP 3-phase (220 V or 440V) motor, plus the outfeed and extension tables with a 52" rip capacity.

I was unable to find any owner reviews of the 12" cabinet saws at the time of this writing. 12" table saws in general are much less popular than the 10" size. A 10 inch table saw serves the needs of most woodworkers just fine, and there are a lot more blade options in the 10" size. 10 inch table saws and blades are less expensive than the 12" versions, too.

A number of owners report having to do some "tinkering" with different little details on their Grizzly table saw to get everything working smoothly (smoothing burrs on metal parts, adding a shim here and there, things like that), but once these few minor bugs are worked out, most owners are thrilled with their purchase.

As with almost any company out there, a few owners had bad experiences with customer service, but most owners who needed it rave about how wonderful Grizzly customer service is. Grizzly has a large and loyal fan base. Many Grizzly table saw owners report having multiple Grizzly tools and how they love them.

If you like, you can take a look at all the different woodworking tools they offer at Grizzly.com It is hard to beat the value you get for your dollar with most Grizzly tools. The ConsumerSearch website lists Grizzly table saws as their best budget pick.

You might also want to take a look at the Shop Fox table saw offerings. They are very similar to some of the Grizzly models, and both companies are owned by the same person. Shop Fox sells through a dealer network that services their products.

If you are willing to spend a little more, take a look at our pages on the new Delta Unisaw and the Powermatic table saws. The Delta and the Powermatic also get great reviews and have lots of happy owners, but they can't beat a Grizzly table saw in the value department.

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