Thread: Beginner stuck deciding on first table saw purchase

Have you had a read through this thread?
This new thread might be of interest too as you are from Perth where Timbecon is too.

there is also the sherwood job site saw (new release I think) which is very similar to the DW and Hikoki cj10

$999 at timbecon , probably a bit cheaper, but the design is the same

Hodgo

Hi L. Have you considered 2nd hand. I bought my contractor style sawof a mate many years ago and hace been very happy. Cast iron top, 3hp motor, 10" blade and okayish fence (it does the job).

Ok, I'm down to 3 choices of what I'm going to get, but any other suggestions are welcome.

1. Sherwood Jobsite: $1000
2. Sherwood Contractors: $1500
3. Sherwood 10" Hybrid: $1650

I know there are small spec differences in the Contractor and Hybrid Saw, but what generally is the difference between the 2 names? Is the Hybrid just made as sturdier/heavier unit and the contractor made to be slightly more portible? It also seems like the Contractor Saw is an older model with a 1800W motor compared to the 1500W of the Jobsite and Hybrid, unsure if anyone knows which is of higher quality.

The Jobsite I am interested in simply because of the price point, but needing to build a hefty base/stand and extention tables to meet the functionality of the other saws does cut into those savings. I have no intention of moving the saw around once it's set up and I've read a fair bit that any jobsite saw, even the expensive ones, lack in some way and shouldn't be used in a shop.

Any opinions/advice?

I went down the same road back in 2019. I ended up grabbing a Carbatec 30" Cabinet Saw for
$2000. I know its a little over your budget but I have to admit I was and still am seriously impressed with the machine, I went from an old Ryobi jobsite saw to the Carbatec so it was like night and day. I
just finished doing a full service on the machine today and have found no warn parts what so ever, everything you can imagine is easily dialed in to perfection with this bad boy.

I know Carbatec are having a sale on this week so the price may fall to something around the 2k again.

I bought this from Hare & Forbes in Perth.

Just a moment...

It is a 12 inch blade and I've found it to be a good solid saw with a reasonable quality fence. The things I don't like about it - the cheap Chinese Start/Stop switch that all Hare & Forbes machines seem to have (I replace them with a better quality switch with a larger "STOP" flap), and the poor excuse for a riving knife / splitter / safety guard. I threw all this out - have made my own zero clearance inserts with a "splitter" built in, and don't use a safety guard at all on the saw.

Compared with the Ozito I had from Bunnings previously, this saw is in another league.

Hare & Forbes do offer a cheaper alternative - it is a Scheppach 12.5 inch saw bench with sliding table for $594 (incl GST). The fence on this looks like something I would throw out very quickly, and the saw table itself appears in the photos to be made of pressed sheetmetal (as my Ozito was) rather than solid cast iron - so I would not recommend this machine.

I do know someone in Perth who runs the 10 inch Sherwood (not sure if his is the Contractor or the Hybrid) - he is very happy with it. Good thing in Perth is that you at least have some choices, with Timbecon, Carbates and here & Forbes. There's also quite often some decent second hand gear comes up on Gumtree located in the Perth area - unfortunately a bit too far for me to chase up from Kalgoorlie.

Hi, if you're interested I have a Jet contractor saw that is within your budget - it's free.

It's listed on the market place with details and pics. Sorry don't know how to add links.

Cheers

Sent from my CPH2305 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Mollster63

Hi, if you're interested I have a Jet contractor saw that is within your budget - it's free.

It's listed on the market place with details and pics. Sorry don't know how to add links.

Cheers

Sent from my CPH2305 using Tapatalk

Jet saw

Originally Posted by Mollster63

Hi, if you're interested I have a Jet contractor saw that is within your budget - it's free.

It's listed on the market place with details and pics. Sorry don't know how to add links.

Cheers

Sent from my CPH2305 using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by Treecycle

Jet saw

This would be an excellent offer. The jet saw is virtually identical to the HAFCO unit that I have - plus it has the router table extension. You can get the mobile base from Hare & Forbes for $110 (or $240 for heavy duty version). I have both my table saw and bandsaw sitting on the cheaper of the two mobile bases and they work well once set up level.

just picked up a hikoki c10rj as they seem to be on sale at a few places for $699 (RRP is $1199). This made it preferable to me over the DeWalt 7491.

Trade Tools and Total Tools have it at $699 currently. I had it price matched at Sydney Tools as Total Tools had no local stock.

Seems pretty accurate out of the box, had to square up the fence ~0.5mm at the rear, really easy to do.

It ain't a cabinet saw but for the lower price it's a perfect entry level saw. Miles ahead of the evolution rage5s that at one stage was $649 (now $549)!

Originally Posted by minidriver

just picked up a hikoki c10rj as they seem to be on sale at a few places for $699 (RRP is $1199). This made it preferable to me over the DeWalt 7491.

Trade Tools and Total Tools have it at $699 currently. I had it price matched at Sydney Tools as Total Tools had no local stock.

Seems pretty accurate out of the box, had to square up the fence ~0.5mm at the rear, really easy to do.

It ain't a cabinet saw but for the lower price it's a perfect entry level saw. Miles ahead of the evolution rage5s that at one stage was $649 (now $549)!

Well done, thats one serious discount

I was thinking of buying one when they were $1200 but bought the DW instead

I recall it had some favourable reveiws on utube etc at the time

be interested in what your findings are further down the track

Hodgo

Originally Posted by Hodgo

Well done, thats one serious discount

I was thinking of buying one when they were $1200 but bought the DW instead

I recall it had some favourable reveiws on utube etc at the time

be interested in what your findings are further down the track

Hodgo

Haven't done much with it yet! I've checked it for accuracy on the bevel adjust with a digital inclinometer, and it was pretty accurate on the bevel adjust. 0.1° at vertical and 45.1° at well.... 45. very easy to adjust! Very easy to adjust.
Has a slight bow in the table left to right, right in the middle. Around 0.2mm according to my quick test with the feel gauge, at the far edges.

Have to make up a tslot holder for my dial gauge to check tslot-blade-fence alignment, but it seems to be well set up according to a ruler.

Have made up a zero clearance insert plate for it, as the supplied one has a huge opening in it. 12mm ply was the perfect thickness, no adjustment screws necessary.

The cheap mitre gauge is actually ok - has detents for major angles, but it has a fair bit of play in the slot. I just put a couple of layers of blue painters masking tape on the mitre gauge bar which took up the play easily.

Had to modify the riving blade so it can be easily removed. This just involves disassembling the clamp system, removing the blade, and sawing the bottom of it so the slot carries right through, then reassemble.