# WOOT WOOT !!!! Got my new saw today !!



## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

*WOOT WOOT !!!! Got my new saw today !! ( pictures up )*

Hey hey guys and dolls I picked up an oldie but a goodie Ryobi BT 3000 today for $120. Sold the old saw Friday night and put the loot towards the Ryobi. It looks brand spanking new ! Every attachment you can buy for it save for the miter slot table, extension table, and long miter fence. It came to me with extra mounting plates for the accessory table ( For router and jig saw ), Throat plates for the router table, casters on the deluxe model iron stand, magnetic push stick, Router fence, sliding miter table. I even have the original receipt, all the manuals AND the VHS demo tape that came with the saw new.

Just an entire but load of extras. All I need to do is buy a dust bag basically ( because I will never have the room for the wide table extension LOL ! I'll snap a pic tomorrow for you. I really like this saw guys. Its fairly powerful, accurate ass all get out, isn't noisy at all, and it feels like a heavy cabinet saw when using it. I'll be making my own version of the miter slot tables I think. 

Needless to say we happy !


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## RustyW (Dec 28, 2005)

Congratulations Duane, I've never used one, but I know that saw has a huge following of fans. Have fun with it.


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

What! no pictures of the new arrival!! we are happy for you, but disapointe not to see it!!


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## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

Gett'n ready to go make some saw dust right now. 
Pics tonight of my new stubby finger or of what ever I make on the saw.
Which ever comes 1st. LOL !
With pics of the saw...


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## Bob N (Oct 12, 2004)

I have always heard many great things about that saw. Looking forward to hearing about your adventures and seeing your pictures.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

duane,

check out bt3central- make sure you learn how to adjust the sliding table and you'll love the saw. Also, put a shelf in the bottom of the stand, and set a bag of sand on it for some extra mass when feeding sheet stock.

I loved my bt3000 when I had it all those years ago!


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## dutchman 46 (May 23, 2007)

I have a bt3000, and i don't think you will ever be sorry! I love mine, and you have all the extras. About the only thing that you don't want to do, is be rough on it. It is a very accurate saw,once set, and the directsions will help you there. Enjoy. By the way, The sliding miter table works like the big boys, It is very accurate Haave had mine for 9 yrs, and have readjusted the table only once. is a perfect 90.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

Duane,

I had one for many years; it's a good saw. Congratulations.

I recommend not buying the bag but instead get a shop vacuum off of Craigslist if you don't have one already. The saw is designed to have one attached where the bag goes. The ~2.5" hose is a direct-connect and it picks up even better than most TS's with a DC connected.

Great buy!

Jim


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## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

Dang it fellas. the saw is in the monster in laws garage and I forgot to take my camera with me this afternoon while I was there. I'll be making more dust tomorrow though ! I'll bring it for sure. I checked the date code and my saw is 17 years old ! 17 years old and the motor is still as strong as it was on day one. I ripped a 2x4 through the length skinny side up today with it, cross cut a 4x4 in one pass with the blade all the way up, practiced mitering with the miter sled, played around with making an acrylic zero clearance throat plate. Bad Idea by the way. Its just not strong enough. Either buy a sears throat plate or make one out on phelonic material, or sheet aluminum or steel. I had read some where last night about how to make one from acrylic and tried it to no avail. You have to rabbit the sides to 1/8" thick when you only have 1/4" thick acrylic to play with in the 1st place. I should have known better LOL !
I also connected the router to the built in router table and played around on it a while tonight. I'll have to get used to not having to go nuts digging out every thing when I want to use it.
Its great, and the best part is I can make a killer little boxed fence for the router and buy some of those square sliding tabs/t-bolts and use them to attach the box fence to the table saw fence. I could even make one side micro adjustable for jointing as well. SOmehting else cool I learner today is that Sears carries a rip fence micro adjuster for on eof there saw that also works on the BT3K for $29.99.

There is a slight tension during raising the blade. I think a shim may have came unseated and slipped down a tad or something. No biggie. Even if it needs replaced its only like $12.00 shipped for a complete set. 
One question though for you former and current BT3K owners on here...... Are you able to push the locking lever on your fence all the way down to lock it or are you getting mad friction like I am about half way down and having to stop there ?

Jim, 
Yeah I duct taped the old Rigid shop vac I got for $25 on clearance at HD last year to it while fiddling around on it today. Got some on the drive way but a lot in the can.
It really does have a very good dust collection system on it.

Doug,
I want to do something like this .....









But I am afraid that it would severely hamper any adjusting that would need done by limiting my reach under the saw cabinet.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

I don't suppose ya feel guilty yet about stealing that setup for $120.:haha:
Seriously great find, heck of a lot different saw than my BTS20. 
Make your zero clearance insert out of a cheap plastic cutting board. I got a board out of a discount store somewhere for about $3 and big enough to make two inserts. I used the dado insert I had for the pattern and used the router table to shape it and make the rabbets.


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## jschaben (Jun 21, 2009)

Anybody know whether this model is still in production? I haven't seen it anywhere, even the Ryobi website only admits to the BTS 12, 16 and 21. I have the BTS 20 and its a little on the lame side. From the looks of the BT3K, if they got the power fixed, it looks like they got a saw. Heard nothing but good reviews so seems like someone would at least be remanufacturing the thing. 
I love the size, weight and portability of the 20, but it loads up on 1x pine, not a lot but I can hear it start to bog. Mitre is a joke, I ended up with an Incra V120. Fence took some rework and it doesn't like to hold it's depth of cut very well. That last is a kicker. I've taken about all the slop out of the system I could find but it still works it's way down. :angry: Unless I'm missing something in the system?? Real bummer when your trying to make a bunch of half-laps with a dado blade and when ya done cutting half need to be recut. 
I've been looking for another saw and have been looking real hard at the Ridgid TS2400 but after reading about Duanes' score I got more interested in Ryobi again.


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## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

It's no longer in production. You may be able to find a refurbished 3100 but I doubt it.
They haven't made a BT3000 in years. Mine is 17 years old. A rigid would be NICE and would probably be my choice as well if I had the money. 
I just got a good deal here and rode it out was all. Those BTS20's are fugging jokes. Get the BTS 21. It's the closest thing they make to the Bt3000 and 3100's now. 
You just have to square up the miter table good and your set. 


Well here she is............. Not bad at all for a 17 year old table saw 
Little dirty from me sweating heavily over MDF dust all over it LOL !










Heck of an upgrade from this turd burglar.......


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## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

Finally post a photo and I get nut'n


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## Hamlin (Dec 25, 2005)

Duane sometimes posts get pushed down and people don't see them.

That looks like a mighty fine TS. You should enjoy it for a long time. Congrats on the new TS.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

great memories!

enjoy,


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## RustyW (Dec 28, 2005)

Great looking saw Duane. It's funny that since Ryobi is not thought of as, top of the line, tools. Why did they quit making this saw that was so hugely popular?


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## xplorx4 (Dec 1, 2008)

That looks to be an excellent TS. I must agree with Rusty, I have not thought of them as top of the line and yet it would seem at one time they obviously made an excellent saw. Go figure.


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## BigJimAK (Mar 13, 2009)

I think people had a negative perception. They looked like a desktop model on legs, had sheet metal sides and a universal motor and they were priced well on their way to a contractors saw. Most didn't realize the universal was belt drive (to give the 3-1/2" cut), the fence locked on both sides (stable and accurate) and the sliding table was a breeze.


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## Birchwood (May 13, 2005)

That is one very NICE lookin' saw ya got there!! I'm happy to see somebody walk into a good deal-always makes me feel almost as good as the lucky party involved. I'm a JET man myself, but I sure wouldn't turn down that saw of yours. Looks like a real workhorse. Thanks for sharing with those of us less fortunate and not nearly as lucky! HA!!


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## Duane867 (Oct 25, 2008)

I had some fence accuracy issues a day or two ago that I couldn't figure out to save my behind. It kept cocking about an 1/8th inch to the left on the out feed side every time I locked the fence. 
I tried every thing. Tore it apart reassembled, realigned... blah blah blah.
Than I decided to wax the table with paste wax and the upper half of the rails, then take some graphite powder and lube every thing up good including the fence's inner and outer workings. 
That solved the problem ! It aligns perfectly now.

Now all I have to do is buy a new set of shims. I want to do the 3100 guide and spring shim conversion but I can't get any one at Ryobi to email me back and let me know if my saw in particular can accept the swap. They say that some early models will not. 
I don't know what year the saw was introduced but I would guess mine is one of the 1st lot since it's 17 years old ( made in 1992 ). But I wont know if I can do it or not until some one from Ryobi gets back to me and lets me know the model number I have is compatible or not. Emailed them the week before twice and this past week twice. Tried calling but got no one. Just answering machine hell. 
Been to BT3 forums until I was blue in the face looking but no one there knows but they all say they have heard the same about the early models. They all say it should be in the FAQ file as well but every time I try to get the FAQ keeper ( don't ask me why they don't have it posted for download. Makes sense to me but hey who am I. I guess bugging one guy repeatedly appeals to them ? LOL ! ) to email me a copy he uses Gmail and it never makes it through to my in box. I asked if any one else on the forum had one that does not have Gmail and got no response


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