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  1. #1
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    Default Generic Tablesaw MJ2325G

    Hi all,

    I'm in the process of upgrading my Tablesaw from the cheapest, nastiest and most dangerous model that Bunnings sells, to something a little more substantial.
    Budget is under 1k though...

    One that seems to pop up around the $800-$900 mark has the model number MJ2325G
    It seems to have different brand names around the place though, generally the statistics listed are all the same.
    Just wondering if anybody has any experience or know of a review regarding one of these?

    http://moonahmachinery.com.au/default.php?cid=41&pre=wood_

    http://www.getwoodworking.com.au/sto...cfm?id=MJ2325G

    (Been lurking in the forums for a while, finally joined; first post and already asking for help...You'll rescind my membership within a month!)

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  3. #2
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    Feb 2006
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    Perth
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    These table saws have been around for many years and are called contractor saws

    I've had mine (a 12"/3HP model) for 8 years and like most things you basically get what you pay for.

    I spent half a day unpacking and setting mine up I was pleased to find that the table was nice and flat, flatter than the display models in two stores where I looked at them.
    However, I was a bit that it had some mm sized casting flaws inside the LHS T-Track.
    I emailed some photos of the flaws to the store and they said as the table strength and operation was not compromised if I brought the table top back they would fill the holes with metal filled bog which I was not happy about as it had taken me half a day to put the thing together and the last thing I wanted to do was to have to dismantle and assemble it again.
    After a bit of a to and fro with the store they gave me a tube of metal bog and a voucher for $50 which I was satisfied with.
    BTW the metal bog is still there 8 years later and has shown no signs of coming loose.

    When set up right it cuts accurate and square.

    The T-Slider is -0.5º out and as you can see below I added an extension to it and that works well.
    I have thought many times about making a table top sled sled for it but the T-slider works so well in most cases I have not bothered.

    The slotted tables extensions/wings are bit of a nuisance sometimes when wood gets caught in the holes

    The exposed internal acme threads that drive the blade up and down and tilt the blade eventually get covered with saw dust and stiffen and if left unattended will jam.
    Good dust extraction has helped with this but otherwise an annual cleaning and lubing with graphite is recommend.

    Given the price, the supplied fence is OK although 8 years on it is now getting sloppy.
    Some of this problem has been due to the following modification.
    I removed the RHS table wing and replaced it with a router wing and added further extension
    I then modified the fence to suit a router on the RHS -This has worked really well - details here https://www.woodworkforums.com/showth...210#post303210
    There's no doubt that the heavy router fence attached to the TS fence has contributed to the now sloppiness of the fence

    The black plastic shroud around the blade inside the cabinet constantly filled up with slivers and large chips that could not be removed by dust extraction so I removed that shroud completely.
    I then added an aluminium hopper with a 6" duct underneath the cabinet so it has 6" dust extraction on the base, and 4" dust extraction on the top (see below)
    The dust extractor is a 3HP unit mounted outside the shed and it works really well.

    I very rarely use the blade tilt so I blocked up the back completely with a sheet of aluminium except for a hole than enables the belt to pas through from the motor.
    Because I rarely tilt the blade I use a zero tolerance throat plate almost all the time.

    The blade guard and dust extraction was rubbish so I removed it completely and replaced it with a modified Dust picker arm and hood.
    Full details are in this post https://www.woodworkforums.com/f200/bristle-guard-edges-dust-collector-hoods-guards-165892
    Although I do not use a riving knife I recommend others do so.

    Bristle Guard edges for dust collector hoods and guards-img_3535-jpg

    The plastic belt guard lasted about 5 years before falling off so I just removed it - as you can see in the above photo I have workbench behind the table saw which can act as an out feed table, so the absence of a belt guard is not as important as the bench prevents people being able to get to it.

    I cut a lot of aluminium and ripped some very hard wood with this saw so it has worked very hard.
    One of the caps was replaced a couple or years back - that's about normal for this sort of motor.
    Recently it has developed a bit of a rumble which suggests a bearing might be starting to wear - I will have to watch that.

    So in summary - even though it has problems and been modified substantially this saw has done a lot of good work.
    Would I buy it again? Probably not now, but give the financial constraints I was in when I bought it I still think it has been value for money.

    Oh yeah - and welcome to the forums!

  4. #3
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    wow, thanks Bob. That was about ten paragraphs more info than I thought I would get!
    I must say you've made a good argument for buying it, 8 years of hard work yet still trusted to do its thing sounds acceptable for the price.
    I'll head down to the store and check it out in person now.
    With my budget it's effectively this model, a triton setup or second hand. I don't really know enough about what makes a 'good' 2nd hand one so I think I'll prefer to buy new.

    Thanks again, much appreciated!

  5. #4
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    I have a very optioned up Triton saw system, if, and only if, you could get a second hand Triton full system for a very good price, would I consider it worth getting over almost any table saw, including contractors saws as that you linked to.

    Don't get me wrong, I love my Triton, it can do wonderful things, handle lots of stuff I didn't know it could handle, but realistically, they are now quite overpriced compared to what else is available.

    The main things I would really be looking for are a flat table top, as mentioned by Bob, plus the ability to suck dust out via a dust collecting system.

    I have used a Carba-Tech version of that contractors saw, very good indeed and capable of ripping through maximum depth cut timber, which is to be honest the Achilles heel of the Triton.

    Once you add a saw height winder kit, (what lowers and raises the blade) to a Triton, your maximum cut at 90º is limited to about 42mm to 45mm, providing you have flat material.

    With a Triton you cannot tilt the blade, instead you use an angle cutting jig, which is alright, but very fiddly to use compared to just swinging the blade over. I know this as I now do my angle cuts at my local men's shed on their table saw, no comparison at all.

    Within reason I couldn't see how a table saw can be that bad second hand, most, if owned by an enthusiast, have been treated with kid gloves, I wouldn't purchase one from a tradie though, bound to have been flogged by every dog and his body, not to mention may have fallen off the back of the ute once or twice.

    A new belt(s) a clean and check of electrical connections, and you're away.

    Mick.

  6. #5
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    Not really wishing to throw a spanner into the works but……...

    Have you considered the table saw version MJ2325B as opposed to the contractors MJ2325B.

    As others have said the dust extraction on most of the saws needs to improve to be classed as lousy, it may still be something which may need some consideration. I have include a link which may have some info you could use.

    https://www.woodworkforums.com/f200/table-dust-extraction-improvement-115255

  7. #6
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    Without wishing to rain on Bobs very elegant looking dust extraction setup, unfortunately that is still not going to be very effective for fine dust collection.

    3 x 4" ducts outlets from the saw and directing these into 1 x 4" duct will limit the total flow from the saw to a max of ~400 cfm.
    That roughly translates to only 133 cfm in each of the three ducts, however I note that the blade guard appears to be throttled down to less than 100mm so it is likely that there will be less flow in that duct and a bit more in the other 2.
    It would be a little better if the 3 x 4" ducts were to feed into a 6" main.

    Another solution is just one 6" duct under the saw and at least a 4" on the guard and these should go to a 6" main - and of course a DC that can generate the flow.

    The 4" outlets on cabinet saws means that most need surgery to open up their usually 4" outlets.
    With a contractors saw there are no outlets that need enlarging and making a conical hopper to sandwich between the legs and the half cabinet is relatively straight forward.
    The outlet of the hopper can be 6" female junction and then 6" ducting can take off from there.

    Something like this.
    Generic Tablesaw MJ2325G-tsdc-jpg

    Perhaps this could even be adopted on a MJ2325B since it is effectively the same upper half as a contractor saw but with an enclosed lower cabinet instead of legs..
    Attached Images Attached Images

  8. #7
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    I did check into the Triton system, my BIL is a builder and has one himself, minus the angle cutting attachment.
    It's ok, but to be honest I even prefer my cheapo ($112 yep, cheapo) Ozito portable to the Triton, though his has been through the wars I guess.
    Being able to raise / lower and change the cut angle is basically what I'm after, I'd prefer to be able to do it out of the box without having to buy extra attachments over time.

    I've been checking out 2nd hand models on ebay and around the place, unfortunately there have been no auctions within a hundred k's of me lately that I've been interested in. Couple of nice Carba-tec models up in Sydney for sale but I can't really justify an 18 hour round trip if it only saves me a couple hundred. I'll keep looking but I think something new with warranty is the safer way for me to go right now.

    And bugger, I can see I need to learn a lot more about dust extraction too...so far I've been thinking if I remember to attach the shop-vac, I'm doing alright...

    The plan is to find a store that'll let me come and play with the saws before I buy so I can get a better idea of what I'm paying for. Hopefully I can find somewhere to buy from over the next fortnight as I have a little time off coming up.
    Thanks for all the info guys, really much appreciated.

  9. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheWoodfather View Post
    The plan is to find a store that'll let me come and play with the saws before I buy so I can get a better idea of what I'm paying for. Hopefully I can find somewhere to buy from over the next fortnight as I have a little time off coming up.
    Thanks for all the info guys, really much appreciated.
    Good luck with finding a store that will let you "play with equipment". Although I believe a few will I have never been able to do that. I guess there are OHS issues with this especially if you want to cut something. Carbatech would not even start up a demo dust extractor for me so I could here how much noise it made claiming they would not start it inside the store and said didn't have time to wheel it around to the back. You might be better off finding a member near you who has the saw you are interested in ang asks them if you can visit them for a demo.

    BTW don't forget to check if the saw comes with a blade - some do and some don't and sometimes the blades supplied are cheap and nasty. Either way you should budget for extra blades. It depends what you want to do but a general purpose blade, a dedicated ripping blade, and a high tooth count blade are a basic set worth considering and you might get a deal if you but these at the same time as the saw.

    Shop vacs and table saws are a very poor match. To control dust you need high air flow above and below the saw table which unfortunately means nothing less that a fair size DC.

  10. #9
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    Ok, after a bit more searching and a little bump up of the finances, I've found this saw that seems good on paper.
    I've read all the reviews I can find on it, it seems to tick the accuracy, long life and feature boxes that I'm after.

    HAFCO WoodMaster SB-12 SawBench

    Does anyone have any experiences with Hare & Forbes or that model that I should be aware of?

  11. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by TheWoodfather View Post
    Ok, after a bit more searching and a little bump up of the finances, I've found this saw that seems good on paper.
    I've read all the reviews I can find on it, it seems to tick the accuracy, long life and feature boxes that I'm after.

    HAFCO WoodMaster SB-12 SawBench
    Does anyone have any experiences with Hare & Forbes or that model that I should be aware of?
    That's identical to the saw I have.
    These saws are rebadged and sold under many brand names.

  12. #11
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    great news, I think I'll be happy with it then. Thanks for all the help guys, much appreciated!

  13. #12
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    That looks like a pretty good value for the dollar, compared to other stuff that's around, but, and there is often a but! There is one accessory I've used on a table saw at my men's shed, that is brilliant in combination with a flat metal topped saw table.

    http://www.carbatec.com.au/magswitch...acturers_id/58

    With the extension wings on that tradies saw being pretty much missing, you may in time wish for solid wings which will allow you to use these type of products for their accuracy in cutting, and safety aspects. Essentially, they require a flat topped metal surface to allow their extremely strong magnets to lock the unit into position.

    At our men's shed I think it would be fair to say maybe one person had used one of these magnetically locked featherboards prior to the shed acquiring one. Pretty much, nothing is cut without it being used, which really tells one how useful and accurate the members deem it to be.

    Bob, as he has a saw identical to that, may have an answer for a featherboard, maybe something he has fabricated, but once you have used a featherboard, either commercially or self manufactured, you really won't cut material without one again. The fact that they literally take seconds to position, makes them very user friendly.

    Sorry to give you something else to think about, but it really is a great tool for extremely accurate cutting of material and I deem it to be a bit of a game changer for any person who uses one; you just don't want to cut anything without it.

    Mick.

  14. #13
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    As Optimark has stated the Magswitch stuff is great.

    Years ago when they first started there wasn't the variety of jigs available as there are now. I made some modifications which worked really well for me and I submitted them to the Magswitch group. They acknowledged the mods and in turn came up with what you see today. However, should you still be able to pick up the old black type cheaply or if someone you know has the old bits - you can easily modify them yourselves if you wish - for this purpose I have included the link below.

    https://www.woodworkforums.com/f44/magswitch-modification-51556

  15. #14
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    I brought one of these from Get Woodworking and have been very pleased with it. The table top is flat, fence and rails are solid and made from steel, and it runs very quietly with virtually no vibration. It came with a 12" blade even if only a cheapo. There is a plastic funnel in the bottom to hook up dust extraction (only 4"). Solid extension wings so nothing gets caught. It will accept a dado blade if you want to use one down the track. They are 2hp so will run off a normal 10amp outlet.
    It appears they have gone up a bit in price since I got mine, but I believe they are a good saw for the money.
    Not sure how much it would cost to get this one shipped over.
    Last edited by Treecycle; 28th February 2014 at 10:59 PM. Reason: More detail
    Dallas

  16. #15
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    Quote Originally Posted by Optimark View Post
    TSorry to give you something else to think about, but it really is a great tool for extremely accurate cutting of material and I deem it to be a bit of a game changer for any person who uses one; you just don't want to cut anything without it. Mick.
    Gotta agree with the above. I made do with a home made one for years, first on my Triton and then on my Toolex TS. My wife bought me one this Christmas and it's a beauty.

    TT
    Learning to make big bits of wood smaller......

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