Thread: BT3100
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Hylourgos
 
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Default BT3100

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I pretty much agree with what Bridger said, and would iterate two
points.

One is that the BT3K is not really a job-site saw meant to take the
abuse normally seen there.

Economically it suits a certain market perfectly, you just have to
understand if you're in that market. I'm not sure you are.

The BT3K is inexpensive, thus made of less expensive materials.
They're very well made, but to be happy with this saw you should be
the sort who takes care of his tools. Like Bridger I've owned one
since they came out on the market, and I have been very pleased. The
aluminum can be a godsend if you fight humidity. It is a very accurate
saw, and I don't find the adjustments any more difficult than a
top-quality saw with the same features. I just moved mine across a
couple of states and in setting it up again I found that it had
maintained accuracy and needed no adjusting.

It's not a cabinet saw (I have a decent amount of experience with
those owing to a fairly good trade school education), but it's about
as close as you'll come in that price range. Think of it as owning a
Kharman Ghia instead of a Porshe, or an Element instead of a Hummer.
If you can live with that, you'll appreciate all the nice details of a
saw that is so inexpensive. It's all about the money (and space, and
time, and how often you move...): I'd rather have a Uni or PM, of
course, but that would be unrealistic for me given my circumstances.

If you need the sturdiness of cast iron then perhaps you should look
at used cabinet saws, as has been suggested.

Good luck,
H