I am looking into replacing my Ryobi 10” Table Saw with an actual table saw. I am budgeting around $1,000 for the replacement and am looking at something in the Contractor or Hybrid category that has a very good fence system and can cut straight lines with relative ease. As much as I would love to permenantely set the table saw up with infeed, outfeed and support tables, I have to respect the wishes of my wife and be able to move it out of the way and allow both cars to be parked when needed. I have built a work bench from plans from woodworking.com out of ¾” MDF. The cabinet has a space in the middle that is 45 ¼” wide by 25” deep and 36” from floor to bottom of bench top. Ideally I’d like to find a Table Saw that will, once on a mobile platform, be able to roll underneath for storage and roll out when needed.
Keeping in mind my budget and space wishes, I have been looking closely at the Jet 10” Pro Shop Saw Model # 708480K. My wife also likes the SawStop Contractor Saw and would be willing to extend the budget to around $1,800 to purchase the contractor model with full fence and mobile stand. However, that would mean waiting on the purchase for at least 6 months to a year. Any other suggestions?
Thanks!
Tim
Replies
Jet Pro Shop
The saw has some nice features, arbor lock(one wrench) Above table adjustments for 90&45 blade stop, good dust collection, fair power for a good hobby saw. My problem is with the fence. There is a learning curve to sliding the fence and locking it down. Not done properly the fence will wander off set position when you lock it in.
Can't comment on the saw stop contractor.
Jet Fence Issues
Has anyone else had problems with the Jet Fence? Is this a standard Fence that comes with the Jet or a T-Slot Style fence? The biggest problem I have with the Ryobi is the aluminum fence rails that never stay straight or locked down. Will the Jet accept a Biesmeyer Fence system? I wouldn't mind having to change out the fence for a good saw that will last.
Tim
Fence
The jet fence IS a Bisemeyer style fence, square tubular steel rail in front. From what I understand Biesmeyer designed the fence for jet. It's just that I'm used to the round pipe type rail and a mating round saddle that rides on the pipe, no room for slop.
on and off the fence
Yep, the Jet fence is a clone of the Biesmeyer and other T-square-style fences. The design advantage of these fences over old fence designs is that the "T" part provides a much wider bearing surface against a much stronger rail system. The back of the fence, however, floats free. So, in some cases it may be desireable to clamp the end of the fence down to the back rail.
Note, too, that Biesmeyer was bought by Delta a couple of years ago. That's why I used the term "clone" - I doubt that Biesmeyer is doing design work for competitive brands since being bought by Delta. But, they might have done so prior to the purchase.
The real issue here is being able to tune the saw so the blade is precisely parallel to the miter tracks. My friend's Jet contractor saw was a little difficult to tune, as the front trunion bolts were a little difficult to access. Once done, however, tuning the fence was easy.
If you aren't going to save up for the Saw Stop, I'd strongly think about the used market--Craigslist and the like. You should be able to find a good older Unisaw and have some change from your $1,000. They don't come with the riving knife of a new model, but if you can religiously use an aftermarket splitter, such as the Beisemeyer, you would get a VERY solid saw that will perform excellently. (Most tablesaws are about 34 1/2" high, and even with the mobil base should still fit in your 36" high bench opening. )
Get the best tablesaw you can afford
I second Steve's suggestion, if you're not going to save up for at least the 3HP Sawstop I would look for a good used Unisaw or Powermatic (66).
I have the Delta tilting arbor cabinet saw, little brother to the Unisaw, with a 2HP motor running on 220V. It's fine for softwoods and 4/4 hardwood but running thicker hardwood takes multiple passes, patience and putting up with some smoke from burning. I'm currently saving for the 5HP Sawstop.
Buy a saw that you'll be happy with for the next 30 years. If you see yourself working with thinner stock and accepting decent performance then maybe a contracter's model will be fine. If you see yourself trying woodworking as a profession or doing professional grade work and want a saw that doesn't require fussing with to do professional grade work; then get yourself a professional grade saw.
Recommend you try using a few saws before making a decision on what to buy. Look for woodworking programs (Rockler and Woodcraft offer some classes) where you might be able to test drive a few saws to get a feel of the difference in quality. If you feel that a contracter level saw gives you what you need then great, use the savings for other things. For me, I want to make furniture, instruments, tools, etc. and I'm tired of my saw slowing me down. Sure, I can get it to make good cuts but it takes more time, I would rather spend that time hand cutting dovetails, designing the next piece, etc.
I've got an old Delta (ancient, actually it's a Rockwell) contractor saw, it's given me yeoman service.
Were I to replace it, I'd go with the Sawstop. If you don't want to save, I, too, suggest you look at Craigslist. Also, check your local papers for auctions run by the city/county/state -- I've gotten some decent stuff from those.
Craigslist
Well I'd like to thank everyone for the advice. Right now I see just about any table saw as an upgrade! I have been scouring the classifieds and craigslist for the central Illinois region and have not found much of anything! I found a powermatic model on ebay for $850 in Chicago, but I would have to haul it the 150 miles south which could put a dent in the budget were I to have it shipped or require a day and some travel and hardwork to go load it myself and then unload it at the house. Its the closest thing to a possible yes so far.
As far as the type of wood working I want to do, I am not sure. I'm still very much a novice and this is a hobby for now. I'd like to see what it's like to make woodworking a profession, but finances won't exactly allow that at the moment. Most of the projects I can see doing right now are shop projects and props / sets for our church. I can also see making outdoor projects like a potter bench, stool, things of that nature. I would like to learn to build furniture / cabinets in the future, but not sure how many of my projects will end up in this category. Most will be props / sets and jigs / shop projects at the moment until my skills and tools improve.
Thanks
Tim
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When I first started in woodworking I had a Delta contractord saw and it did everything I needed it to do for quite a few years. I tricked it out and took care of it an ended up selling it for almost as much as I paid for it. I then went to a Powermatic 66, the one built her in America, and it's still going strong after 20 years of use, although now relegated mostly to cutting dadoes with the purchase of my MiniMax horizontal panel saw. I've got several larger machines in my shop from Grizzly and haven't had any major beefs or complaints with their equipment and their customer service has been the best , so don't be afraid to look at what they offer as they have some killer values.
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