Dyco woodworker combination machine - advice please

[RichardL]

I have just got back from a local woodturners demo and, on display, was a Dyco Woodworker combo machine. It looked quite good to me (for the home workshop) with a fairly solid cast iron top, 235 mm saw blade, really good router fence and a 6 inch planer. Apparently the castings originate in China but the machining is done in NZ.

I currently have a Triton Mk 3, which has served me quite well but isn't that accurate (or at least, my saggy old Makita circular saw isn't too accurate any more).

Can anyone tell me whether these combo machines are any good, what their pitfalls are and whether it would be a worthwhile step up from my Triton in terms of accuracy and flexibility. Having a properly mounted saw must be an advantage but I wasn't too convinced that the adjustable saw fence was very solid, only being attached at one end. At least the runners for the mitre gauge are machined in rather than the pressed grooves in my old Triton.

Apologies to Triton enthusiasts - this must all seem like heresy;) !

...just found another thread from a year ago, seems like the Dyco has received good comments generally, still, if there are any more recent comments I'd really like to hear them..

[Groggy]

Can anyone tell me whether these combo machines are any good, what their pitfalls are and whether it would be a worthwhile step up from my Triton in terms of accuracy and flexibility. Having a properly mounted saw must be an advantage but I wasn't too convinced that the adjustable saw fence was very solid, only being attached at one end. At least the runners for the mitre gauge are machined in rather than the pressed grooves in my old Triton.
Richard, you have made some good observations. The most important things with a TS are a solid machine base, solid blade\trunnions, solid top and solid fence. Did I say solid?

The power of the motor really determines how fast the feed rate is, the important stuff is strength and flatness. I've looked at the Dycos and wished I'd tried one of those instead of the Triton for a first machine, but I guess I'd have found shortcomings with it as well. All machines are good for a purpose, the trick is accurately identifying the purpose.

One pitfall with any multi purpose machine is the nuisance value of constantly reconfiguring. If your work lends itself to production style runs you may be OK, otherwise it will likely annoy you to change machine configuration. However, purpose, budget, time available and personality will all be factors choosing what's right for you.

I am sure others will have other advice, I think you should read a lot and try to identify the important bits for your use. Asking the question is a smart start to getting it right.

[RichardL]

Wow, that was quick!! Thanks for the comments.

I'd love to have separate machines for various jobs but I have very limited space and budget. I guess the accuracy thing is the main question. I also really only make relatively small things, well, not counting my monstrous grandfather clock. Do you think the Dyco is solid enough? It is certainly seems more solid than my Triton but I don't want to have to buy another table saw for a long time so want to get it right.

I'd guess that the set-up time would be shorter than swapping from router to saw on the Triton. Actually that isn't my main reason for interest. Have I mentioned accuracy?!

Also the planer seems like a useful addition as I haven't got any form of planer/thicknesser at the moment.

[Groggy]

Small items should be manageable on the DYCO, but be aware that I personally have not used one, though I have looked them over. I suggest that you ask the dealer to put you in touch with someone who has one, and ask them how they have found it - accuracy wise.

Note that a short jointer is just that - longer beds mean longer boards. I use 1.5 to two times the length of the bed as a guide to the board that can be successfully jointed with it.

As with any TS, I'd be careful with the fence and be sure it is long and solid, try to flex it - it shouldn't move.

[Kiwibrucee]

Hi, My father has had a Dyco table saw which is about 25-30 years old and it looks very similar to the ones sold today. One thing to note is that the blade dosn't tilt, the fence can be angled for bevel ripping cuts, a little like the triton setup I think but its all cast and a bit more accurate.

I havn't used a combination one so I can't comment on the jointer and routertable setup.

One other thing - Dads tablesaw is quite a bit noisier than my cabinet saw due to the open design and vibrationof the base.

Cheers Bruce T.

[RichardL]

Thanks Groggy and Bruce. Yes, I just learned from an earlier thread that the saw doesn't tilt. A bit of a drawback:( . I guess if I kept the old Triton as well, that could be used for X-cut bevelled edges but ripping an angle would be handy. I can't figure out how you use the fence for bevelling the edge of a wide board. I haven't tried it on my Triton as only the more recent models have the fancy fence.

I wonder if there are alternative machines (at a similar price) on which the saw can tilt?? All the other combo machine I have heard of are $8000-$10000, well outside my budget!

As for noise, can't be any worse than what I have! My Makita wakes the whole street up!

[dereg]

I have had a Dyco woodworker for about 2 years and I am very happy with it.It is a compromise and suits an amateur with limited space.
It is very solid and I have had no trouble with it at all.( which is good because warranty claims require you to return the unit to Dyco)
Reconfiguring to the jointer is simple - just turn a knob on the end of a lever to unlock and then push down -it takes 5 seconds.
The sanding wheel is easy to fit and take off.
The router is permantly attached so no trouble there once you get it centred in the hole which can be tricky if you have a heavy router- mine is a triton.
You need to hold the router so it centres in the hole while you move and tighten finger clamps.
I am waiting on delivery of hole inserts which may make accurate alignment of the router easier because the standard hle in the table is quite big.
The major thing missing is the already mentioned lack of blade tilting.
For the money though overall it is great. I looked around and couldn't find anything to match it .
regards
Dereg

[RichardL]

Dereg, thanks for the comments.

Having "slept on it", or rather, worried about it all night:( (oh well it's Monday, only work to do:rolleyes: ), a couple of things kept crossing my mind.

Firstly, the router fence was really nice but there didn't seems to be any way of adjusting it. Sure there are fine adjustment screws, but, say you want to run a dado 10 mm in from the edge using a straight router bit , I can't see a way to do this. So, it has rather limited use - just profiling and rebates. Is that right? Is the fine adjustment a bit cumbersome as well?

Leading on from that, the only way to rout a groove or dado would be to use the back of the main fence as the guide. I am still a bit concerned that, as it is only anchored at one end, it may not be very rigid, especially at the feed end of the router table. How have you or others found this?

Incidentally, where is the on off switch for the router (other than on the router)? Do you have to buy that separately?

Perhaps I need to ask all of this of the agent. It is getting a bit specific, but any insights would be appreciated.

[dereg]

Dear Richard,
the router fence is very solid and is relatively easy to adjust finely once you practice.
I bought a Jointech cabinet makers system (direct from jointech.com in the U.S ). It is similar to Incra but has an adjustable opening for large router bits which Incra didn't have at the time.
I tapped two holes in the table top to hold the Jointech base plate.I was a bit worried about doing this but it worked O.K- just be careful where you drill to make sure the hole goes through without hitting anything!
The router does need another switch which you can buy - I reckon you could bargain this into the price. I bought mine through MIK in Adelaide and it was delivered direct fro Dyco in Brisbane.
Ross Cameron is the Australian rep and I believe is one of the owners.
His email is [email protected].
regards
Dereg

[RichardL]

I noticed in an American plan I used recently that they use Rabbiting bits for routering rebates. I wondered if Triton make rabbiting attachments. My kids have a couple of very large Flemish Giant rabbits and I'm sure they could be used to gnaw difficult shapes if only I could securely fix them to my saw bench. They are doing a really good job on their cage and are much quieter than a circular saw or router (if a little smellier).Oh well, just a thought for the day. Probably been thought of many times before.

[RichardL]

Hi Dereg
On a more sensible note, thanks for the info. I have written to Ross regarding the fence and I'll post the outcome. I did like the router fence but as mentioned, I couldn't see a way of moving it away from the router bit to cut a groove/dado. I may have missed something! I had a look at the Jointech system you installed. Wow! looks great, does it work as well as they promote?