I am considering the purchase of a Ryobi
10 In. Portable Table Saw (model BTS15) at Home Depot priced at $139.00 & am looking for any thoughts from people familiar with this saw. I am strictly a DIY'er looking for an inexpensive saw for light use but don't want to throw away my money either.
Like any cheap tool, it will cut, but has limitations. I had a cheap saw and it got me by for a couple of years until I decided that I like woodworking and started to make bigger and better projects.
Incrementally, you are in the low end, but to get much better, you'd have to spend at least $400, maybe $600. Next step is closer to $1000, and the best cabinet saw is about $1500 and up.
If you plan to make a half dozen cuts a year, it may be the best buy for you. Making shelves for the garage or toys for the kids, it will be fine. If you plan to expand and make much nicer fixtures and furniture, save up and buy in the $500 range. If you decide to advance, the $139 saw is a good gift to a brother in law when you step up.
What you get is better accuracy of the fence, easier to set. Bigger table from cast iron, more power for thicker material, ease of use. My big complaint with the small saw is the inability to cross cut anything wider than a 1 x 6. Next is the sloppy fit of the miter. Smaller saws often will not accept a dado blade. But it did cut and I did make stuff. You can see some of the doll furniture on my web page made on a cheap Craftsman saw.
You will want to invest in a better blade rather soon. Good blades start at about $50 and go up to $150.
You also will want to learn to use it safely. Make a couple of push sticks, never use the miter and fence at the same time, never put your hands within a few inches of the blade, support the work when ripping long boards. I have no fear of my saw, but I have a lot of respect for it.
Its crap; but since I don't know what you want to do with it, maybe it is good enough. Unless crap is good enough, I would recommend you look for a decent use contractor's saw; maybe $200.
If getting your cuts square matters, regardless of "light" use, you should consider spending another hundred bucks for a low end Delta or Ridgid. The problem with the very cheapest tools is that they can't do the job right even once.
So why is it crap? What did you find wrong with it? Have you actually used one?
snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:
Universal motors instead of induction motors(more vibration) Sloppy tolerances.
OK good, now we're getting some details.
I take it you have some hands on experience of this saw?
....or is it just some more generalised and opinionated crap trashing some product you have probably walked passed in the aisle not giving it a second glance, never mind actually using one!
My point is that the OP asked for opinion from people with experience. Not one of you are familiar with the saw but are more than willing to trash it.
To the OP, there are a couple of Ryobi forums where you will likely get a more informed opinion:
You don't need hours of experience using cheap tools to know they are sub-par compared to quality tools. If the $139 saw was so good, they would not be selling $2000 saws that do the "same" thing, right?
Visual inspection reveals many differences, such as table top size, table quality (stamped steel or cast aluminum versus machined cast iron), the power of the motor of a direct drive system versus one or three belts for smoother quieter operation. Did I mention power? If you are cutting 1/4" plywood, you don't need much, but just rip that 12/4 oak and see the difference.
Ryobi makes low quality tools. They serve a purpose in the scheme of things, but please, don't stick up and say they are very good. They are not. It may be suitable for the once or twice a year making a shelf for the garage, but there is a reason you don't see their stuff in serious shops and job sites.
Make a few cuts on the $139 Ryobi, then do the same operations on a Delta contractor saw with a Biesemeyer fence.
I happen to have a Ryobi table saw and have used it for about 10 years. I would buy another one if I ever wear it out. It's a good light duty saw and cuts very accurate. Some folks have had trouble with the belt drive but I never have. Hope this helps.........
snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@g43g2000cwa.googlegroups.com:
I read a Wood Magazine tool review on it.
The ones I've examined in stores were no great advertisement for Ryobi tools;they were very loose,seems like cheap junk.
But perhaps *biased* towards the tool they own?
BUT
I have used the BT3100 (or whatever the correct number is) and I actually recomended one for my son to buy....
His use is EXTREMELY light... just normal around the house stuff shelving in the garage, etc...
Now I own an older Reckwell/Delta contractors saw . have for years! and I also own a Jet Cabinet saw...which is my primary Table Saw.
NO way would I own that Roybi saw FOR MY WORK....It would give out within a few days or a month at best...IN MY SHOP...
It is for lack of a better discription "very delicate"... not built to take punishment... BUT the sliding table worked just fine...(see above because I have the feeling it would be knocked out of adjustment real quick).. treated with kid gloves it should be ok...
So IF the original poster wanted a saw for small jobs, infrequent use, and Light work... he, like my son, may be able to get by with the saw just fine... IF the original posted wanted to do some semi serious woodworking...then In my opinion he should look for regular contractors saw. at least....
Bob G.
I have a BT3000. Have had it for about 5 years. I think it has reached the end of the road. It's been getting harder and harder to raise and lower the blade. Now it won't budge. I have used it for far more than the light use recomended which is why it is finally dieing. Everything everyone says about lightweight and Ryobi machines is essentially true. You get what you pay for. If this will be your first machine it is a good entry level machine. When you have used it to the end of it's life in 4-5 years you will know what you ae looking for in a better machine. If you are only making 5 or 6 cuts a year, they will do that for you at home depot or wherever you buy your lumber. Don't bother to take up the space in your basement or garage.
I gather you rexperience is fairly limited, don't get offended, everyone starts somewhere or you would know the limitations of $139 machine. The good thing about a lightweight machine is you can move it easily. However it won't take a lot of abuse. Ripping 8ft 4 x 4s. like I did. Ripping long miters on 2 x 4s. with a dull blade. I liked the fact that it would cut a 4 x 4. Not all of them do. The fence was pretty sloppy. I'd have to be extra careful if I was making a set of drawers for example. Have to measure at each end of the fence to msak sure it was parallel to the blade. Stuff like that. Hope this helps
Personally I wouldn't use a table saw for square cuts. For that I'd move my material to a sliding compound miter saw. Unless the material is less than 2ft or so you can't control it well on a table saw to get accurate squre cuts.
Then you need a better saw. A quality saw with a good fence, can be very accurate on large sized items. I can do 30" wide on my Delta with Beisemeyer fence and be within 1/32. If I had the room for hte 50" fence, I'd be able to do that also. On smaller pieces, I can be even more accurate.
==================== Ed you beat me to the punch.... LOL... I do own a sliding table compound miter saw.. And I also own a tablesaw...But .. I do have the 50" Bies .
Makes no difference however...I would no more think of using My sliding compound miter saw to square a panel then to use My bandsaw.. Accuracy with the tablesaw is dead on.. the CMS is nowhere near as accurate... I do use a old Delta/Rockwell contractor saw (with a sled) as a dedicated cut off saw... its limited however to no wider then 17 inch boards...thats all that saw does is to cross cut perfectly square...
Bob G.
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