Table Saw & Router Combo

About as good as a "one size fits all suit".

2) Lowe's Skil® XShopT Convertible Workshop Item #: 63022 Model: 3700-01

Are these worthwhile? Any others that are good? Maybe none of these combo units are any good.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks...

I bought a Table saw about over a year ago. it was a craftsman 10" on sale. I was gonna dump it till people told me how useful tablesaws were.

I think I may want to buy a dewalt next time. However, its usefull enough and works well enough that its not worth me upgrading now. I learn increasingly that woodworking is not extreme precision work. The techniques used allow for some play in the sizes. So its allowed me to get by.

Perhaps its that the saw was better than me when I bought it. And I have sepent all this time using it and getting better. So im getting more and more out of it every use. If your already good with a table saw maybe you will be a bit disappointed.

I cant give you any real complaints except I think the fence mechanism could be better. if i could do it over i would buy the craftsman again. But if I started with today's skill I would buy a Dewalt.

samadams snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.ca wrote:

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks...

Go to Home Depot and give the Ridgid equipment a walk-around. I have a 3650 which sounds like too much saw for your needs and wallet. Check the 2400 or is it 2420 - don't recall exactly right now. It got great reviews a couple of months ago and comes with a set of wheels so you can fold up the saw and stand it in the corner. DeWalt makes a few nice routers but if I had it to do again I'd vie for a Porter-Cable because of the availability of aftermarket add-ons.

What do you plan to use it for? IMO, it is a good setup at a construction site but not very good for any serious woodworking. Ripping a couple of boards for a deck? Great. Building a piece of furniture? You can do better.

I'd look at better quality stand alone tools. Accumulate them over time as you need them and you will have a shop that will outlast you.

The Craftsman, is a Ryobi Bt3100 on a portable stand. I have never seen a portable stand on the Skill Xshop. If you aren't needing the portability, why not buy the BT for a lot less? Check out bt3 central to learn about this saw, and the users following. I compared the two when I was looking as I have a tiny shop with no room for a cabinet saw. The Skill was almost exactly one of those saws I see for $89 all the time. The BT was and is in it's own league.