Quieter table saw? Options? (within budget)

[TinkerLogic]

I'm looking for a decent table saw that I can handle within my apartment. I have my eye on a Dewalt 10" that's around $650ish. I've seen reviews of it and I'm sure I can find cheaper but it does have that nice fence I'm eager to try out.

I'm just trying to be respectful of my neighbors (if they're home at that time). I'm trying to find ways to make it a little quieter or maybe there's a similar saw that someone can recommend that can make things a little quieter.

Maybe there's nothing I can do except keep watch for my neighbors and try really hard to avoid using anything that loud until they leave at any given time.

Thanks In Advance

 

[kaymccampbell]

Anything with a spinning blade is going to be loud, period. These are quieter.

 

[TinkerLogic]

Anything with a spinning blade is going to be loud, period. These are quieter.

If I knew my arms could stand it I would, or better yet I like the Japanese saws. Due to nerve issues I've found it easier to move the wood into a saw instead of a saw into the wood.

 

[kaymccampbell]

It would probably just be simpler to shoot the neighbors. Then they won't ***** so much.

 

[TinkerLogic]

It would probably just be simpler to shoot the neighbors. Then they won't ***** so much.

Eh... I've got mixed feelings about that LoL. They never complain and they're USUALLY pretty quiet,, there's been the occasional fight among themselves or the guy that sits in his vehicle getting drunk to Mexican music, there's been times he sang and I can feel his pain lol.

My neighbors are weird torwatds me. If I see them out outside I'll wave and say hi. They'll immediately look at the ground or look in the opposite direction lol.


No matter how they treat me, but I try to be considerate.

 

[ATC]

Do you have a specific project in mind, or is this going to be a long term thing? I only ask because maybe a sawzall would work. Quieter, a little, but not accurate and not for sheets of plywood and such of course.
Cordless circular saws aren’t that bad noise wise compared to a traditional table saw.

I dunno…I’m no carpenter. Mainly I work with steel.

 

[ATC]

And as someone who works 3rd shift, thank you for trying to be considerate!

 

[MushCreek]

It's the actual cutting that's noisy. My Ridgid saw runs quiet- until you start cutting.

 

[beemerphile]

Table saw for ongoing use in an apartment???

 

[TinkerLogic]

Do you have a specific project in mind, or is this going to be a long term thing? I only ask because maybe a sawzall would work. Quieter, a little, but not accurate and not for sheets of plywood and such of course.
Cordless circular saws aren’t that bad noise wise compared to a traditional table saw.

I dunno…I’m no carpenter. Mainly I work with steel.

I'm a little jealous lol. I've always wanted to explore fabrication mainly welding. I'm not sure what your occupation is but working with steel was a dream of mine.

As far as projects I have a few lined up like a couple workbenches I want to build for 2 separate reasons. There's also a rolling kitchen island thing I want to play with the design as I go so I'm sure I'll have loads of scrap wood from that lol, and some smaller projects like a tv stand and I may dabble in some speaker boxes (it's been too long)

This isn't fine furniture by any means but I do pretty well with making stuff neat/clean.

 

[TinkerLogic]

Table saw for ongoing use in an apartment???

Yes I think it's called a duplex. I have someone that rents the apartment on the other side of the wall...but they're rarely there as far as I know (car leaves for days usually)

Not really ongoing but maybe a few minutes a day, couple days a week type of thing.

 

[whateg01]

Saws that use a universal motor have a gearbox that creates a lot of noise. All saws make noise but a saw that is belt driven and uses an induction motor will be a little quieter, imo.

 

[mike93lx]

Festool track saw with dust collection. It won't make a mess and the well shrouded blade is likely the quietest option

 

[Ton ton]

Anything with a spinning blade is going to be loud, period. These are quieter.

Well said. Also wear earplugs.

 

[Firebrick43]

Bridge city joint maker pro



Precise, quick(for what it is) and what you can do with it is insane. I used to do all my wood working by hand tools and I have been contemplating getting one so my kids can safely participate without being called stubs later in life.

 

[Firebrick43]

Festool track saw with dust collection. It won't make a mess and the well shrouded blade is likely the quietest option

They are not because of the universal motor. My unisaw is quieter, that is until i fire up the dust collector

 

[mike93lx]

They are not because of the universal motor. My unisaw is quieter, that is until i fire up the dust collector

A unisaw is not really practical for an apartment. The track saw has a huge added benefit in being compact and maneuverable. I'd trade a little noise for that. Plus the dust collection is fantastic

 

[Ton ton]

I hope you find something that works.

 

[strutaeng]

ANYTHING powered woodworking tool is pretty loud. Universal motor probably louder on the larger tools.

I like the handtool option. No noise, dust, or eye protection. Hand cutting dovetails and tenons has been in my experience very enjoyable. For smaller projects, a Delta 14" band saw (w/ induction motor) will get a lot done and is less noisy than a table saw.

 

[metlmunchr]

Saws that use a universal motor have a gearbox that creates a lot of noise. All saws make noise but a saw that is belt driven and uses an induction motor will be a little quieter, imo.

Agree 100%. Any saw with a universal motor will have the same sort of screaming noise that a skilsaw has. Also, replacing the standard V belt on a belt drive saw with a link type belt will eliminate most of the vibration that creates additional noise. My saw is a 30 yr old Delta belt drive contractor saw, and once I added a link belt the difference in vibration was remarkable.

And, since we're on the subject of noise reduction, I've also found the thin blades are quieter in the actual cut than older style thick blades. And it goes without saying a clean sharp blade of any configuration will cut quieter than an equivalent style that's dull or gummed up with wood resin.

 

[Renegade1LI]

It's like arguing in a maternity ward about who is more pregnant, they're all noisy. I agree with mike93lx, the track saw is probably a better and more versatile option. Not sure where the op plans to work but could hang some sound blankets to help absorb the noise. If in the garage maybe insulate better. We have used the sound blankets and they actually work very well.

 

[strutaeng]

Christmas-wrapped Noise Cancelling Headphones for the neighbors? That was "my" first thought.

 

[dnschmidt]

Anything with an induction motor and belt drive is the key. I've never used a brushless tablesaw (like the Milwaukee Fuel) so I don't know if they have the same noise problem. If they don't that could be an option. For sheet goods the track saw (best value is the Makita) is the bomb.

 

[mike93lx]

Bridge city joint maker pro



Precise, quick(for what it is) and what you can do with it is insane. I used to do all my wood working by hand tools and I have been contemplating getting one so my kids can safely participate without being called stubs later in life.

That is really neat. "on sale" for $800, so not cheap by any stretch

 

[rlitman]

Anything with an induction motor and belt drive is the key. I've never used a brushless tablesaw (like the Milwaukee Fuel) so I don't know if they have the same noise problem. If they don't that could be an option. For sheet goods the track saw (best value is the Makita) is the bomb.

My Unisaw is quiet when I start the motor, but the cutting noise ALWAYS obscures the motor noise.

The road to quieting a table saw is on the blade. The repetitive vibrations as each tooth hits the wood sets the steel up to a ringing that is quieted by laser cuts into the steel plate found in better blades. Even then, the blade will still be louder than the motor, but it will be a lot less loud than a cheap blade.

 

[RTM]

For smaller projects, a Delta 14" band saw (w/ induction motor) will get a lot done and is less noisy than a table saw.

Having both a 12" TS and a 14" Band Saw, my BS is hands down quieter, both cutting and not, than my TS. You just need to be prepared for a bit of stock prep to bring the cut up the the quality of the TS.

 

[Ton ton]

Bridge city joint maker pro



Precise, quick(for what it is) and what you can do with it is insane. I used to do all my wood working by hand tools and I have been contemplating getting one so my kids can safely participate without being called stubs later in life.

Never saw anything like that before.

 

[tarbellb]

Id lean towards a track saw as well, do some research on whats available.

Between the smaller motor, enclosed blade, and a nice quiet dust collector (a must if working inside) I think you
would be better off going that route.

If was me, I would go cheap on the saw, perhaps Makita or even cheaper, and plan to spend money on tracks, track squares, and
perhaps a jib table like Festool offers.

Check out this sites owner thread about his dive into it- search Ryan and MFT

 

[Firebrick43]

That is really neat. "on sale" for $800, so not cheap by any stretch

Yes I agree, they are any thing but cheap. Woodworking tools, imho, suffer greatly if they are cheap. I haven’t used a cheap chisel, plane, or saw that’s cheap and I find worth anything.

Believe it or not they were 1100 ish dollars so they have come down. I have seen one in action and there is nothing better for guys doing small boxes/wood tool boxes/inlays and such.

For 10 years I woodworked in my living room.

My big bench was against the wall on one side and every morning I would drink coffee and do something for 30-45 min. All with hand saws and planes. Dust was not a problem as I didn’t generate much and what I did wasn’t air borne.

Wife went to work before me so that wasn’t an issue.

Large rips and bigger projects requiring a planer I did all the prep work at a buddies house in his shop.

After the addition (and kids) my wood shop is down in the basement now, and I have my own cabinet saw, planer, jointer, bandsaw, and MFT/track saw. I still don’t think a track saw is going to work in an apartment. I wouldn’t put up with it if I lived next to/under someone.

Then again it depends on the building. My basement ceiling/upper floor is 6” suspended composite(concrete) slab and the wife saws she doesn’t hear much upstairs unless I am planing. Even then it’s not loud enough to keep them from watching tv.

If people are sleeping I just happily handsaw away at dovetails. Baffles me why anyone would use a router for dovetails.

 

[dnschmidt]

If people are sleeping I just happily handsaw away at dovetails. Baffles me why anyone would use a router for dovetails.

Well how about speed and accuracy. I have both Keller and Leigh jigs. You'll have to pry them from my cold dead hands when I die. For mortise and tendon (or finger joints) a PantoRouter works really well. We've had electricity in the city for a while now.

 

[whateg01]

. Baffles me why anyone would use a router for dovetails.

For that matter, why would anybody buy a router at all? Everything it can do can be done by hand. And why does op want to use a table saw at all? A hand saw can do it all. Sanding can be fine by hand. A brace can be used to drill holes. Yeah those ideas sound pretty silly too.

 

[RTM]

I dunno, for me, woodworking is not about hurrying to complete a job, but rather enjoying the process, enjoying the feel of the wood I plane it, and watch the grain pop, instead of taking it over to my neighbor, running it thru his wide belt sander, and watch the beautiful grain turn to mud.

So many analogies can be compared, let your mind wander to enjoying the journey, not the destination.

Home repairs, that’s a different story.

 

[Weldman]

Rent a storage unit with power and have some fun with all the noise you want till you are content.

 

[TinkerLogic]

Rent a storage unit with power and have some fun with all the noise you want till you are content.

I thought about that 2 years ago for multiple projects/hobbies. There seemed to be issues with that logic unfortunately. Just a few issues being 1 some didn't want people doing anything like that in the units, 2 it can attract people looking to steal, 3 some had outlets in the area but not specifically near or in the unit and they didn't allow extention cords to run "heavy equipment" due to some safety issues.

There were all kinds of rules and "attracting bad behaviors" stuff I was running into. To me it sound like **** but I don't know anything about running a storage business so there's that. Plus at the time I was looking it was on average $150-$200 a month for a unit just big enough to move around in and also have equipment.

I tried waiting to move to a bigger place, or to a place that had a garage, or a yard I can work in, or people not so close or or or.... the only break I will get to have any kind of freedom with equipment is at least $2000 a month if it's not run down, or in a horrible neighborhood.

 

[Ton ton]

What town do you live in, tinkerlogic?

 

[Weldman]

I say keep looking for someone with a garage for rent or a shop to rent. It's what I did till I bought cheap raw land and molded it into what I got now.

 

[TinkerLogic]

I dunno, for me, woodworking is not about hurrying to complete a job, but rather enjoying the process, enjoying the feel of the wood I plane it, and watch the grain pop, instead of taking it over to my neighbor, running it thru his wide belt sander, and watch the beautiful grain turn to mud.

So many analogies can be compared, let your mind wander to enjoying the journey, not the destination.

Home repairs, that’s a different story.

I agree to a point. I love working with my hands. I started when I was real little at around 7 years old working on small engines and then as I got older I dabbled in woodshop and spend about 15 years as a mechanic among other stuff.

I hated using power tools but I realized early on I have some kind of nerve issues so putting the wood to the saw was easier than the saw to the wood. It frustrates me but it is what it is.

 

[TinkerLogic]

What town do you live in, tinkerlogic?

Wilmington is closest big city to me in NC

 

[WWheeler]

It depends on what it is that you plan to be cutting but a band saw might be more practical if noise is the primary concern.

EDIT: I definitely should have read the other comments first before I posted.

 

[Ton ton]

Wilmington is closest big city to me in NC

Thank you, maybe there's some garage journal members in your neighborhood.