Thread: triton newbe

I have a Triton 2000 and it is a very good unit if you are careful and you get one at the right price. If you cannot source a second hand one, then the price may be a bit steep. However if you require extreme portability, along with the ability to cut large sheets as you mention, then it is probably the only unit that can do that.

As for accuracy, well, it depends upon the set-up done and how well you work at it.

With the straight work centre and using the standard fence, you can be accurate to 1.0mm ± easily; accuracy to 0.5mm ± if care taken is quite doable.

With the maxi sliding table and a bit of care, 1.0mm ± is easily doable; I cannot get reliable accuracy with the maxi sliding table to 0.5mm.

In practice I can pull off 741mm and 550mm cuts like I did a few days ago, all 15 of them and they were all exactly 741mm by 550mm. To do that, one must take care to align the sheet material up carefully, lock it in place; them push it through at the correct speed.

Nothing out of the ordinary about taking care, but many people don’t.

The maxi sliding table also doubles as an accurate fixed fence, something many owners either forget it can do or are unaware it can do. The maxi sliding table fence can also be set at angles for a multitude of things; it’s a very versatile accessory.

I would suggest you get the dust bag that hangs underneath, as well as the vacuum cleaner dust bucket and it’s hoses. Then with a standard house vacuum cleaner, you should be able to collect around 95% of the visible sawdust. It’s certainly better than nothing and with sheet materials, where you often have an overhang of material either side of the blade, very little visible sawdust escapes their clutches.

With my own set-up, the two maxi sliding table posts hang vertically in my shed, which is a garage in reality. This way there is a very small space requirement. In my previous arrangement I used to take my work centre apart and hang it on the wall in three pieces, worktop, actual work centre and legs.

These days I keep it permanently set-up as a table saw bench and use a sliding mitre saw for long but thinner than 340mm wide materials. Rather than rearrange the work centre into the cross cut mode as I now have a permanent dust collection box underneath connected to a dust extraction system that is a step up from the Triton bucket dust system.

With the work centre in table saw mode you may wish to acquire the saw lift mechanism (height winder), this is a very handy feature, but it does restrict the saw cutting height to about 45-48mm with rough timber, slightly thicker material is possible if the timber is dressed all round to even surfaces.

If you are mainly cutting sheet materials and/or often switch to cross cutting mode, I wouldn’t suggest the height winder kit as it makes the whole thing more expensive and probably wouldn’t be a justifiable item.

Some food for thought.

Mick.

I think Optimark summed it up pretty well. I do think he underestimates the accuracy that can be achieved if you take the time to set your triton up properly from the start.

I started out with the Triton years ago and although I bought a tablesaw with a cast iron table a couple of years ago, I still use the triton for breaking down shaatgoods and numerous other things.

My Triton router table was on-sold to a good home not long after I bought a new router table and fitted an incra fence, but the Triton workcentre will stay with me forever. I love its portability and that maxi extension table which takes up so little room but can do so much.

But look at the cost factor these days of a contractors saw versus a Triton. When I bought my triton, it was much cheaper than a tablesaw, now the tablesaw is much cheaper and has more features. If I was starting out now, I think I would give the triton a miss and go with the tablesaw. THis might sound like a bit of a contradiction after saying how good the Triton is but thats a result of the price changes that have taken place.

If looking at price alone, the triton just doesnt cut it anymore

Cheers

Doug

I loved the maxi extension table I had with my triton - so much that I kept it when I sold my triton with the plan to bolt it onto the side of my tablesaw to make it easier to cut big panels. I sold my triton about 7 years ago now, so I should get around to bolting the maxi table onto my saw any day now...

I can't show you the triton stuff, but there are plenty of members in Canberra with one, plus there's a triton users club that meets regularly.

Trav

Hi callyknockbride,
Magnet Mart, Gungahlen stock Triton.
We have a Triton owners club in Canberra Triton Owners' Club (A.C.T) Inc. - Home .
The next meeting is an outing so not much use to you but the December meeting is our annual competition and Christmas do, and you could rock up and meet us and decide if you want to join. There is no January meeting but normal meetings resume from February.
The site is not up to date but there is a lot of interesting stuff there.
Yours in the hobby

Total Tools and Fitch Sharpening at Fyshwick also both sell Triton.

Good Morning callyknockbride

Mick and Doug gave a really good synopsis of the benefits and weaknesses of a Triton system. I have had Triton for 30 years!

Years ago, Triton had an army of demonstrators who toured the woodwork shows, hardware stores, retailers, service clubs, etc, demonstrating the virtues of the Triton system. Re the accuracy issue: one of their demonstrators explained that it was great if you were working in radiata or sheet material. If you were working in blackwood or huon pine, then you would probaly want more precision. Mick quantified this issue slightly differently.

Back in the eighties the cheapest table saw was about $3,000 - a basic Triton was less than a quarter of that. Now a basic Triton, no accessories, costs about $1,000 - workbench $700, 235mm saw $300. And contractors saws are much cheaper than that, more accurate, easier to use and just as protable as a Triton. While I keep, and use my Triton, I would not buy another new one - just too dear.

But you might be able to pick up a good second hand one at the right price. Perhaps you could take up Hugh's offer, join the Triton Owners Club, get heeps of advice and demos - it much easier to learn Triton from demos - and perhaps later buy one.

Also, go along to your local mens sheds (plural) and see other table saws in operation and do your own cost benefit assesssment.




Fair Winds

Graeme

Hi thanks for the replies just after getting a good second hand 2000 thanks to the triton owners club in ACT, now just have to get a saw and a maxi table and set it all up. Just wondering has anyone made up a flip stop to fit on to the fence of the sliding table, trying to get ideas.

Splash out and get the big Triton saw; it is the easiest to get parallel and square to the fence. I liked it so much I bought a second one for hand use.

Originally Posted by callyknockbride

Hi thanks for the replies just after getting a good second hand 2000 thanks to the triton owners club in ACT, now just have to get a saw and a maxi table and set it all up. Just wondering has anyone made up a flip stop to fit on to the fence of the sliding table, trying to get ideas.

If you set the triton 2000 and the maxi table up properly you just align the end of the workpiece up on the scale and clamp and cut it. If I have had to do multiples of the same size I have been known to clamp a block to the fence, but this can be hit and miss. This is because you are throwing around heavy sheets of material which can dislodge stop blocks and clamps fairly easily. Its not like placing a small workpiece on a sled.

I fell for that once and had to come back and take a small sliver off several pieces because I assumed the stop-block would stay in place. Now I just line it up on the scale and clamp the workpiece with the maxitable clamps. While you CAN achieve a great deal of accuracy oin the maxi-table that isnt really what it was designed for. It is an aid into breaking down large stoc, particularly sheetgoods so they can be handled and cut to exact size easier.

CHeers

Doug

sorry for my lack of knowledge, are you guys talking about the Triton MK3?

Baileyboy, we are talking about the Triton 2000 model, which replaced the Triton New MK3.

Welcome to the forum, if you have any specific questions with regard to MK3 and 2000 model Triton units, ask away.

Mick.