Sliding Carriage or Cross Cut Sled?

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PearlyKing

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St. Ives, Cambs
I am looking to buy my first "proper" table saw, coming from a basic contractors site saw.

I have never used a sliding carriage or cross cut sled.

Other than the extra expense, does either option have particular merits or functions that the other doesn't?
Thanks
 
I started with a sliding carriage which I did like but for me, space was the issue and I sold the carriage and changed to a cross cut sled which has also worked out very well. However, i do mostly work on small to medium sized projects which are more suited to a sled and can use a track saw setup for larger cross cut requirements.
 
The crosscut sled is as accurate as you make it. The sliding carriage should be built to better tolerances and won't expand/contract with the seasons.

I looked at it as being a competition between a good miter gauge and a sliding carriage - the slider seemed a more versatile option, and I am very, very happy I went with the more expensive option. It also keeps your hands further away from the blade, which is also nice. My saw didn't come with a cheap miter gauge, so I had to spend extra on one or the other. My experience with a diy sledge wasn't perfect.
 
I had a sliding carriage on my kity 419 and I really liked it, save for the space that it took up, and the fact that the slider was away from the blade by 100mm. If I had space and budget, a sliding table would be my choice, where the slide is very close to the blade. Hammer/felder do these, as did wadkin. Other manufacturers must, but I dont know which.

If buying new, I would probably make a cross cut sled, which would cost half a sheet of ply and some offcuts. If you didn't like that, you can always buy the carriage at a later date. If buying used and you have a bit of room, I would get a saw that had everything on it, even if the carriage is disassembled in the corner of the workshop most of the time, and set up for the odd task. In the case of used, it is often expensive to buy the extra parts afterwards, if it is even possible.
 
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