New wood worker needs advise on Tablesaw
I am a beginning wood worker who has many years of experience repairing interior pieces and making small projects with hand tools. But I am building a house and have designed the garage to hold both a car and a shop….and I am hoping to start a more active wood-working hobby. So the question I have for the more seasoned veterans is what is a good table saw for someone who needs to move up from a circular saw….but is not an experienced cabinet guy. I hope to ultimately build cabinets and furniture for my wife of 35 years who wants me to and encourages me with cautions of ‘don’t over tool yourself at the start’. However I don’t want to buy a cheap saw that I will need to replace in 6 months or one that will not hold a straight line or cut a thick board…so any suggestions?
Replies
You are right to not over do it with your tools. If you buy reasonable quality you'll be able to buy more tools, which in the long run for a hobby will give you better results.
I haven't surveyed all the saws, so can't objectively compare or recommend any as being superior. But I will say a 10" blade is good for the type of work you describe. I think you'll be unhappy with an 8" blade. I've had a Sears Craftsman for 20 years and it has been fine in every respect except suitability for hooking up to a dust collector. There are very few table saws that are set up by the manufacturer to accept dust collection.
I also recommend using the blade guard, and learning about table saw safety. The table saw is one of the most dangerous of all the common stationary power tools, and has to be used correctly.
For furniture and cabinets I also recommend a decent "chop saw" (power miter saw) for your cross cuts, though you can do cross cuts on a table saw if you make yourself a sled.
Thanks....good advice and I'll keep searching.
Chase
Being a beginer myself, can't tell you what to buy, but can tell give you some advice on at least one manufacturer - stay away from Ryobi. I have owned a BT 3000 and it is better than a circular saw upside down on a piece of plywood, but barely. I have an older Jet contractor saw and it is a well made machine, and I am happy with it's performance, but I am sure that a cabinet saw would be much better. However, I only had $300 hundred to spend on a saw, so a cabinet saw was out of the question. If you do a search on the threads on knots, you will find a lot of discussion on various tablesaws. If you check out the threads, I think you will find that a lot of people think a lot of the Grizzly cabinet saw, but at aroung 1k, is that in your budget? If you check the Ridgid saw, which got good reviews from the woodworking magazines, you will find that saw is having some problems with it's arbor. If you can afford a cabinet saw, I would go for it - particularly look at the Grizzly which seems to offer a lot of value for the $.
A cabinet saw....OK....now can these be moved around in the shop? I've seen commercial cabinet shops that have large machines that are really fixed. I was hoping to be able to move the equipment to respond to different tasks, without the large area for dedicated stations. Your thoughts?
Chase
If you're looking for something smaller and easy to use, and mainly for lighter duty work (though not neccessarily limited to), there are some pretty accurate and powerful benchtop saws on mobile stands on the market. I've used the dewalt, bosch, and ridgid quite a bit, and those three are generally the top three in any comparative tests i've seen on benchtop tablesaws. Of those three, i liked the bosch and ridgid best - the bosch is more powerful, but the ridgid has better features and isn't as expensive. They both now come with stable, easy to use rolling/folding stands. If you're interested in a portable saw, i'd be happy to elucidate on my likes and dislikes of these models.
Jesse David
"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before," Bokonon tells us. "He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way."
Edited 1/29/2005 9:38 pm ET by JesseDavid
Thanks for the info....I'm not sure a table top saw will do. I don't have a table....and I need something that will be sturdy and large enough for ripping sheet goods. But I'm not sure what the options are....portability within the shop seems to make sense....but don't plan on moving in out of the shop....money is important but long lasting is just as important. One of the other guys suggested a cabinet saw...your suggestions would be appreciated.
Not "over tooling" usually means you'll soon be buying another tool.
Give serious consideration to what you plan on using the saw for in the future. Myself, I use a lot of sheet goods and have never cut anything thicker than 2X material. I needed "enough" saw but couldn't afford a cabinet saw. I ended up buying a contractor saw with a 50 inch fence. For me, it has worked out great.
The only down side I've found to the contractor style saws is dust collection. I haven't done it yet, but I plan to enclose the back of the saw to improve this. The likelyhood of me upgrading is somewhere between slim and none, for two reasons. The first is the cost. The second, I don't feel any need to.
For something in between, there are the hybrid saws. Basically, they're contractor saws with enclosed cabinets. Possibly the best of both worlds, but at an additional cost.
Edited 2/1/2005 2:09 pm ET by wooden splinter
Thanks...I'll keep looking.
Chase
Personal preference is a General 10 inch floor model. Great for cabinetry and
general ripping.
What model General do you have? I am looking to buy a General International and would like to get some feedback.
Thanks,
Dante
I am an old woodworker (but not a really good one). Here us my advice - buy the best you can afford, then spend a little more to get an even better one. I have wasted a lot of money over the years, buying tools I thought I could afford, getting poor work out of them for years then spending the money to get a better tool later, only to find the "budget tool" had little or no resale value. On the other hand, I have had great service from my Delta Unisaw and could probably sell it today for more than I paid.
Keith
Thanks for responding....will take your advice.
Chase
This is truth.I can't endorse this idea enough. I have gone without tools rather than buy cheap and I've been delighted. So I suffered :-) without my Delta bandsaw for years but when I came up with the $800 - wow - 2 years now without a hitch, easy to setup, etc....Don't rush to fill your shop. Start with a good table saw and a good power miterbox (I have a Hitachi with a 60 tooth blade), a good handheld jigsaw for curves (lot cheaper than a good bandsaw and can do much of the work)Keep a list of the tools you'd like (or cut out pictures from the tool crib catalog and tack them to your shop wall) but don't be wedded to a particular brand.When you have the cash buy one of the tools from your list - the one you wished you had the most while working in the shop - learn to use it then wish for the next tool. :-)MarkMark
I have a TS 3650 Ridgid and have had no problems with it.I needed a saw i could move around and couldnt go with a cabinet saw do to the fact that Im working in a 1 and a half car garage.I remove the blade quite a bit and put a 6" dado in and it hasnt failed me yet.The Ridgid has a dust port built in,but needs a little modification.There is a big gap in the side so you can tilt the blade,I fixed that With a very thin piece of plastic.I personally beleive it was a good by,although I will be purchasing a PM 66 to match my PM 54-A joiner,and my PM15" planer.If you already have a chop saw,depending on what kind of work you will be doing and what table saw you buy you might want to look into a joiner.Sure does make a difference with an exact 90.
The cabinet saw on mobile base works great. My 1023S with 7' rails is on a Shop Fox with extension and is very easy to move around. As for the 220/110V issue, all houses have 220 coming in. Not all have it going to the garage, but that can be changed relatively inexpensively. If a sub panel needs to be added in the shop, that just lets you add 220V recepticles and more flixibility in equipment selection. It's not like all of the equipment wil be running at the same time.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Yes, you can put a cabinet saw on a mobile base. I've read plenty of posts by people who did just that. One particular show stopper for you as far as a cabinet saw, other than cost, is that most are 240 volt rather than 120 - which may be an issue for you. The Grizzly cabinet saw can be had in 120 I think, but I would not swear to it. But if you want to take advantage of the additional power that a cabinet saw can offer, then you need 240 to run the higher horse power motors.
The hybrid saws may be a good choice for you. I forgot to mention that the Sears hybrid that recently came out has gotten good reviews in the magazines, and the people who have purchased them seem pretty enthusiastic about them in their posts. For myself, I will be a while yet getting over some of the crappy tools I purchased at Sears, before I could shell out the bucks needed for their saw.
To second what another poster said about buying the best you can afford and then go beyond that - as I look around in my shop, it is not the tools that were expensive for what they were that I regret buying, it is the tools that I tried to "cheap out" on that I regret.
Good luck.
Many thanks....I am so impressed with the kind advice from the readers of The Taunton Press....they seem as impressive as the magazines themselves. Thanks again for the thought and I'll let you know of my decisions....but while I have you.....Any specific second stationary tool you would suggest? I have a chop saw (basic model...but not a reverse sliding type) and hand tools....but no other stationary tools are owned at this point but know I will need some for shaping and joining wood.
Thanks again for your repsonses.
Chase
Here in NZ we don't have the range that you have in USA,BUT I reckon the best benchsaw for the money is the German Scheppach TKU..
It doesnt look much,but it has a sliding table that cuts your panels square,it has a pull out table for cutting ply or whatever up to 3ft wide.It has a 3 horse single phase motor.I have used mine now for 10 years and have not seen a better saw for the money,question is can you get them in USA?
Question that has always puzzled me,is the need for a fancy fence.If say you are making a door 3 feet wide,make it slightly over size and cut to size,then to exact size on buzzer(jointer).Then dehorn to size in sliding table.
Cost in NZ $1000us.
http://www.poolewood.co.uk/acatalog/Scheppach_TKU_Bench_Saw.html
Thanks I'll stick with my Unisaw. Why try 3 times to get it right when I can do it in one pass?Sucking.......Whoosh.......Yowl........Whoosh.........Thrump puttytat up the DC..
Wouldn't suggest for a minute you change the one you have,just that if you were buying one from the start,you may as well get the best,that is a mini dimension saw.
In my research before I had the chance at the Unisaw that I purchased I read all the information I could find on the internet about contractors table-saws & looked at saws in stores & shops.
The contractors saw that I liked best is the General 50-185.
As far as I'm concerned this is probably one of the best if not the best contractors table-saw.
You can see it here. http://www.general.ca/product/inter/50175an.html
Or here http://store.yahoo.com/toolsplus/g-i50-185m1.html
I went to this site & got the information & brought it back here & underlined some of the important items. This saw is a very well built tool.
2 hp, 115/230volt, 1phase
30" General "T" fence (made in Canada) System
10" x 5/8" arbor blades
Max. depth of cut: 3" @90º, 2" @ 45º
2-10-1/4" Cast iron extension wings
4200 rpm, Table size 27" x 40-1/2"
Includes: Dust hood, miter gauge @ table insert
Weight 320lbs.
Heavy duty precision cast iron ribbed table with "T" slot miter gauge.
Solid cast iron extension wings (2).
Heavy-duty open steel stand and frame for more stability.
Large metal hand-wheels quickly adjusts blade height and angles.
Angle bracket for switch fixed on parallel rip fence.
See-through blade guard with splitter and anti-kickback fingers.
Forged one-piece precision machined arbor for minimal blade run out.
30" deluxe precision rip fence system and long bars for quick and precise adjustments.
To be right honest with you I was all ready to pull the trigger on this saw just before I had the chance to bring my old 1953 Delta Unisaw back to life. When I saw the Unisaw I just couldn't help my self.
If I was buying a contractors table-saw the General is the one I would choose.
Edited 2/19/2005 12:23 pm ET by Original-Bart
Do tell how you cut a door to width and height with one pass>:-)
At the most all I've done is run the edge through the saw once & then the jointer.
Now with the cabinet-saw & a good blade I find it many times it only takes running it through the cabinet-saw.
Many small shops don't have the room for a saw with a slider.
I can understand why you like your saw & don't have a problem with that.
I too would like everyone including myself to have the best saw available. However the best saw available is decided according to size of shop money in hand & the type of projects the person is planning on building.Sucking.......Whoosh.......Yowl........Whoosh.........Thrump puttytat up the DC..
I realise we are talking home workshops and so have limited space.
My saw with sliding table off(30secs) and drop down right hand table down(5secs) is 2ftx2.6inch.
Often wondered what I would have iff I had B Gates dosh(money).
I think a hangar with every tool know to man,talk about Tim the tool man:-)
Any suggestions on where I can find plans for a workbench for my new shop....want to build my bench myself....but would like some guidance as to size, type of construction and table top material....any suggestions?
Thanks,
Chase
Check out http://www.terraclavis.com/bws/beginners.htm I haven't built one but the starter looks good and there is a lot more advice. I wonder if this guy will ever get around building anything else but he is off to a good start.
Ells
How about purchasing a good used cabinet-saw. Be careful when looking at Sears or Ridgid contractors saws they have a problem with the arbor having been made 5/8" at the arbor flange & to about 1/8" - 3/16" out from the flange then there is a dip or the shaft may be under sized by a few thousands from 1/8" - 3/16" all the way to the end. I have a Craftsman saw so you don't need to ask me how I know this. When using a dado you outside blade & chippers won't stay concentric with the blade against the flange. Not all these saw are this way but some are & I wouldn't want you to get one of them.
Below are pictures of my old Craftsman saw & the older rehabbed Delta Unisaw. I hope I'll will never go back to a contractors saw. There is a world of difference. I would like to encourage you to purchase a cabinet saw & never need to purchase another saw.Really its not over kill.
I purchased my saw & it needed a lot of work but it was worth it. I paid $250 for the saw when I got done I had spent $900 total but I have the saw I wanted.
Sucking.......Whoosh.......Yowl........Whoosh.........Thrump puttytat up the DC..
Edited 1/30/2005 11:47 pm ET by Original-Bart
Regarding your question about tool selection, that really depends on what you want to do and how you want to do it. Should you get bandsaw or drill press? a shaper or a router table or both? A jointer or a planer or both? Not questions that have an easy answer. There was an article in the first edition of Fine Woodworkings Tools and Shops issue - no 153 - that really helped me a lot in thinking about where I want my shop to go. It is entitled "My 5 essential power tools" and is by Gary Rogowski. As he says in his article, not one in 10 woodworkers would agree with him, because he makes a case for a bandsaw ahead of a table saw. Heck, I ended up not following his advice exactly. But, his article helped me tremendously in thinking about what I want to do, and giving me basic information about how some tools might fit in the shop. Based on his article and what I want to do, I decided that ultimately I want my shop to revolve aroung a really good band saw, not the table saw - so when I had the chance to buy a decent used contractor saw, I jumped on it. For me, a jointer and planer may never be in my shop. I have a table saw, 12" compound miter saw, shaper and a home made router table - my next tool will be a drill press - but again I am waiting till I can afford a good, heavy duty floor model machine.
Regarding your question about work bench plans, I have read a plethora of articles in the last two years about making a work bench. If you check the websites of magazines that target entry level, home woodworkers like Popular woodworking, American Woodworker or Workbench, I think you will find multiple articles. I personally don't need a work bench in my current shop as I have 4 foot wide counters on two sides of the shop - which is way wider than needed or even useful, but construction considerations in excavating the basement for my shop dictated that width. As you are beginning, I would lean toward plans that are based on multiple thickness of plywood to build up a substantial top and simply supported.
Hope this helps - good luck.
Thank you very much and I will take your advice.
Chase
I to have the Contractor saw. I did do some mods to it though. I got rid of the old fiance and added a 40" extension with a Biesemeyer fence. I see you can buy this setup for about the same price I originally paid for mine saw five years ago. About $950.00. I have mine on a mobile base but I plan on building a wood cabinet under it with some dust collection mods and drawers for storage. I might try the new built and pulleys the are on the market but think they would just be bells and whistles. My advise would be you can get a good saw and fence system for under $1000.00 If you planned on spending more on one then that buy the best blades that are out there use the rest on a band saw or cut off saw. Have fun.
Mornin. I don't know if the bells and whistles is talking about a link belt but if you are, buy one. I put one on my Delta CS and it made an unbelievable improvement. Well worth the money. Peter
Peter35
Good morning. Did you buy the pulleys to?
No just the belt. I bought it at Lee Valley and once again I would highly recommend it. Peter
I have owned and used jet machines in my small shop for ten years. My first investment was a jet cabinet saw with a 50" fence (because I had the space). all the jet machines I have owned have performed well with never having to readjust them after initial setup. I have owned craftman radial arm saw and would have paid someone to take it from my shop because of constant reradjustments. I also paid around $900 for a delta radial arm saw several years ago. I could never get it to cut straight because, come to find out, the arm was warped. I returned it where I purchased it and their delta rep. took a look at it and said it was within their specs. I was stuck with an overpriced piece of junk. For this reason I stay clear away from delta. Now days most machines look as if they come from the same taiwan factories. The best thing is to physically see the machine you are interested in before you give up your money. The biggest difference seems to be the ease of adjustments and the over all fit and finish of the machine. But it is good advise to spend alittle more than you think you can for the best quality machine you can afford. Quality tools will make your woodworking experience alot more fun and alot less frustrations. Good luckand have fun.
Manny thanks.
Chase
I used a Craftsman contractors saw for over 20 years and thought it was fine. . .until I got my Delta Unisaw. I wish I had upgraded years earlier and could have if I had applied the money I spent on upgrades to the Craftsman to a new saw. The centerpiece of a good workshop is the tablesaw. No way around it. If you can possibly affort a cabinet saw, get one. There are plenty out there: Delta, Jet, Powermatic, Grizzly, General would all do the job. Most tools will last a long time if properly cared for. The $200-$500 extra cost of a good cabinet saw spread over 10 or 20 years is insignificant and is more than offset by years of pleasurable service.
'don't over tool yourself at the start'.
I'd show her one of them European slider saws about $12,000 and then show her that General Cabinet saw for about 2 grand....
I just read all the above responses, and to tell you the truth, I think a cabinet saw is overkill, especially if you are just really getting into it. I hate to dissuade, and if you have 1-2k to drop on a big saw, then by all means, have at. However, if you are truly making the transition from a circular saw to a full table saw, then I would recommend a more portable, more space sensitive saw like a contractor saw on a mobile base.
Also, I don't think you should be too quick to dismiss the idea of the benchtop table saw. "Benchtop" is actually a misnomer, since they come with stands (some better than others) and in a lot of instances, have more power, and greater accuracy than mid-priced contractor's saws. Granted, a high end contractor saw or any cabinet saw is going to leave any benchtop saw in the dust.
I was actually using a mid-grade Craftsman contractor saw for years, but then bought the new Bosch 4000-09, and haven't used the Craftsman in months. I am a pretty serious woodworker and build mostly Mission Style pieces out of solid oak, and have not had one problem with power. The saw has 25" capacity to the right, so I can rip sheet goods all day long with no problem.
I would love to have a cabinet saw, and would certainly appreciate the benefits thereof. However, I find that even at my level, a high end benchtop saw does the job. If you have the money and the space, then make the investment. Just be sure to measure your needs, realizing that it may be a long while before you realize the benefits of the higher end saws.
Not sure I said that but...I now have a new RIDGID saw I like a lot.. Yes I have heard about the dado thing but I use a router table for all of that.. I'd be REALLY UPSET if I used a stacked dado though.I was thinking of a cabinet saw but all my 'contractors saws' have done all I needed anyway..Hell, I even had one of them RYOBI sort of table saws.. 3000 something? I sided a whole house, granted just cedar, but it was ALOT of wood ripped and chopped. Even use that saw for a lot of red oak for window trim.. I gave it to a friend a while back and he loves it!
I've had no problems using a stacked dado on my Ridgid...just for the record. Maybe they fixed the problem before i bought it. I've used high end 'benchtop' tablesaws for quite a variety of tasks, and even though not nearly as nice as a good quality cabinet saw, i've been impressed with how far i could push them. I built these spiral stairs from a pile of 2"x12"x16' fir using the bosch benchtop model, and it kept up with me, no problem. I ran plenty of other woods, laminates, particleboards, even plastics though it and i produced clean, accurate cuts. Here are the results (i used the table saw to rip all the material for the wainscotting, baseboards, mouldings, and window casings in the background too):
Jesse David
"Beware of the man who works hard to learn something, learns it, and finds himself no wiser than before," Bokonon tells us. "He is full of murderous resentment of people who are ignorant without having come by their ignorance the hard way."
"I would recommend a more portable, more space sensitive saw like a contractor saw on a mobile base. "
I have a small shop 13'5" x 24'5" I used to have a contractors table-saw & just up-graded to a 1953 Unisaw care to guess how much room I gained with the cabinet-saw? About 18"- 20". Now I bet you have to agree in a small shop that makes a lot of difference. Just in case you don't agree everyone who has come into my shop since I got the cabinet saw has said wow what happened you have more room. Also when you put a cabinet-saw on a Mobile base it will move around just a easy as a contractors-saw. Also you don't have to buy the cabinet saw with a 50" fence system you can get one with a 30" fence system.
Also if you look around & watch the advertisements you can pick up a reasonable cabinet-saw for $500-$800 & that is in the same ball park with the current contractors-saws.
My cabinet-saw initial cost was $250 I have between $900 & $1000 into it over 2 months including the materials for a mobile base. I have about $200 more into it than I had into my brand new contractor-saw 7 years ago & $90 of that is just the metal for the mobile base. The contractors-saw is selling for $550. So do you think maybe my cabinet-saw is worth the difference of $400? :>)
Let me tell you if you've never had a chance to use a cabinet-saw you don't know what your missing. Ya I use to say pretty much the same things you are saying. Now I've learned better. But with the sale of my old saw I didn't spend big bucks to find out. Remember the old saying there is more than one way to skin a cat. Oh if you don't want to skin the cat just suck it up the DC.Sucking.......Whoosh.......Yowl........Whoosh.........Thrump puttytat up the DC..
If you are willing to spend between 500.00 to a 1,000.00 Go with the Rigid It is very good. I have a small craftman from Sears; however my next purchase will be the Rigid
You really need to shop around to see what qualities in a saw will suit you best. I have traded tools many times due to moving my residence several times. Tools, not just table saws. I have only had a few that were problems. (A belt-drive saw I once owned turned the blade so fast that using a molding cutter was not safe.) Most recently, I sold a Ryobi BT3000 after using it for 10 years. If your tool budget is a little tight, a Ryobi will leave you with some latitude in purchasing a good jointer and the many other tools you should also covet. But you need to put in the time to figure out what you like and need. We all use different tools to achieve similar results.
So, what replaced the Ryobi? A Delta contractor saw. I would have bought a Ridgid 3650 which I like the most, but it is 6 inches wider, has a smaller motor, the stand is wobbly, and it cost $175 more. I could afford a cabinet saw to go with the 8-inch jointer I have, but I can do what I wish with a smaller tool. The jointer replaced a Delta benchtop jointer that I also used for about ten years. Surely, with the Ryobi saw and small jointer, I could not frame out a post-and-beam house, but I built numerous furniture items and made home improvements. And though it is not powerful, the Ryobi was always accurate.
If I can influence you, I hope it is to convince you to shop around and study the tools. You will find that you also want a jointer, bandsaw, drill press, belt/disc sander, and many other items to support your projects. At today's prices, a thickness planer is a tool that is hard to do without. I will advise you not to waste your money on a 12-inch bandsaw. There are several good 14-inchers which cost only little more.
Good shopping and luck.
Thanks for the reply.
Chase
My son recently bought a Delta 10" unisaw with a bismeyer fence, extention table and mobile base. It's powerful, nice fit and finish. A table saw is the workhorse of any workshop spend the extra bucks and get a good one. It will probably outlast you.
Appreciate your thoughts.
Chase
I to have enjoyed reading this thread about table saws. As I am so new at woodworking that I consider myself to be below a beginner. Having said that my question to all of you is this " If I am standing in front of a table saw, for sale, in my local home improvement store how do I know if it is a contractors saw or a carpenters saw?" Also are there any other type of table saws and how would i recognize the difference between them?
Thanks to all of You experenced ones that take the time to show the beginners how.
Dane
Never heard of a carpenters saw unless your talking about saws like the portable DeWalt portable saw used by tradesman that is similar to bench top saws. . There are bench top saws that you can grab & throw in the back of a truck or van that you set up on a bench top or a couple of saw horses.
Then there is the contractors saw that sets on its own leg set with the motor hanging out the back driven by a belt.
Then there is the hybrid that may have the trunnions on the bottom of the table like the contractors saw or may have the trunnions mounted to the top of the case that encloses the bottom & all the way to the floor. This saw is kind of a cross between the contractors saw & the cabinet saw & can be powered by anything from a 1 1/2 HP motor to a 2 HP motor.
Then there is the full blown cabinet saw with the trunnions mounted to the top of the cabinet & with a 3 HP motor.
There are some other minor things that I may not have mentioned but these are the main points to look as well as a real good fence.
Sucking.......Whoosh.......Yowl........Whoosh.........Thrump puttytat up the DC..
Edited 2/22/2005 10:37 pm ET by Original-Bart
So if the cabinet saw was fitted with a 4hp motor,what would it become?
Probably a saw that someone would ask what it is or what it has become.<!----><!---->
<!---->
Well my answer would be its a saw that someone has the they like very much & are sold on it & it probably does what they need it to do. I imagine it probably has a slider & some other nice to have items like a riving knife etc. In recounting what it has it probably has a nice size shop wrapped around it too.<!---->Sucking.......Whoosh.......Yowl........Whoosh.........Thrump puttytat up the DC..
Glad thats cleared up.
What is all this,is it to do with a jointer?
Sucking.......Whoosh.......Yowl........Whoosh.........Thrump puttytat up the DC..
We used to joke about not letting you cat get to close to a dust collector hose opening. There is a cartoon where the little bird calls the cat a puttytat.
Oh by the way hows the weather there now?
We've had some sunny days here at almost the start of spring on Whidbey Island in Washington State USA.
So......................
Sucking.......Whoosh.......Yowl........Whoosh.........Thrump puttytat up the DC..
Edited 3/4/2005 12:53 am ET by Original-Bart
Ah.
I thought I saw a pussytat a creeping up on me......"I remeber it well",I can feel a song coming on.......
Dane - Contractors saws are really a misnomer. They were originally designed to have the motor removed for transporting to a jobsite, but most are between 250# and 300# and aren't all that portable. They've become pretty much the mainstay for most home woodshops as a stationary saw for people who don't have the need or budget for a full blown cabinet saw. They have fairly standard size cast iron table and extension wings of 27"d x 40" wide, and have belt drive induction motors, most of which hang out the back. Many of the come with excellent fences like those found on cabinet saws. They're a nice choice for people who need precision, power, stability, full size table and longevity for a reasonable price. Good examples are the Delta 36-650, 36-675, 36-680, 507x, General Intl 50-175/185, Grizzly G0444/G0576, Powermatic 64a, Jet 708301, Ridgid TS3650, etc. ($400-$900)Nowadays there are portable "jobsite" saws used by most contractors and carpenters at worksites. They're smaller than contractor saws, usually have a plastic housing and aluminum tops, and feature universal motors. The portability and size is the main attraction of these saws. The better ones are pretty good performers, but aside from portability they really don't offer any advantages over a contractor style saw and are not much less expensive than many of them. Examples are the Ridgid 2400, Bosch 4000, PC 3812, DeWalt 744, etc. ($400-$500)The cheaper bencthop models are pretty self explanatory. There's some confusion with some of the larger benchtops with leg sets though...these are sometimes erroneously referred to as contractor saws, but they're smaller, lighter duty and have universal motors instead of induction motors. They're more accurately called "compacts". Some examples are the Delta TS300 and TS350, Ryobi BT-3100, B&D BT2500. ($300-$350)
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