JET 708777K JWSS-10SPF Supersaw 10-Inch Left Tilt 1-3/4 Horsepower Intermediate Saw with 30-Inch Xacta Fence, Sliding Table, and 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase

by Jet

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

More stable than an open-stand table saw yet compact enough to fit in small shops, JET's Supersaw incorporates a host of great design features and is clearly built with the needs and wants of serious home woodworkers in mind. It has a 1-3/4-horsepower, totally enclosed, fan-cooled motor located inside a fully enclosed cabinet with a hinged access door. This configuration protects the motor from dust damage, provides great airflow toward the dust collection port, and offers a more compact profile than the saw's main competition.

The Supersaw's heavy cast-iron table measures 21-1/4 by 27 inches. There's also a sliding table and an extra wing, which, when added to the main table, give a total work area of 1,127-1/4 inches. We have yet to see another saw in this price range that can match that. The sliding table offers better crosscutting accuracy than miter gauges and allows up to a 28-inch capacity. It's 14 by 27 inches and rides only 4 inches from the blade. Keeping this distance small reduces unnecessary friction caused by sliding the work. The sliding table also includes a heavy-duty miter fence with a large, easy-to-read scale, a cam-action lockdown, and large, comfortable handles. When you don't need the sliding table feature, it locks solidly in place.

Included with this new saw is JET's new Micro-Glide fence, which offers superb accuracy and reliability as well as a magnified cursor that makes fine-scale readings easy and a microadjustment feature that lets you dial the fence in to precisely where you need it without any clumsy tapping and bumping back and forth. The fence also has four built-in T-slots to accommodate jigs. Another cool idea is the power switch housing, which rides in a slot under the fence rail, allowing the user to decide where the switch should be located. The off switch is conveniently huge for easy shutdown in an emergency, and there's a power indicator light and a handy reset switch.

All this, and we still haven't mentioned the left-tilting blade, the smooth action of the hand wheels, the durability of the powder-coated finish, or the handy built-in padded storage racks on the side of the cabinet. There's even a cool new clear blade guard with independently moving sides so the blade is always visible and never exposed--even when bevel cutting. Considering this saw's innovations, JET's rock-solid engineering, and an unbeatable price, we think any small-shop woodworker would be wise to invest in the Supersaw. --Brian Trinen

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 310 pounds
• Shipping: This item can only be shipped to the 48 contiguous states. We regret it cannot be shipped to APO/FPO, Hawaii, Alaska, or Puerto Rico.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B00006J6PP
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 708777K
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #530,898 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Hybrid Saw Comparison, August 2, 2004

By 

P. Pittman "Pete" (NM, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JET 708777K JWSS-10SPF Supersaw 10-Inch Left Tilt 1-3/4 Horsepower Intermediate Saw with 30-Inch Xacta Fence, Sliding Table, and 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)

This review will compare the Jet (Supersaw) & Dewalt (746) Hybrid table saws. I spent a lot of time researching this saw, as many people do, and am writing this because I never felt there was enough info out there. As an intro, I was upgrading this saw from the Dewalt portable table saw (744) which I used for a few years including through the construction of a rather large addition on our house. It was a good tool and I was always impressed by the performance of such a small saw. I cut lots of wood with that saw, including many full sheets of plywood and some hardwood. However, I wanted something more accurate and decided to upgrade.

I settled on wanting a hybrid saw pretty quick. I personally think the market will move in this direction. It was compact which is perfect for my small shop (garage) as well as 110v (even though I have 220v available). I also considered the contractor style, but it seemed they were actually larger when stored as the motor hangs off the back. Therefore it was just a choice between the Jet and Dewalt. I scoured the net reading everything I could find. I also searched the newsstand and purchased everything that compared the two saws. Most net articles were not very objective effectively saying "I bought this one and don't regret it - it's the best." And the printed reviews were just advertising. I spent way too much money on Fine Woodworking and American Woodworker magazines to have such superficial reviews. I didn't know how lacking they were at the time, but the reviews are just pretty pictures. Save your money and don't buy these as neither magazine gives a thorough or objective review. I suppose they are pressured into neutral reviews by the makers (advertisers), but that doesn't help us much and it sure makes for a waste of our money!

After much research, I finally settled on the Dewalt saw. I bought it at the local WoodCraft store and I'm glad I did (thanks guys) because I ultimately decided to return the Dewalt for the Jet. Both are pretty good saws, but have their advantages and disadvantages. Overall, I prefer the Jet for the reasons explained below.

Assembly: Both saws were packed well enough to ship and protect, but the Jet was packed better. The Jet manual was better than the Dewalt. It was better quality (paper, binding, etc) as well as clarity. When you assemble the saws, you see a HUGE difference in design style. The Jet is so simple to put together and can easily be done in an evening (few hours) even if you are pretty picky as I am. The Dewalt is a complex design and takes much (3 times) longer. It comes with tons of nuts and bolts, requires disassembly to install the sliding table, etc. It is clear here that Jet put much more thought into this aspect of the engineering. Dewalt really missed the boat on this one and needs to rework their design.

Fit & Finish: Again a HUGE difference with Jet being the clear winner. First impression is better and then as you dig deeper the Jet looks even better. When you look at the specifications, it appears they are about the same weight but that is misleading. I think the main table and trunion assembly on the Jet is quite a bit heavier than the Dewalt. Of course, once you add the 100lbs of nuts and bolts the Dewalt is more comparable. The surface finish (grind) is better (finer) on the Jet than the Dewalt. The Jet looks great, the Dewalt looks fair. The Jet table is also flatter than the Dewalt being about 0.007 inches out in one corner vs. the Dewalt being out 0.008 inches in many places (potato chipped). Both sliding table castings were of lesser quality than the main table. Both were slightly pitted and rusted, although the Jet was still finished better. The Jet table was flat within 0.005in and the Dewalt was flat within 0.017in. The better fit and finish is throughout the entire machine and my numbers here don't convey well enough how much better the Jet is than the Dewalt in this area.

Sliding Table: Again the Jet is a better design. The rollers appear better with 4 rows of balls per slide vs the Dewalt's two rows. Both tables flex if you push on the left edge, but the Dewalt flexes much more. It's not stiff at all. Jet made a mistake here by not incorporating another miter gauge slot in the table though. I think the issue is not just more machining operations, but more complex setup as there is a need to align the rollers to this slot.

Fence: I didn't have an opportunity to play with the Dewalt as much as I have played with the Jet. However, this is one area where the Dewalt clearly shines. I personally thought their rack and pinion design on the 744 was very clever and would have worked well scaled up. The new Dewalt fence clamp assembly (head) rides on two long parallel contact pads that run the width of the head parallel to the round front rail. These are located at about 10 & 2 o'clock from vertical (12) and are made of hard plastic. This allows the fence to ride on the round rail while keeping parallel to the blade. When you lock it in place, a cam clamps in two locations from the bottom (6 o'clock). It is stiff, stable and repeatable with a moment arm as wide as the clamp assembly. Their fence is pretty simple being a steel tube with an extruded aluminum face and I think Dewalt could have done better with it. The Jet fence is a different design entirely, and follows more traditional designs. The front rail on the Jet is great being both a structural piece as well as a guide. The clamp is a 3-point contact (T-style) with two sets of pads (softer plastic) on one side and a center mounted cast clamp in the center. There are a few problems with this design. First the stiffness of the fence is more directly proportional to the clamp pressure than the Dewalt (ie not dual cam). Second, the resulting moment arm is only half the width of the clamp head vs the Dewalt full width. The resulting fence stiffness is comparable between the two with Dewalt being slightly better (I didn't measure) as the Dewalt fence is not as stiff as the Jet extruded aluminum I think. Third is how the Jet clamp pulls down on the fence thereby providing a downward pressure on the rear floating slide. At first this seems like a great idea but in reality it is a big problem. The Jet fence locates repeatably within 0.001-0.002 inches front to back which is good. However if you flex the back side, it sticks out of position and won't center itself due to the friction (sticktion) between the rear plastic floating slide and rail. It sticks out of position between +0.010 and -0.005 inches depending on the direction you flex the fence. I tried many lubricants (oil, silicone, wax) but they didn't help much and in some cases made it worse. A relatively simple fix would be for Jet to replace the locating clamp with one that clamped with horizontal pressure instead of upward pressure. This would eliminate the rear stiction problem as there would be no downward pressure at the back of the fence. It would also stiffen the fence as more pressure would go to keeping it straight. Another small fix may be to flatten the plastic pads with a sanding block so that more surface area contacts the extruded rail. I called the service department to see if this was being pursued, but not many people have called in yet.

Miter Gauge: Dewalt wins here too as their miter gauge is great, being a copy of the Osborne I think. The Jet gauge is just junk in comparison. There are tons of parts, unlike the rest of the saw, and many of them are loose so if you remove it things will get lost. In addition, it isn't repeatable as they rely on the threads on the handles to locate the assembly rather than a shoulder or other locating boss. It can vary (rotate) in position as much as 0.028 inches across the width of the sliding table. This is less than 1 degree, but still significant. As if that isn't enough, even if you do take the time to find all the parts, install it and square it to the table, all the knobs get in the way of each other.

Mobile Base & Stability: The Jet is a more stable saw in most respects. Dewalt needs to rework their saw as it isn't stable. You really do need the stabilizing legs on the side of the saw to keep it from tipping over! Their mobile base is well built, but the sliding table makes it tippy. You have to locate the swivel caster to the side as they show on their web page because if located toward the front or back the saw tips over (or tries) when you push the swivel caster down.

Operation: Both are smooth and quiet but Jet wins here.

Dust Collection: I like the idea of Jet's enclosed cabinet, but it is unrealistic to expect everyone to have dust collection. The metal bottom (or the lower part of it) should be removable so dust falls to the floor as an option.

Guard: Jet's looks quite a bit better, but honestly I haven't used either. Dewalt's is exactly the same as on their portable 744 saw.

Summary: I wanted to like the Dewalt better but didn't. Both saws are disappointing in that they could have gotten is right. Jet is closer though I think, although it is always a matter of opinion.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Table Saw Heaven, November 7, 2003

By 

R. Moroney "hackney" (Indiana) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: JET 708777K JWSS-10SPF Supersaw 10-Inch Left Tilt 1-3/4 Horsepower Intermediate Saw with 30-Inch Xacta Fence, Sliding Table, and 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)

I recently clicked my way to table saw "almost heaven" on Amazon.com. My previous saw was a 10" Inca tilt table saw. Bottom line it for you? The Supersaw compares very favorably with the best Swiss technology. Sure, there are a couple of shortcomings (fence), but the all cast-iron construction gives quiet and smooth operation that has to be heard to be believed. Smoooooooth (except for the fence)

The sliding table makes me smile each time I use it. It's relatively easy to setup with the shim kit provided. Easy, except for mounting it on the table all by yourself, wouldn't recommend that unless you're too excited to wait for a friend to come over and help.
The miter assembly consists of a sliding fence, a hold down, and a flip stop. It is slick and well built, no cost cutting here (unlike the fence).

Pluses:
The work surface is the perfect size, big enough for all of my work, yet not too bulky. Throw a cloth and plywood on when not in use, makes a great workbench. The saw moves around easily on the Jet Industrial Duty Mobile Base (only 25 bucks after the Jet $50 rebate) while staying VERY stable.
I'm using the Freud 50 tooth combo blade. If you make a smooth feed, there is no sanding required. This blade does chip veneered plywood, but that could be due to the junk fence.

Minuses:
The fence is not flat, not even close. Laid it on the table for use as a straight edge as instructed in the manual; rocks like a hobbyhorse. Contacted Jet, they told me I had to go through Amazon for a warranty replacement. I told them that's fine, I'll just send the whole saw back to Amazon. Then Jet said they'd send me a new fence. However, they're backordered 5 weeks.
The original fence (which I'm using because I can't wait five weeks) appears to be impossible to lock down solidly. When you push lightly on the rear of the fence, it creaks, moves, and stays there. It feels like something is loose, but I checked everything. I starting to think this is not a good fence.
The right table extension has a sharp 90 degree edge on the front, but it ought to match the nice bevel on the main table.
And a very minor problem: the miter assembly has a right angle hold-down bolt for use when the blade is laid all the way over at 45 deg. The threads were defective, Jet sent a new one.

The blade-guard-splitter-anti-kick-back is where every American style saw falls down, I guess. I'm too accustomed to the Swiss style overhead guard with no anti-kickback, that's a sweet setup.

The anti-kick-back-pawls on the Jet are sharp enough to cut you, and the spring is built for STRONG, I hate it almost as much as the fence.

Overall, I love this saw, especially the sliding table. At this price, I am willing to put up with the fence, or replace it with a Unifence.

If you have a Supersaw, or you're just considering one, join the Yahoo Supersaw Group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Supersaw

51 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An acceptable copy, November 2, 2002

By 

Jeff Mackay "A woodworking geek" (Waukesha, WI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: JET 708777K JWSS-10SPF Supersaw 10-Inch Left Tilt 1-3/4 Horsepower Intermediate Saw with 30-Inch Xacta Fence, Sliding Table, and 2 Cast Iron Extension Wings, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase (Tools & Home Improvement)

This saw is obviously a copy of the Dewalt table saw. I took a close look at it recently, and here are some observations:

1. Rather than improve upon older Jet tablesaws by making the XActa fence micro-adjustable, Jet decided to create a new fence. The fence is a step backward--hard to adjust parallel to the blade, and not as rigid as the XActa.

2. The sliding table is excellent, although rather small. Operation is very smooth, but you'll have trouble using it on large panels (such as a 4x8 sheet of plywood). If you do a lot of crosscutting, and don't have sliding compound miter saw, this sliding table might be reason enough to take the plunge.

3. The motor is slightly more powerful than the contractor models, but not up to par with cabinet saws. A "super saw" should have a "super" motor--at least as an option.

Overall, I'd say it's an acceptable copy of Dewalt's innovative saw. But I wouldn't buy one now--I'd wait a year and let others shake the bugs out first. The fence really needs improvement, and I'd like to see an even more powerful motor.