Thread: Do table saws really last a life time?

alright,
some people have to keep touching the fire to see if it's still hot

you know what i mean

And some just don't learn.


He got new bearing for both of them as has asked me to fit them for him.
But with melted cases and bearing sleeves it isn't going to happen.
Australia have discontinued the parts here thats why I need to find the US equivalent. the 744 and 744S all use the same parts but the 744X in US are different parts?
Don't want to order if they are wrong.

and of course I need 2 cases and if its the one I think they only have 1 in stock....

Ah well, its been dead for a year so he can wait for more I guess.

I bought a Jet Contractor Saw with cast iron table back in 2000 as I was running a cabinet making business from home. I changed one of the cast table leaves so I could add a sliding table so I could handle sheet material. The exercise turned out well and it performed for me all that I asked of it. Around Christmas time, last year, I bid on a SCM industrial sized Panel Saw with scribing blade and was surprised when I only had to pay $510 and that included a small dust extractor. The SCM would be a 1982 model. It does show its age, mainly in dull and chipped paint work but everything works. And after I lubricated the moving parts it works even better. It had a noise that has only got worse so I put a new set of bearings in the main spindle and now it will be good for another 30years or so.
The Jet is still here, and i will keep it set up to cut tennon cheeks as well as dado cutting because the SCM won't take a dado set due to its spindle system.
So in answer to your question......you will get an awful lot of work out of a table saw, but choose wisely, and really they haven't changed since the first on was built. OK a few refinements but basically they haven't changed and also they won't change in the future. A new set of bearings, to me is a "cosmetic" repair because it is so simple to do and extends the machines life by years. I did check the motors bearings while I was at it but the were fine. But I had to change the motor bearings in the Three Phase Rotary Converter as they were sounding gravelly. That particular motor would have to be 40-50 years old and still runs smoothly today.
Don't buy junk, buy good and look after it and it could out last you

I think the older ones are better as the casings are all metal.
If bearing go its change the bearings.

The latest models all seem to use plastic casing on motor and the saw itself so you need to check everything before you start to see if its still in good order.

My 8 yr old JET Supersaw and all other Jet gears are going very well. Yes you do need to look after them and give them a run around to keep them healthy. I expect them to last a very long time.