looking to buy a very basic table saw.

[rocco]

like the title states,
i'm looking to buy a table saw for the 3 or 4 times a year i need it.
this will save me from having to drive to my father's house to use his.
i'm looking to spend between 100-200$ taxes in canadian.

What do you all suggest.


Alex

 

[l_bilyk]

Buy my ryobi portable

 

[Larz]

I had an old off brand 10" benchtop that served me well for years. It wasn't a good quality saw nor was it accurate enough to use for detail work. I started shopping for a new one. Looked at several but didn't want to break the bank for one I would use only occasionally. I finally found a good quality used 3 HP Craftsman at a good price. It's on a stand and has slide out extensions on both sides of the table. It's certainly not their top of the line but it has a good accurate fence. The fence is half the battle with a table saw. I would suggest you look for a well cared for used one rather than buy a cheap bench top.

 

[trainer]

How much space do you have? If you don't mind giving up the space for a full sized saw, then look in the classifieds, auction sales, estate sales, etc. for a nice old used one.
Otherwise, look for a tabletop contractor style saw. Sears or canadian tire sells them in your price range. I've got a craftsman thats ok for occasional use and it doesnt take up alot of space.

 

[Piper]

I lived for about 5 years with my Canadian Tire bench saw. It worked pretty well for what I wanted. I did make a base of sorts for it for some stability. When I sold it to by my 10" General Cabinet I actually got almost full price from a guy who was in construction. So, check out your local CTC.

Piper

 

[erda]

Ryobi BTS20R Editors best value choice by Fine Woodworking. You should be able to find it for about $270 at Home Depot. It is a portable and can rip over 24 inches.
The cream of the crop in portables is the Bosch 4000-09 but it costs almost $700!
erda

 

[Da Bull]

A friend of mine just purchased the the Hawkeye folding table saw 2.5 hp. from Canadian Tire. We just finished his basement, great tool no problems!!

http://www.canadiantire.ca/browse/p...1408474396672971&bmUID=1176908331922:thumbup:

 

[rocco]

i think i'm going to go have a look at this one on the weekend.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...ode+matchall&recN=113385&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

comments?

 

[l_bilyk]

Ryobi BTS20R Editors best value choice by Fine Woodworking. You should be able to find it for about $270 at Home Depot. It is a portable and can rip over 24 inches.
The cream of the crop in portables is the Bosch 4000-09 but it costs almost $700!
erda

Thats what I bought... the ryobi is excellent but I came across the bosch at a price I coulnd't refuse. Now i have two :-/

The ryobi is surprisingly good... power is exellent, onboard storate for everything, cranks for height and tilt. It beats the mastercraft hawkeye and the maximum line of saws hands down. The stand is better, fence is better, table is larger, more power, anti-kickback splitter doesn't hang off the back of the table, etc.

 

[l_bilyk]

i think i'm going to go have a look at this one on the weekend.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...ode+matchall&recN=113385&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

comments?

Look at this one.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

I don't know what those guys who complained about fence drift were smoking. You can adjust the tension on the fence clamp, eliminating any movement.

 

[Larz]

I've read a lot of good reviews on Ryobi table saws. I haven't had experience with them but I have a Ryobi miter saw I bought in 1992, and it just keeps going. I've built decks, fences, remodeled my kitchen, cut landscape timbers, and no telling what all over the years. It just keeps going!!!

 

[christian]

i think i'm going to go have a look at this one on the weekend.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...ode+matchall&recN=113385&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

comments?

I have that one. Only used it a few times but it does its job and the price is right. I'd buy the Ryobi BTS20R if I was going to do it again. I didn't see it when I bought this one. Not bad though.

 

[MarkH]

One word of caution, light table saws = cutting light boards. I bought a heavier version than my father did, but still under 100 lbs. Heavier boards make them very tippy, so look at how they can be anchored and will work with input output devices to keep from tipping. Mine works well with a good blade until I hit that one heavy board a month then it is trouble.

My next one is I am looking for something that is over 100 Lbs so I am not fighting safety on a small saw.

 

[l_bilyk]

Thats the good thing about the portable one... the adjustable length leg allows it to be used on uneven ground. And you could throw a sandbag on the legs if you have alot of cutting to do

 

[erda]

i think i'm going to go have a look at this one on the weekend.

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...ode+matchall&recN=113385&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber

comments?

Check out the rip capacity. It is only 9.5 inches left or right! You will most likely regret getting a saw that cannot rip a sheet of plywood in half.

In regards to a previous post that commented on how heavy of material a saw can cut, the Ryobi BTS20R can rip a pressure treated 4x4 in one pass. That should answer some concerns about the power of these saws. As always, when handling large/heavy materials, some sort of run out support is needed.

Now no one would ever compare these portable table saws to a cabinet saw in terms of power or accuracy, but bang for the buck ... .

erda

 

[SteveU]

A sheet of 3/4" plywood weighs around 75-80 lbs so if you're planning on using much plywood I would look for at least a contractor saw rather than a portable. MarkH, you're right about a heavier saw being more stable. I have a powermatic 66 which doesn't budge regardless of what is put up on it; 3/4" plywood, MDF, ect but it's a 600 lb saw. Portable should do well for cutting regular boards such as 1x & 2x materials but I wouldn't recommend them for sheet goods without breaking it down first & if you're into ripping a lot of hardwoods I would look into a cabinet saw.

 

[Flathead Youngin']

buy a used better quality one....if you aren't in a hurry watch the classifieds......

the old craftsman table saws (several sizes available) are tanks.....and the quality it quite good.....you can pick them up cheap...

also, delta contractor table saws and be setup with some great accuracy....they are reasonable too...

i see them all the time on craigslist.org...

 

[MarkH]

The issue on the light weight saw is not the power, it is the damm thing can tip if you are not very careful when you are working with larger boards. If it tips you or others can get hurt. That can even happen even with in and out feed support. So a portable you can dump a bunch of sandbags U type legs is not a bad choice. I have ripped some tough, long, wood with it without power issues, but after a couple false starts we cabled the thing to the ground to keep it stable. Working in medicine as well as other fields, a case of too much on a light saw, means I might see you at the hospital.

The next saw is planned to be in the multiple hundred lb weight or something like the heavier Craftsman portable where we can lay sandbags over the legs.

 

[1320stang]

I'm considering a portable saw as I don't have a lot of room in my garage for a floor mount model. I'm thinking of making a U shaped top that would be a 4x4 or 3x4 sheet of 3/4" plywood that the saw would fit into the open end of the U. The top would sit on a pair of saw horses and the saw would just hang there. The top would lean against the wall when not in use. I'd mark a line on the top for the saw blade and clamp a piece of angle iron for a fence. It's sorta crud, but like the OP, I'd only use it 3-4 times a year, if that.

 

[MarkH]

Again, good for light board, my grandfather lost one arm in a combine accident, the other hand was injured by a too light saw not adaquately supported for anything but small boards. He had a safety issue that I vow not to repeat.