Not your usual Table Saw question...

[brucen]

Hi all

I have been going through the site for a couple of days now and seeing some of the recommendations for table saws has me thinking I won't own one for the next couple of years. On the other hand ,is the age od "buy the best you can afford" by a number of people here and on the web.

My question is not which saw to buy but what you think is the bare minimum you would pay for a table saw? That also brings another question of what do you consider actually makes a good table saw?

I ask these questions but I suspect that the answer to the first one will still be way out of my budget for now. Then again, if you say that a saw in the range of $3-400 will suffice for a beginner then I won't go down the DIY saw route, which I am tempted to do after seeing the thread by Scott in Peakhurst (SWR).

Anyway, I am interested to see what people think.

Cheers
Bruce

[rev]

Bruce,
This article may be helpful. It doesn't specifically answer your questions but provides some useful information in the price vs quality vs features considerations that come play when making the decision you are making:

http://benchmark.20m.com/articles/SelectingATablesaw/selecting_a_tablesaw.html

Remember that the article is from USA and perhaps a couple of years old so prices may not be reliable.

[NewLou]

Hey Brucen,

Check out this article. I found this a great read that really helps put things in perspective:

http://www.joewoodworker.com/tools_and_accessories.htm

Heres a link to Dean's website that provides some great information on one of the popuar table saws here at our Forum:


http://www.onlinetoolreviews.com/articles/TSC-10HB.htm


..............................Hope it helps


REgards Lou

[echnidna]

At last years Melbourne WW show I was quite impressed by a contractors sawbench that was only a few hundred dollars. It had heaps of power (3hp from memory) it was sturdy but not a pretty saw. I was told it is a popular builders saw.
Sorry but I don't remember model number etc. But CT NSW should know what it is.

[rev]

Hey Lou,

joewoodworker makes a lot of sense; thanks for the ref.

[NewLou]

Pleasure Rev,

Hope you got as much as I did from it;)

REgards Lou:D

[derekcohen]

I'm sorry - I just do not see how Joewoodworker's advice in any way is relevant to Bruce. Bruce asked what he needed to pay - at the bottom end of the market - for a tablesaw. Joes' article includes a multitude of cheaper-but-still-expensive power tools, many of whom one actually does not need to build furniture. Nice to have, certainly, but not relevant when you are just starting out.

Bruce, my advice to you is forget the tablesaw if all you can afford is $300-400. And don't try to make one yourself - dangerous! Instead, use a circular saw with a guide (which you can make out of MDF and a steel section). You will get very acceptable results this way. Save your pennies until you can put at least $800 - 900 together.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Grunt]

Derek, you are a wise man. Agree completely.

Not too bad for a hand tool carrying Perthvert.

[NewLou]

"Anyway, I am interested to see what people think."

'Wise men put good information into action'..................Not sure wether the issue here is wether or not the information provided is right or wrong :rolleyes:

REgardless at the end of the day its the readers choice as to wether or not they find the provided information useful......................Not sure what you blokes are making all the fuss about............................


http://www.ubeaut.biz/peace.gif


REgards Lou

[E. maculata]

Instant experts maybe.
I found that Joes' fairly forceful opinion on most things woddworkingish got me offside ie: the "forest" saws said it all for me, ("ludicrously sharp" saws cannot be too sharp just sharpened wrong). And putting down tablesaws other than his Good ole US built job, I for one have put a $300 sawblade in to improve a middle of the range tablesaw, the quality may only be 50% more than a $100 saw blade but the improvement is 1000%. (my generic 12" saw mostly cuts seasoned Ironbark, spotted, coastal Blackbutt, and other locals, so I'll leave it up to you to work out how hard the saw is working) and I regularly use timber machinery that costs $100K+ so get a fair idea of when something works ok. :rolleyes:

[Rusty]

I thought Joe was okay until he mentioned collecting erasers. Dork.
Loves the Bessy K's, though;).

Rus.

[brucen]

Thanks all that have replied. My aim in all this is to make furniture for us so my equipment will have to be reasonable. All replies received have been informative and I think Derek's hits the nail on the head. I have seen various table saws from the $68.00 GMC toy to the $3 & $4000 monsters but I thought that a unit at around the $1000.00 mark would be the norm for starting out. With my budget not able to support this I will look into the other suggestions and see what I can do for less money at this stage. The way I see it coming out is this - my basic toolkit would be something like:

a good Circular Saw
Mitre saw
Router and table
Biscuit Joiner
plus various hand tools
damn good workbench

I am not looking to build saleable fine furniture in the beginning so I thought this type of kit would do....yes?

Cheers
Bruce

[Rusty]

Sounds good, Bruce, but don't forget dust control of some kind. Speaking as one who has neither adeqate DC or alot of machinery, I reckon it'll be easier to add machines to a duct system than the other way around.I still manage to keep putting it off, though...

Now I have to go out and fire up the shop-vac so I can do some work later.:(

Regards,
Rus.

[soundman]

The most important thing about a table saw and a good indicator of quality is the fence.
The second is the blade which is cheap & easy to fix.
cheers

[Stubchain]

I upgraded from my 10" ryobi to a Jet. To be honest it was the best thing I ever did. I can rely on it being accurate and square. Cutting tenons is a breeze, and the edges cut good enough to buscuit join boards. Next best thing was my dedicated mortiser.

[brucen]

I have just been browsing through Carbetec's site and now have about 5 tools I want to buy, including the MJ2325B table saw.....pity I don't have the 3 grand required though :(