Thread: Time for a table saw upgrade- Advice needed on contractors saws!

Originally Posted by hellofellow

Interested if anyone has the carbatec contractors CTJ 650:
https://www.carbatec.com.au/machiner...-6kg-147-13-13

I reckon 1.5HP is a bit light on even for a 10" saw.
The fully machine cast iron top looks and would be nice.

2. Woodman SB10
http://www.majorwoodworking.com.au/woodworking/saw-cutting-machines/tablesaws/woodman-sb1012os-tablesaw-1

The 2HP motor is somewhat better than the CT model and the full cast iron top is good.
The blade guard blocks the view - I would dice that immediately.

3. Hafco SB 12
http://www.machineryhouse.com.au/W452

I have a different branded but identical one of these saws.
The slotted cast iron table wings are a PITA - and would be my biggest reason for upgrading.
The fence is fine but it requires a bit of adjustment.
Being able to drive a 12" blade and the bigger motor is a plus.
Mine requires a 15A socket so you might have to check that

The dust collection on all TS is very poor but is especially bad on contractor saws.
Fortunately improvements underneaths are relatively straightforward because the top cabinet and legs can be easily separated and a hopper leading down to a 6" duct can be inserted in between the two.
The blade guards are woeful at dust collection and they would have to be remade.

Hi Andrew,

I have that carbatec contractors saw, I've had it for almost a year now. It was bought off a friend who upgraded.

So far it has performed quite well for standard work, even cutting dados. For me the 1.5hp motor has been fine for this and I have never experienced any issues, however I always make sure to take a few light passes.

Having two cast iron extensions has definetely been a good thing, when I first got it I just had to shim them to level with the middle section. Looking at the Hafco machine I think I would dislike the fact that the table does not extend to the end of the rails. I also dislike the slotted wings on it.

Just to further what BobL said, dust collection is terrible, however like he suggests I am in the middle of building a cabinet for the table saw to stand on. It will also have an extended table for the right hand side as I have had trouble cutting wider boards without it.

The fence is average, and required a lot of fiddling to make it sit square.

Overall I'd be happy to buy this saw again, however one major bonus of the jet would be the left tilting blade.

Hopefully this all helps,

Deverell

Sent from my SM-G900I using Tapatalk

I've had the Carbatec contractors saw for 6 months and my experience is overall positive, but fair warning it's my first table saw so I don't really have a lot of practical comparisons.

The good:
* Packed well and delivery quickly (interstate)
* Cast iron top was dead flat
* Alignment of the arbor and fence was spot on out of the box (as far as I could measure)
* Pretty quiet

Not so good:
* Instructions for assembly were awful
* The cast iron wings aren't a flush 90deg. While the top was great, the sides contain a lot of grinding marks & blue paint which I think is throwing off the alignment. It's only slightly off so I've not bothered to fix it yet, I plan to put in a router attachment later on to save some room in my garage so will think about it then. (I just noticed Deverell's comments about the shim, I would love to see what you used).
* Fence is only square when fully tightened. It makes positioning the fence annoying as I have to anticipate the movement a bit (this could be my issue, I haven't tried tuning it).
* Guard and splitter are a bit rubbishy, but better than nothing
* Splitters attach to a fixed point behind the saw so you can't use it for angled cuts

I replaced the metal panel at the back where the motor protrudes with my own panel I could swivel away to give me access to clean it out. Felt to me that part of the design wasn't really well thought through, you need to detach the entire motor & belt to remove the panel otherwise.

Feel like I've ranted on the negatives a bit, but it's done me well so far and I'd make the same choice again given the same budget.

Ironik, what you said about the fence only being square when tightened is completely true. I would love to replace the fence entirely, but that's cost prohibitive.

For shimming I read some things online and just used regular printer paper as was suggested by some. I tried to use long strips along the length of the table. It's not entirely level though so I may have another go once I have this new base built.

Thanks for the advice and input all.

It sounds as if the Hafco and Woodman may be slightly better than the Carbatec- although still an adequate saw.

I wonder how much even the Carbatec at the lower end of contractors saws would be an improvement on a site saw? Ie currently I have the Metabo, but could buy a dewalt 7491- another site saw but with a good rack and pinion fence and larger rip capacity. Although it comes in at a similar price to the Carbatec.

Here is the Dewalt- with larger rip capacity and improved fence!
http://www.dewalt.com.au/powertools/...catno/DWE7491/

What do you guys think- high end site saw Vs lower end contractors saw?

That being if even the lower end of the contractors saw were a big improvement on these higher end site saws I might as well bite the bullet and get one.

Also It sounds as if the Carbatec saws fence is a little bit of an issue unless tweaked- what are the options for aftermarket fence systems for the Carbatec? Is it viable/ can the carbatec accommodate an after market fence?

Thanks again

Andrew

I brought one of these which was at the time branded as Major, and have been very pleased with it. The table top is flat, fence and rails are solid and made from steel, and it runs very quietly with virtually no vibration. It came with a 12" blade even if only a cheapo, but cuts quite okay. There is a plastic funnel in the bottom to hook up dust extraction (only 4"). Solid cast iron extension wings so nothing gets caught. It will accept a dado blade if you want to use one down the track. They are 2hp so will run off a normal 10amp outlet.
It appears they have gone up a bit in price since I got mine, but I believe they are a good saw for the money.

Hi again Andrew,

Originally Posted by hellofellow

What do you guys think- high end site saw Vs lower end contractors saw?

I think that depending on what you are doing and how much room a "proper" table saw will take up it's worth it by far.

You'll have a lot more difficulty cutting larger sheets, or even boards with a small site saw.



As for aftermarket fences carbatec sell https://www.carbatec.com.au/machiner...10hb-2-cartons
It says it can be attached to any saw, just have to drill a few holes in the cast iron.

Hi all,

I have narrowed down my options:
The Hafco SB12 is out of the question due to the requirement of a 15A socket. Although the extra power would be nice I think at this stage 1.5-2HP will be adequate, particularly in comparison to my site saw.

I live in QLD and the woodman is in Sydney, so I imagine postage will probably bring it up to the price of the jet regardless. I have asked for a quote but doubt it will be viable. If it is, It seems it is a good compromise between JET and Carbatec.

So it really comes down to the carbatec or the JET. ( although the Jet budget is pushing it)
If I am still doing this hobby in a few years, I can always make another upgrade.
If I got the carbatec, I could also add a better fence down the track.

I imagine the carbatec will still be a considerable upgrade on a site saw? including the dewalt above... If this is the case, I might grab this one and see how I go for a few years.

Unless anyone has any other contractors saw suggestions?

Cheers,

Andrew