Cheap Table Saw

Thanks. Are you referring to the Central Machinery benchtop 10" table saw here:

formatting link
$119, they have this US General with a 'heavy duty' stand:

formatting link
have an even cheaper Chicago Electric for $34.99, but this one only has a 4 inch blade:

formatting link

Reply to
Zeke Redner
Loading thread data ...

snipped-for-privacy@nospam.com (Bruce) wrote

I wonder how they do the free shipping on such heavy items.

Reply to
Zeke Redner

You can't cut something straight inexpensively?

I've got some expensive tools I love as well as some cheap ones. I've got a twenty dollar router that has worked perfectly for a few situations.

Reply to
p_j

p snipped-for-privacy@postzzzmark.net (p_j) wrote

That's my kind of router! What kind is it? Where did you buy it? Got a link?

Zeke

Reply to
Zeke Redner

snipped-for-privacy@webtv.net (T.) wrote

Sorry. I have 2 computers. I keep one of them set to GMT for business purposes. It shouldn't affect the way your newsreader displays my posts.

Zeke

Reply to
Zeke Redner

Actually, carpenters can make do with a lot less accuracy than woodworkers. What do you want to do?

I have a Skil 3400 benchtop saw on a stand. I got mine new for $50 on clearance, but they ordinary sell for $200, so even this piece of crap is out of your prospective price range, and you're looking at machines even worse than this.

The only good things about my saw are:

  • it was CHEAP
  • it's very portable
  • it's better than nothing

Everything about this saw sucks. The fence is terrible, the miter gauge is terrible, the motor is underpowered and loud as hell, the table vibrates like crazy, it's almost impossible to get the blade lined up parallel to the miter slots, and almost impossible to get the blade set at 90 degrees to the table.

After using my junker for about five years, and knowing what I know now, I would definitely have spent more. I'd probably have gotten the Ryobi BT3000/3100 for $300. It's the only small, cheap saw that anyone on the Wreck likes at all.

Reply to
Silvan

I'll add to my last post... Putting a Freud TK960 on mine helped a lot, but it's still a miserable saw. The blade did absolutely nothing for the noise and vibration. Absolutely NOTHING.

Not useless, but no joy to use. I've raised the bar as high as I can with it, and the bar isn't very high.

OTOH, using this thing has put me in a position to *really* appreciate a good saw when I get one some day.

Reply to
Silvan

I wondered the same about Amazon.com... I took advantage of a good deal to get myself a JET mini lathe for Christmas. $199.95, free shipping, for a lathe that's usually closer to $400. Sure enough, they charged exactly $199.95 on the bill.

The sucker is heavy, and it came with big yellow "overweight item" stickers all over it. Shipping it can't have been cheap. They did eat it though, so hey, whatever. It's not my job to make sure Amazon.com makes a profit. They offered, I took it. Saved $40 or so on shipping, and am very happy with the whole transaction.

With Amazon.com, the free shipping means "we'll get it to you eventually" instead of "we'll get it to you next week." You have to be willing to wait longer than usual, or else you pay for the sure bet to get it sooner. When I ordered the lathe, I think they said it would take three weeks to a month to get to me. I actually got it in eight days I think, but that was pure happenstance.

I have no idea if HF does something similar. I haven't ever bought from HF.

Reply to
Silvan

On Sat 13 Dec 2003 07:25:52p, Zeke Redner wrote in news:Xns9451E7023E4Bzeke39n3d@63.223.5.95:

I haven't checked, but I wouldn't be surprised to find the "handling charge" to be a bit heftier than smaller items. :-) Or maybe they make up for it by putting a handling charge on everything.

Dan

Reply to
Dan

Its the Harbor Freight trim router which normally sells for $40 and goes on sale regularly for $20.

Remember I said for some situations. Its a little guy.

Reply to
p_j

An excellent post.

I have to agree with the dig on the 'experts'.

If I took these 'experts' seriously I would have to toss my damned near

40 year old Craftsman radial arm saw inherited from my Pa, I would have to stop being impressed with the cheapest 3/8 drill Craftsman was selling 11 years ago that still turns a bit or screw today, I should hang my head in shame for being happy with my $20 dollar Craftsman table saw, I should be unhappy with my new router because it's a single speed and not high powered, and so on.

Worse yet, according to some 'experts' I'm a pox because I buy used machinery whenever I can thus keeping money from Corporate America and not keeping the economy going, keeping money from the taxman, and because I don't need the biggest, shiniest, newest tools.

According to some of these 'experts' if your not like them your not with the program.

These people are everywhere.

/end rant

Reply to
Mark

I would suggest stepping up another $100 from those and looking at the Ryobi BTS20 instead ($199). Mind you, it's not, by far, the world's best saw, but I've heard that it's actually pretty decent -- especially for the price. Certainly, it has the best rip fence you can find at $200 or less. And it probably won't try to jump off your table like the BTS10 will. It also has it's own set of wheels and folds up to roll out of the way.

I've got the BT3100, which is definitely better, but also more expensive. I've never used the BTS20, however. I used to have the BTS10 -- you don't want one! I'm not joking about it trying to jump off the table when you turn it on.

thanks,

--randy

Reply to
Randy Chapman

Freud 206 is supposed to work great on it. Some people have the 208 working, but Ryboi recommends 6" only and some of the saws don't have clearance for the 8".

--randy

Reply to
Randy Chapman

I bought $50 worth of stuff from them to give it a try. Pros: - There was no shipping charge. - One item was missing. Called the 800 number, they shipped the missing item no questions asked. Cons: - It took a couple weeks to receive the order. - I never did get a tracking number to make sure someone was here so the UPS guy wouldn't have to leave the package behind the bushes.

Overall, acceptable. In fact, I think Santa is going to get me $50.88 worth of HF clamps.

-- Mark

Reply to
Mark Jerde

I want that saw they have on that stupid TV commercial that cuts that car in half in three seconds. Betcha I could Wreck some wood with that thing. Looks like those 48" blades would get pricey though.

Reply to
Silvan

First off, the 2 Delta models are the exact same saw (Delta TS200), but the second one is reconditioned which means that you get the same thing but with a 6-month warranty instead of a 2-year warranty.

Second, Lowes has that model new (2-year warranty) for only $100 with stand.

Third, for $180 at Lowes, you can at least get the Delta TS220 with stand which has both a larger table and a 15-amp direct-drive motor (the TS200 has a 13-amp).

Fourth, for the price range, check out Craftsman. I know, they get (deservedly) a bad rep in the WW community, but low-end, home-use, consumer-grade products are their specialty. You'll at least get more frills than the Deltas and you'll have somewhere to go in person should things not work out to your satisfaction.

Fifth, check your local area for used. You'll most likely get more for less that way. I just bought a used table saw and got a great deal (2HP contractor saw with Jet Xacta fence, mobile base, cast-iron top and wings, link belt with machined pulleys, etc for a little over $300).

Anyway, help this helps.

codepath

Reply to
<nospam

I run an 8" dado blade on mine all the time, works great. I would prefer a 6", which will still cut as deeply as I'll ever want to w/ a dado blade, but I got the 8" set for $5 so I can't complain. The 6" is better, BTW, because it's lighter and needs less torque to spin it (that's a universal motor, don't forget). The Ryobi techie I spoke w/ recommended the Oldham 6.5".

Cheers, H

Reply to
Hylourgos

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.