Grizzly vs Shop Fox: same company, different channels

The relationship between the two brands

Grizzly Industrial and Shop Fox are brands owned by the same company. Grizzly sells machines directly to buyers by catalog and website, with freight shipping from its own warehouses. Shop Fox sells the same type of machine through woodworking dealers and, as the Amazon listings show, through Amazon. Many readers assume that means Shop Fox is a premium or a budget version of Grizzly. We cannot verify that, and the specifications do not show a consistent pattern in either direction. What the pattern does show is that the same machine class often appears in both lineups with similar horsepower, similar table sizes and similar features.

That is helpful if you are comparing. It means you can set the Grizzly spec sheet next to the Shop Fox spec sheet and decide on the details, rather than on the logo. It also means the choice is often really about where you want to buy: direct with freight and manufacturer support, or from a dealer or Amazon with the return policy and shipping that come with it.

How this comparison was built. We did not test any of these machines. Everything below comes from the specifications Grizzly and Amazon publish and from how the designs work. Where a competitor detail is not in a listing we can verify, we describe the class of machine rather than guess at a number.

Four classes side by side

Dust collectors

The Grizzly G0860 and the Shop Fox 1-1/2 HP collector share a motor size and little else. The Grizzly is a two-stage cyclone with a 1 micron canister of 28.1 square feet, a 20 gallon drum and 868 CFM at 1.8 inches of static pressure. The Shop Fox listing describes a 110V machine with 1280 CFM, a 5.4 cubic foot bag capacity, 2.5 micron filtration and 10.1 inches of static pressure with five reusable lower bags included. Those are two different designs. Do not compare the CFM numbers directly: 1280 CFM appears to be an airflow rating with the bag configuration, while the G0860 figure is stated at a specific static pressure.

If you want a larger Shop Fox collector, the W1687 is listed as 3 HP, 220V, 18 amps, with approximately 2800 CFM, 14.4 inches of static pressure and a 10.8 cubic foot bag volume. Its closest Grizzly relative is the G0441 3 HP cyclone (1654 CFM at 2.0 in SP, 113 sq ft cartridge filter, 0.2 to 2 micron). Again the bag-versus-cartridge difference matters more than the brand.

Bandsaws

The Grizzly G0555 is a 14 inch, 1 HP saw with a 6 inch resaw height and a cast-iron table. We looked for a Shop Fox 14 inch bandsaw on Amazon and the lookup did not return one, so we are not going to name a model we cannot verify. If you are interested in Shop Fox in this class, check a Shop Fox dealer. If you buy from Amazon and want a close match for the G0555, the closest 1 HP, 14 inch alternative is the WEN BA1411 in our Harbor Freight bandsaw comparison, or the JET and Rikon saws in our Jet comparison and Rikon comparison.

Hybrid table saws

Here the two lineups are close. The Grizzly G0771Z is a 2 HP, 120V/240V hybrid (prewired 120V at 15A) with 30 inches of rip to the right and 15 to the left, a 3-1/4 inch depth of cut at 90 degrees and 2-1/4 inch at 45, a 40-1/2 by 27 inch table and a T-shaped front-locking fence with a narrow-rip attachment. It has an enclosed cabinet with cast-iron trunnions mounted to the cabinet. The Shop Fox W1888 listing describes a 2 HP, 115V/230V motor prewired for 115V at 16A/8A, rip of 31-1/2 inches right and 11-3/8 inches left, depths of 3-1/8 inches at 90 and 2-1/8 inches at 45, a 40-1/8 by 27 inch table and a 16-1/4 inch distance from the front of the table to the blade center. It also includes a riving knife.

In practice the differences are small: a little more right-hand rip on the Shop Fox, a little more left-hand rip and depth of cut on the Grizzly. The fence and trunnion design may matter more than any number here, and we cannot judge that without handling both. Read our cabinet versus contractor table saw guide for the larger decision about saw type.

Jointers

The Grizzly G0945 is a 6 inch benchtop jointer with a 1-1/2 HP motor, two straight SK5 knives, 30 inch cast aluminum tables and a weight of 44 lb. The Shop Fox jointers our Amazon lookup returned are floor machines in an 8 inch class, for example the W1858 listed as an 8 by 72 inch dovetail jointer with helical cutterhead and mobile base. These are not substitutes for each other. The G0945 is for a shop that needs to flatten edges and small boards and has no floor space; the Shop Fox is a stationary machine for wider stock. Our best jointers guide covers how to choose between the classes.

Checking the practical details

Whichever brand you choose, check the same practical details before you order. Voltage comes first. The G0860 and the Shop Fox 1-1/2 HP collector are both 110V machines. The Shop Fox W1687 is listed at 220V and 18 amps. The G0771Z and the W1888 are both dual-voltage saws prewired for 120V or 115V. Matching the machine to your circuit is more important than any brand difference.

Weight and delivery come second. The G0771Z ships at 324 lb and the G0945 at 44 lb, so one is a freight delivery and the other you can carry. Amazon items often come by a different carrier with different handling rules, so read the delivery terms. Third, check the return terms. A direct-from-manufacturer order and an Amazon order have different return processes, and for heavy machines the cost and effort of a return can be large.

Last, check parts and manuals before you commit. For both brands you should be able to find a manual and a parts diagram online. If you cannot find one for the exact model, that is a warning sign for a machine you plan to keep for years.

How to decide

Pick by channel. Buy Grizzly direct if you want one company handling freight, parts and manuals, and you do not mind freight delivery of heavy machines. Buy Shop Fox from a dealer or Amazon if you want to see the machine, use the retailer's return policy or consolidate the order. Compare the spec sheets, not the logos. And if the machine you want is not available in one lineup, the other lineup may carry its sibling. Related reading: best dust collectors, best table saws, and the Grizzly G0771Z review.

Frequently asked questions