Hey everyone, I have been using an old Walker Turner cabinet saw for a while and though it’s a good table saw it lacks the ability to use a dato stack which I’d rather enjoy having. So I’m looking into but another saw on a budget and found these but I don’t know if there really worth it or if they’d be a waste of both time and money.
1. https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/329305689866008/
2. https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/861873029017915/
3. https://m.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1257489418296592/
That jet is mainly there for the name. I know Jet is a good brand but I couldn’t tell you anything about that particular model.
Replies
I would have the same comments about all 3. I owned an old Rockwell when I first started woodworking about 50 years ago. I bought it used. It was old and really used then. Since Rockwell hasn't made those saws probably since before that point in time, I'd say that one is very old and very used. There was a lot of runout on mine and I would expect the same on the one online. The others look in about the same condition and probably about the same age. It depends on what you want from the saw. If they're free, then nothing lost (or cheap like $25 - $50). However, don't expect much from them. The Rockwell saw was at least probably decent to begin with. I'm not sure the others (especially the small Jet) were good to begin with. You might be better off finding a new jobsite saw, depending on what your needs are. It would certainly be more accurate and give you better results. Dewalt, Bosch, and Sawstop make good ones. They would, however, be more expensive. If you're merely looking for something cheap, then go for the used one you noted.
If ya hafta ask ya probly suspect the answer. Save up & buy once, cry once. Buying something you can call the last one you'll ever need is worth it in many wys.
I would not use a dado stack on such a small saw. It's not a matter of capability, more one of danger. Dado blades have to be used unguarded and represent a phenomenally more significant injury risk. On a small saw they take a very long time to slow down and there is a need to maintain pressure closer to the blade due to the lack of outfeed support.
This can be mitigated by embedding the motor unit in a much larger table surround, but then you have the additional expense and effort of making a more robust and worthwhile fence system.
Dado blades are massively over-rated.
They are advantageous in production settings where you have to cut consistent deep rabbets and dadoes. They are easy because you have the table saw table and fence.
I would argue that in almost all circumstances, a router with a dado jig is a superior way of cutting dadoes and far safer. It's how I do it unless I've a big run to do and I've got a massive saw.
The only router problem is that you can't size the dado to your wood - it has to be the other way round, but this is only an issue for plywood users in the USA who can't seem to bring themselves to buy metric bits, instead preferring 'undersized' imperial alternatives. Either way works but plywood IS metric sized so metric bits make sense.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ox5BD3B77oA - how to use a plunge router depth gauge.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYLiiWBSaPc - amongst other things, shows how a professional makes and uses a jig to cut dadoes with a router.
I've got a large, (I don't remember hp but it was the largest that a regular Jo could get 4 years ago) Makita router and a router table I made which I'm sure I could try making dados on and which I probably will until I save enough money for a suitable table saw. I've had this dado stack for a while and still haven't been able to use it. Guess I'll have it for a while longer hanging around lol.
A stacked dado blade is not all it's cracked up to be. Sure it cuts wide full depth cuts in one pass, but it usually requires a good amount of fiddling to get that done. There is the initial blade change, usually followed by at least 2 attempts to dial in the perfect width using various shims, think of these as additional blade changes because that's essentially what you must do. I don't know about you but most woodworkers go out of their way to avoid changing blades on tablesaws, in fact they invented an entire category of blades, combination blades, just so we wouldn't have to.
Cutting dado & grooves is not always practical on a router table, especially with larger work pieces. Since removing your one router from your router table is probably even less attractive that changing a blade, I suggest you invest in a second router that you can have available for many other tasks. A shop with one router is greatly undeserved, especially if it is in your router table. I personally have 8 routers of varying sizes and functionality. A quality 2¼ hp router is a tremendously versatile and powerful shop tool.
It is relatively simple to construct an adjustable jig to cut grooves (technically dados are cut with the grain and grooves across it) in a workpiece that will let you dial in perfectly fit grooves everytime on the first try. Long dados can either be cut on your router table or using either an edge guide or a shop constructed straight edge quide, although there are commercial products available as well, such as router guides using tracksaw rails.
This reply is long enough but if you want more info on how to do this just ask.
And here I was feeling a little silly about having 3 routers. Your 8 makes me feel less silly, appreciate it.
In my defense, 2 are actually motors semi-permanently mounted in my router table and a Panarouter. Two are classic PC 690's I inherited from my grandfather, one of which stays configured for use with my dovetail jig. Then I have a 2¼ Elu, the Swedish predecessor to the current Dewalt designs which I still love, a monster 3¼hp Dewalt that always felt heavy and awkward to use and is now relegated to hogging off large quantities of wood on the few occasions when I need to flatten slabs and has been replaced for most handheld routing tasks by my Festool OF 2200, hands down the most pleasant router I have ever used. It has all the power of the Dewalt but feels much more agile and lighter in the hand. My collection wraps up with a Makita trim router kit with all 3 bases to handle the more delicate tasks.
There are a number of reasons these old saws are probably a questionable buy, but the biggest one is that they are old, don't look in good shape, and their accuracy is probably not good. Plus, of course, they could also have some safety issues. There are always ways to do various tasks that many people do on tablesaws (like dadoes), but it seems to me you want a saw that actually produces good quality results. There are basic tablesaw tasks that require accuracy and precision to get good results even if you rout your dadoes and rip on a bandsaw. If you're going used, keep looking for a saw in excellent condition and in the price range you want. If possible, ask the owner if you can make some cuts with it and check the result. As I said before, there are good job site saws available these days. They are accurate, have safety features, and probably at least the same power that (or more than) these old used saws would have. Plus, most are mounted on fold-up stands and can be easily moved out of the way when not in use giving extra space. I'd advise checking those out before buying one of the saws you referenced or something similar. Don't know your price range but sometimes it's better to keep using what you have until you can afford a new saw, a bigger saw, or a used one in much better condition.