Thread: Table saw comparison

Originally Posted by Big Shed

Martrix, your "norm" is as good as my "consensus".

All the Jets I looked at, both in the showroom and on the web are left-tilt, the Powermatic PM2000 is left-tilt, all the contractor type saws I looked at are left-tilt.

Makes for a "norm" with lots of exceptions

Fair enough.

I am referring to the "norm" in the professional industry where the saw is the most important machine in the factory and is used basically 10hrs a day, 6 days a week.

Hello everyone,

Does anybody here have any experience with Metabo (ex-Elektra Beckum) table saws (this one, in particular: http://tinyurl.com/2twk7w)? Belic Tools in Blackburn, Vic (http://www.belictools.com) have them for $950 or thereabouts, and it does look very nice to my unexperienced eye - solid build, cast table. They also used to stock Makita 2704 for just over a $1000, which also looked quite nice..

For some reason, I cannot find any mention of these saws on these forums..

Any opinions, anybody? Thanks!

Ok, have been reading/watching this thread for some time and have to ask the questions....what's the difference between the Carbatec TS-10L and the Powermatic 2000 table saws. They appear to be out of the same factory or am I wrong on this one. Have always had good experiences from Carbatec so I would like to keep my loyalty and thus the question has to be asked!

Ta,

M.

M.

I have the TS-10L and a copy of a PM2000 manual downloaded from a site in the US. Haven't seen a PM2000 in the flesh but from what I can tell from the manual, the main differences are:
- the mobile base. The PM2000 has a set of retractable castors operated by the saw tilt handwheel (the wheel has two positions which determines its function). You have to add a mobile base to the TS-10L, if you want it, and then it won't be integrated.
- a minor difference with the arbor lock. On the PM2000 it seems to be a slide into the arbor, with the TS-10L it is a pin.
- the colour,
- on the PM2000 the switch assembly attaches to the rail, on the TS-10L it attaches to the cabinet,
- the blade guards look different. On the PM2000 there is a steel channel over the saw blade with plastic/perspex guards on the side that hinge up from two points such that it would always be parallel to the table. On the TS10L the guard is a single piece that hinges up from the rear. (Mine is clear plastic.) The riving knives appear the same except for the mountings for the guards. The TS10L guard has a dust extraction point, can't see any on the PM2000 guard.
- extension table is an option on the TS10L (I didn't get one but may make my own) and seems to be standard on the PM2000 I have seen advertised but the manual shows it as an option.

The guys at Carbatec in Melbourne told me the parts were interchangable.

Can't see any other differences but there may be some and some of these mentioned above may be different on the Australian model. Can't recommend the TS10L highly enough but I imagine the PM2000 is equally as good. Big Shed is putting his together and posting the photos so watch his "The Eagle has landed" thread.

Bill

Martink, don't whether you followed bfx's thread about the TL10S, but Carbatec Melbourne sold them at $1795 and $1995 because they were getting out of them. It didn't sell too well at the catalogue price of $2795, the same as the TS12R which is very similar.

I got mine from C/tec Brisbane at $1995 delivered to Melbourne, one of 2 left in Brisbane the other one being on the floor.

When I bought mine I was told that although they had made a decision to stop bringing them in, that decision had now been reviewed and they were getting more in at the new price of $1995. I think at that price it will sell well, and give the TSC10HB a run for its' money, particularly for those people wanting a left tilt saw.

As bfx said, I'll be posting my experience with this saw here.

These saw are more of a mobile unit to use for on site work and I think that the motors are of the other type, like they are screamers as compared to the full cabinet saws which are generally quieter.

They also have a smaller table top as well.

All right BS's cool thread hasn't been touched for over a week now and I have another question that's been playing on ly mind since I went and spent an hour at TC last week.

I quickly realised that:

Yes, the "standard" sliding table was useless for handling full 1200x2400 sheets as I would have little chance at balancing a sheet on one of these tiny things so would have to make a whole bunch of in feed and outfeed tables anyway so it would all but defeat the purpose of of the slider in the first place.

BUT then I found and had a play with this TS 250 SC which, although still isn't a panel saw, looks like it was made for this sort of work.

The mechanism was a dream to operate (dry run of course) and had the capacity to mount a whole sheet on the slider. The slider runs right up to the blade (most of the others still have a painful bit of table between the slider and the blade. The slider has the capability of mitre.

Overall I was impressed.

What would be the disadvantage of losing any table of the left hand side of the blade? You could still run tenoning jigs etc down the right hand side.

Does anyone actually have one of these? I'll take on-board the past comments about the TS 250 and are willing to listen again but am particularly after comments on this model with this slider.

Ta

Hi, this message is for Bill or anyone else that can help. I have been looking around for a table saw with a sliding table that is accurate and under two grand. Not a hell of a lot out there that I can find, the only one i can come up with is Carbatechs $1600 MJ2325D. I have just read with great interest Bills' message about the Carbatech TS10L 1PH and the Triton sliding table. Being a newbie i have been looking at the forums for opinions on different table saws and the TSC10 seems to be the Holy grail in this price range, (some of you guys talk about these saws in an almost romantic way) so i was suprised and interested to read this thread and hear you guys saying that Carbatechs TS10L 1ph is a much better saw than the TSC10??? I have just been on Carbatechs site and can not find the TS10L PH anywhere, are they now discontinued? Also, how much for the Triton Maxi sliding table Bill? are they hard to fit? Any help would be appreciated, I just want a great table saw to love too,
Jamie.

IMHO ditch the idea of a sliding table....

Build a decent outfeed table....to the side and rear of the table proper and you will be able to cut the largest sheet.....just ensure that your fence can go to at least 1220mm....

When I was looking at buying my table saw I had most of the 'good' places warn me off sliding tables even though it meant loosing a an additional part of a sale....

i.e., "Keep you $500 - You don't need a sliding table with this saw....build an outfeed table...." I certainly don't miss a sliding table....I can cut anything.....especially when you through in a good cross cut sled into the mix....

Warren

Originally Posted by Eightball

Hi, this message is for Bill or anyone else that can help. I have been looking around for a table saw with a sliding table that is accurate and under two grand. Not a hell of a lot out there that I can find, the only one i can come up with is Carbatechs $1600 MJ2325D. I have just read with great interest Bills' message about the Carbatech TS10L 1PH and the Triton sliding table. Being a newbie i have been looking at the forums for opinions on different table saws and the TSC10 seems to be the Holy grail in this price range, (some of you guys talk about these saws in an almost romantic way) so i was suprised and interested to read this thread and hear you guys saying that Carbatechs TS10L 1ph is a much better saw than the TSC10??? I have just been on Carbatechs site and can not find the TS10L PH anywhere, are they now discontinued? Also, how much for the Triton Maxi sliding table Bill? are they hard to fit? Any help would be appreciated, I just want a great table saw to love too,
Jamie.

Eightball, Carbatec must still be selling the TS10L 1PH, as I got a PM from a new forumite last night who had just bought one from Carbatec.

I agree with Spartan that a sliding table isn't absolutely necessary, but having said that I adapted my Triton Maxi Sliding Table to fit on to the TS10L, see here.

My adaptation was based on Sturdee's original idea, see here, for the TSC10HB.

It isn't a hard mod to do, but I have to say that yesterday was the first time for quite a while that I put the Triton Maxi Sliding table on my saw. Very good for some of the larger panel work.

'Interesting to see the difference in HP of the motors, range from 1.75 on the Jets to 3HP.
Seems strange to have a 1.75HP motor on such a big saw, my Triton saw is more powerful than that!'

You may find that some saws (especially generic Chinese) overstate the power of the motor.

When the 3 HP Chinese motor on my tablesaw blew, I replaced it with a 2 HP Compton motor, and If anything it's stronger than the original 3 HP one. I was ripping some very old tough jarrah last night, and had no issues.

Not having a go at Chinese tools, even the shop I bought the replacement motor from said all their shop tools were Chinese. But the weakness tends to be in the motors, and when these blow you are better to replace it with a good Aussie motor.

So take the HP ratings with a grain of salt.

"So take the HP ratings with a grain of salt."

Indeed. A good quote I heard was "blue smoke ratings"! These high readings may show on the dynamometer scale for a second, mainly due to kinetic energy, but not a constant rating. Working such a motor at its quoted hp will certainly produce blue smoke. Not a pretty sight.

Eric

Thanks for the help, forgive my ignorance but what's a crosscut sled?

Eightball, one of the most powerful functions is search, look next to New Posts on the option bar.

If you type in "crosscut sled", you'll get a whole heap of threads that touch on the subject and will keep you busy for hours!

So, click on here and start reading.