I am getting a house with workspace in the heated garage. I have a drill press, scroll saw, router, belt sander, compound miter saw, circular saw, random orbital sander, drill and dremels, and various hand tools. My next acquisition will be a saw I can rip with. The price range is flexible. I want to get the right saw for me, one I will use readily and will last.
I don’t care as much for portability as I do for a saw that can make nice clean cuts in a variety of stock. I want to make bookshelves, outside furniture, benches, tables, and smaller projects, as well as projects around the house. In the past I have made a planter, clocks, boxes, baskets, signs, and various little projects.
I can at least tell you what not to get – the low-end Powermatic. This saw sells for the high-end of the range for contractor’s saws, but I don’t think it’s worthy of the Powermatic name. I had one that I eventually dumped because I got so sick of all the things that were broken or wrong with it.
Then I bought a cheap Makita tabletop saw for $175 (give or take – I can’t remember exactly), my theory being that until I have the money to buy a real table saw, I was going to buy just enough saw to get by. The thing has adequate horsepower for cutting and is very portable, but the fence has WTF written all over it. And many of the components are plastic, illustrating the old saw (ha!) that you get what you pay for.
If I had to go out and buy a semi-serious saw, I’d give some consideration to the Rigid model from Home Depot. It looks decently built, and it’s in the $500 range, which seems somewhat cheaper than comparable models. Rigid these days seems to be the HD house brand.
Have a look at the Bosch 4000-09 saw and its matching “gravity rise” stand. The duo sells for $518 at Amazon and it’s a very nice saw for the price. Don’t forget to factor in no sales tax. Also, now and then they’ll have promos for free shipping. Otherwise, there’s a very reasonable charge of about $40, considering it will be shipped by truck and comes in a very large box on a pallet.
I bought one a year ago after looking very hard at offerings from DeWalt, Ridgid and whoever else. The stand is a pretty slick bit of work that lets you store the saw in a smaller space and roll it around easily.
Also, consider a blade upgrade. The combo blade that comes with it is perfectly adequate, but you might want to consider using blades designed for ripping or crosscuts. Just by coincidence, I’m waiting for Amazon to get a pair of Freud blades to me - one’s an 80-tooth crosscut and the other’s a 30-tooth “glue-line” ripper. The implication is that the cut is so smooth and straight that it’s ready for gluing without needing a pass through a jointer.
I have had a Delta contractor saw (~500) for the past eight years and I’m happy with it. It is solid enough, and I was able to put it on casters, so I can move it around if I need to. A good saw should be the centerpiece of your shop, but I don’t have enough basement space to let the saw live in the center always.
Be sure to check out the type of fence you would be getting. Go to a good tool store and see them first hand so you can find one with a solid accurate fence.
The jump up from contractor saws to cabinet saws, both in cost and size was more than I could justify.
My first saw was a 10" JET contractor’s saw. After spending $25 for a link-belt to replace the generic v-belt it shipped with it ran so smoothly that I could balance a nickel on edge on the the table, turn on the motor and the coin would not move.
That saw ran perfectly for many years, I had no problems with it at all. Used a good Freud combo blade for most operations. The supplied fence was very good and it overall it was up to just about any task I gave it - ripping sheets of plywood, fine cuts, etc. About the only thing that bogged it down was large dado cuts.
About two years ago I sold the JET and bought a Delta Unisaw which is obviously a slightly different animal.
If you’re looking for a good first saw I’d certainly recommend the JET. It’s easily transportable by two people. If you think you’ll need to move it around your shop floor get a mobile base and you’ll be all set (my Unisaw came with one, works great).
I have the same setup; Delta Contractors saw on a roller base (except that I kept the original fence). I also couldn’t justify the cabinet saw at the time. I’d still like to get it some day, though.
I removed one of the steel wings, and replaced it with this. It doesn’t effect the saw, and gives me a nice sturdy router table.
In looking at saws, I’d suggest investigating whether the motor can be rewired for 230V. My wiring is old, and I was worried about exceeding the amperage of the available circuit in the basement, so I rewired the motor and I plug it into my dryer outlet.
I have looked at the Bosch 4000 before and been tempted. Has any one used that and any of others mentioned here? I did plan on getting better blades, I just had not figured out what those would be.
I have been collecting tools for years, I just have never had the room for a workshop. My favorite set of tools has been my router stand and bits for my dremel. It is amazing how versatile that can be.
I am thinking of making a stand with steps going up one side with storage in it, to be used for someone to stand on while someone pins up their hem. I think the ceilings are high enough in part of the family room for that.
Yes. I saw a remodelling show where they were reorganizing a garage workshop space and of course they included a pegboard for hand tools. The fun part was they put them in the arrangement they wanted and then traced each one in place with a marker, so they would always know where to put them back.
I thought it went a little too far when they painted the silhouettes of the wheelbarrow and ladder on the walls, but the original idea seemed handy.
Consider getting a SawStop saw. They’re cabinet saws, so they’re on the higher end pricewise, but they are simply amazing. Watch the “hot dog demo” on the main page of the website and then think about it, especially if you plan to pass your love of woodworking on to the kids.
The best chefs know that the compound miter saw is what you use for deli meats.
Sadly, I think they’ve been discontinued, but the Ryobi BT3100 was a really nice little saw for not much money. I actually bought a second one last year when they had a big sale on them ($150.00 after rebate) so that I can keep one in the garage.
If your not willing to jump into the cabinet saw range I’d recommend the Ridgid contractors saw. ($500)
If you want to spend a little bit more Sear has a decent hybrid saw. It has a few perks that cabinet saws offer without the price tag.($900-$1150)
I’ve been using my Ridgid portable saw at home it’s not ideal but my basement lacks the headroom I want for a shop and I really don’t feel like moving a cast Iron saw in and out on warm days.
When I buy a house with the basement I want I’ll have to spend some time deciding between a contractors saw and a cabinet saw. Most likely I’ll opt for a used cabinet saw to get what I want without breaking my bank.
If you’re willing to pay about $1000 then the Grizzly 1023 table saw has gotten some very good reviews - it’s a full size 3HP cabinet saw for a few hundred dollars less than Delta/Jet/Powermatic.
I have one of these actually this one and it has served me well. I would like to add a different fence more to get wider rip width than anything else. The only short comming it has is the arbor seems a little short when I put a full 3/4" stacked dado blade on, doesn’t leave much thread if I use the washer. I like the enclosed cabinet, makes my dust collection more effcient.
If you ask the dado manufacturers they say never use the washer. If you ask the saw manufacturers they say always use the washer. I wish they would get together and make a decision. On most saws I’ve seen you can’t fit a full stacked dado(13/16ths) with the washer in place. I only use the washer if I am using only one or both outside blades(1/8, 1/4)
I talk to a lot of woodworkers hereabouts, and a name I’m hearing more and more is Rigid. It may be because of the proliferation of late of Home Depot stores (we even have one in our little berg on the Plains) but the guys I know who have bought them are impressed with the combination of economy and quality. And when I say “economy”, I’m saying $500 isn’t unreasonable for what **minor7flat5 ** rightfully calls the centerpiece of your shop.
I saw a remodelling show where they were reorganizing a garage workshop space and of course they included a pegboard for hand tools. The fun part was they put them in the arrangement they wanted and then traced each one in place with a marker, so they would always know where to put them back.