Thread: Anyone have an opinion on these?

Derek, I really appreciate the time you took to write all of that down for me.

What would be the cutting thickness with a 10" blade on a table saw? I don't really cut anything thick at present but I imagine it would handy just incase.

I could live without the dado if I had to.

I do work with the odd piece of MDF - or chipboard, but I work with more wood and have plans to build with a lot more wood in the future.

Do you think there would be much power loss if I ended up with a 1.5hp?

So I'd more than likely be up for more cash to buy another fence?


I haven't moved up to working with hardwood as yet but I guess it would be a natural progression, so I'd like to be set up for it with the right tools.

So with all that said does a unit for that money mark seem to fit the above?

Thanks for your help.

Damn bloody hard slog this thread.....

I actually disagree strongly with derek. The dado is an awesome thing to have and I find it far easier and more accurate than a router to cut dado and rabets.

Since most get by fine with a 10" blade I think a 10" would be more than sufficient for your needs.

Is there anyway you can scrape together an extra 500? I do think that 1500 seems to be the magic number for starting to get into serious table saw area and will not disappoint in future as you get more adventurous.

Yo garfield,
I agree to some extent with what Derek has said, if you are mainly into solid timber then a good, solid, heavy table is the way to go, as to the Dado capabilities, they can be difficult on a table saw as you need to make an accurate sliding jig to use on cross cuts. personally I just use a trenching blade and do multiple cuts or use the router in a jig.
If you log onto machines4u, go to woodworking and then rip and table saws, about half way down there is an add for a Superfine masport table saw, under the add for the melbourne wood show. That is the solid type of saw we are talking about. Price is OK too.
Also important is blade tilt capability, some dont have this.
If you are going to move up and use hardwood then get as high a Hp motor as you can, believe me, 1.5 Hp will give you a dust bag of grief, Not enough torque, especially if you try a dado or 40-50mm timber.
It comes down to a heavy ( here weight = stability while cutting), solid saw table, accurate fence with tilt capability.
And, NO I don't have any association with the above mentioned Company, just found it a good source for 'toys'
dont rush mate, take your time and choose wisely, it will last a lifetime
Wallnut

Originally Posted by Wallnut

Yo garfield,
I agree to some extent with what Derek has said, if you are mainly into solid timber then a good, solid, heavy table is the way to go, as to the Dado capabilities, they can be difficult on a table saw as you need to make an accurate sliding jig to use on cross cuts. personally I just use a trenching blade and do multiple cuts or use the router in a jig.
If you log onto machines4u, go to woodworking and then rip and table saws, about half way down there is an add for a Superfine masport table saw, under the add for the melbourne wood show. That is the solid type of saw we are talking about. Price is OK too.
Also important is blade tilt capability, some dont have this.
If you are going to move up and use hardwood then get as high a Hp motor as you can, believe me, 1.5 Hp will give you a dust bag of grief, Not enough torque, especially if you try a dado or 40-50mm timber.
It comes down to a heavy ( here weight = stability while cutting), solid saw table, accurate fence with tilt capability.
And, NO I don't have any association with the above mentioned Company, just found it a good source for 'toys'
dont rush mate, take your time and choose wisely, it will last a lifetime
Wallnut

A cross cut sled works well for dados. I cut a heap in melamine with one and they were all tight fits with use of dado set shims to get same thickness as the melamine

True pellcorp,
I also use an old Sawmaster radial arm saw, just raise it the required above the table.
Mostly use the slider though, the LOML spoiled me with a Hammer slider last year.
I think if garfield looks around at sites like Grey's auction on line, Machines and liquidator sites etc, he will find a really good saw at the right price, just has to be patient.
I picked up most of mine like that, all ex cabinet makers work shop tools, good quality stuff. savings more than covered the nominal cost for 3phase power in the shed.

Wallnut

Thanks for the advice guys

Just wondering what sort of width most of you are ripping with your table saw?

Can someone also please tell me what a contractors saw is? I have noticed that H&F plus Carbatec have them to me they just look like the other saws to me.

Contractor saws do not have enclosed cabinets like cabinet or hybrid saws. The motor is mounted onto the back of the saw and dust collection is often non existent. The HP of the motor will usually be far less than a hybrid or cabinet saw.

Contractor saws are lighter and more mobile than cabinet / hybrid saws.

Try and download the new Yankee workshop table saw 101 episode part 1.

Norm provides very simple explanation of contractor vs hybrid vs cabinet saw

I've had a 3HP Timbecon 12" contractor saw for nearly 6 years and have worked it fairly hard and given I paid about $850 for it I'd say it was OK as a entry level machine but it's lack of precision means will look to upgrading in due course. Like a lot of budget level machines the bits and pieces have suffered. The internal plastic blade guard was the first thing to go, then the belt guard and I got so frustrated with the top blade guard that I took it off completely. It could also use more than 1 belt to drive the blade.

Originally Posted by pellcorp

Contractor saws do not have enclosed cabinets like cabinet or hybrid saws.

Some contractor saws have a semi enclosed top half which can be sealed off underneath to capture sawdust from that point. However, because the motor hangs off out the back and it has to turn with the blade to make angled cuts, this area is very hard to seal up well. Sealing off the base of a contractor saw also has other problems. The internal mechanical workings of contractor saws are also not designed to work for lengthy periods in a high sawdust environment and they need more maintenance if this is done.

The motor is mounted onto the back of the saw and dust collection is often non existent. The HP of the motor will usually be far less than a hybrid or cabinet saw.

I don't know if "usually" is the appropriate term. While the current carbatec 10" contractor saw has a 1.5HP motor, the timbecon is 3 HP ,and all the H&F non-pressed metal top contractor type saws are 3HP, and this is also typical for most budget type cabinet saw. Higher HP than this is usually done on pro level saws and requires 3 phase.

Contractor saws are lighter and more mobile than cabinet / hybrid saws.

Typically contractor saws are half the weight of cabinet saws but for the cast iron top models at 90 - 100 kg they are far from what I would call transportable. Once either type of saw has a good set of wheels on it I'd say they are both equally mobile on a flat concrete floor

Originally Posted by BobL

I've had a 3HP Timbecon 12" contractor saw for nearly 6 years and have worked it fairly hard and given I paid about $850 for it I'd say it was OK as a entry level machine but it's lack of precision means will look to upgrading in due course. Like a lot of budget level machines the bits and pieces have suffered. The internal plastic blade guard was the first thing to go, then the belt guard and I got so frustrated with the top blade guard that I took it off completely. It could also use more than 1 belt to drive the blade.

Some contractor saws have a semi enclosed top half which can be sealed off underneath to capture sawdust from that point. However, because the motor hangs off out the back and it has to turn with the blade to make angled cuts, this area is very hard to seal up well. Sealing off the base of a contractor saw also has other problems. The internal mechanical workings of contractor saws are also not designed to work for lengthy periods in a high sawdust environment and they need more maintenance if this is done.

I don't know if "usually" is the appropriate term. While the current carbatec 10" contractor saw has a 1.5HP motor, the timbecon is 3 HP ,and all the H&F non-pressed metal top contractor type saws are 3HP, and this is also typical for most budget type cabinet saw. Higher HP than this is usually done on pro level saws and requires 3 phase.

Typically contractor saws are half the weight of cabinet saws but for the cast iron top models at 90 - 100 kg they are far from what I would call transportable. Once either type of saw has a good set of wheels on it I'd say they are both equally mobile on a flat concrete floor

Well you learn something new every day ) thanks for the clarifications.

Hi again all,
I have an idea of exactly what I want in my table saw now - so I'm going to list what I want and hopefully someone can tell me where I can buy the unit

I want a 2hp induction motor, ability to rip 600mm+ wide, cutting depth of say 80mm at 90 degree, 50-60mm cutting at 45 degree, good dust extraction, good quality built machine that will last. I'm not fussed on dado capability and can plug into my socket at home in the shed. I don't think I'll ever add a router wing, don't think I'll ever cut any deeper than what I require up top.

Price range of I guess $600 - $1000 - so any ideas of what machine fits the bill and exactly where I can buy it? I was looking at this Carba-Tec 10" Cabinet Saw with Sliding Table : CARBA-TEC but got to the end and discovered that it was 15A I do like what read of the specs though.

Cheers.

It's been a couple of years since I purchased my table saw (Carbatec HB10), but I do remember that there wasn't anything that met my requirments with a 10amp plug. I was upgrading from a Triton setup, like you. Once you get a new table saw, you'll wonder why you waited so long.

I ended up getting a 15amp plug put into the switchboard, and got my sparkie to make me a decent 15amp extension lead. The cost of running a 15 amp cable to the shed was waaay too expensive.

I doubt you'll get everything you've specified with a 10 amp motor, but I could be wrong.

Good luck with the search.

ajw

Originally Posted by garfield

Hi again all,
I have an idea of exactly what I want in my table saw now - so I'm going to list what I want and hopefully someone can tell me where I can buy the unit

I want a 2hp induction motor, ability to rip 600mm+ wide, cutting depth of say 80mm at 90 degree, 50-60mm cutting at 45 degree, good dust extraction, good quality built machine that will last. I'm not fussed on dado capability and can plug into my socket at home in the shed. I don't think I'll ever add a router wing, don't think I'll ever cut any deeper than what I require up top.

Price range of I guess $600 - $1000 - so any ideas of what machine fits the bill and exactly where I can buy it? I was looking at this Carba-Tec 10" Cabinet Saw with Sliding Table : CARBA-TEC but got to the end and discovered that it was 15A I do like what read of the specs though.

Cheers.

Sounds like you're after much the same specs as me and I'm looking at getting a JET JTS-600 once I convince myself that my homemade job is not good enough anymore
Can't see the point of a sliding table that doesn't go right up to the blade like the Carbatec one you mentioned and the JTS-600 is closer to your pricing I had a look at the JTS-600 while I was buying my new bandsaw and would have got it on the spot if there had been room in the ute after the bandsaw went in - now I'll have to pay freight to get it - one day