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Thread: Another table saw review
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19th May 2020, 11:55 AM #1Novice
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Another table saw review
Hello everyone,
This is my first post. I have been lurking for a few months and see so much great info on here, so would be good to be a little more involved.
I thought what better way to start contributing value than a review so here it goes.
I am a beginner into this hobby and the bug has bitten somewhat hard. I see myself building toward making furniture, for our home mostly, along with renovation projects for our newly acquired home. If i can reach a point where my wife is happier with something i have made rather than shop bought, then that would validate this whole hobby for me.
My first significant purchase has been a table saw. I am an engineer by profession and my purchasing decisions are what some have described as "long drawn and rigorous" to say the least. I spent quite some time researching (on this forum and others) prior to deciding on my purchase. I will describe why i bought what i bought, and how i feel about the unit some months down the track.
I did not have a budget in mind, but value was key. So if i needed to spend $3-4K to get what i needed, then so be it. But if those needs can be met with much less "investment", then anything more becomes an exercise in ego-stroking. Accuracy or at least the ability to tune in accuracy is important, but probably more than that is precision. I dont need to rip long boards with 1 thou squareness, but what i do have i would like to be repeatable and consistent.
I decided a cabinet style was a must (ruling out contractor style saws), with a cabinet mounted mechanism, a decent size table flat table (30 inch capacity being sufficient for 90% of the time), easy enough to tune (level, square, parallel etc), decent dust control and a well regarded fence system. Did i miss anything?
Safety is of course hugely important, but i see the user (attitude, practices, habits) as being more critical to this than particular unit features. A moving riving knife is a given, but ultimately no machine can account for one's stupidity, complacency or laziness.
I looked at all the known suppliers and brands, and quickly ruled out Sawstop, Laguna and some of the smaller resellers. Living in Melbourne made it easy to inspect the offerings from Timbecon, Hare and Forbes and Carbatec. Leda does not seem too interested in this product range (the unit on display at their showroom was covered in dust and quite beat up). The Harvey 110LGE-30 reviews very well (including the Grizzly equivalent overseas) but not being able to see one in person was an issue. Big Boyz toyz had a ripper price going at the time but i was unsure of future support so decided to decline on this one. I also looked at used offerings, but what was available at the time and the asking prices did not seem congruent with the compromises needed to be made.
At the end of the day i went with the Carbatec TS250P. The Timbecon equivalent was interesting (and their 5 year warranty) but being out of stock at the time made this inconvenient. The units themselves did not seem to differ greatly for my needs, along with the TS254 which maybe is 1/2 a step down?, but local support did come into it. The carbatec staff came across to me as more knowledgeable. I should also mention that the salesperson i spoke to at timbecon made some very obviously incorrect comments during a chat that sort of turned me off them at that stage. I should say that since then ive found timbecon to be really good.
Here are my thoughts 3 or so months after purchasing:
- Generally i am very happy with the unit with no major issues.
- Initial set-up was relatively straightforward, but certainly some time is needed for alignment and calibration. Getting the iron wings level is a pita, but getting the fence parallel wasnt too bad. the saw was parallel with the mitre slots from the box, so im not sure what this process is like. I feel that access to a calibrated straight edge and a square is a must. I did also use a dial indicator bolted into the mitre gauge (with adjustable width guide) as a nice way to quantify. Got this down to 0.08mm over the length of the fence which for me is more than acceptable. Lets see if this varies over time.
- I did not buy any sort of portable base initially, but did end up building a dolly on castor wheels for it. The ability to move the unit around my workshop is more important than i thought it would be.
- Dust extraction is still tba as i havent yet finalised my system.
- Power is more than acceptable, and have not had any issues so far in cutting 18mm stock as well as some softer hardwoods.
- Noise level is also pretty good, it seems that the belt drive induction motor makes a big difference compared to contractor style units.
- The one annoyance so far is with the included insert which does not sit flush with the table as i believe it may be bent slightly. I will verify this and may go back to carbatec.
Overall, the table saw has met my expectations and the experience of using it is a good one. My thinking is that if you are looking to buy a table saw and see your hobby as more than just a passing fad, and of course have the funds available, then the $2k mark represents a sweet spot for most people.
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24th May 2020, 01:17 PM #2
Hi and welcome to the forum.
A very good and detailed review. You have raised the bar for first posts too.
Regards
John
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24th May 2020, 09:33 PM #3GOLD MEMBER
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throw a couple of pics?
nice write up, how was the manual? the 3x carbatec tools i've bought so far have had WOEFUL manuals in terms of english comprehension, actually describing what it wants you to do and low res B&W pics.
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24th May 2020, 10:05 PM #4
I got one of these about a month ago and the manual was.......ordinary but far from the worst I've seen. Some of the manual was as clear as mud but the looking at expanded parts diagrams at the end of the manual (which are spot on) cleared up those "I'm not entirely sure what they're trying to say here" moments. Happy with my one, it's not perfect but for two grand it's a bargain IMHO.
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25th May 2020, 05:21 PM #5Novice
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The manual is ok and gives the impression that carbatec did read it (and perhaps even edit?), which is not something i can say for other TS manuals i reviewed. Note it can be viewed on their webpage for the table saw. But yes the pics diagrams can certainly be improved.
I did refer to the manual to assemble, but if one did not have a copy, and they knew how to handle a socket wrench etc, they would be ok.
Regarding pics, im happy to upload something about the saw specifically that anyone is interested in.
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17th June 2020, 12:07 AM #6Novice
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Thank you Chris
I seem to be in a similar position to you in looking for the "correct" table saw for my needs. I've been bitten by the woodworking bug and after many many nights of research I've found myself at an impasse to which cabinet saw to purchase. Again, like you one of my most important metrics is the reliability of precision of the unit in question which also includes the fence and related alignment systems.
The Carbatex TS250P has been high up on my list but have been concerned with recent reviews around the Chinese cast iron plates being nothing really close to flat, the mitre slides and fence mountings not having the required tolerances for repeated precision of measurements. You review allayed most of my concerns and am likely to go and take a look at these units in person.
That said, may I ask what the insert was that you had trouble with? Was it corrected in the end?
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17th June 2020, 12:27 PM #7
The table insert is a stamped steel piece that is kinda flimsy and has little weight to it, besides being maybe not entirely flat, with the end result being that it doesn't sit in position in an entirely convincing manner. I'm not the only owner of this saw that has bought the after market zero clearance insert, which is excellent but it's $159--------> Zero Clearance Insert to suit Carbatec TS-C250P | Carbatec
Apart from that mine went together like a dream, no worries leveling the wings as they bolted on level straight out of the box, and the fence and the blade were just about spot on too. I've been over mine with a dial gauge and an angle box checking everything and I'm bloody impressed with mine. The T-Glide fence in particular is really solid and a huge upgrade from those typically found on contractor saws.
The dust collection from the blade guard isn't stellar with my generic 2hp dusty but it empties from the cabinet well enough. I'm thinking of blocking off where the hose from the blade guard joins the main port on the side of the cabinet and using my shop vac to scavenge from the blade guard instead. The other really minor quibble is that when you tighten the locking knob on the blade lift you have to hold the main handle to stop that turning as well. Ideally it would be nice to be able to lock the lift with one hand to leave one free to maybe be holding a ruler while measuring how far the blade is protruding but that's just being picky.
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