Shop Fox W1888 vs W1837: Which Table Saw Is Better?

By Finlay Connolly

The Short Answer

The W1837 is the better buy for most home shops. It gives you a cabinet-mounted cast-iron trunnion, a 2 HP motor, a built-in mobile base, and 30 inches of rip capacity for roughly $1,625 to $1,975 at recent retail listings. The W1888 is the heavier, more finished machine: a full steel cabinet, cast-iron wings, a totally enclosed motor, a dust port on the blade guard, and 403 pounds of mass. It also costs roughly $2,725 to $2,925, a gap of well over $1,000. Both saws run on 120V or 240V, both carry a 2-year warranty, and both use the same basic cabinet-mounted trunnion design, so the real question is whether the W1888’s build upgrades are worth that much extra to you.

Two Details Worth Knowing Before You Compare

Shop Fox Is Grizzly, and the W1888 Has a Grizzly Twin

Shop Fox is a brand of Woodstock International, and the W1888 manual itself describes Woodstock as a Grizzly-owned brand. That matters because Grizzly sells a saw called the G0899 whose published specifications match the W1888 line for line: the same 2 HP 115V/230V motor, the same 31-1/2 and 11-3/8 inch rip capacities, the same 3-1/8 and 2-1/8 inch cut depths, the same 4,000 RPM arbor, and the same 66 x 40 x 48 inch footprint. If you see very different prices for what looks like the same machine under two labels, that’s why. Check both badges before you buy, and compare the warranty terms as well, because retailer listings show the Grizzly-branded saw with a different warranty length than Shop Fox’s 2 years.

Both Saws Can Run on 240V

A lot of listings and older articles suggest that only the W1888 is dual voltage. The owner’s manuals say otherwise. The W1837 is a 120V/240V motor prewired for 120V, and the W1888 is a 115V/230V motor prewired for 115V. Both need a 20 amp circuit at the prewired voltage and a 15 amp circuit if you convert to 240V, and in both cases the conversion should be done by an electrician. The W1888 conversion is slightly more involved because the manual also has you replace the built-in 20A breaker with a 10A one. Voltage flexibility is not a reason to choose either saw over the other.

Side-by-Side Specs

Specs come from the current Shop Fox owner’s manuals (W1837 for machines made since 04/22, W1888 for machines made since 11/24). Prices are recent retailer listings and move around a lot, so check current pricing before you buy.

Where the W1888 Actually Pulls Ahead

A Heavier, More Finished Build

The W1888 is the more substantial machine in almost every material choice. It sits on a pre-formed steel cabinet with a hinged motor door and a cabinet access door, its extension wings are precision-ground cast iron rather than the W1837’s stamped steel, and its miter gauge is cast iron rather than aluminum. At 403 pounds against 243, it also carries much more mass, which generally helps a saw stay calm during a cut. The motor is totally enclosed and fan-cooled, which keeps sawdust out of the windings. Some W1837 owners note they would have preferred cast-iron wings.

Dust Collection at the Blade Guard

The W1888’s clear blade guard has its own dust port, connected by a 1-1/2 inch hose, so it can pull dust from above the table in addition to the collection below it. The W1837 has a single 4 inch port at the bottom of its enclosed upper section. The W1888 is not a free upgrade here, though: Shop Fox recommends at least 500 CFM at the port for the W1888 versus 400 CFM for the W1837, so a small dust collector or shop vac may not get the full benefit.

Faster Arbor Speed

The W1888’s arbor turns at 4,000 RPM against the W1837’s 3,450 RPM, which lifts rim speed at a 10 inch blade from about 9,025 to 10,500 feet per minute. It’s a real difference on the spec sheet, but both saws use a 2 HP motor, so blade choice and feed rate will matter more to cut quality than the arbor speed does.

A Fence Built for Narrow Rips

The W1888 fence has a two-position face that flips to a low profile for blade guard clearance when you rip narrow stock, and it adds micro-adjustment. The rails are steel tubing and angle iron rather than the W1837’s extruded aluminum. It also has slightly more rip capacity to the right of the blade, 31-1/2 inches against 30.

Where the W1837 Actually Wins

Price

This is the biggest practical difference. Recent listings put the W1837 at roughly $1,625 to $1,975, with Home Depot around the low end. The W1888 shows up at roughly $2,725 to $2,925, with Home Depot listing it near the top of that range. The Grizzly-branded G0899 has been listed lower than the W1888 at some retailers, around $2,499, which is one more reason to compare both badges. Street prices on both saws have generally climbed over the past few years, so any older price you’ve seen is likely out of date.

Mobility

At 243 pounds with a built-in foot-operated mobile base, the W1837 is easy to reposition in a small shop. The W1888 weighs 403 pounds and has no built-in base, though Shop Fox lists a compatible optional mobile base. If your shop layout changes often, or you’ll need to move the saw to sweep or make room, that’s a real daily-use difference. Neither saw is a job-site machine, and both ship in multiple cartons that need a helper or lifting equipment.

More Left-Side Rip Capacity and Bigger Dado Options

The W1837 offers 15 inches of rip capacity to the left of the blade against the W1888’s 11-3/8 inches, and a slightly deeper maximum cut at 3-1/4 inches. It also accepts dado blades up to 10 inches in diameter, while the W1888 is rated for dado sets up to 8 inches and its dado insert is designed for 8 inch blades only. Most woodworkers run 8 inch dado stacks anyway, but if you already own a 10 inch set, that detail matters. Both saws top out at a 13/16 inch dado width.

Lower Listed Noise and an Easier Voltage Conversion

Shop Fox lists the W1837 at 81 to 83 dB and the W1888 at 87 dB in their manuals. Treat those as rough indications, since test conditions vary, and wear hearing protection either way. The W1837’s 240V conversion also skips the breaker swap the W1888 needs.

What Both Saws Share

It’s worth being clear that neither of these is a compromise pick. According to Shop Fox, both use cabinet-mounted cast-iron trunnions, the design that holds blade-to-fence and blade-to-miter-slot alignment better than the lighter table-mounted trunnions found on cheaper hybrid saws. Both have a precision-ground cast-iron table, a 2 HP motor, a quick-release blade guard with anti-kickback pawls, a riving knife, a standard and a dado table insert, a T-slot miter gauge, a 0 to 45 degree left-tilt blade, and a 2-year warranty. Both are built in Taiwan and certified by a nationally recognized testing laboratory. If you want the deeper explanation of why trunnion mounting matters, our Cabinet Saw vs Hybrid Saw guide covers the mechanics in detail.

Which One Should You Buy

Choose the W1837 if you want cabinet-saw-style accuracy at a much lower price, you need to move the saw around, or you want more left-side capacity and 10 inch dado compatibility. This is the saw most home shops and serious hobbyists should default to. Our Best Hybrid Table Saws Under $1,000 guide covers cheaper alternatives if even the W1837’s price is a stretch.

Choose the W1888 if cast-iron wings, a heavier base, a guard-mounted dust port, and a fully enclosed cabinet matter to you, you have a dust collector that can supply 500 CFM or more, and the price gap doesn’t change your decision. Before you pay near $2,900 for it, price the Grizzly-branded twin, and consider cross-shopping entry-level 3 HP cabinet saws, since the W1888’s build is closer to a small cabinet saw than a light hybrid. Our Grizzly Table Saw Review covers the G0899 and related models.

Common Mistakes People Make

• Assuming only the W1888 can run on 240V, when both saws are dual voltage and both are prewired for 120V
• Not checking the Grizzly G0899 before buying the W1888, since the two have matching specs and different price tags
• Buying the W1888 without planning for a 500 CFM dust collector, which is what Shop Fox recommends at the port
• Underestimating a 403-pound saw with no built-in mobile base, especially compared with the 243-pound W1837
• Assuming both saws take the same dado stacks, when the W1888 is rated for 8 inch sets and the W1837 for up to 10 inch
• Choosing on right-side rip capacity alone, when the W1837 has more capacity on the left
• Relying on old pricing, when both saws have generally gone up in recent years

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Shop Fox W1888 worth the extra money over the W1837?

It depends on whether you’ll use what the extra money buys: cast-iron wings, a full steel cabinet with more mass, a guard-mounted dust port, a totally enclosed motor, and a faster arbor. If none of those are priorities, the W1837 delivers the same core trunnion design, 2 HP motor, and warranty for well over $1,000 less.

Is the Shop Fox W1888 the same saw as the Grizzly G0899?

Their published specifications match on motor, capacities, cut depths, arbor speed, and dimensions, and Grizzly owns Shop Fox. Pricing and warranty terms can differ between the two brands, so compare both before buying.

Do both saws support dado cuts?

Yes. Both include a dado table insert and both handle dado sets up to 13/16 inch wide, with the dado blade sold separately. The W1837 accepts dado sets up to 10 inches in diameter, while the W1888 is rated for sets up to 8 inches. On the W1888, remove the riving knife when using a dado set.

Which saw is easier to move?

The W1837, by a wide margin. It weighs 243 pounds and has a built-in foot-operated mobile base. The W1888 weighs 403 pounds and has no built-in base, though an optional compatible base is available.

Do I need 240V power for either saw?

No. Both saws are prewired for 120V (115V on the W1888) on a 20 amp circuit, and both can be converted to 240V by an electrician if you want that option later. The W1888 conversion includes swapping the built-in breaker.

Which saw has better dust collection?

The W1888, because its blade guard has its own dust port in addition to the cabinet port. It also asks for more airflow, so pair it with a collector that can deliver about 500 CFM at the port.

Bottom Line

Both the W1837 and the W1888 are serious saws with cabinet-mounted cast-iron trunnions, 2 HP motors, and 2-year warranties, and neither one is a compromise pick. The W1837 is the smarter default for most home shops: it costs well over $1,000 less, weighs 160 pounds less, rolls on a built-in mobile base, and does nearly everything the W1888 does. The W1888 earns its premium through its cast-iron wings, heavier cabinet, guard-mounted dust collection, and faster arbor, worth paying for if those specific upgrades matter to how you work, and only after you’ve checked what the Grizzly G0899 costs.