More than 500$ for "decent" TS? Really? was: which Table saw for $500 or less?
 

More then 500$ for a "decent" table saw? Really? We're talking about a
project here and there, no production-type work, where a little extra set-up
time for each cut isn't that big a deal. Right? I thought the extra 200$
or so for an "entry level" conractor saw at the 500$ mark was for an
upgraded fence system and bells/whistles to make the work easier/faster.

I'm also looking and have set 500$ for my budget. I need the saw to be
fairly easy in setting up, and fairly accurate. The saws in the 89$ (yes,
they make them that cheap) to 350& range seem a little too small, wobbly and
insubstantial. 500$ seems about right, and I can always upgrade the fence
if it becomes needed.

I'm not arguing, really. Your opinion is your own. I just want to make
sure I know what I'm missing out on in not spending the extra 200$ or
looking for a used saw for 500$.

Thanks for all the input.



"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 15:05:10 GMT, "Cyrille de Brébisson"
wrote:

Hello,

I am a beginner woodworker, and I use for the moment a $100 RYOBY table
saw,
it has the following issues:
- the table is too small (12" on both side of the fence) for any serious
work
- the fence is small and not 90° (although it locks good)
- I can not get a 0 clearance insert for it
- miter is worthless
- it's noisy and vibrates a lot...

I was thinking of upgrading, and I have a budget of around $500, what are
your recommendations?

regards, cyrille


Save up your $--you'll need a bit more to get a decent table saw
unless you can find a used one.

"Hedley" writes:


[...]

insubstantial. 500$ seems about right, and I can always upgrade the fence
if it becomes needed.

But upgrading the sliding table (an essential feature, IMHO) is
unpractical at best.

--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23

What sliding table? Very few saws have them.

"Juergen Hannappel" wrote in message
...
"Hedley" writes:


[...]

insubstantial. 500$ seems about right, and I can always upgrade the
fence
if it becomes needed.

But upgrading the sliding table (an essential feature, IMHO) is
unpractical at best.

--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23

"CW" writes:

What sliding table? Very few saws have them.

The meaning of my comment was: "A sliding table is a extremely useful
part of a table saw, and you can't really attach one later, so get a
saw with a sliding table in the first place".

--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23

On Sun, 04 Sep 2005 15:43:15 +0200, Juergen Hannappel wrote:

"CW" writes:

What sliding table? Very few saws have them.

The meaning of my comment was: "A sliding table is a extremely useful
part of a table saw, and you can't really attach one later, so get a saw
with a sliding table in the first place".

??? Griz, DeWalt, and certainly others have add-on sliding tables
available.

Besides, very few would consider one essential. The OP is looking for a
saw for "a project here and there". It hardly sounds to me like the sort
of use that would justify a sliding table.

--
-Joe Wells

Not at his price point. Triple it and they are available.

"Juergen Hannappel" wrote in message
...
"CW" writes:

What sliding table? Very few saws have them.

The meaning of my comment was: "A sliding table is a extremely useful
part of a table saw, and you can't really attach one later, so get a
saw with a sliding table in the first place".

--
Dr. Juergen Hannappel http://lisa2.physik.uni-bonn.de/~hannappe
Phone: +49 228 73 2447 FAX ... 7869
Physikalisches Institut der Uni Bonn Nussallee 12, D-53115 Bonn, Germany
CERN: Phone: +412276 76461 Fax: ..77930 Bat. 892-R-A13 CH-1211 Geneve 23

"Hedley" wrote in message
...
More then 500$ for a "decent" table saw? Really? We're talking about a
project here and there, no production-type work, where a little extra
set-up time for each cut isn't that big a deal. Right? I thought the
extra 200$ or so for an "entry level" conractor saw at the 500$ mark was
for an upgraded fence system and bells/whistles to make the work
easier/faster.

I'm also looking and have set 500$ for my budget. I need the saw to be
fairly easy in setting up, and fairly accurate. The saws in the 89$ (yes,
they make them that cheap) to 350& range seem a little too small, wobbly
and insubstantial. 500$ seems about right, and I can always upgrade the
fence if it becomes needed.

I'm not arguing, really. Your opinion is your own. I just want to make
sure I know what I'm missing out on in not spending the extra 200$ or
looking for a used saw for 500$.

Thanks for all the input.




I went through this a few years ago. I wanted a good sturdy saw, reasonably
accurate, something I could buy once and never worry about replacing it. I
ended up buying a Delta contractors saw. Sure I looked at the lower end
Deltas thinking I could upgrade as time went by, but if you look at the
price of replacing the fence it is cheaper to buy it with the saw at the
start. I spent allot of time examining saws in the $500 range. I ending up
buying a model similar to this one,
http://www.deltawoodworking.com/index.asp?e=136&p=4922 .When I bought it the
saw retailed something like $790, but I bought it on sale for $650. Now it
runs in the $800 neighborhood on sale. I figure I did good as I know I could
sell it for what I have into it. Others have bought Grizzly saws and been
happy, I was reluctant to buy a tool which for me was a bit unknown, plus
were they going to be around in 10 years if I needed a part. (All though I
wonder about Delta some too!)
My feelings are to save some more cash and spring for more saw and cry once!
The pain of spending extra money goes away quickly when enjoying a good
working tool!
Greg

"Hedley" wrote in message
...
More then 500$ for a "decent" table saw? Really? We're talking about a
project here and there, no production-type work, where a little extra
set-up
time for each cut isn't that big a deal.

Hey, just look at what's available. Its hard to find any kind of contractor
or jobsite table saw less than $550 (don't forget to include shipping cost).
Its not a question of comparing models. Its hard to find ANYTHING for $500
without going into the low end slimey junk category. Even the lowest end
Grizzley contractor saw is $550 with shipping. One possibility is the
hitachi contractor saw you see at some Home depot stores. I've heard lots of
questions about it but seen nothing posted from anyone who has bought one
and says it works well.

Why don't you research what you can find for $500 and post the models here
and ask for opinions on those models? I don't see anything.

Bob

You should definitely check out the Ryobi BT3100. It is very accurate and
easy to use, and it comes with a sliding miter table and a Freud blade
standard.

A lot of people like to poo-poo this saw because it is made by Ryobi and it
has an aluminum top. The people who gripe about the saw, however, are the
ones who have never used one. I've had mine for a year now and have put it
through some pretty tough projects with no complaints. It is probably not a
saw you want to throw in the back of the truck and haul around, but with
reasonable care it is really pretty durable.

Plus, the BT3100 is the only table saw I'm aware of that has an entire web
site dedicated to it. Check out www.BT3Central.com

Dollar for dollar I don't think there is any saw that compares to the
BT3100. I shopped around quite a bit and came to the conclusion that I'd
have to spend $700 to get a saw equivalent to the Ryobi, which retails for
$300.

Here's a link to the saw on the Ryobi site:
http://tinyurl.com/byzfd





"Hedley" wrote in message
...
More then 500$ for a "decent" table saw? Really? We're talking about a
project here and there, no production-type work, where a little extra
set-up time for each cut isn't that big a deal. Right? I thought the
extra 200$ or so for an "entry level" conractor saw at the 500$ mark was
for an upgraded fence system and bells/whistles to make the work
easier/faster.

I'm also looking and have set 500$ for my budget. I need the saw to be
fairly easy in setting up, and fairly accurate. The saws in the 89$ (yes,
they make them that cheap) to 350& range seem a little too small, wobbly
and insubstantial. 500$ seems about right, and I can always upgrade the
fence if it becomes needed.

I'm not arguing, really. Your opinion is your own. I just want to make
sure I know what I'm missing out on in not spending the extra 200$ or
looking for a used saw for 500$.

Thanks for all the input.



"Phisherman" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 15:05:10 GMT, "Cyrille de Brébisson"
wrote:

Hello,

I am a beginner woodworker, and I use for the moment a $100 RYOBY table
saw,
it has the following issues:
- the table is too small (12" on both side of the fence) for any serious
work
- the fence is small and not 90° (although it locks good)
- I can not get a 0 clearance insert for it
- miter is worthless
- it's noisy and vibrates a lot...

I was thinking of upgrading, and I have a budget of around $500, what are
your recommendations?

regards, cyrille


Save up your $--you'll need a bit more to get a decent table saw
unless you can find a used one.

"Chuck" wrote in message
om...
You should definitely check out the Ryobi BT3100. It is very accurate and
easy to use, and it comes with a sliding miter table and a Freud blade
standard.

I think, in the context and requirements of the OP, your recommendation has
merit. That particular saw has a lot of happy users. I think its a matter
of users having the right adjusted expectations that match this saw and then
the experience becomes pleasant surprise. I don't know that I go along with
saying its the equal of $700 saws. That's a stretch. But your suggestion
might just satisfy the guy who needs something useful on a budget.

Bob

"Hedley" wrote in message
...
More then 500$ for a "decent" table saw? Really? We're talking about a
project here and there, no production-type work, where a little extra
set-up time for each cut isn't that big a deal. Right?

Matter or opinion.

I thought the extra 200$ or so for an "entry level" conractor saw at the
500$ mark was for an upgraded fence system and bells/whistles to make the
work easier/faster.

No, they still have crappy fences at that price.

I'm also looking and have set 500$ for my budget. I need the saw to be
fairly easy in setting up, and fairly accurate.

The fence. Most important part of ease and accuracy. Get a good one.
Compare them, try one. Your money, your choice, but at your price level you
get a Chevy, for $200 more you get the UnifenceBeisemeyerCadillac.

One thing you can always count on when you ask for tool advice here is that
whatever your declared budget, at least half the responders will recommend
something in excess of it.
I suppose this post is no exception. I have one of the relatively new
Craftsman hybrid saws (part cabinet saw, part contractors saw). It's the
lowest-end model of the 3 available and retails for $550. From time to time
Sears has a major sale in the tool department, so if your timing is right
you may be able to get this saw at your price.
The other thing you can count on around here is a fair number of posters
telling you in no uncertain terms that anything with a Craftsman label is
crap. This may, in fact, be true for a number of the tools they have sold
in the past decade, but it definitely does not apply to their new line of
hybrid saws (manufactured in China by a relatively new company formed by
some former Delta personnel). The only bad things I can recall reading
about this particular saw have been posted by people who hadn't actually
used one but were basing their opinions on previous "Crapsman" experience.
Like you, I use my workshop for only the occasional project, not daily
production and the Sears saw is perfectly adequate for my needs.

Lee

--
To e-mail, replace "bucketofspam" with "dleegordon"

_________________________________
Lee Gordon
http://www.leegordonproductions.com

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...&s=hi&n=507846
(link may not work)


The one I'm thinking of getting is the Delta 36-675. It is 499$ at Amazon
(of all places) with only 9.99$ shipping. It says it's a 650$ saw, but you
know how that goes....


"BillyBob" wrote in message
k.net...

"Hedley" wrote in message
...
More then 500$ for a "decent" table saw? Really? We're talking about a
project here and there, no production-type work, where a little extra
set-up
time for each cut isn't that big a deal.

Hey, just look at what's available. Its hard to find any kind of
contractor
or jobsite table saw less than $550 (don't forget to include shipping
cost).
Its not a question of comparing models. Its hard to find ANYTHING for
$500
without going into the low end slimey junk category. Even the lowest end
Grizzley contractor saw is $550 with shipping. One possibility is the
hitachi contractor saw you see at some Home depot stores. I've heard lots
of
questions about it but seen nothing posted from anyone who has bought one
and says it works well.

Why don't you research what you can find for $500 and post the models here
and ask for opinions on those models? I don't see anything.

Bob

On Sun, 4 Sep 2005 07:40:53 -0500, "Hedley"
wrote:

I'm also looking and have set 500$ for my budget. I need the saw to be
fairly easy in setting up, and fairly accurate. The saws in the 89$ (yes,
they make them that cheap) to 350& range seem a little too small, wobbly and
insubstantial. 500$ seems about right, and I can always upgrade the fence
if it becomes needed.

I got the Ridgid TS3650 for $569 earlier this year, it's listed at
$597 now on the website. You may be able to catch a 10% sale if you
are lucky. You need to plan on getting a medium quality blade as well
no matter what saw you get, the included blade is always marginal for
finish work but fine for rough work. The Ridgid includes a built in
mobile base, which depending on how much room you have may be
important, this would add about $50 on another saw. The fence is not
as good as the aftermarket ones, but you won't need to upgrade it. It
is however a total PITA to assemble and set up the first time. Not
hard, but time consuming. Plan on 6-8 hours.

I have no experience with the Ryobi BT3100, my own experience with
other Ryobi tools would probably steer me away from getting something
like a table saw from them though. Enough people are happy with them
though that if you can't swing the Ridgid it's your next best bet.
While not having a mobile base, it'd be light enough to move around
without one.


-Leuf

Thanks, Lee. My dad had a craftsman table saw (still has the same one) back
when I was a wee tot back in the early 70's. This saw went through 4
different home remodels as the primary wood cutter and the only thing that
ever went wrong with it was the switch. I almost want to buy it from him,
but the logistics would be too hard.

I guess you could say I would get a craftsman for sentimental reasons in
addition to finding one for 30% off.

Right now, I'm leaving it up to the gods. If the 679$ Craftsman up the
street is still on the shelf when the going-out-of-business-sale reaches the
30% off mark, it's mine. If someone else gets it, then I will get the Delta
36-675 from Amazon for 499$ plus 9.99$ shipping.


"Lee Gordon" wrote in message
...
One thing you can always count on when you ask for tool advice here is
that
whatever your declared budget, at least half the responders will recommend
something in excess of it.
I suppose this post is no exception. I have one of the relatively new
Craftsman hybrid saws (part cabinet saw, part contractors saw). It's the
lowest-end model of the 3 available and retails for $550. From time to
time
Sears has a major sale in the tool department, so if your timing is right
you may be able to get this saw at your price.
The other thing you can count on around here is a fair number of posters
telling you in no uncertain terms that anything with a Craftsman label is
crap. This may, in fact, be true for a number of the tools they have sold
in the past decade, but it definitely does not apply to their new line of
hybrid saws (manufactured in China by a relatively new company formed by
some former Delta personnel). The only bad things I can recall reading
about this particular saw have been posted by people who hadn't actually
used one but were basing their opinions on previous "Crapsman" experience.
Like you, I use my workshop for only the occasional project, not daily
production and the Sears saw is perfectly adequate for my needs.

Lee

--
To e-mail, replace "bucketofspam" with "dleegordon"

_________________________________
Lee Gordon
http://www.leegordonproductions.com

I hadn't thought about it before, but I guess I am already cheating on the
500$ budget constraint with my shopping. I'm not counting blades (three or
four plus a dado set), the mobile base (need one) or any jigs I might buy
instead of make. If I had to include all that in the 500$, I'd be starting
out with a 99$ Skil or something.

Thanks for the advice.


"Leuf" wrote in message
...
On Sun, 4 Sep 2005 07:40:53 -0500, "Hedley"
wrote:

I'm also looking and have set 500$ for my budget. I need the saw to be
fairly easy in setting up, and fairly accurate. The saws in the 89$ (yes,
they make them that cheap) to 350& range seem a little too small, wobbly
and
insubstantial. 500$ seems about right, and I can always upgrade the fence
if it becomes needed.

I got the Ridgid TS3650 for $569 earlier this year, it's listed at
$597 now on the website. You may be able to catch a 10% sale if you
are lucky. You need to plan on getting a medium quality blade as well
no matter what saw you get, the included blade is always marginal for
finish work but fine for rough work. The Ridgid includes a built in
mobile base, which depending on how much room you have may be
important, this would add about $50 on another saw. The fence is not
as good as the aftermarket ones, but you won't need to upgrade it. It
is however a total PITA to assemble and set up the first time. Not
hard, but time consuming. Plan on 6-8 hours.

I have no experience with the Ryobi BT3100, my own experience with
other Ryobi tools would probably steer me away from getting something
like a table saw from them though. Enough people are happy with them
though that if you can't swing the Ridgid it's your next best bet.
While not having a mobile base, it'd be light enough to move around
without one.


-Leuf

On Sun, 04 Sep 2005 15:25:38 GMT, "Chuck"
wrote:

You should definitely check out the Ryobi BT3100. It is very accurate and
easy to use, and it comes with a sliding miter table and a Freud blade
standard.

A lot of people like to poo-poo this saw because it is made by Ryobi and it
has an aluminum top. The people who gripe about the saw, however, are the
ones who have never used one. I've had mine for a year now and have put it
through some pretty tough projects with no complaints. It is probably not a
saw you want to throw in the back of the truck and haul around, but with
reasonable care it is really pretty durable.

Plus, the BT3100 is the only table saw I'm aware of that has an entire web
site dedicated to it. Check out www.BT3Central.com

Dollar for dollar I don't think there is any saw that compares to the
BT3100. I shopped around quite a bit and came to the conclusion that I'd
have to spend $700 to get a saw equivalent to the Ryobi, which retails for
$300.

Definitely a contender, but budget $400 for it: it's also not a bad
idea to spend the extra $100 for the accessory kit, which has the
miter slot add-on table, some zero-clearance throat plates, and the
rest of the hardware required to make the router table operational.
(FYI, accessory kit is SKU 592438 at Home Depot.)

Lee

Right now, I'm leaving it up to the gods. If the 679$ Craftsman up the
street is still on the shelf when the going-out-of-business-sale reaches the
30% off mark, it's mine.

You will be happy with it. I believe it is basically the same saw that I
have but with a fancier fence and miter gauge.

Lee

--
To e-mail, replace "bucketofspam" with "dleegordon"

_________________________________
Lee Gordon
http://www.leegordonproductions.com

"Lee Gordon" wrote in message
...
One thing you can always count on when you ask for tool advice here is
that
whatever your declared budget, at least half the responders will recommend
something in excess of it.
I suppose this post is no exception.


This is often done with good reasoning behind it. The OP want to upgrade.
If he buys a $500 saw, he will be looking at the $750 ones in a few months
and covet the fence. If he had no saw at all, he may be very happy for a
few years with the $500 model. If you want to step up, make it a reasonable
large and long term happiness one. We've all done the former and that is
why we suggest waiting to get the "right" tool for long term use.

On Sun, 04 Sep 2005 22:56:17 +0000, Edwin Pawlowski wrote:


"Lee Gordon" wrote in message
...
One thing you can always count on when you ask for tool advice here is
that
whatever your declared budget, at least half the responders will
recommend something in excess of it.
I suppose this post is no exception.


This is often done with good reasoning behind it. The OP want to upgrade.
If he buys a $500 saw, he will be looking at the $750 ones in a few months
and covet the fence. If he had no saw at all, he may be very happy for a
few years with the $500 model. If you want to step up, make it a
reasonable large and long term happiness one. We've all done the former
and that is why we suggest waiting to get the "right" tool for long term
use.

Otherwise known on the wReck as the "Cry once principle". A point of view
to which I subscribe.

--
-Joe Wells

"Hedley" wrote in message
...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...&s=hi&n=507846
(link may not work)


The one I'm thinking of getting is the Delta 36-675. It is 499$ at Amazon
(of all places) with only 9.99$ shipping. It says it's a 650$ saw, but
you
know how that goes....

Hmmm, might be a respectable buy. I don't know the models, but I'm sure
others know them well and can respond to you.

Bob

"Hedley" wrote in message
...
I hadn't thought about it before, but I guess I am already cheating on the
500$ budget constraint with my shopping. I'm not counting blades (three
or
four plus a dado set), the mobile base (need one) or any jigs I might buy
instead of make. If I had to include all that in the 500$, I'd be
starting
out with a 99$ Skil or something.

My first saw (which I still have) was about $1300. I had more money than
experience. I was dumbfounded when I got it assembled, lined up and came to
the step "mounting the blade" and there was none. What was even more
surprising - the dealer who sold it to me in person did not ask if I needed
any blades with it. Yep, the little "extras" to support a tablesaw sure can
get ya.

Bob

"BillyBob" wrote in message
.net...

"Chuck" wrote in message
om...
You should definitely check out the Ryobi BT3100. It is very accurate and
easy to use, and it comes with a sliding miter table and a Freud blade
standard.

I think, in the context and requirements of the OP, your recommendation
has
merit. That particular saw has a lot of happy users. I think its a matter
of users having the right adjusted expectations that match this saw and
then
the experience becomes pleasant surprise. I don't know that I go along
with
saying its the equal of $700 saws. That's a stretch. But your suggestion
might just satisfy the guy who needs something useful on a budget.

Bob



I agree.
Allot of people like the BT3100, a friend has one and likes it. That said I
have used his and I would not trade my Delta CS for the BT even if you
tossed in $800 to sweeten the deal!
Greg

On Sun, 04 Sep 2005 07:40:53 -0500, Hedley wrote:
Save up your $--you'll need a bit more to get a decent table saw
unless you can find a used one.


Hi, this was good advice.

A GOOD table saw lasts a very long time and is user-maintainable /
repairable (assuming that the user has a couple noodles in his bowl).

At a garage sale, I bought a $150 Craftsman contractors saw with the
original fence. I trued up the trunion so that the blade runs parallel to
the miter slots (okay, it's out of parellel by about .001") and I added a
sub-face to the fence. I also got a few zero-clearance inserts and decent
blades (the DeWalt 40 tooth carbide is $50 from Woodcraft, prolly less
elsewhere and is a good blade). That's it.

It isn't a production saw by any means. But I can run stock through it
and get smooth parallel cuts at the desired dimension, make finger
joints, slots, grooves, tenons and miters that are as good as they need
to be. I use it in the evenings to knock out odds & ends for our home.

Maybe someday I'll drop a wad of cash on a dream saw. Maybe not ... this
20 year old Craftsman 10" is still running fine. In fact, I'm posting to
the list today about making an accessory for it.

Bill

Maybe someday I'll drop a wad of cash on a dream saw. Maybe not ... this
20 year old Craftsman 10" is still running fine. In fact, I'm posting to
the list today about making an accessory for it.

Bill

My neighbor has a older Craftsman cast iron topped table saw that was given
to him by his father in law. He tuned it up, bought a Biesmeyer fence for it
and uses it regularly. They are a good saw in general. The stock fences are
poor compared to what is available so that upgrade is a must. It is a better
saw than the $500 saws available today.
Greg

On Sun, 4 Sep 2005 07:40:53 -0500, "Hedley"
wrote:

More then 500$ for a "decent" table saw? Really? We're talking about a
project here and there, no production-type work, where a little extra set-up
time for each cut isn't that big a deal. Right? I thought the extra 200$
or so for an "entry level" conractor saw at the 500$ mark was for an
upgraded fence system and bells/whistles to make the work easier/faster.

[...snip...]

There's no doubt in my mind you can find a saw at this price point
that meets the needs you have expressed, and I believe knowing the
constraints you have, you will be happy with it. For that money and
with some care a new saw will get a contractor's type saw with a motor
in the 1.5 HP range, and enough accuracy to do quality work assuming
the saw has a respectable fence.

I believe others who advise to spend a few hundred more for a higher
end saw are saying that, among other things, you might find the motor
a little weak for certain kinds of woodworking, a little flimsy in the
construction. You might also find that you do better with a thin-kerf
blade married to a blade stabilizer, when working with hardwoods.

For what it is worth, the advantages a cabinet saw has over a
contractor's saw are significant if you see yourself using the thing a
lot.

I myself was faced with the same question you are, decided on a
Grizzly cabinet saw which was in fact about $400 more than you
budgeted. It suits my needs and I appreciate the power to cut through
thicker/harder materials, smoothness of operation, accuracy, dust
collection, that you get.

In my opinion it is another notch below a Delta/Jet/Powermatic
cabinet, and if I thought I was going to use the saw day in / day out,
I would go with the best I could get.

Don't recall OP stating his location, but if it's anywhere near
Chicago, this may help:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=23697

Lee

Lee DeRaud wrote:
Don't recall OP stating his location, but if it's anywhere near
Chicago, this may help:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=23697

Wow! Sears top of the line hybrid, LN, $425 with a Shop Fox mobile base
included.

Wish he'd been selling this earlier this summer when I bought my Jet
JCS-10. Nice deal for somebody.

I don't think you're missing anything at all. Some people here
are just like the ones who scoff if you don't have the top of the
line computer for simple word processing.

I recently bought a Jet JWTS-10JF "contractor's table saw" on sale
for $ 499. It was better built than the comparable Delta available,
and has all the features I'll need for a long time. The table is
sufficiently large and the fence is decent. It has plenty of power.

If I need a commercial grade saw in a few years, what's the risk?
Why spend $ 1200 extra now for features I don't need, when I could
spend the same money down the road IF NECESSARY and maybe take as
much as a $ 250 loss on my old saw if I sell it? It's not a
very economical tradeoff.

The $ 500 table saws from Jet, Delta, DeWalt, etc. may not be
cabinet-maker grade, but they're more than sufficient for people
who don't make fine furniture in production quantities.

Hedley wrote:
More then 500$ for a "decent" table saw? Really? We're talking about a
project here and there, no production-type work, where a little extra set-up
time for each cut isn't that big a deal. Right? I thought the extra 200$
or so for an "entry level" conractor saw at the 500$ mark was for an
upgraded fence system and bells/whistles to make the work easier/faster.

I'm also looking and have set 500$ for my budget. I need the saw to be
fairly easy in setting up, and fairly accurate. The saws in the 89$ (yes,
they make them that cheap) to 350& range seem a little too small, wobbly and
insubstantial. 500$ seems about right, and I can always upgrade the fence
if it becomes needed.

I'm not arguing, really. Your opinion is your own. I just want to make
sure I know what I'm missing out on in not spending the extra 200$ or
looking for a used saw for 500$.

Thanks for all the input.



"Phisherman" wrote in message
...

On Fri, 02 Sep 2005 15:05:10 GMT, "Cyrille de Brébisson"
wrote:


Hello,

I am a beginner woodworker, and I use for the moment a $100 RYOBY table
saw,
it has the following issues:
- the table is too small (12" on both side of the fence) for any serious
work
- the fence is small and not 90° (although it locks good)
- I can not get a 0 clearance insert for it
- miter is worthless
- it's noisy and vibrates a lot...

I was thinking of upgrading, and I have a budget of around $500, what are
your recommendations?

regards, cyrille


Save up your $--you'll need a bit more to get a decent table saw
unless you can find a used one.

Darn. Missed another one.


"Lee DeRaud" wrote in message
...
Don't recall OP stating his location, but if it's anywhere near
Chicago, this may help:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=23697

Lee

And yes, I'm in the far NW suburbs of Chicago.

Thanks for the tip.


"Lee DeRaud" wrote in message
...
Don't recall OP stating his location, but if it's anywhere near
Chicago, this may help:
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=23697

Lee