Thread: Table saws: TS-12R vs MBS-300

HI
Have just purchased a TRUPRO MBS300 very happy with it. Very solid ,good fence and and with the right blade precision cuts for box making can be made.
Keppar

Both very good saws, the price difference is quite a hurdle though.

I have the hafco version of the MBS300 with bigger sliding table, excellent all round saw.

Keppar/Bruce - have you the 3 hp or 5 hp version? Wondering if the 3 hp is adequate with larger cuts? Bruce did you have any problems fitting the sliding table (adjustments)? Does the MBS300 take a dado blade? That is not mentioned in the catalogue I have. I'm keen to get this saw bench right before I buy! Thanks for the help!

You can get an adapter for the MBS300 so as to be able to fit dado blades and the sliding table is able to cut full size sheets. It is an optional extra about $900 I have the 3 hp model and have not any problem ripping 90mm redgum

Originally Posted by RIMP

Keppar/Bruce - have you the 3 hp or 5 hp version? Wondering if the 3 hp is adequate with larger cuts? Bruce did you have any problems fitting the sliding table (adjustments)? Does the MBS300 take a dado blade? That is not mentioned in the catalogue I have. I'm keen to get this saw bench right before I buy! Thanks for the help!

Converted from 5 (415V) to 3 (240V) hp and have found the 3 hp more than adequate, if you use a good quality well sharpened sawblade.

The slider is easy to fit but is a bit of a pain to "blueprint" but once working true & smooth makes a mockery of most cutting tasks, even running "off" a few thou out of the crate was still better than any other method, I've previously used. To me having this saw without the sliding table would be like buying a diesel 2wd ute....................not quite right

(caveat on the above statement, the softest, least tough timber I regurlarly use is sydney bluegum, and yesterday it was ripping gray ironbark without any complaints.

I've had the Trupro MBS300, 3hp, with sliding table for just under 2 years now. Its been Fantastic, I cant believe how much it has simplified a lot of jobs that would have been a pain in the neck on my Triton.

I've cut 100mm thick Cooktown Ironwood on mine to make legs for an outdoor table, handled it with ease.

Cant comment on the Carbatec saw, sorry.

Thanks for the information folks - very useful. I am assuming the MBS 300 Trupro & Carbatec I am assuming are the same machine - out of Asia & with different paint. Anyone really know the answer?
Ron

When I was looking at them at the Brisbane Wood show 2 years ago, when I bought mine . The differences between the Trupro (which Gregory machinery were selling) and Carbatecs version were adifferent fence, slighty different dust guard (Trupro was standard with the Suva guard, carbatecs was an optional extra) and as you say, different colour paint.

It all came down to who gave the better deal on the day, and for me Gregory's came in slightly better, I am sorry I didnt end up with the CMT blades from Carbatec, the 3 I got from Gregory's were a mixed bag. The rip and the combination are OK, but the fine tooth one is terrible, the combination blade does a better job on thin sheets.

By the way, the combination blade sits on my machine 99.5% of the time, so in reality it wouldnt worry me if I only had one good combination blade. But buy the best one.