# Table saw



## dicey (Dec 27, 2011)

I have a question I recently found a Skillsaw table saw at a pawn shop for 99.99 I was wondering if this is a good price. Not sure too much about it though. It looked like one of the knobs was broken and had a little vise grip for that knob and the saw blade looks rusty. I was just wondering if this is a good price for it.


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## kp91 (Sep 10, 2004)

Pass on that one.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

Dawn,

I tend to agree with Doug on this one. Low end table saws can be found for 150 to 200 new, so 99.00 is not a smoking deal, especially if it has 'known issues' reducing the machines value.

Craig's list is a great place to source out used table saws.


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## waho6o9 (Apr 4, 2010)

Factory Reconditioned Skil 3310-01-RT 10-in Benchtop Table Saw

You can get a reconditioned one for the about the same price. Might have to pay shipping.
There's better deals out there Dawn, you'll find one.


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## dicey (Dec 27, 2011)

Thanks James, that is exactly the same saw with all the stuff, the one at the pawn shop didn't have the fence or anything.


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## dicey (Dec 27, 2011)

I want to put my router on the table saw what is the acessory called again?


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

Some of the fancier table saws have the option to mount a router beneath the 'table extension', which is usually to the right of the Table Saw's blade. Most of the ones that do have this option are a lot more expensive than the Skil unit you were looking at.

The exact words used to describe the 'router table upgrade' to a table saw vary from one brand to the next.


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## CharleyL (Feb 28, 2009)

A used, but complete and in good condition Contractors Saw can be found for about $250. They are worlds apart in quality and accuracy from those cheapo benchtop saws and what I would be looking for if I was on a tight tool budget. Anything less than this in a table saw will be dangerous and more of a frustration than they are usable. The contractors level saws have the power and accuracy to do the job satisfactorily. They are the ones that have a belt between the blade pulley and the motor, which is outside and hanging off the back of the saw. Watch Craigslist, Kijii, or whatever to find one near you. Make sure that it has minimum rust, no broken parts, a miter gauge, a fence, and try it before you buy it. It will likely be the only table saw that you will ever need to buy.

Charley


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

CharleyL said:


> A used, but complete and in good condition Contractors Saw can be found for about $250.
> 
> They are the ones that have a belt between the blade pulley and the motor, which is outside and hanging off the back of the saw.
> Charley


Thanks for tossing out the comment regarding 'belt driven' vs. 'direct driven' Charley. That is one aspect of Table Saw Design that slipped my mind. "Belt Driven" units are also a lot more likely to be up there in the league of saws that have a router table option for the table extension.


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## paduke (Mar 28, 2010)

Dawn

Developing your shop on a budget step by step is a great tutorial on woodworking. The 
TS is a good first step. After reading your profile I would recommend a bench top or direct drive TS. I use a Bosch with built in stand in the field and will testify to its accuracy. but few fences in this category cinch up square. Dewalt and Bosch are the exceptions. But its just an extra step measuring front and back of blade to make sure its straight A kid on my crew scrounged a benchtop from curbside trash No fence he uses vise grip c clamps and a straight board for a fence. 

Pawn shops have proven to be a good resource for me. But I never pay over 50% retail for a tool in good condition. However with the economy and TV pawnshop shows that source is proving less fruitfull. 

Since you set up outside on an unpaved surface and considering the router work you want to do I think a bench top RT would serve your purposes well until you have your new home built There are many great Shop built bench tops examples on the forum and building one will help develop your skill set

I hope you have a shop in your floor plan.


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## wbh1963 (Oct 11, 2011)

paduke said:


> Dawn
> but few fences in this category cinch up square.


Bottom-feeding Ryobi Table saw fences don't square up until you force them to...

Another thing to be aware of with 'cheap' table saws is miter sled slots that don't have machined inserts. In addition to being 'quite sloppy' with play, third party accessories designed to go into a 'real' miter slot wont work with the undersized cheap slots.


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## MikeMa (Jul 27, 2006)

wbh1963 said:


> Thanks for tossing out the comment regarding 'belt driven' vs. 'direct driven' Charley. That is one aspect of Table Saw Design that slipped my mind. "Belt Driven" units are also a lot more likely to be up there in the league of saws that have a router table option for the table extension.


Actually, most of the belt driven saws (contractor, hybrid, cabinet, industrial, etc.) do not come with router table extension on it. And that actually is the good news. Most of the saws that come with the router table built in are smaller direct drive saws. The issue is that the built-in router table may not work with the router you want it too. Belt driven saws, the extension wings are removable. What a lot of people do is pull off one of the wings, and then build a router a table that will fit their needs. Some companies do offer, as an add-on, a router table to their table saw, but there are lot of third party options out there as well. 

My advice, is concentrate on getting a good table saw first (belt drive, with a cast iron or granite top). Once you have that, you will have be able to figure out a solution to getting a router on it.


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## PigBear (Dec 14, 2010)

What do you want to do with it?

Several years ago I bought an el-cheapo house brand table saw at Lowes and I've wrestled with that thing for years until recently. I bought a used Ridgid TS3650 (belt driven) off of Craig's list and boy it's night and day.

First off the el-cheapo saw's miter slots were smaller, not standard size, and they had a lip to keep the miter gauge in place. I used a dremel to remove them so that I could make a sled. The Rigid's miter slots are a standard size so I can use aftermarket miter gauges, etc.

The best things I did to that saw were making the sled and upgrading the blade to a Forest WWII. It helped but still the saw has it's shortcomings.

It's too light. If I try to put any heavy stock across the saw, i.e. a plywood sheet, the saw wants to tip over. Very dangerous. Also the saw is not what I'd call overpowered by any means. It's easy to bog down. I have an old Ryobi battery chop saw that I won't use because it bogs down then traps and violently throws the wood.

The TS3650 has a mobile base so I can roll it around my garage and then drop it down onto it's feet to be solid - and boy it is solid. The table is big and flat. The fence is miles above the el-cheapo cam lock fence.

Can't believe I waited this long to trade up. Using the new saw is so much nicer and quieter. The el-cheapo screams loudly when cutting through anything. It just plain loud when running. The Rigid is quiet when it runs.

The one place that the el-cheapo beats my bigger saw is rust. The el-cheapo has an aluminum table so it doesn't rust. I don't mind a little maintenance for what I've gained in cutting capacity, ease of cutting, nice big square fence, etc.

So what I'm saying is that you could find a mobile slightly larger saw for a few hundred on CL that would be a better saw in the long run and give you fewer headaches. Also there's an spot in the right-hand wing on the TS3650 that people add a router table to (easy to make your own and drop it in).

P.S. the el-cheapo is getting some revenge - it won't let go of my WWII blade. I can't find the wrench that came with it and the arbor nut is too small for the wrenches that came with the Rigid. Dadgum odd-sized...


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## dicey (Dec 27, 2011)

At this time I'm looking at a ryobi table saw at home depot that is 119.00 with the stand i'll worry about the router bench later just trying to get some more power tools so I can do some more work. My miter saw is still out of action and getting a straight cut with a skill saw is interesting to say the least, i hesitate to buy another miter when I might be able to fix the one I have. I'm having fun with the router free handed at this time, but know eventually when I get my shop set up on the new land I will want to make a router table for it, there is alot more I can do with the router table.

thanks,

oh, p.s. let me know what you think about the ryobi table saw


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## Mosti (May 17, 2011)

Hi, what model is the ryobi table saw youve seen? I have a ryobi table saw, the ets1526al, its good to start with..advantages are that its light to carry as its made from aluminium, on the other hand itr may not be very steady when cutting large wood pieces (by the way I never cut panels on a table saw, I think it is dngerous especially without any help from someone else), the miter gauge is wobbly and not steady at all in this model, apart from being small for most jobs, I havent tried getting an after market miter gauge but I assume it will be difficult to get one that fits due to the lips present in the slots. Fence is ok. Noise...quite noisy I think ( I recall it was quieter when it was new).
Another important consideration is that you would need to change the blade since most table saws come with a blade thats intended for rough lumber.


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## Cochese (Jan 12, 2010)

I bought this for $300 two years ago. While not a cabinet saw or a hybrid, it's light years better than the bottom-feeder contractor saws you find at Home Depot or Lowes.

A table saw is the centerpiece of a shop. This is one of those times where I recommend to expand your budget.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00921829000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1


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