Thread: How much better is the JET 10" Proshop over the standard Carbatec 10" TS?

23kg weight difference too dam!

My question would be why are you looking at a contractor type saw over a full cabinet saw?

Originally Posted by Chris Parks

My question would be why are you looking at a contractor type saw over a full cabinet saw?

I need to be able to move the saw out of the shed for use most of the ime and rarely to other locations as well.

Regards

The Jet Pro saw is a 'hybrid' table saw, it has fairly wide polyurethane drive belts running with an idler pulley between the motor and saw arbour inside the enclosed housing which should give a bit more torque depending on the pulley diameters. There is a dust door/port on the back and the cabinet is fairly well sealed so you should not have any trouble getting a dusty to work. The fence is very nice, smooth sliding and accurate (and adjustable if there is an 'accident').

I found the legs to be a bit of a pain to put on (really needs two people, I did it alone and nearly did myself in), and if I had more room I would mount it on a platform with storage drawers and heavy duty castors - mine is currently on a steel 'mobile base' - if I lean on the end of the 70" rails the whole thing tilts, but that is my fault. The legs are totally separate from the cabinet and just screw on, which makes this possible. I have to get round to making a router table to fit between the long rails too, I want to be able to move the router table around separate from the saw table.

Contractor's saws are of fairly light weight construction as they are intended to be heaved into the back of a ute or truck to move between sites. The power train is just a common rubber belt (fan belt type) running direct from the motor to the arbour, with the motor hanging out the back of the cabinet to collect dust and the odd leg. Because of the motor hanging out the back they are hard to efficiently connect a dust collector to.

Of course there is also the matter of $900 or so in the asking price, so it depends on what you are upgrading from, and what you want to do with it.

Well thanks all. I went to Hare Forbes and Carbatec and had a look at the $1,000 mark contractor saws. They were okay, but the fitting looked a bit naff. They did come with a good warranty and seemed good value for money. Unfortunately I was unable to see the Jet alongside the other saws at Carbatec as they had sold out. (Two arrived before Christmas but they had not time to assemble them. The manger did kindly offer to uncrate one and let me have a look, but since it would be disassembled I could not really see the point).

Their 10" contractor saw seemed solid enough: The aluminum fence seemed a little flimsy but better than I expected. The contractor's saw was rather 'shop worn'. Neither locking handle locked, the handle of the fence locking lever was broken off, the angle gauges did not work, and the motor hanging out the back was a real obstacle.

So I went and bought a second hand lightly used and fairly new Jet proshop instead. It seemed a rather good compromise of weight, mobility, ability and acres of rip capacity. Everything worked and the fence is great. I need to make some wheels for it. Maybe I will see if the splitter/guard can be upgraded to the new style. I look forward to using it.


Thanks all

Wol