Thread: What is a good bench saw?

Triton WC 2000& GMC saw would be the cheapest option (not the best). Or try and get a whole Triton setup on ebay.

Your looking at Carbatecs the "top of the range" Scheppach and saying you dont want to spend 1000$ but want to keep the quality?... sorry to burst the bubble mate but it aint gonna happen

Okay lessee... buy the best you can afford... that was the advice that was given to me awhile back so I went and did that paid 800-900 for a 10in contractors saw from Timbecon at a woodshow... bloody peice of crap couldnt cut a straight line if it wanted to... well okay lets clarify that with a new better fence it does cut straight however it was bloody frustrating in a couple of ways the motor hangin of the ass was a pain in that the tension wasnt there as the blade was raised so I ended up hanging a bag of sand of it... that allowed the tension to remain constant... but the fence was a peice of garbage

So when next I had some $$ for tools I sourced the best I could afford given the other tools I needed to get and the other needs of the family after the flood... so I got the TSC-10HB bloody beaut looking table saw and the fence is a damned strong one not the usual thin ali gunk but a nice and solid beisemeyer type...

Buy the absolute best you can afford... if your budget only goes to $6 - $700 for the table saw well then your choices are:

Contractors saws from Carbatec and Timbercon (I found Hare and forbes to be rude and totally uninterested in customer service so dont go there anymore) or whoever handles Jet over your way (PTMS? they are here in West Aus)

The 2hp 10in CT-250 from Carbatec $799


or...

The economy 1.5hp 10in contractors saw TJZ10G for $695


or...

your gonna have to increase the amount of $$ in your budget
The budget economy cabinet saw is the 2hp MJ-2325-B at $899


or...

10in MJ-2325 from Timbecon on special till 10 Sept for $649 then back to its normal price of $749


or

the 12in MJ-2331 on special for $799 till 10 Sept then back to its normal price of $999


But really mate your gonna have to up the ante a tad even up to $1000 where you can get the

MJ-2325-B 10in cabinet saw for $949 from Timbecon


Im sure there are others but mate for $300 under a grand your pretty much stuck with the contractors style... which is okay but you will definantly have to toss the fence that comes with the thing! :mad:

Did anyone else notice the $100 difference between Carbatecs MJ-2325 and Timbecons MJ-2325? :eek: And whats that tell you sman1? It tells you to definantly shop around! 99% of the time Timbecon has the same item different badge for cheeper than Carbatec and every now and then Carbatec slips one past them and theyre cheeper!! Just gotta look around

Some fellas swear by the Triton gear and I will admit Id love to have their Router but havent been able to justify the $400 price tag... the rest of tritons gear just gives me the heebeejeebies it simply looks cheep and tinny... sorry to those tritonites but thats just my view

But at the end of the day... buy the best you can afford and it will do you well till you can afford to upgrade

Cheers!!

H&F here are good and service is no problems.
I have not had any problems with them at all, must be a local thing.
Where is Plainland?

Well, thanks to all for responding, and to answer the obvious, I knew I would forsake on quality a bit if I wasn't going to get the Scheppach unit, what I was looking for was the best bang for the buck.

So if I was to rethink what I was going to do, and I was willing to cough up the money for the better unit like the Scheppach, would I have any issues with it. The reason I say that is that if I get a unit I want it to do the job right.

So thanks for the responses so far.

And Iain, Plainland is out towards Gatton, it is the area at the intersection when you head into Laidley.

Cheers guys.

Aaah, Queensland, I've heard of that.
No H&F up there to annoy.
You could always try Gary Pye and see what he has on offer.

If having compared the Scheppach 315mm with cheaper 250mm saws you really want the Scheppach, then take a deep breath and buy one. The way I figure it, the difference between a MJ-2325-B at $899 and the Scheppach 315mm is about the same as the cost of two tanks of fuel — I can easily save that amount over a few weeks by being smart in where and when I go for a trip in the car.

I'd add better to have no saw bench than a poor one that will frustrate you and possibly take a part of your anatomy.
A decent (even half decent) saw bench is a great tool and worth waiting or sacrificing for.

BTW we do have hare & forbes in brisbane.
The service there is variable, some of the chaps there are charming, articulate & helpfull. Then there is the surfy git who obviously has more important things to do than speak to customers. but you get that sometimes.
I think they try to keep him busy out the back these days.

cheers

Just personal experience here in Perth that I can go on with Hare an Forbes mates...

Maybe if I and my son had turned up wearin a suit and tie and had handfulls of 100 bills hanging out of our ears they may have shown some interest and I guess respect for the customer but we didnt and they didnt... left us standing waiting for over 20 minutes after the wee sheila wandered about pointing to all the most expensive machines in the place and not knowing a damned thing about them when asked... the phone rang she disappeared and we stood there like a couple of stunned mullets for near on 20 minutes! when last seen that wee sheila was natterin on the phone twirling her hair while some noddy was standing out behind her in the workshop section doin buggar all... when asked for service all I got was a bloody glare!

Having been into Carbatec, Timbecon and PTMS in person and NEVER having experienced anything like what we copped at H&F I'll not bother with them... And although not dressed like it I did end up spending well over $15000 on tools over the following months! Their Bandsaw table saw and lathe interested me and was my first choice until I stepped through their doors and was treated like some sort of waste of time by the service people there.

Mind here I had no intent of saying all that here... so anyway if you like em go see em

Get the best you can afford mate and if it means saving for another couple of weeks for the extra $$ for the better quality then wait and buy the best you can afford it will make life a whole lot better for you satisfaction and finish wise for sure!

Whats that expression those Amway gits use? Delayed gratification! Thats it!

I recon, wait till you can wait no longer then buy what you can't afford :eek: - you will love it forever and never regret the sacrifice - works for me anyway .

I always go to H&F first, they nearly always have the best price. Found the Sydney guys to be very helpful. Good after sales support too. Cannot recommend too highly.

Having said that, even if the service had been a bit dodgy, I would still have bought from them on price alone. I'd rather have a distant memory of bad service and extra bills in my pocket than line the pockets of someone else with a different coloured tin of paint.

Originally Posted by ian

If having compared the Scheppach 315mm with cheaper 250mm saws you really want the Scheppach, then take a deep breath and buy one. The way I figure it, the difference between a MJ-2325-B at $899 and the Scheppach 315mm is about the same as the cost of two tanks of fuel — I can easily save that amount over a few weeks by being smart in where and when I go for a trip in the car.

Two tanks of fuel, I know it is getting expensive but wow, must be a big tank, for me I don't really get that as works pays for all the petrol as part of my salary, work car and being in management. I think I will take teh deep breath though and go the whole hog and get the Scheppach, has anyone out there bought this model and if so what are your thoughts on it. Cheers

Sman

Have a bo-peep at the Delta 10" contractors saw. about $800 from Carbatec - good saw - good fence - good value.

Cheers

Originally Posted by sman1

Two tanks of fuel, I know it is getting expensive but wow, must be a big tank

2x70=140 litres at $1.40/l (price in Jindabyne the other weekend) = $196 ! You blokes in Queensland get it cheap, 'cause it's subsidised by the likes of us in NSW and Victoria ! but let's not go there! Seriously, if you're not careful you can easily do $50 a day in tolls travelling arround Sydney.

Originally Posted by sman1

I think I will take the deep breath though and go the whole hog and get the Scheppach

sounds like the right decision to me

ian