Reply by LesB

I used that saw for almost 25 years (bought in about 1972) before I upgraded to a commercial grade cabinet saw. My biggest complaint about it was lack of power and the fence needed regular adjustments to keep it parallel to the blade. I build hundreds of projects with it and a Craftsman radial arm saw I also had. Lots of cabinets. My step son still has the saw and it still runs well with the original motor.. I use it when I visit and help this non woodworker with his projects. One of the reasons I did not replace the saw earlier was it’s portability. I worked in my garage and frequently needed to move it. Have you ever tried to move a large cabinet saw, even with wheels on it?

I can’t recommend putting another $500 into that old saw except for possibly getting things that you could eventually move to a new saw when you think you are ready….like a good set of dado blades. The fence works OK but needs regular checking and adjustment. I would get a new (or used) router that fits this saw if that is a problem. You can never have too many routers (-: Or you may want to build a free standing router table?
Safety equipment is great but the biggest safety item is setting on the top of your neck. Think safe and be safe.

-- Les B, Oregon