Hello All!
I need some guidance here and I know this is the place for it. I’m looking for a jobsite tablesaw. I’m being asked by more and more family members throughout the midwest to come and help them with their projects and basically the tools that I bring to the jobsite are the tools that will be there. I feel that I need a table saw on the jobsite as I know that projects will include ripping and such that will require more than a person can do with a circ. saw and combination of other tools.
So I’m looking for mobility and also a good tool. I’ve read many of the reviews and seem more confused with the more reviews that I read here are the choices:
1. Bosch with wheeled stand
2. Ridgid with wheeled stand
3. Craftsman with wheeled stand
4. The new Jet jobsite saw with a wheeled stand of some sort.
5. Other suggestions
Also, for the price of some of these choices I’ve debated looking into the Festool Plunge cut saw, guide rails, dust extractor and the 1080 multi-function table.
The first major project is to redo a bathroom and build fireplace surround cabinets in a 3rd floor Brownstone in Hyde Park so am looking at mobility as a premium. Most bang for the buck is also important as there are always mroe tools to acquire than money to acquire them with.
I welcome any and all thoughts.
Thanks,
Mike
Replies
As far as bases, the Rousseau drop in table and outfeed tables really help make benchtop size saws do high quality work. I used to have one for my 10" Makita bench saw and was very happy. The saw was fine with an upgraded blade, but the non-standard miter gauge slots were a disappointment. I beleive the Rousseau makes the same tables to fit various other manufacturer's saws including Bosch?
ChestnutWwking,
Boy does this sound familiar!
I have the same requirements as you. I now use a combination of Festool equipment and a Ridgid TS2400 bench-top table saw. With the Festool set-up, you don't need anything more than a bench-top.
I did a side-by-side comparison of the Bosch 4000 and the Ridgid TS2400 in my shop, and found that I greatly favored the Ridgid. I use the Ridgid all the time now, and I love it.
Here's a link to my review of the Bosch and the Ridgid:
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=22638.1
And if you want more information about Festool, check out the Festool Owners Group, which I manage. Here's a link:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FestoolOwnersGroup/
Ridgid, Dewalt, and Bosch. In that order. They are all great saws. The Ridgid comes with the best waranty and if you don't like it you can take it back to Home Depot and get the Dewalt.
Mike
Also, for the price of some of these choices I've debated looking into the Festool Plunge cut saw, guide rails, dust extractor and the 1080 multi-function table.
The latest Fine Woodworking has a CD on them FUZZTOOLS.. I haven't looked cus' I can't afford.. You may! Take a look..
I have the RIDGID TS and happy with it.. Just me.. Has wheels BUT picking that sucker up to haul it someplace?????
EDIT:: I just re-read.. Maybe a different saw.. Anyway RIDGID is not that bad.. In fact pretty good...
Edited 10/27/2005 11:20 pm by WillGeorge
I've written before how I love the Ridgid TS2400 saw. But I agree with Will that the saw is pretty large. I would not want to haul it around too much. Mine stays in the shop.
I was in Home Depot yesterday, and noticed they reduced the price of the 3650 to $599.00. Now it's the same price as the 2400 with the stand???
Keep in mind that's a canadian price I'm quoting.
Cheers. Walker1
Walker1,
For me, I wanted something that took up less floor space, so I actually preferred the bench-top model. I just don't need a full-size saw with my Festool equipment.But if the price for the 3650 and 2400 are that close, I would imagine others would have a difficult time deciding!
Edited 10/28/2005 1:41 pm ET by MatthewSchenker
I'm a tool seller and have been for many years. The Dewalt and the Bosch are the 2 best saws for the contractor. The Dewalt is lighter and pulls fewer amps if you need to run it off a long extension. Any of the "name" saws will fit in Rousseau tables or stands. Check your model to get the correct one. My biggest problem with Rigid, is that it's Rigid! If there's a cheaper way to do anything the Home Despot will find it. So what's the real long term value of a product built buy a company that sqeezes their manufacturers so hard they bleed.
I sold 40-50 Dewalt's a years for many years. Of those saws, 1 to 2 would be returned with manufacturers defects. Of the one's returned I fixed 50% of them in my store sold them and never saw them again. The Dewalt's are a given and sold themselves. The bosch came out later and had some initial quality problems but ironed them out, and now they are the equal of the Bosch.
STAY AWAY FROM THE JET!! I sold my first one the other day and it was returned the day after. It's a dog with an undersized miter gauge groove and a miter gauge that fit's so poorly that it's useless. Which was the reason that my customer returned it. A great reason to never buy the newest model made by anyone. The customer winds up being quality control. I've got more, if your interested? Woody
woody,
I never tested the DeWalt. I used the Bosch 4000 and the Ridgid side-by-side in my shop, and I was very impressed by the Ridgid. Actually, I came into the test favoring the Bosch, because I've always had good experiences with Bosch tools.Before this, I had never considered Ridgid tools on way or the other, but the TS2400 made me start thinking more positively about them.
Edited 10/28/2005 3:04 pm ET by MatthewSchenker
is that it's Rigid! If there's a cheaper way to do anything the Home Despot will find it. YES but I LIKE MY TS!
Like 80% of the other contractors around I used Dewalt cordless tools for years. When my last set crapped out Home Depot was introducing their line of cordless tools. I got a 5 peice set thinking that there was no way to go wrong since they have a preformance garuntee. If you don't like it you can return it. Well I had the set for a little over a year and they were in almost al respects superior tools. The Dewalts are more cheeply made! The batteries lasted noticibly longer and the charger was light years better. Little things, like the blade gaurd on the circ saw is metal, Dewalt and Bosch are plastic and the set screws and levers stay tight instead of loosening after a few cuts. That set was stolen and I replaced it with another Dewalt set. At the time Dewalt offered a lot more cordless tools than Ridgid, and I wasn't certain if I was correct about the battery run times. After having the Dewalt set for 8 months or so I know for certain that the Ridgid set is better.
Ridgid tools are not cheep, why do you say they are "bleeding" the manufacturors? Do you know this for a fact? I watch stocks and the company making those tools is not "bleedng". They retail at the same prices as everyone else. Their tools are innovative and well designed. Look at their new line of nail guns, they included every feature we ever wanted in those guns; hose swivles, belt hook, quick jam clearing, easy selectable trigger (sequintial or contact), adjustable exaust port, easy counter sink adjustment, on and on. Name for me one other manufacturer that has all those features in their line up. Pluss if there is a problem Home Depot is every where. When one of my Dewalt batteries spontainiously died over night a while back I had to wait about 3 weeks before I had time to go to the service center to get a replacement (which they did with no questions) during that time I probably went to Home Depot 20 times. I live in the Dallas area and there are a few authorized service places around, what if you live in B.F. Oaklohoma?
Im not a Ridgid crusader. I only have one Ridgid tool , their awsome horizontal osscilitating belt sander. Oh, and the charger to the tools that were stolen ;-) But you are making broad seemingly baseless claims and are obviously a Ridgid basher. I wonder if that is because you can't carry their tools.......
Mike
Mike,
I'm in the market for air nailers, and I was looking at the Ridgids, which you mentioned in your last post.I've got several finishing jobs to do soon and I want to use a nailer.I'm wondering if anyone knows how the Ridgid nailers compare with the Porter+Cable kit (three nailers and a compressor) sold at Home Depot.
I stuck my Porter Cable Circular Saw under a piece of plywood once and was amazed at how good a portable table saw it made. Make some legs, route a miter slot and your good to go. Get a good thin kerf blade. I taped the trigger and rigged up a on/off switch.
My entire unit was made from one piece of 3/4" plywood, legs and all.
Used it on the job sites that way for several years.
PlaneWood by Mike_in_Katy (maker of fine sawdust!)
PlaneWood
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