Thread: Sliding table saw recommendations

There isn't much choice in Oz, either Hammer/Felder or Minimax all are equal in quality IMO. Have you seen the Minimax for sale in the forum market place? There are Asian variations on the theme, fellow forumite Kuffy has one from memory?? I hope I have got that right. I have zero experience with them and service back up would be my biggest concern with any purchase. One important aspect of these saws is they cannot be operated without dust extraction hooked up and working due their design.

Thanks Chris for your quick response. I did look at the one on the marketplace. Not really after a combo machine. You are right, there are not many choices in Australia.

I think (?) that a sliding table and a dado capability are mutually exclusive features...

Robland or Woodman?
Panel Saws Archives - Page 2 of 2 - Machinery Maintenance Victoria

Haven't used them myself, so I can't comment on their performance.

Originally Posted by Stevo

Hi

I was hoping to get some input and recommendation for a quality sliding table saw. I am a serious hobbiest and looking to cut 2400 x 1200 sheets as well as solid timber.

I dont have have a massive workshop so looking for the smallest footprint machine capable of cutting a 2400 sheet.

The saw will also need to have dado capability.

Any recommendations or general input.

Looking to spend around $7k to $10k.

thanks

Hi Stevo

I recently purchased a Hammer K3 Winner with a 1250 long sider. I am not interested in sheet goods, so my slider would be a little small for you. The next size up is 2500, I believe. That would do the job with ease.

And they do come with dado heads (mine has one).

Contact Felder for prices and info.

Regards from Perth

Derek

As Chris pointed out, I do have a "prima 2500" panelsaw from Ledacraft. It fits a 8'x4' sheet, but only just. The slider is 2500mm long. It is much better to have a slider which is 2700-2750, because it makes it easier to be able to lock yourself to the slider. But 2500 works, you just need to be bad 'OR' hold the slider handle with one hand and the sheet with the other hand. The machine working footprint is roughly 5.8 meters x 3.6 meters which is about as small as it gets for a panelsaw capable of a 2400 rip cut. I only have about 150mm clearance between my two garage walls, so I just have to think thin when ripping full sheets It doesn't have the arbor capacity for a dado stack, not that I care because I have probably wished for such capacity once, maybe twice and instead just spent an extra 2 minutes on the task using a 4mm kerf

I find the hardest thing to do with a slider is load a 1200 x 2400 sheet on to the table , once it is there things are easy. The simple fact is because I am a small bloke who is not so young any longer I simply can't do it unless it is a thin sheet so keep this in mind. My saw is a short slider like Derek's so I get someone to help me load the sheet onto the saw and cross cut it to the length I want. Try moving a 17mm sheet of plywood or MDF around to see how light it is. I sometimes think an overhead gantry with vacuum grippers would be very nice to have.

cutting down 1200 x 2400 sheet?

you need a full size slider and they probably wont be in your budget if new, the longer the slide the better,

I made these partible board boxes for furniture transport. 4cubic metres worth of goods there. waiting to be taken away by a flat decker.

I swear to myself I will not make these boxes ever again, one of the box measures 1.6m x 1.6m x 0.5m. longest is 2.2m x 0.6m x 0.6m

I have a Robland.

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Hi Stevo

One other point about "footprint". Don't be misled about the footprint of the K3 Hammer. It looks very small when stationary and closed up (I love that there is space now to walk around the K3, where my previous contractor-type table saw stretched out to twice the width and reduced the width of my half double garage considerably) ....



However, that slider moves an equal distance to the front and rear of the saw. The space required for travel means that operational size is different from parking size. My slider is 1250 - Can you imagine what one 2500 will look like and the space it requires?!

In a small space, consider using a circular saw on a track to cut up sheets, and then do the final shaping on a table saw.

Regards from Perth

Derek

FWIW My slider does 1400, however I always break down my sheetgoods on the 2400 edge with my home made track saw. So far so good.

Derek,

Interested in your thoughts on the K3. Positives, negatives?

Cheers!

After much deliberation I decided to bite the bullet and ended up buying a new Felder K540s with 2800mm slider.

i wanted as much functionality as my old table saw, but with the ability to saw panel sheets.

The unit came with dado capability which was one of my requirements if I moved to a panel saw. I did not all the programmable stuff. So all the adjustments are manual - which I like.

After a few weeks with the unit and getting used to standing on the side of the table, I could not be happier with the purchase.

A solid machine, built in Austria, all mechanisms move smoothly and the slider is fantastic. I will post some photos in the comming weeks.

Originally Posted by Mtoo

Derek,

Interested in your thoughts on the K3. Positives, negatives?

Cheers!

The K3 is a wonderful saw. It is different from the traditional table saw, even one with an attached sliding table. They are different concepts, and this needs to get used to: A slider can rip as well as crosscut ... and the rip part here is not a reference to the rip fence, but the use of a Fritz and Frans (or is that Frans and Fritz?) jig on the slider. It is a mind blowing change of perspective on how a table saw can be used.

My F&F jig ...



I have the K3 Winner with the upgraded rip fence and a 1250 slider. This is the second shortest slider (the shortest is 850mm), however I do not do panels and only work with solid wood. If working MDF or ply panels, then consider a longer slider.

The short sliders come with a cross cut fence, while the longer sliders have an outrigger. Cross cutting boards is a breeze with either. However, shorter sliders without the outrigger use a stop to set the crosscut fence, and the original stop has a fault (which causes it to be unreliable in maintaining position). Anyone purchasing a new saw should request the upgrade at the start ...

old s



new s



The new one is perfect.

There is also a need to purchase a blank insert for zero clearance insert. I did this ..



The rip fence is extremely versatile. It is capable of long- and short mode, and high- and low configurations. I added a Wixey digital readout to mine ..



Lastly, I added a router table to the outfeed - you will need the shorter outfeed for this ..

It fits in here:





Dust control is excellent via the lower port. It is only 5" but it is directed from the blade and literally shoots the dust into the hose. Via the blade guard the dust is less happy (I have a 2" hose there, but the limiting factor is the DC, which is only 2 hp). I have a plan to improve the dust in this area. More once I have experimented.



I did contemplate a Sawstop at the time, but am very happy I went in this direction.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Hi Derek

The way that router table fits in is really neat, especially from a footprint perspective. Thanks for the great pictures.
Cheers!