Table Saws - Input Needed

[illini40]

I have some better stuff for other purposes, but a basic bought-on-sale Craftsman for a table saw. It's the skill of the operator even more than the quality of the tool; know what you're doing and you can pull awesome results out of some basic tools, like a great guitarist can blow your mind with a Kay vs some pretender giving you a headache with a strat. In other words, get something basic and practice, practice, get a feel for different woods and working with their grains. When you get good enough, you'll know it's time to get something really good. You may never feel that way. I haven't.

Which Craftsman saw? I know a lot of people frown upon the Craftsman brand today, but I've always had decent luck.

 

[Mr. Habib]

Thanks for the information. This saw caught my eye - liked the price point of $299 and seems to carry the Dewalt brand well.

With only a 20" cut, is that a significant limitation? I'm new to this, so I'm having a tough time envisioning any limitations. Scrap side against the fence?

A 24" or greater will allow you to rip a full sheet of plywood in half. That's about the only real advantage.

 

[Mr Evilwrench]

Which Craftsman saw? I know a lot of people frown upon the Craftsman brand today, but I've always had decent luck.

No idea what the model number is. I'd have to gimp myself out to the garage (hosed my back yesterday) but it was just a low end promotional loss-leader one most likely discontinued. I have sawed a lot of wood with it, though, with quite good results after I'd got up to speed (and quit sawing the ends of my fingers).

 

[Harleyrider_50]

Thanks for the information. This saw caught my eye - liked the price point of $299 and seems to carry the Dewalt brand well.

With only a 20" cut, is that a significant limitation? I'm new to this, so I'm having a tough time envisioning any limitations. Scrap side against the fence?

Spend lil'more, an' git the big'r 1.....DeWalt's got a big'r saw, not much big' rn 'at 1.....OR......like I tol' ya earlier....

This's helluva good saw as well.....

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I have an early 90's Craftsman with cast iron table and a really nice aftermarket rip fence.

I'm sure there are better quality machines out there, but when it's properly tuned, it can more than meet my needs. I've made some nice furniture with it.

It's a little bit like buying a gun. Oftentimes a beginner is better off getting something basic first, then you can decide to upgrade when you have more experience and know what you want.

 

[hotcorner5]

Technically, you can do everything you need with a circular saw and a guide clamp. Depending on how much of something you have to make, depends on what you need. If you are going to build cabinets for a kitchen, a table saw may be worth the investment. If you are going to make a coffee table, you can get away with a circular saw as long as you take your time on all your cuts. Sometimes it helps to have a additional hand to stabilize the fall peice from the cut. If you are ripping a board, you can make wooden saw horses that you would be able to make a cut through for longway cuts.

 

[Anonymous]

Technically, you can do everything you need with a circular saw and a guide clamp. Depending on how much of something you have to make, depends on what you need. If you are going to build cabinets for a kitchen, a table saw may be worth the investment. If you are going to make a coffee table, you can get away with a circular saw as long as you take your time on all your cuts. Sometimes it helps to have a additional hand to stabilize the fall peice from the cut. If you are ripping a board, you can make wooden saw horses that you would be able to make a cut through for longway cuts.

If you don't mind working on the floor, a cheap and dirty way is to lay down a 4'x8' piece of foam board. It will support the entire piece, including the fall piece, and protect the blade.

 

[hotcorner5]

If you don't mind working on the floor, a cheap and dirty way is to lay down a 4'x8' piece of foam board. It will support the entire piece, including the fall piece, and protect the blade.

Genius. I never thought of doing this. Only downside would be storing a big piece of foam board.

 

[3steps]

I Love my Ryobi BT3000. It has a unique sliding miter table that I think is awesome. People love it or hate it.
They do not sell them under the Ryobi name any more. The same design is now sold under the Craftsman name.
I suggest looking for a used BT3000.

Ryobi BT3000 Sliding Miter Table Demonstration - YouTube

 

[Anonymous]

Genius. I never thought of doing this. Only downside would be storing a big piece of foam board.

I agree that storing it can be a pain. I guess if it was easier to store as two 2'x8' pieces, that would be an option.

 

[sig-guy]

Thanks for the information. This saw caught my eye - liked the price point of $299 and seems to carry the Dewalt brand well.

With only a 20" cut, is that a significant limitation? I'm new to this, so I'm having a tough time envisioning any limitations. Scrap side against the fence?

It's not a real big issue, but having the extra capacity is nice.

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

Technically, you can do everything you need with a circular saw and a guide clamp. Depending on how much of something you have to make, depends on what you need. If you are going to build cabinets for a kitchen, a table saw may be worth the investment. If you are going to make a coffee table, you can get away with a circular saw as long as you take your time on all your cuts. Sometimes it helps to have a additional hand to stabilize the fall peice from the cut. If you are ripping a board, you can make wooden saw horses that you would be able to make a cut through for longway cuts.

I'd like to meet the man who could rip several hardwood boards with a circular saw and have edges straight enough that the joints are barely visible.

 

[JettaKnight]

...At's whut this'n is.....1-1/2 H...CAN be run on 220, switch'n the leads...seldom use it anymore......I've got'a Bosch, jobsite saw.....aayyyy easier ta transport, an' it'll rip 25"......take stack'd dado heads, etc......

Ahh...I got nothing this time.

Technically, you can do everything you need with a circular saw and a guide clamp. Depending on how much of something you have to make, depends on what you need. If you are going to build cabinets for a kitchen, a table saw may be worth the investment. If you are going to make a coffee table, you can get away with a circular saw as long as you take your time on all your cuts. Sometimes it helps to have a additional hand to stabilize the fall piece from the cut. If you are ripping a board, you can make wooden saw horses that you would be able to make a cut through for longway cuts.

Even with a guide it's really hard to get a straight cut. You'd about have to throw it through a joiner after that. And if the material is thin, like ripping a 2x4, then there's no good way to do this without constructing a jig.

If you don't mind working on the floor, a cheap and dirty way is to lay down a 4'x8' piece of foam board. It will support the entire piece, including the fall piece, and protect the blade.

Brilliant!


Does Menards or someone else rent table saws? I don't do enough to justify buying my own, but there's some situations where you can't do without one.

 

[Anonymous]

I'd like to meet the man who could rip several hardwood boards with a circular saw and have edges straight enough that the joints are barely visible.

I can not speak for the DeWalt version, but I would put the Festool plunge saw edge up against my cabinet saw edge, as long as the board being ripped is wide enough to support the track.

 

[Harleyrider_50]

I can not speak for the DeWalt version, but I would put the Festool plunge saw edge up against my cabinet saw edge, as long as the board being ripped is wide enough to support the track.

......You 'Festool' dudes kill me........LMAO.......

I been use'n a 'Festool'.......fer damn near 40 yrs...........an' it did'n cost no 1000 bux, neither.....scrap 1/4" ply...3 bux worth, me'be?...

 

[Anonymous]

......You 'Festool' dudes kill me........LMAO.......

I been use'n a 'Festool'.......fer damn near 40 yrs...........an' it did'n cost no 1000 bux, neither.....scrap 1/4" ply...3 bux worth, me'be?...

Not a Festool guy. Happened to pick one up for a really good price otherwise I wouldn't have it because I have the room for a cabinet saw. Point is...it does a nice job and the footprint is smaller than the table saw

 

[illini40]

Circling back and bringing this thread back to life.

I have been researching, and I've narrowed it down to two saws:

1) Ridgid 4513 - RIDGID, 15-Amp 10 in. Heavy-Duty Portable Table Saw with Stand, R4513 at The Home Depot - Tablet
2) DeWalt 7480 - http://t.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-10-...ro-Modular-Guarding-System-DWE7480/204511988/

Can anyone give me specific feedback to these two saws? Any comparison?

As a recap, I am a novice looking to expand woodworking as a hobby. I like the portable aspect so they don't take up much space. I will like build a mobile cart / table for them in the shop, so not really concerned about overall weight. A good fence is important to me. Both are in the same price range, so that is not a factor.

Again, I am a newbie and just looking for hobby and DIY purposes.

 

[CHCRandy]

These are the coolest, safest and costliest I have seen........Saw Stop - This guy puts a finger into an active table saw blade & comes away without a scratch! - YouTube

Seems expensive......but when you figure what it costs to have a finger put on.

 

[Harleyrider_50]

Circling back and bringing this thread back to life.

I have been researching, and I've narrowed it down to two saws:

1) Ridgid 4513 - RIDGID, 15-Amp 10 in. Heavy-Duty Portable Table Saw with Stand, R4513 at The Home Depot - Tablet
2) DeWalt 7480 - http://t.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-10-...ro-Modular-Guarding-System-DWE7480/204511988/

Can anyone give me specific feedback to these two saws? Any comparison?

As a recap, I am a novice looking to expand woodworking as a hobby. I like the portable aspect so they don't take up much space. I will like build a mobile cart / table for them in the shop, so not really concerned about overall weight. A good fence is important to me. Both are in the same price range, so that is not a factor.

Again, I am a newbie and just looking for hobby and DIY purposes.

Rigid's a decent saw fer the $$.....but it ain't a tilt'n arbor saw....an'never will be......DeWalt's a decent saw ta boot, but ain't neither 1 of'em the saw I show'd ya up earlier.....an' I use'em everday......

 

[jim b]

For getting started and basic woodworking, either one of those would work great for you. They are both good tools so don't be worried about one being "better" than the other, just look them over well and see which one you personally prefer (controls in the right position, smoothness of fence, etc) and fits how YOU will be using the saw. All of these things are personal opinion and can't be quantified (glock vs m&p).


I do a lot of carpentry and woodworking (you can see some of my used equipment in the classifieds) and am currently using a Porter Cable portable TS for daily job site work. I think I picked it up for less than $300 at lowes. I have used the Bosch, Rigid, Dewalt, etc and they are all very good saws but to me the PC was the best value and the smaller portable size works best for how I use it. When I need to rip large sheet good on site I also carry a set of aluminum 50" and 30" straight edge clamp guides for my circular saw. If $ was no object I would be using a 10" Makita in a Rousseau portable stand. I think that dewalt you mentioned drops into the Roussseau stand and would be a great set up.


If I were you I would look on CL for a decent used saw for one of the main brands mentioned above. This will let you figure out what you like and what features you need so you can possibly upgrade later.


Which ever very way you go, the most important thing is going to be a good quality blade. A couple of high quality blades will transform a decent saw into a very good saw. I currently run Freud Diablo blades but there are plenty of other good ones out there. Make sure you get one for ripping and another.