Going through the Sept 2004 issue of The Woodworker, published in England, I came acrossed two interesting truly hybrid portable (bench top) ?table saws? that didn?t look like anything I?d seen before , One by Elektra Beckum is called the Secanta and the other by - who else? - Festool - called the Precisio CS50 EB (don?t them Eyetalyan names conjure up images of ridiculously fast, ?what the hell was THAT?!? automobiles - not just cars?)
Unlike the more familiar U.S. Contractor?s saw with a tilting fixed blade, these units also allowed for pulling the blade forward - an upside down radial arm saw. And rather than have the fence fixed at the front and back, with a separate cross cut miter/mitre fence, these saws attach the fence to either side of, or the front of, the saw table. The Elektra Beckum took it one step further by allowing the saw to be rotated in the horizontal plane as well.
At 1,200 and 1,075 pounds sterling, these units are in the low to mid price range of a good cabinet saw. But add in a 12 inch sliding compound miter saw?s cost and the capabilities per unit cost gets more attractive. And both units have an integral set of legs rather than the sheet metal folding ?stands? that are extra on most U.S.
Since most of us have limited shop space, often shared with the washer, dryer AND a car or two, you have to wonder why these types of combination units aren?t available in the U.S. market. When you look at the Festool ?System? of bench/work table, plunge saw and router with fence, . . ., other than the astronomical prices, why aren?t they more popular? We can?t ALL be frugal Yankees.
Anyone out there have experience with either of these units?
charlie b