TSA (table saw advice)

[memrph]

Hoping for some advice.

I have few projects i am planning on for the upcoming year that would be made a lot easier with a table saw.

I have read reviews all over, and have come to a few conclusions. I am interested in a portable/job site just to save room as it will not be something i will be using on a daily basis.

I want something that will hold it settings well, i have enough trouble with accurate cuts, i don't need the tool to add to that problem.

so from the reviews i am leaning towards dewalt, bosch, or rockwell. In the 400 to 600 range for "a good version" based off the reviews.

So now i come here for your thoughts. I have learned a lot here already and look forward to your thoughts

thanks in advance

 

[lotsoftools]

I planned on spending about that much, but saw this on Black Friday and took a chance. It had a lot of good reviews.

http://www.lowes.com/pd_486267-5201...p_product_qty_sales_dollar|1&facetInfo=Kobalt

I am very happy with it.

 

[skamp]

Home Depot just dropped the price for the Dewalt job site saw to $225.00. Run and get it. It is a great saw. Not going to find anything close for even double this price.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-15-Amp-10-in-Compact-Job-Site-Table-Saw-DW745/100497987

Steve

 

[BioNerd]

Home Depot just dropped the price for the Dewalt job site saw to $225.00. Run and get it. It is a great saw. Not going to find anything close for even double this price.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-15-Amp-10-in-Compact-Job-Site-Table-Saw-DW745/100497987

Steve

I wish I had the money to get it :'(

 

[PCustoms]

What projects are you working on?

IMHO "portable/job site" saws are very good for a few things, and horrible at others. Depending on what you are looking to achieve you might have some better options.

 

[southalabama]

I've got an older craftsman. It's a beast. It's also a space hog and can barely be moved by one man on rollers.

Dad has the dewalt.

As stated earlier run get it

 

[CTyankee]

Home Depot just dropped the price for the Dewalt job site saw to $225.00. Run and get it. It is a great saw. Not going to find anything close for even double this price.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-15-Amp-10-in-Compact-Job-Site-Table-Saw-DW745/100497987

Steve

What he said....

 

[xyster101]

As a Industrial Technology teacher of 12+ years, carpenter, and handy man I would recommend the Saw Stop table saw. They have a job site version that is coming out in March. We had 2 industrial versions at the school I taught at. Besides the safety feature of not cutting your finger off, it was an excellent table saw. Wonderful fence, power, table, adjustments, everything. You could cut small tiny things, use jigs galore without worrying about cutting a finger off. I personally never left the guard on it and changing blades, guards, inserts was a breeze. At $1,300 it is over your budget, but what does one trip to the ER cost in stitches let alone a finger reattachment?

http://www.sawstop.com/jobsite

If you have never seen the video of the break in action, it is worth a watch for the WOW factor.

If you want to spend less this rigid model at HD is great. Look for something where the fence stays put and matches the built in ruler. That is the big thing these models fail on. Set the fence and measure it. Bang it with your fist to see if it stays put. How easy is it to make an insert? My current Porter Cable home model has a special insert that I can't make (it is a fancy metal one with tabs all over it).

http://m.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-15-...ortable-Table-Saw-with-Stand-R4513/100090444/

 

[skamp]

Also forgot to mention spend the money you save on the Dewalt and get a good blade. I like this one.

http://www.forrestblades.com/woodworker-2-all-purpose-saw-blade-for-table-saws/

I have 2 and send the spare out to get resharpend so I always have a good blade. A quality blade makes a big difference. If you are ripping plywood or dimensional lumber throw a cheaper blade in.

Steve

 

[bobbyu]

Home Depot just dropped the price for the Dewalt job site saw to $225.00. Run and get it. It is a great saw. Not going to find anything close for even double this price.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-15-Amp-10-in-Compact-Job-Site-Table-Saw-DW745/100497987

Steve

That is a good price. What model is it?

 

[PeterT]

The problem with the portable table saws is trying to cut a sheet of plywood. Sure you can use a skill saw, but sometimes I like a super straight cut and trying to use these light weight table saws and a 4x8 sheet of 1/2 plywood is difficult.

 

[nw3dogs]

Home Depot just dropped the price for the Dewalt job site saw to $225.00. Run and get it. It is a great saw. Not going to find anything close for even double this price.

http://m.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-15-Amp-10-in-Compact-Job-Site-Table-Saw-DW745/100497987

Steve

That saw is the dw745. It's the older version. They came out with a new one the DW7480. The only difference is the rip capacity. I believe the 745 is 16 inch where as the 7480 has a 24 inch capacity. I have the 7480, and absolutely love it. You can find the folding stand for either of them on amazon for a good deal as well. As a previous poster said make sure you get a good blade. I run a Irwin Marples blade, or a Diablo.

 

[Angelfire]

Please post up what your intentions are in terms of using the saw. There are just too many variables for anyone to make a good suggestion. Are you looking at just cross cuts? If so, I'd recommend a compound mitre saw before a table saw. Are you ripping thin stock or are you looking for something to handle sheet goods? What are you looking to rip...big difference between pine and hard maple. Give us some details and I'm sure the suggestions will align.
Cheers.

 

[pattenp]

Have you looked at the site http://lumberjocks.com ? In the forum they are always talking about what table saws to buy. Personally I like the Bosch.

 

[James-W]

I have used portable table saws and they are very handy and easy to move around. I have always found that portable table saws are wonderful saws for doing construction work where high accuracy isn't critical. But if you are building anything where you need very high accuracy, I would not recommend a portable table saw.

 

[CTyankee]

I have used portable table saws and they are very handy and easy to move around. I have always found that portable table saws are wonderful saws for doing construction work where high accuracy isn't critical. But if you are building anything where you need very high accuracy, I would not recommend a portable table saw.

I humbly disagree.

The problem with the portable table saws is trying to cut a sheet of plywood. Sure you can use a skill saw, but sometimes I like a super straight cut and trying to use these light weight table saws and a 4x8 sheet of 1/2 plywood is difficult.

We rip stain grade birch plywood with skill saws when needed. I good clamping straight edge is worth it's weight in gold.

 

[James-W]

I humbly disagree.

Which part are you disagreeing with, the easy to move around part or the accuracy part?

 

[72Anthony]

I have had the Bosch 4100 with the gravity rise stand since 2009 or so. I have worked with full sheets of plywood by myself: an auxillary fence and infeed/outfeed stands makes it more manageble. I've cut dados, cut 1.75 inch thick oak with a rip blade, slow going but doesn't bog down or leave burn marks.

Never had any issues with the fence not staying aligned.

Get some quality blades, a zero clearance insert and you will be good to go.

I have since added a track saw for working with sheet goods.

 

[mrpizza]

I personally never left the guard on it and changing blades, guards, inserts was a breeze. At $1,300 it is over your budget, but what does one trip to the ER cost in stitches let alone a finger reattachment?

Another glowing review for the sawstop. If the dang inventor is so dead set on making saws safe maybe he should post his patent open source and make it the new normal without trying to force it on everyone. I will continue to use ((poorly)(my woodworking skills ****)) my delta tablesaw. its nothing special, but it cuts wood. $20 on craigslist, works great.

WHew, its been a long day!!!!!

 

[My Old Tools]

Get on Craigslist and find a Delta or Rockwell model 10 contractors saw. These are heavy casst iron saws. Around here they go for around $225 with the original fence. Then buy a Beisemeyer or clone fence and put on it. You';ll be all in for under $500 and have a lifetime saw. There is no replacement for mass in a saw, especially when you start ripping sheet goods. And a Forrest blade is a good investment.

 

[memrph]

WOW, thanks everyone for so many fast responses. i will try to answer all the questions here

i do have a mitre saw, and very quickly learned money spent on a blade is money well spent. my jaw dropped the first time i used a good blade vs the one that came with it.

as far as materials i would say a little of everything is possible, the cuts will most likely be ripping long pieces, but not necessarily 4 x 8 sheets (probably use a circular saw to start if i worked with something that big) also looking to bevel cuts on long pieces

i think that covers the topics every one asked about.

again thanks for all the answers and merry

 

[xyster101]

Another glowing review for the sawstop. If the dang inventor is so dead set on making saws safe maybe he should post his patent open source and make it the new normal without trying to force it on everyone. I will continue to use ((poorly)(my woodworking skills ****)) my delta tablesaw. its nothing special, but it cuts wood. $20 on craigslist, works great.

WHew, its been a long day!!!!!

The owner did try to make it public. He approached multiple take saw companies and none wanted to put the technology in there saws because it was going to increase the cost of there cabinet saws by $1,000. Companies also feared that if they put the technology in there big saws and not the small ones that people who are injured on the small ones would sure because the technology is there but not offered on the small saws. After talking to many companies he just started his own company. There saws are excellent. Compared to a $2,000 powermatic the $3,500 saw stop was better. Better fence, adjusters, switch, dust collector, blade changing, fence removal, and no finger removal.

 

[RegeSullivan]

If you read the four threads below in the woodworking talk forum you will be pretty well educated on table saw purchasing... It might be more information than you want but you will be well prepared to decide what saw would work well for you.

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/...bonus-table-saw-classifications-thread-43322/

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/...ns-making-sense-all-choices-part-1-3-a-43321/

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/...ns-making-sense-all-choices-part-2-3-a-43320/

http://www.woodworkingtalk.com/f12/...ns-making-sense-all-choices-part-3-3-a-43319/

 

[404]

Alternative to sawstop is not putting fingers where they do not belong. The whistling noise from the moving blade is a hint to stay away from it.

Push sticks are easy to make or purchase.

This is not a hard problem to avoid. The issue reminds me of the people who lose hand parts in snow blowers clearing clogs while the impeller turns. No excuse for either on the part of the operator.

 

[RegeSullivan]

The great saw stop debate... It always reminds me of a conversation I had with a Subaru engineer about air bags back in the 80's. His stand was airbags will not save lives over all. His thought was drivers will take more risk on the highway because they believe the car will keep them safe even if they drive in an unsafe manor. He said, if you really want to make automobile travel safer, build a car were a 6 inch dagger that pops out of the steering wheel instead of an air bag when you hit something.

I often think about that guy... is he an a$$ or a genius???

 

[Casey69]

i got a craftsman that looks a lot like this & it's a pita for larger/heavy items. it really should be bolted down, because it's not heavy enough to rip a door/sheet of plywood/osb down without walking all over the place. it's fine if you just need to rip trimwork down or other light jobs.

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-evol...p-00928461000P?prdNo=4&blockNo=4&blockType=G4

 

[kgorman]

The problem with the portable table saws is trying to cut a sheet of plywood. Sure you can use a skill saw, but sometimes I like a super straight cut and trying to use these light weight table saws and a 4x8 sheet of 1/2 plywood is difficult.

I contend this is the wrong tool for the job. For plywood sheet I support the material properly, clamp a straight edge to it, then use a circular saw along the edge. Basically a poor mans rail saw. Not sure if it's less accurate, but much safer.

 

[kgorman]

Or, get a proper table saw for large material, not a job site table saw...

 

[Boomer343]

I have an old 10" craftsman direct drive that I bought in 1978. I've run many sheets of mdf and plywood through it using a knock down out feed table. I've also carried it by myself with the legs off up and down stairs.

One thing I do is to use a good quality 7 1/4 blade when I am cutting sheet goods. Works a charm.

BTW I worked as a HS shop teacher for 30 years and spec'd equipment, did shop layouts and sat on curriculum committees. Saw Stop Saws were considered but never spec'd in our jurisdiction and still aren't.

 

[KenC]

The owner did try to make it public. He approached multiple take saw companies and none wanted to put the technology in there saws because it was going to increase the cost of there cabinet saws by $1,000. Companies also feared that if they put the technology in there big saws and not the small ones that people who are injured on the small ones would sure because the technology is there but not offered on the small saws. After talking to many companies he just started his own company. There saws are excellent. Compared to a $2,000 powermatic the $3,500 saw stop was better. Better fence, adjusters, switch, dust collector, blade changing, fence removal, and no finger removal.

As I read the story, he did not 'try to make it public', he tried to license his patent to other companies. At a very high price. That was the reason for the need to raise the price so much. Naturally, they declined and for many of the reasons you mentioned (lawyers!!).

I owned a SS for a few weeks. Nice saw, but other than the SS feature, no better than my decades old Unisaw with Beismeyer fence. I bought it with a fired stop cartridge, replaced that and the blade and sold it. The owner was using it commercially and really liked it. When he went out of business and it was consigned to the auction company, somebody just had to test it and fired the cartridge!

 

[yeldogt]

If you don't need to pick it up and move it around. I would get a more substantial TS.

A table saw needs a big enough motor and a good blade.

I would agree that CL is a great place to purchase tools ... Have picked up some great tools over the years .. for less then it would have cost to rent them.

 

[xyster101]

Alternative to sawstop is not putting fingers where they do not belong. The whistling noise from the moving blade is a hint to stay away from it.

Push sticks are easy to make or purchase.

This is not a hard problem to avoid. The issue reminds me of the people who lose hand parts in snow blowers clearing clogs while the impeller turns. No excuse for either on the part of the operator.

While all of this is true, accidents do happen. Are you telling my you have NEVER been injured while working because something unexpected happened? If so I to lies.

Accidents do happen, wood gets caught, after the 56th piece of wood cut a miss judgement, push stick breaks, gets caught, things come off the jig, the list goes one.
Saying all that, I don't currently own a saw stop at home.

 

[404]

The great saw stop debate... It always reminds me of a conversation I had with a Subaru engineer about air bags back in the 80's. His stand was airbags will not save lives over all. His thought was drivers will take more risk on the highway because they believe the car will keep them safe even if they drive in an unsafe manor. He said, if you really want to make automobile travel safer, build a car were a 6 inch dagger that pops out of the steering wheel instead of an air bag when you hit something.

I often think about that guy... is he an a$$ or a genius???

There was a car that came with a spike on the steering wheel way back.. was out all the time, not a pop out.

While I love car analogies, I don't share the table saw with other cutters using it at the same time particularly drunk ones, cut in the rain or stormy weather, have deer jump out across the table, Saw rage, tailgating or cutting me off, screaming kids in the back seat, texting, etc etc.

If you want to compare single car accidents with no other traffic around, that might be closer.

 

[404]

While all of this is true, accidents do happen. Are you telling my you have NEVER been injured while working because something unexpected happened? If so I to lies.

Accidents do happen, wood gets caught, after the 56th piece of wood cut a miss judgement, push stick breaks, gets caught, things come off the jig, the list goes one.
Saying all that, I don't currently own a saw stop at home.

Well sure I have been injured while working. Even on a table saw.

The table saw thing is kind of funny, I was cutting a piece of plexiglas that was going to be a square, about 10 inches per side.

I set the fence 10 inches away, and when I made the cut I was pushing on the plexi in near the fence. When the plexi turned into the blade it was shot out backwards into my gut, and there was a loud bang. Lost a blade tooth of my new Forrest saw blade.

I know since then to push stick the part in so the stick gets cut by the blade when the cut finishes so this does not happen.

But I have never been even close to cutting a finger on the table saw, because I absolutely never put them where they could get sucked in. Push sticks breaking? Well maybe if I made them out of window glass... Wood gets caught? I lower the blade. My fingers never go in the line with the back side of the blade..
Stuff coming off jig? Don't grab for it. Lower the blade.

I start the saw with the blade down, and lower the blade again before shutting off. Otherwise some blade flutter widens the slot of the zero clearance insert.

The saw is a Powermatic T66 single phase 5 HP Baldor motor with Biesemeyer fence bought in 1988 or so. Before the buy out by Jet.

 

[CNGsaves]

/ Saw Stop jibber jabber
/ see other thread where all that jibber jabber belongs


Back on Topic . . .
. . . Anyone have any good things to say about Craftsman job site 10" portable table saw ???
Model # 137.284630

I like the idea of folding up the legs and getting out of way when not in use. For me, this would be principally used away from normal garage, so on "job site" like in the name of saw.

 

[W_KY]

I've got the bosch on the riser stand and it's really good for being a portable saw. I do use a straightedge and circular saw for my initial breakdown of sheet goods.

 

[404]

/ Saw Stop jibber jabber
/ see other thread where all that jibber jabber belongs

If you learn to read without having to mouth out the words then it will go a lot faster skipping over the saw stop "jibber jabber". You will be less irritated. Just here to help.

 

[Boomer343]

CNGSaves I've worked with that saw and found it wants to tip away from you when the work is feed into it. Saw was on a driveway beside grass so I cut a 2x4 and used it as an angled prop between the saw and the ground. We were cutting 12 x 24 clik style cork flooring so it had more surface friction than wood.

Common problem with the portable saw stand is the desire for them to rock or tip.

 

[CNGsaves]

Thanks Boomer. Just about got one on CL for $150 and they sell for $280 at Sears. Guess I'll keep using circular saw.

 

[mikegt4]

The great saw stop debate... It always reminds me of a conversation I had with a Subaru engineer about air bags back in the 80's. His stand was airbags will not save lives over all. His thought was drivers will take more risk on the highway because they believe the car will keep them safe even if they drive in an unsafe manor. He said, if you really want to make automobile travel safer, build a car were a 6 inch dagger that pops out of the steering wheel instead of an air bag when you hit something.

I often think about that guy... is he an a$$ or a genius???

I have a Subaru and am amazed at the poor engineering decisions evident throughout the car. Worse yet, when a part/design proves bad they continue to use it. It seems as if they intentionally do things different than everyone else even if the industry norm is much better!!

Back on topic
A SHARP blade is one of the most important things to have on a table saw. It will require much less pressure to push stock through the saw which if something such as the wood splits, you have less of a chance of ramming your hand into the blade. Ask my ex-wife about that, she cut off a finger when just that happened.