I am looking to purchase a table saw for some woodworking I am doing soon. I have a compound mitre saw, so this is going to be for cutting long lengths of plywood and similar cuts and I would like to have smaller portable or foldable saw to save space.
Does anyone have any personal experiences with table saws. So far I am looking at these but all suggestions are welcome.
Our ryobi one shit the bed after only 2 years (but we used it almost everyday)
i’m pretty sure that we have a craftsman one now that has been reliable since the other one broke
both were pretty good machines, the craftsman one has a TERRIBLE locking guide on it. I don’t know about the one you’re looking at, but i’m assuming they have gotten better
edit: What kind of a chop saw do you have?
And it always helps to have a jigsaw, we use a bosch one, it’s probably one of the better ones i have used, and it’s alteast 3+ years old by now
If you want something small for space, You would probably like a non “compact” folding stand style. And just a normal table saw you set on horses, a table, or just use on the ground better. Lower the blade, take the fence off and you can stick it anywhere, in your garage, no BS legs with it. You probably don’t need a 10" saw ethier, but not many make a 8/8 1/4s saws anymore. I used mine daily, I liked it alot for moving everyday. You can rip a full sheet of ply, or 2x lumber still with them. Just get somthing with some balls, 15amps maybe 12. Or used check craigslist, theres lots that only were used 1-3 times.
For a 10, I’ve had 2 makitas that were nice, just bigger and heavier to move all the time on jobs. Newest is the 2703 and like it I comfortable with it, but like it better then other I’ve used.
if you will be taking the saw with you, then legs are better. You can fold it out and roll it out, or set it up anywhere in your house if you’re remodeling
if you don’t plan on moving it, then a stationary table saw that you can set up on horses works fine. Our crafstmen one was stationary, but when our ryobi one took a shit we built the CM onto the wheeling/portable stand thing
I bought the craftsman 10 inch compound miter saw the other day.
One of my main concerns is the fence. I’ve used a few that when locked, were not even close to straight. I had to re adjust it each time I ripped something. So if I could find something that stayed true without having to worry about it, I would be happy.
I’ve checked craigslist and most of the ones on there are either 20 years old and huge, or the cheapest craftsman model available. So I figured I’d just buy new.
Not sure off hand, I can check when I’m at my parents. Either way I’ve heard nothing but great reviews on Ridgid quality and if it does suck Home Depot has a great return policy.
I bought a cheap 10" craftsman saw. Has the folding detachable legs and a bag.
Its “okay” but I would not buy again. The fence moves on me, and the controls have gotten sticky and tough to move. It has done the job, but I would spend an extra $100 and get something better. This saw was like $140.
If money was no object, I’d get a Bosch saw with the bosch gravity stand.
We use a Bosch at work right now, kinda heavy, but the stand folds.
The most portable and easy to use fence we’ve found was a DeWalt. We broke to of them but something tells me your not going to be ripping 5/4 by 12 pieces of oak with it. This one comes with a stand, I’d shop around on the price as it seems a bit expensive.
^ thanks for the advice, sounds like you use these on a regular basis. I went to Home Depot today and took a look around. The Ridgid below was a really nice sturdy piece and the fence just glided along without getting stuck like a lot of the others, but $500 for a saw is a little out of my price range. The Dewalt was the same thing nice but priced high. I wish I could find the Ridgid one in stores for $300 refurbished, I’d be all over it.
Somebody is selling the Ridgid on craigslist for $425, but wasn’t interested in coming down in price when I called him.
Got to use that Hitachi you were considering today. One of the guys I’m working with has one. Thing has some good power. More of a high pitched motor sound, pretty loud, but seems like its actually a pretty good deal for that price.
