Wow, that was a bad day!
Like John, I have no tolerance for substandard tools either, but I think of it more from a safety standpoint. You could have injured yourself severely from any one of those three events. While kickback can happen on any saw, I think the underpowered, lightweight, flimsy fence ones are just too unsafe for my tastes.
I'm a big table saw guy, so I'd go for a 220v 3hp cabinet saw. Used Unisaws and Powermatics on Craigslist are my first recommendation, followed by the aforementioned Grizzlys. Nor do I think it's a bad idea to just go for a Sawstop, which I will likely have one day soon.
The only problem with used solutions is that riving knifes aren't standard fare, but they can still be equipped with splitters which is almost as good.
As for bandsaws, I'm still waiting for one. They aren't necessary, IME, but the moment I had one the types of projects I made would certainly take on a new complexion. I'm thinking in the Laguna 14 SUV class because I need the smaller size for my shop yet still have massive resawing power and capacity, but I might end up with a Rikon 10-325 instead. Either would fit just about anybody's needs. Otherwise, a typical 14" chinese version would suffice if resawing isn't a critical need. Even so, I worry about the reliability and safety of some of the cheaper tools.
I bought a 1992 3hp Unisaw off Craigslist almost four years ago now, which replaced an old Craftsman table model. I got it for $500, which allowed me to upgrade my fence and accessories entirely to Incra, which I believe adds another layer of safety that others do not have. Even so, it's a lot of value for the price. That's why I'd do the same thing if I were in your shoes, particularly if you need to replace both the TS and the BS at the same time.
Like John, I have no tolerance for substandard tools either, but I think of it more from a safety standpoint. You could have injured yourself severely from any one of those three events. While kickback can happen on any saw, I think the underpowered, lightweight, flimsy fence ones are just too unsafe for my tastes.
I'm a big table saw guy, so I'd go for a 220v 3hp cabinet saw. Used Unisaws and Powermatics on Craigslist are my first recommendation, followed by the aforementioned Grizzlys. Nor do I think it's a bad idea to just go for a Sawstop, which I will likely have one day soon.
The only problem with used solutions is that riving knifes aren't standard fare, but they can still be equipped with splitters which is almost as good.
As for bandsaws, I'm still waiting for one. They aren't necessary, IME, but the moment I had one the types of projects I made would certainly take on a new complexion. I'm thinking in the Laguna 14 SUV class because I need the smaller size for my shop yet still have massive resawing power and capacity, but I might end up with a Rikon 10-325 instead. Either would fit just about anybody's needs. Otherwise, a typical 14" chinese version would suffice if resawing isn't a critical need. Even so, I worry about the reliability and safety of some of the cheaper tools.
I bought a 1992 3hp Unisaw off Craigslist almost four years ago now, which replaced an old Craftsman table model. I got it for $500, which allowed me to upgrade my fence and accessories entirely to Incra, which I believe adds another layer of safety that others do not have. Even so, it's a lot of value for the price. That's why I'd do the same thing if I were in your shoes, particularly if you need to replace both the TS and the BS at the same time.
