Thoughts On My Grizzly G0690 Table Saw

My most recent, and hopefully last, table saw is a Grizzly G0690. I purchased it back in March of 2014 and after using it for the past six months I feel a little more comfortable talking about it. I wouldn’t call this article a review as I’m not going to cover every little detail about the saw but I will give you my thoughts. I don’t have any affiliation with Grizzly and personally do not care if you purchase this saw or not.

Everyone works differently in their own shop and obviously values tools differently. My view on a table saw in general is that it’s the backbone of the shop as most all projects will pass over the table saw in one way or the other. When I originally purchased this saw I actually had a little bit of a guilty conscious thinking I spent too much money. Not by thinking that this saw isn’t worth the money but from thinking that I can get away with a much less expensive saw. I can, and have for a long time, get away with a much less expensive saw but having saved up enough money to purchase this saw I thought there was no time like the present to make a long term investment into my woodworking hobby.

Purchasing the saw through Grizzly’s website and having it shipped to my door was $1,504.31 in March of 2014. I compared prices online for various other brands and based purely on the specifications listed I couldn’t find a better deal. Packaging was great and there were no damaged parts upon arrival.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (1)

On the back of the cabinet there are three hooks. I think these are for the push stick and the two included wrenches for changing the blade. But honestly, they are pointless in my opinion. Most everyone is going to build an outfeed table that will greatly restrict access to this area. I’ve never used them and forgot they were there until I took pictures for this article.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (2)

The back rail has two sets of three holes for future mounting if needed. I believe these are actually the mounting holes for Grizzly’s folding roller table outfeed support. I have been contemplating making a folding outfeed support of my own and seeing these holes already drilled makes designing an outfeed system a lot easier to attach in the future.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (3)

If you are looking at the back of the saw, the dust collection port is near the bottom of the left side. It’s a regular 4” dust collection port mounted to a quick release door. Having an actual door here is very handy as I have accidentally dropped the arbor nut into the cabinet before. You can also open the motor access door on the other side but because this dust collection door has a quick release knob it’s much faster to get in from this side.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (4)

I used to clean out the dust from time to time on the inside of the cabinet but after realizing that it never gets any higher than the level in this picture I just leave it alone now.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (5)

Onto the other side of the cabinet you can see the motor access door. Believe it or not, it’s a door that allows access to the motor that’s behind it.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (6)

The only negative thing I can say about this saw is barely worth pointing out. When I received the saw I had one missing piece. It was the star knob bolt that secures the motor access door. For something this small I didn’t bother contacting Grizzly customer service. I just found a bolt in my junk drawer that had the same thread. It does the job just as well.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (7)

Here’s another angle of the dust level. Like I said, it never gets higher than this so I don’t worry about it. I have read some complaints on the internet about dust collecting in the bottom of the access door but I don’t see the big problem. I’m very pleased with the dust collection on this saw and if a little bit of dust want’s to hang out on the access door than I’m OK with that.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (8)

The motor is a 240V 3hp Leeson motor that is not convertible to 120V. Not from what I’ve read anyway. I’ve never had any issues with this saw bogging down. It has handled everything I’ve thrown at it. I believe the most stress I’ve put it through was a 3” thick piece of oak from a salvaged headboard that I ripped in one pass with no problems.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (9)

Power is transferred via three V belts. I’ve read that this setup creates more vibration than the Grizzly 1023 series serpentine belt system but I’ve not had an issue with vibration. I would definitely say the G0690 has very low vibration so the 1023 must have extremely low vibration.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (10)

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (11)

On the front of the cabinet is the blade height adjustment handle. The up and down travel of the blade is probably twice as fast as my previous saws. It’s a very fluid adjustment. There is a center knob on the wheel for locking down the height. On the right side of the cabinet is the blade angle adjustment handle. It’s just as easy to adjust as the blade height. The front of the cabinet has a scale for measuring the blade angle but those are never incredibly accurate as the angle reading differs based upon the perspective you are looking at it. I moved the 45 and 90 degree stops further than they need to be and adjust the blade angle with a digital gauge. I’ve never had a problem doing it this way.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (12)

Also on the front of the saw is the magnetic switch. In case of a power outage while using the saw the switch will turn itself off to eliminate a potentially dangerous situation if the power comes back on while you are unprepared. It’s conveniently located under the front rail so I can use my thigh to bump into the large red button and turn the saw off if I want. The green start button is recessed slightly making accidentally turning the saw on less likely. During the initial assembly I took the cover off of the switch box and replaced the cord with a 20′ cord.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (13)

The fence is a T-squre style fence. It’s my first time using this style fence and I love it. Once calibrated it’s 100% trouble free and easy to use. The nylon (I think) glides make adjustments a breeze and the locking mechanism keeps the fence in place every time. The front rail is a continuous steel tube that allows 29-1/2” of rip capacity to the right of the blade. I’ve also read that if you slide the front and back rail to the right by one bolt hole position you can instantly add several inches to the rip capacity but at the cost of losing most of your left of blade capacity. That is something I will probably do down the road.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (14)

The fence itself measures 39-3/8” front to back on the white plastic.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (15)

The saw has two cast iron wings that give a total cast iron surface area of 27” x 40”. There is also an included laminated auxiliary wing for one side. I’ve never seen the need to require this extra wing to be cast iron.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (16)

The saw came with two insert plates. One regular insert and one dado insert. Both inserts have had a little bit of their finish rub off onto the wood during certain cuts. Because it’s not a crazy amount and everything that gets cut will eventually get sanded I don’t see that as a big deal.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (17)

I also purchased a zero clearance insert for the saw. I primarily use the regular insert as it seems to do better at creating a down draft for dust collection. The zero clearance insert is only used when I know my offcuts will be thin and I don’t want to have any smaller pieces falling down into the cabinet and binding up somewhere.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (18)

The bottom green ring on the cabinet is actually just a sticker. I thought it was paint but when I tried to get the saw into my mobile base for the first time the sticker peeled in a couple places where the bolts scraped. Cosmetics is an area I couldn’t care less about when it comes to power tools so this doesn’t bother me. I am using a Shop Fox mobile base that is recommended for the saw. It does the job pretty well.

Grizzly G0690 Table Saw (19)

Should YOU Purchase it?

I don’t know. That’s not my decision to make. And I really don’t care to be honest with you. It’s your shop, your tools, and most importantly your money. It’s your decision to make.

Overall, I’m very pleased with this saw. If I had to do it over again I would definitely buy it again. This saw hasn’t given me any reasons to doubt it over the past six months and hopefully I will be the last saw I purchase.


 

53 COMMENTS

  1. I have several tools from Grizzly, the largest being a jointer. I’ve had very few, if any, issues with most of them and all their larger pieces of equipment do seem to have the most features for the money. I have a 25+ year old Unisaw that’s holding up pretty well but when it’s replaced it’s going to be a Grizzly.

    You might consider cleaning the sawdust out of the bottom of the saw every few months. I agree that it’s not an issue to leave it there from a collection stand point, but my old saw is rusted around the bottom ring because the previous owner didn’t clean it out and the sawdust held moisture. I’m sure it’s just as humid in MS as it is here in GA.

    BTW, if you ever have a chance to go the Grizzly showroom in Springfield, MO you should. Think “Bass Pro Shops for woodworkers”.

  2. Great concise review. I have the exact same saw but with the Shop Fox decals on it. I’ve had mine since March of 2013 and am also very happy with it. I’ve got to learn how to clean up and lube the lifting gears soon as they are feeling pretty stiff. The only mod I’ve done so far is drill a hole into the far right of the rear rail and install a bolt and nut to stop the fence from accidentally falling off the composite table. Keep up the great woodworking vids and articles.

  3. Nice review. Appreciate the honesty.

    The only Grizzly tool I have is the G0593 8″ helical head jointer but it perform as well as the rest of my stuff.

    JimE

      • I have that jointer and the “problem” I have is with the drive sheave … no matter how tightly I secure the set screws, after several hours of running, it will walk out ~ 0.060″ [the vibration will let you know].

        At first I thought thrust from belt misalignment was forcing the sheave to be there, so I locked it in what I thought could be its “natural home position” … but the vibration didn’t go away when I reseated the set screws.

        Down the road I’m going to have to come up with a permanent solution.

  4. jay, great review of the grizzly I am looking for a new saw for my shop. keep up the great work and vids.

  5. I have the same saw and love it. Not as crazy about the fence though. I might not have it adjusted properly as I seem to go past the locking point all the time. I am going to mount my router table top in the spot to the right of the table to save space.

    I believe that the three wholes on the back fence are supposed to be for the blade guard and splitter assembly, I noticed yours is not on (probably like most of us).

    Good straight forward review. Thanks.

  6. Thanks for your review. I have been saving up to get $795 Hybrid saw. But after seeing your issues with it,I’m going to wait off and save up a little more..this is a big purchase and a major part of the wood shop. I want the best I can afford,but I want the quality and accuracy to be so accurate that if my project doesn’t turn out very well, I can’t blame the saw! Lol

  7. Jay I read the post on your site, I have the 1023 saw and I love mine, wouldn’t change a thing! I just want to tell you that with these types of rip fences you can replace the rails with equivalent sized steel tubing for increased capacity. I increased my capacity on my delta T-2 system to 49” with square tubing and angle iron, and just used the old rail as a pattern to drill and tap mounting holes in the new rail, very easy and inexpensive.

  8. Jay,
    Thanks for the nice review. I have a similar (0691) Grizzly saw with the same Shop Fox base, and I am happy with both. The only thing that gave me trouble was the miter gauge, which in my case was inferior to the rest of the saw. I eventually replaced the gauge with a Kreg miter gauge, and it’s like night and day. The Kreg is silky smooth and does a great job.

    • Thats interesting. I love the miter gauge that came with this saw. I actually forgot to include it with the review though. The adjustable width rail makes it perfect in my eyes.

  9. hello Jay great write up , now if your movies / vids / & other names for them ,was as sloooooooooooooooow so we could really under stand them as much also. thank you

  10. Overall, seems like a sweet deal. Any blade/miter track/fence alignment issues? Is alignment easily accomplished? I have a PC270TS w/Incra 32″ TS-LS fence. Want to upgrade the saw. Grizzly is one I’m leaning toward. Thanks for your comments.

    • No adjustment issues. Everything adjusts easily and as indicated in the manual. I forgot to include the miter gauge but it has a couple adjustment plates in the bar to get a perfect fit in the miter slot.

  11. I love your non-biased approach… “I don’t care if you buy it.” Great info!
    Just last week I got my first table saw. Do you have an article on cleaning, maintenance, and upkeep on a table saw? Thanks!

  12. I appreciate this and all your other articles. Thank you for the straight forward approach you take. I’d buy that saw based on your comments, if I needed a cabinet saw.

    I believe you do want to be, and are, honest in your writing, but you wrote something different when you said: “And I really don’t care to be honest with you.”

  13. Thanks for the article. I appreciate you being straight forward in your assessment and purchase opinions; very refreshing. Quick question: what is the saw table height, from the floor, with the mobile base? Thanks again.

  14. Looks a great table saw, I would lovre a good one but can’t justify the expenditure, ‘so I had a real cheap saw that I purchased to install our new kichen some 8- 10 years ago. It then sat in my garage when I retired andndecided to get on with a workshop. SO I built a table for the saw and mounted some Melamime that cane out of the old kichen, It works really well and the great thing about doing it this way was I could build it at a height to suit me as I am a wheelchair user so need the saw lower to feel in control. Unless I have a table saw custom built I don’t think I will every have a high end saw but have great fun with his one, Cost me zero £’s as already had everything, Hope to have a better one one day and don’t know if you can direct me to someone who builds low level table saws.

    Jay love your videos and have to say more impressed with the knowledge you have as a young man. A lot of the other woodworkers are of an older pervsuation so had many more years to accrue the knowledge. \you explain everything so politely. Absolute pleasure.

    Sorry for protracted e-mail but wanted to say lot.

    thsnks for taking the time to compose your videos.\

    • Barry I think in order to have a lower level saw you’re going to be looking at a customization job which is normally an after market thing. However, knowing the folks at Grizzly a little bit, I can tell you that it wouldn’t hurt to ask if they could perform this task for you. If they can’t, then look into a local metal worker who could simply cut down the base for you. The only restriction on how low you can go is the depth of the saws up and down movement related to the motor as you raise and lower the blade. Ideally, you are going to want at least several inches from the bottom of the motor (at it’s lowest position) to the floor for dust collection. Outside of that, I don’t see any reason why a closed based saw couldn’t be adjusted to the height you desire. Obviously this is an going to include adjusting the dust collection port and a few other things at additional cost, but the ability to perform this task for you shouldn’t really be a problem if you find the right people to do it.

  15. Very nicely done, Jay. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. This was the first “written item” I’ve seen by you and your candor was great. Thanks for putting an objective review out there for all of us to see.

    I own a Grizzly 6″ jointer and a 15″ bandsaw. I love them both!!!!!!!

  16. I have had a Grizzly 1023 SL for I think going on 10 years now. I needed a kitchen table, so I decided to build one after looking over prices of how much a new one would cost. Many of the new ones were made out of particle board. For the cost of a brand new table made out of particle board I could go to the local sawmill and pay almost a fifth of what a new table would cost. I had not been in my workshop for about a year. When I finally got back to my shop I noticed quite a bit of vibration and noise out of the table saw. I went to the local auto parts store and picked up three gates V belts. It settled the vibration down but I still had a little bit of rumble. When I installed the belts I noticed one was a little longer than the other two. So I just decided to bite the bullet and spend the extra money. I purchased Powertwist Plus Link V belt. After I installed it the saw sounded like it was brand new again.

    I would just like to say after watching quite a few of your videos, I have been in my wood shop on a daily basis again! woodworking is a passion! Thank you for taking the extra time to shareyour knowledge!

  17. Jay, I have the 0691 and am very pleased with it. Like you, I need a longer power cord. The saw came with a 14 AWG cord. What gauge did you use for your 20′ power cord? Am I correct that you used a section of heavy extension cord? The yellow cord is a tip-off! Thanks for your great videos and articles.

  18. I’m having a problem with my blade height crank. It gets very stiff to raise. I havent found where its binding yet. Has any one else had the same problem ?

  19. jay, thanks for the great review! Within the next few days I am planning on pulling the trigger on the 690 or 1023rlw. This issue has been addressed in many forums but I wanted to get your opinion on why you chose not to go with the 1023? I woner what the reason the 690 is more expensive since the 1023 is a newer version.

  20. I’m working on getting the G0771, hopefully soon in the next month or 2. the mobile base and the dado insert is on my wish list next after I get the new saw along with a 8″ dado, I currently have a 6″ for my R4510, thanks for your opinion

  21. I have the same table saw but I find it tough raising the blade? can it be full of dust or what? The blade drop nice and easy but raising it is tough?

    Mike

  22. I just recently discovered you on YouTube and you are my new favourite! I’m a big fan of the Grizzly product line. I fairly recently bought the G0710 dust collector and it is definitely a sturdy, solid unit. I will hopefully one day be the owner of a Grizzly table saw aswell. I appreciate everything you do! Keep up the awesome work man.

  23. I noticed you purchased a new table saw recently, I’m just curious as to wether any issues presented themselves in the long run with this saw.

  24. I bought the Grizzly about 6 months ago, and I am now getting it set up. From the pictures I see your dust collection port door is upside down. You will clear more dust if you flip it over, so the knob is on top.

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