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Thread: Info for Hafco ST-254 Table Saw
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3rd January 2015, 12:40 AM #1Intermediate Member
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Info for Hafco ST-254 Table Saw
Hi,
I'm looking for first decent Table Saw and have a limit of $1500. I live in Central Vic so local options are limited. There is a local supplier who is dealer for Machinery Warehouse and they have the Hafco ST-254 which is in budget and seems to be a reasonable entry level, sort of industrial type table saw.
The supplier has one on display and after having a little play with things on it I was wondering if anyone has info on how this machine performs in the long run.
The fence seems to be very solid and slides smooth, however the dial for measurement seems a bit fiddly and hard to line up with the numbers though. The fence also seemed to have a gap that might be about 3mm, so could be an issue for thin ply/mdf.
I'd also like to run a blade for doing 3mm slots in wood, so not necessarily a dado blade set up, just one with thicker teeth.
There seems to be almost no useful info on the Web about this machine, so that is normally not a great sign. Can anyone provide any info please or suggest alternatives for a similar priced machine? Thanks.
Link to Machine: http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W486
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4th January 2015, 01:05 AM #2SENIOR MEMBER
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I think you will find there are a lot of these out there and also many clones that are essentially the same. I have a Leda which I suspect came from the same factory and just different paint colour!
I think they are a good saw for the price. My fence was a bit cheap and nasty so I upgraded, but the one in your ad looks OK. They all have the gap which is to avoid binding on dust and waste as you slide the fence and you can clamp a piece of wood to your fence when cutting thin pieces or make up a slip over piece if it is frequent. (I keep meaning to but haven't as yet!) One of my blades is about 3mm so that is fairly common. There may be some issues with the saw such as table flatness and variation as you raise and lower the blade, but it seems like you will get that with many saws unless you pay a lot more. Many people upgrade the measurement system to a Wixey or something similar and i have found it very useful although not perfect.
I would encourage you to consider a secondhand model as there are often good buys out there and the savings can go to a better fence, a better Mitre Gauge a Wixey and some good blades. I know new is nice, but the items I just mentioned can significantly improve your saw and your experience using it and can often also be purchased secondhand. I have spent more on accessories for my saw than the cost of it (secondhand) but if I do ever upgrade, I can transfer most of them to a new saw.
Best of luck with your decision and I am sure there will a range of opinions from others on your question as it is a common one. (If you have not already done so, browse old threads in this forum and you will get a good feel for what you will hear back )
Regards
Bauldy
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4th January 2015, 11:47 AM #3Intermediate Member
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Hi Bauldy,
Thank you for your reply. I think your right about this machine being re-branded. I'm pretty sure it is the same as a Ledacraft and a model from Carba Tec.
I would love to buy a good conditioned second hand machine but i've searched all the usual places and haven't found anything decent and second hand.
Do you know of any web sites I can try for machines in Central Vic or Melbourne?
Thanks,
Matt.
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4th January 2015, 01:26 PM #4SENIOR MEMBER
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I found my saw on this site and got my Wixey from Gumtree. I also monitor several auction sites local to my area although while there have been some good bargains they have been mostly 3 phase.
I was not in a hurry as my Triton was still going strong and I wanted to upgrade but at the right deal, so waited till the time was right.
Sometimes I go for a long time and don't see anything and then several items of interest can come at the same time.
I am currently looking for a generator and a portable airconditioner and several suitable ones have just shown up on Gumtree. There are some good deals on smaller tools also, but the best deals go quickly and there is often some overpriced gear.
I have never had a lot of success with ebay but still browse occasionally.
It really depends how quickly you want to buy and how far you want to travel.
I will let you know if I spot anything of interest in my internet travels.
Regards
Bauldy
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8th January 2015, 09:26 AM #5Intermediate Member
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To provide some further info on my own question, I recently received some info from Machinery House regarding this machine.
"In response to your questions:
Dado Blade - The Arbor is not wide enough for Dado blades to be used, and so there is not a plate available.
Riving Knive - does move up and down with the blade.
I was also sent copies of the manuals which I would upload for people but i'm getting an error whenever I try.
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12th January 2015, 12:00 AM #6Intermediate Member
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- Victoria
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I decided that the Hafco was too much of an unknown and i've order a Laguna Fusion from Gregmach in Brisbane. Hopefully have the beast here to set up by next weekend! Yay, fingers crossed.
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27th February 2015, 06:59 PM #7Senior Member
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25th March 2015, 11:52 PM #8New Member
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Hey Meherenow,
I'm looking at the same saw and have a couple o Q's How do you find the saw now you've had a chance to break it in? what's the pro's and con's? is measuring cut length O.K. with the left tilt blade? like when you change blades and they are different thickness. Do you think it was good value?
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2nd April 2015, 10:07 PM #9New Member
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I bought something that looks extremely similar - as earlier suggested, probably from the same factory. Mine was an Ascent SA250 from Jacks. I had enormous issues with blade angle changing when adjusting blade height.
When adjusting the height of the blade, when I reverse direction, the blade moves over at a slight angle before going in the desired direction (up or down). If I’m winding it down, having previously wound it up, the tip of the blade swings to the left a tiny bit before starting to move down. And having wound it down a bit, when I start to wind it up the tip of the blade moves to the right before starting to move up.
I hope that makes sense – it’s very difficult to explain, but quite simple when you see it. I attached a digital angle gauge and I would say the movement is about 0.7 of a degree. The angle adjustment happens at any point through the extent of blade’s travel, so long as I reverse direction.
You can see a video of it at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1aOOkSINjQ
As of yesterday they have agreed it's a design fault and will take it back with a full refund. I'm actually quite relieved although it does mean I now need to find a new saw. And the options here in Christchurch, New Zealand seem to be pretty limited.
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