I'm a novice to woodworking looking for a passable starter table saw in the $100 range and under. Something servicable to start with. I was looking at Lowes Task Force BT2500W and ShopMaster SM200L. I will be doing mostly miter cuts and plan on buildng a miter sled but I want the versatility of a table saw. Projects will be simple homeowner stuff (porch steps and shelving) and some recreational items (hurlers like trebuchets and catapults).
-wylie
To be honest with you here, you cannot buy a good jig saw or circle saw for that kind of money much less a tool that normally costs 5 to 10 times more unless you find a good deal on a used contractors TS.
While I agree with you on the tablesaw, you can certainly get good circular and jig saws for $100....
You can do a lot with a good hand-held circular saw, a good blade, and a straight-edge. For a "good" one (Makita, Milwakee, Dewalt, etc) you might still be over $100, but I can't imagine anything close to a decent table saw for the same price.
Clint
Good luck with that. :-)
Seriously, you need to look at used equipment. You won't find anything new, that cheap, that's worth a damn. Keep an eye on ads in your local newspaper; let your friends and neighbors know you're looking for one; watch the bulletin board at work and at church; check garage sales; check eBay... but forget about buying a passable table saw new for under $100.
The Blowes benchtop saw has those annoying tabs in the miter slot. You do not want those under any circumstances. You say you want to build a miter sled.
The Shopmaster is serviceable, but the rip capacity sucks big time.
Just take one step up from the very bottom of the benchtop saw market, and you'll be OK. For $150-$170, you can get a saw with a more powerful motor, bigger, flatter table, and more rip capacity. There's a Ryobi saw in this range with a sliding miter table and 20" rip capacity. I have the Delta TS220LS and am pleased with it, except the throat insert blows goats.
Again, the very bottom of the line Shopmaster does work, but it's severely limiting compared to what you can get at the next price point up.
If you are talking about new then Leon's dead right. - The only way to get a new on for less is to buy it from the guys selling from the back of his van.
The OP can get some decent stuff used if he is patient and willing to watch local yard sales, craiglists or auctions. If he gets suckered into buying some piece of junk from Harbor Fright, he'll soon regret it.
Dave
snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: > I'm a novice to woodworking looking for a passable starter table saw in > the $100 range and under.
You can't get there from here.
Lew
Cutting corners is what you'll be doing, IMO :-(
There are always people wanting to upgrade their saws. Why not post a table saw wanted thread?
You don't want a new saw that sells for $100.
I know in Virginia we have a paper called the Trading Post. Its like a huge garage sale w/out going to the garage sale. Also find a local woodworking guild, they could point you to a good used saw. Please stay away from the $100 saw, take lessons learned from others and myself. Stay away !
I know in Virginia we have a paper called the Trading Post. Its like a huge garage sale w/out going to the garage sale. Also find a local woodworking guild, they could point you to a good used saw. Please stay away from the $100 saw, take lessons learned from others and myself. Stay away !
Also check out the craigslist for your local area, and look for local "forsale" newsgroups.
Clint
For the stuff you plan on doing, (I build trebs too) I'd start with a low end CMS (compound miter saw) here's an affordable one at your favorite borg*g*
If you want to limit your spending, think smaller... I'd pick a CMS over a benchtop table saw most times... Also, making a rolling stand with folding wings is a fun project and you'll still be using that stand after replacing your CMS and buying a real table saw... YMWV Mac
Be nice, Jim... lol
Mac
The cheap end of the table saw market is also the most unsafe. When I first became interested in woodworking, I bought a contractors saw at Home Depot for $159. It was unstable, the fence was horrendous, kickback was inevitable, it stalled whenver I needed to rip some wood, etc. I appreciate that $1,000 or more for a decent table saw with a cast iron table is a big bite. But I have learned that the cheap stuff is also the most unsafe stuff. And these things are't toys.
And you thought you'd have a problem getting your logs over the border...
Good lord. What saw was that? I've got a benchtop TS that came in at about that price, and after proper setup, it has none of those problems. The blade and fence were out of whack from the factory, but once those were adjusted, it has never given me a problem.
The only safety issues I have are: The splitter/guard is a pain, prompting me to seldom use it; and the throat plate is crap, which can cause problems on very thin rips.
I really can't agree with all these posts that say a $100 Shopmaster saw is useless. Granted, it is only what it is, but it's far from useless. And I can't agree that a circ saw is any substitute for even a cheap benchtop TS. For cutting big panels, yes, OK. For repeatable, accurate cuts of small to medium-sized parts, no way, not even close.
And there are $200-ish saws that get you into the neighborhood of contractor saw capability for 30%-40% of the price. They are nowhere near as durable or pleasant to use as the real thing, but for us weekend warriors, there is a *big* difference between $180 and $580, and if you happen to have the $180 in your pocket, the benchtop saw will get you cutting today. Then one day you can spring for a real saw.
There are people out there making houses full of cabinets and furniture with these little saws. Some of them really aren't bad.
hmm... good idea, Barry... too bad the shop is packed... damn!
Mac
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