Woodworkers? Table Saw - what to look for?

[george graves]

I need to pick up a decent table saw. Budget is $200 max.

What should I look for in a table saw? I assume a sturdy fence, and miter gauage...

Anything else?

I'm thinking of going with a craftsman.

Advice welcome.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&pid=00924885000&cat=Bench+Power+Tools&subcat=Table+Saws&vertical=TOOL&ihtoken=1

[AndrewBird]

Get one with AT LEAST 2HP, no less. The more the better (like with anything).

Really, other then quality of it, table saws are pretty much the same. Find something in your budget and get it.

You might try looking in the newspaper. There's always someone selling one in there.

[george graves]

2+ HP - good to know...

I'll be mostly ripping 3/4 and 1" MDF, and 13-14 layer 1" high quality ply...

Questions:

If I push on the end (weak end) of the fence with my index finger hard, how much deflection would a good fence give?

Do you recommend I upgrade the blade to a (bosch?) fine tooth blade for getting very clean edges?

[marakka]

check ebay for deals on table saws. Refurbished might be your best bet as it still is going to have a factory warranty but will come cheaper than a new unit. Unfortunately for 200 bones and using 3/4 MDF anything you get is going to pretty much suck if you do any volume at all with it.

[FredK]

Questions:

If I push on the end (weak end) of the fence with my index finger hard, how much deflection would a good fence give?

Do you recommend I upgrade the blade to a (bosch?) fine tooth blade for getting very clean edges?

Are you going to be doing production work? If you are going to be ripping 1"(!) MDF day-in day-out for something like cabinets, you will definitely need a saw with BALLS. That Craftsman is JUNK. Not worth $200. The fence is garbage, and the miter gauge is virtually useless. The blade support is extremely flimsy (as with most sub-entry level saws) so it will deflect a lot when you rip thick materials. This is the key factor that really differentiates junk saws from decent saws.

If I were you and had a very limited budget, I would look in Craigslist for older saws with cast iron tables that are around $350.

If you can't spare the room or can't deal with a super heavy saw, I'd look at the Dewalt jobsite tablesaw. It used to sell for like 5 bills but you can usually get them for around $300 on the used market. It is pretty much one of the few benchtop saws that has a useable fence. The Bosch 4000 jobsite saw is also well-regarded. This is pretty much the minimum I'd accept in a saw. It's around $400 or so brand new, so I'm sure you can shop around and get a decent deal somewhere.

If you use a cheap tablesaw you will waste a lot of time aligning the fence. You'll have to use a square to check it, and probably use supplemental clamps to hold it to the table. If you are making stuff like sub boxes etc. the squareness of the panels will not be as good as a quality tablesaw. You will waste a lot of time filling in gaps. And don't even try to get fancy and attempt miter joints.

For MDF you'll want a 60T alternate top bevel blade.

Your first project should be an outfeed table if you're going to be ripping large panels. It doesn't have to be pretty, just functional.

[StereoInstaller1]

As others have said: 2HP or bust. 240 or triple phase is not needed, no matter what the salesman says. DUST COLLECTION!!!! MDF boogers are the hardest substance known to man. I am gonna sacrifice the 2HP thing on my next one, but only because of the price. Look at this:http://www.deltamachinery.com/index.asp?e=136&p=5849 for about $1100, the thing just rocks. $250 should do for dust collection, a Harbor Freight special for now.

I will add:
Belt drive is an absolute MUST
Harmonic balancer is nice
I want left tilt, too. Both are ideal, but left is better than right.

I will not buy another saw until I see a Biesemeyer (sp?) rip fence, or equivalent. Delta bought Biesemeyer, so their saws have them.


When you buy your saw, expect to spend about $100 on a good blade. Since all I do is 3/4" MDF (and thicker) I use a "Full Kerf" which are hard to find...but they flex so much less, it is worth the hassle of finding. I use (I think) CDT (the only orange blade) but not because I know a bunch about blades, but it was the only full kerf I could find.

If you are talking any level of production, this saw is the absolute minimum I would think of. I do nothing but custom "one off" stuff, so my 1950 Craftsman is just fine...until I replace it.

Luke

[george graves]

Not doing any volume at all, much more of a hobby saw is what I need(not building a house or making cabinets!!!) - but need to make very - *VERY* accurate cuts.

Looks like I'll shop for something used with a cast iron table top if I can, and just feed my wood in a slow as I can!!!

I think I'll invest in a large square, and a large clamp to steady the end of the fence.

That should do it?

[StereoInstaller1]

Not doing any volume at all, much more of a hobby saw is what I need(not building a house or making cabinets!!!) - but need to make very - *VERY* accurate cuts.

Looks like I'll shop for something used with a cast iron table top if I can, and just feed my wood in a slow as I can!!!

I think I'll invest in a large square, and a large clamp to steady the end of the fence.

That should do it?

George, if you are buying this saw for a single project...find one to borrow. It is a shame I am not ready to buy my new one, you could use the one I have now.

Find an old Craftsman Model 100. They are out there.

Luke

[LINUS]

What about just getting a worm drive circular saw, and a cutting fence that you clamp down? That's what I do, and it's as accurate as any table saw in the price range you are trying to hit.

[FredK]

Good call Linus.

Getting a panel jig is pretty damn accurate and if you want to spend around $200 your cuts will be WAY more accurate than a $200 tablesaw.

[Jscotty]

I would have to ask how important is it that the cuts are straight. And this is not to be sarcastic but sometimes people need a table saw to make several pieces of scratch cuts.

I build protective shipping frames for the 6 and 8 foot pictures created at the local art school and it requires me to use triangular and rectangular pieces of 1/4" plywood to bridge the 1x4 strips together. Being that these are not really precision cuts, I use an $88 table saw made by Delta.

Being that you are using MDF I am assuming that you are doing higher quality projects that require more of an accurate cut. And if the project is really important, I would suggest not even attempting to skimp on the price.

[AndrewBird]

How accurate do you want? I mean, ANY table saw should be able to get within 1/8" AT MOST from the marked line. If you're building with MDF, I assume you will be covering your projects, so why do you need it PERFECTLY accurate?

I agree with the worm drive idea. Pick up one of these babies:

http://www.skiltools.com/en/AllTools/Category/Product/default.html?pid=HD5860&cid=192162

And your set.

[E30Driv3R]

you need any saws, contact me, i can get any thing u want in any price range. My father owns a saw shop and can get any thing u want.

[delatlanta1281]

You guys may laugh at me, but I sold them when they were made in Paris Tn, and they still rule even after going overseas.

This is a contractor saw, but comes with a full size miter guage, indexing 10 inch blade, extendable right side table, and one of the best rip fences for a portable saw on the market. It weighs @ 75lbs, can sit on sawhorses or the back of a truck, and has a dust shoot you can hook a full size wetdry vac up to. It even has an erasable part on the table to mark the kerf of the blade.
It is direct drive, and a 3/4 hp motor I believe. That being said it is a Miter saw turned upside down. It's loud but will cut through a peice of 3/4 ply easily. I own one and I own a larger stationary belt driven Ridgid. Also A radial arm. The little guy is by far my fave. And it is cheap. With a lifetime warranty I believe.

[DanielRiddle]

If you are not going to build a production I'd rather recomend you to have a look on miter saws. It would me much cheaper and more useful in case of different crafts. I have hitachi #3 here : https://allaboutsaws.com/best-miter-saw/. It is really worth its money. But if you are going to cut big MDF plates it won't work for you.