Choosing a Table Saw

[Richard Savage]

Having 'Googled' the archives I gather that spending less that £150-ish on table saw is pretty much a waste of money. However, I'm really only looking for something to replace the, infrequent and frightening, use of my (small) circular saw clamped upside down in my Workmate. These infrequent uses include cutting big sheets, doors, adjustment of floor and skirting boards.

Screwfix has an impressive 12" contractors unit at £140. But it weighs

57Kg and looks far too serious for my needs.

Can anyone suggest something slightly less substantial?

TIA

Richard

[Grunff]

If you mean 92632 I have one, and for the money it's very good. It's worth spending a bit of time shimming it so that everything lines up, but once you do that it's a decent enough saw. It's also worth making a better fence for it - the one that comes with it is poor.

[Richard Savage]

Yep, that's the fellow. It's just that it is probably far too big for infrequent use, but it's looks such a good price.

Happy New Year

Richard

[Bob Minchin]

Unless you are really short of space then why not get it? In my experience bigger tools are often the best choice as projects tend to get more ambitious with time. one benefit of a table saw can be that it is also a table once the blade has been wound down below the surface.

Bob

[MrCheerful]

Costco have a very nice 10 inch sip for 93 quid inc.

MrCheerful

[Grunff]

That was my reasoning - if you need a table saw, it's not going to be a small thing. Given this, you might as well get one with a decent motor (and that one does have a very nice motor).

[Rick Hughes]

I bought a contractors table saw from Warehouse Direct, and it was a substantially built, but let down by flimsily rip guide and poor slots for fence. I sold this ... and bought a JCB model saw, this has an adjustable width table, and very positive slots for guide fence, and cast aluminium guides etc.

VERY pleased with this, and I rate it as good value at £150 This included a steel stand.

Rick

[Tony Bryer]

Our local Wickes have some in their half price clearance for £50. I deliberately didn't look too hard lest I be tempted.

But on the subject of cheap power tools my nice looking Homebase £60 SDS drill is now, I fear, an ex-drill. My fault for expecting too much of it: still runs but loads of sparking from round the commutator even after changing the brushes. So it was off to the hire shop this morning for something more serious.

[Richard Savage]

Rick,

Can you tell me the model number etc of your JCB saw? ARGOS (improbably) have a JCB saw for £130 but from the microscopic photo it looks similar to the very flimsy looking saw that Wickes' wants £130 for.

TIA Richard

[Rick]

OK - took a look today for you -

My saw is a JCB SITEMASTER Model JCBS-TS Professional

254mm blade 1.5kW

The only thing I don't like about it is the plastic base - but it is procing very robust - more so than the steel previous model, I have it permanently mounted on the stans .... great saw, and extending table really makes a difference.

Rick