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8th September 2017, 12:47 AM #31
I can't agree that Bunning's Ryobi table saw is middle tier compared to the DeWalt 745.
Canadian and Australian dollars are about on par.
Here you can typically get the DW745 for less than $400.
The Ryobi and Ozito clones are less than $200, while for $700 - 800 you can get a Bosch or DeWalt site saw on mobile stand or one of these
which has a cast iron top.
It's primary "disadvantage" is the lack of portability.regards from Alberta, Canada
ian
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8th September 2017, 01:08 AM #32GOLD MEMBER
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The model that Bunnings have is the DW745-XE costing $840. We must be getting ripped off over here.
KrynTo grow old is mandatory, growing up is optional.
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8th September 2017, 02:43 AM #33
We've had the "Australia Tax" discussion multiple times, so I won't repeat it. Merely draw the comparison.
one thing for potential purchases to bear in mind is that the top of the DeWalt is some sort of alloy. It will be a while before I can check mine, but I'm pretty confident that the top is NOT magnetic -- which will limit the use of magnetic feather boards and such.
May not be an issue, but worth checking ...regards from Alberta, Canada
ian
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8th September 2017, 04:11 AM #34
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8th September 2017, 07:09 AM #35Intermediate Member
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My first ever cut on a table saw was on one of these. My mate has one.
The price point is definitely the major advantage to this saw, but it's actually quite big and takes up a bit of room. As it's built into the stand in that way, it takes up a little off surface area if in a small space, which I am. The extension tables just add to it. The portability and size of it put me off, as did the rectangular dimensions; it would be difficult to make cross cuts on.
If I had more room I may have gone this option. From what I recall, it cut well, the fence was strong and the overall body of the was solid and strong, unlike some plastic frames on other machines. Was fairly quiet too.
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8th September 2017, 11:32 AM #36regards from Alberta, Canada
ian
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8th September 2017, 03:27 PM #37GOLD MEMBER
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Just buy the featherboard that fits into the guide slots. Mine works perfectly
Paul
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8th September 2017, 10:25 PM #38Intermediate Member
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So I picked up the DeWalt from Bunnings tonight. Didn't give it a run as it was past 7 when I got it home - will run it tomorrow.
From what I could see though, the table was level, the blade and riving knife were already installed and square to the table. The mitre gauge definitely has some play, but perhaps with some tape around the sides to give it a bit more width, it could work ok until I build a sled. The fence as well is super strong and locks on both sides. From what I could see, the fence was square with the mitre slot and parallel on both ends of the blade.
And I can confirm that the saw is an 8amp saw. I believe that's what the manual said, so no issue with a 10a outlet.
The real test will be tomorrow after I put through some test cuts, but after a quick inspection tonight, all looks well. For those interested in this saw, I'll post an update tomorrow.
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9th September 2017, 07:59 AM #39GOLD MEMBER
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I started off with a Bosch table saw similar to your dewalt. It was a brilliant saw and great for box making. Build yourself a cross cut sled, it'll be one of the best things you do for your saw.
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9th September 2017, 12:06 PM #40GOLD MEMBER
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if your saw is the same model as mine, I wouldn't be worried about a small amount of play in the cross cut guide. I have that also. The one thing I continually check is the squareness to the blade. As continually taking it out, putting it back etc, can be bumped. With the riving knife I bought an extra one, so I could slice the top off it. You'll see what I mean when you want to rip timber higher than your blade. I also made a zero clearance table insert to replace the yellow metal one. A must, never use the original one anymore, except when I want to tilt the blade. Impossible to rip say a couple of mm's with the original insert.
Good luck with it,
Paul
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9th September 2017, 09:42 PM #41
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10th September 2017, 12:27 AM #42GOLD MEMBER
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When I had the Bosch I made small to medium size boxes (mitred with splines and dovetailed).
I never felt I was limited with the saw in regards to making boxes, but when I started building larger stuff I wanted a larger saw so I bought a Jet cabinet saw.
As I mentioned before a cross cut sled will be super handy for making boxes. If you're making mitred boxes, a spline jig is also nice to have.
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10th September 2017, 01:02 PM #43
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10th September 2017, 11:38 PM #44GOLD MEMBER
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11th September 2017, 08:37 AM #45Intermediate Member
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A quiet weekend with many hours planned in the garage quickly turned into a busy one with limited time to actually have a play with the saw.
I did give it a run though, just not as extensive as I thought I'd get. Here are my initial thoughts:
- From the test cuts I ran, the fence was pretty great. I wasn't checking it for square on every cut, but I did measure the test piece for square during ribs, and the piece was essentially the same width throughout it's length. There was one occasion where a piece was out by a 1mm from top to bottom of the piece, but that was more likely the way I cut the piece than than the fence being out (after all, I'm still a woodworking novice and certainly a table saw amateur).
- The fact the fences locks at both ends of the saw and has a guide knob to move it back and forth makes it a far superior alternative to anything else Bunnings had i.e. the Ryobi I was going to buy. That's a huge advantage.
- Whilst the saw was bigger than I expected and had a wider table surface than I thought it did, given this is the box making forum, I quickly learned that doing any form of cross-cutting - be it straight or mitred - will be significantly easier with a sled. If your piece is longer than one mitre, trying to balance the piece as you push it through with the mitre gauge into the blade was a task in itself, and possibly not a safe one. So if you plan on using this saw to make all your cuts, especially your cross-cuts (like I was intending), I highly recommend making a small sled. I tried cutting dadoes and rebates, but it was damn hard to keep the pressure down on the timber when feeding it through the saw and trying to balance the timber. Definitely not ideal.
- To that point, I also realised I will need to make a cart for the saw asap. My 'shop' is a two car garage with limited space, so I will need to take that into account, but if you have limited room, think about making a cart with expanding wings that act as outfeed tables. The rip cuts I made weren't long, so it wasn't a problem for those, but as mentioned, cross-cutting any piece of timber with any significant length was extremely difficult without at least one wing to help support.
- A cart will also be necessary to help close off the saw to capture the saw dust it creates, of which there was a heap. Build yourself a cart that almost acts as a cabinet that catches as much dust as possible. The port for the dust extraction doesn't connect to my shop vac, so I will need to find a workaround there, but I'm hoping by enclosing the saw somewhat in the cart that it can reduce the amount of dust. Definitely do not use this saw in your garage with the door down. It will be a nightmare if you don't have a good dust extraction solution, so a cart will help you to wheel it out to the front of your garage at least, minimising the amount of dust that stays in your garage and possibly in your lungs
- You'll certainly need to get a few more blades. That was clear to me early as well. Whilst the default DeWalt worked fine, the timber didn't rip through the blade like butter. I'm sure there are better blades out there for ripping, and if you plan on using the saw for cross-cutting or ripping ply, you'll need something with finer teeth for sure. I believe my blade had 24 teeth on it, but it could've been 40. Either way, I will be looking for an alternative.
- I don't see why this saw won't be able to used for box making. If you make yourself a sturdy cart, a cross-cut sled and a few jigs, this saw will definitely enable you to make some quality boxes. Due to the safety reasons mentioned when cross-cutting larger material, I didn't get to test out the precision in the mitre cuts, but I don't see why this would be an issue once a sled is in place (it probably would be if relying solely on the mitre gauge, which does have some play in it)
- It was damn loud, but that was to be expected. Thankfully though, the noise didn't increase when putting timber through the blade. I assumed that it was that loud when it started, there was no need for it to scream any further.
- I had no issues at all cutting through pine, and moving through 12mm hardwood was also not a problem. Cutting dense, chunky wood that pushes the blades height (79mm) to it's limit will be a different story, but for box making, how many times will that occasion present itself?
All in all, whilst the saw functioned extremely well and I have no complaints with it just yet. But as you can tell from what I've outlined, the experience of using it will be significantly better once you modify the environment around it e.g. get a cart with some expandable wings, as well as a cross-cut sled.
Maybe others who have the saw feel differently about that, but I see all that as mandatory and something that should be done before you even use the saw.
So factor this into your costing. I was happy to $840 for the saw, and I'm sure that will pay for itself in comparison to anything else Bunnings was offering (the fence was a huge upgrade). But you will also need to factor in the cost of timber for a cart, the timber for some outfeed supports, the sled, and any other hardware needed, as well as a one or two extra blades. That will probably bring my total payment to items relating to the saw above $1000, but it will significantly improve the user experience, as well as safety.
The only negative I had after using the saw was the amount of dust it created. That was to be expected, I guess, but it still took me aback. Factor this into your thinking when building a cart, particularly if you don't have an amazing dust extraction setup (as I don't).
Hope this info helps. If I think of anything else, I'll post it here.
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