 The Craftsman 22124 Is a Very Close 2nd to Big Cabinet Saw Features! (2008-05-09)
The industry calls the Craftsman 22124 a "Hybrid"...a cross between the very common light duty contractor saws vs the heft, power and stability of the full cabinet saws. Make no mistake, this saw is MUCH closer to it's big brothers than to a contractor saw. It shares all the positives of the big cabinet saws, except the extra muscle (1.75hp) and higher prices (club sale of $900)!
I’ve been WW for 32 years and decided to step up to the stalwarts of the saw industry. After carefully researching features-performances-prices of the other hybrids on the market (Jet-Delta-General-Grizzly-Steel City), and reading the many positive reviews of this saw, I choose the Craftsman 22124! It had many useful features I wanted: [110 volt operation, out feed table, quick release guard-splitter assembly, miter gauge clamp-crosscut fence, laminate side table, large cabinet door, wide 18" rip left of blade, very nice Leitz 40T blade, weight and heft close to 3hp cabinet saws, excellent Pro Biesemeyer T-square Fence system, small cabinet footprint, and HD-Cabinet Mounted Trunnions]. Besides the loaded extras, it also Looks great in my shop!
It was very well packaged, wrapped in a shroud of 1" tubular steel. Assembly could have taken me about 3-4 hours, but I used a whole day, enjoying the process and ensuring that each step was done right the first time. Happy to see All parts present and from the cast tables to the cabinet itself, materials were well wrapped with no damages noted. The cast side tables mated near perfect to the main table, but the extra laminate table has a .033" bow to it...will have to get it replaced or build a beefier one to support my 3 HP Router. After installing the front-back rails and the guide tube, found the Biesemeyer fence was slightly catching the lip of the miter slots towards the lock-down knob (front of saw). I had no more adjustment up on the front rail, so added a .250" washer shim to the fence riding pads, now all okay. The table was perfectly square to the blade and the fence was a breeze to square to the miter slots. Once locked down, it takes great effort to get the back of the fence to deflect even .001”…it is Rock Solid, yet glides Very Smoothly with little effort when making cutting adjustments! Using feeler gauges and a dial indicator, I found the machine tolerances tight with main table flatness Perfect at .000” and the C.I. wings at .002”. Arbor flange run out was at mere .0009". The completed assembly looks great and feels Very Solid, just like a well made 450# cabinet saw should!
In operation, there is virtually no vibration as the saw Easily passes the start-stop nickel test (using 1957 and 1955 worn coins...not an easy test). It runs relatively quiet (80db at table), with no need for earplugs when not cutting wood stock. Due to my small shop (10’ x 20’), I added the Craftsman mobile base (#22303) to get the 22124 outside for full size sheet work…it’s design and function is simplistic elegance. I've installed a Forrest Woodworker TK-II, a blade that has served me extremely well these past 10 years, so I'm sure the saw is going to be a dream to use. I'll be making a storage chest and will be soon testing it on some oak hardwood!
With the features-quality-value it offers, I feel the 22124 was the Best Buy of the HYBRID Bunch. It should serve me, and my boys, many decades of skilled WW service!
Ted
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