# Table saw



## tpope (Mar 1, 2015)

My suggestions are: buy used but see it run and make sure it cuts square. Also, make sure that you can fit at least a 3/4 dado stack onto the threaded shaft along with the stiffing washer and nut.

I am using an old Sears unit but it is about 40 years old...


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## Gumpy (Mar 30, 2016)

I have a portable DeWalt table saw and I really like it. 

After what Sears did to the Bionic Wrench company, I will never buy another Sears product in my lifetime.


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## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

I have had a cheap Ryobi table saw with stand for about 3 years. It's not great, but I am not a great carpenter either. It does the job to the level I need it done.


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## Treehopper (Dec 9, 2012)

I second the 3/4 inch dado stack capability...you will not regret it. If it will handle 7/8 even better.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I think I paid $300 for a used bosch 4100. I bought three new skills that didn't hold up. So far I really like the bosch. I have not owned any others and can only say that the bosch was better then the skills (made by the same company). I have only had a table saw for about 10 years and wonder how I ever lived with out one now.
Cheers
gww


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## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

I had a cheap Craftsman 10 table saw for many years. The fence always had to get squared to the blade before making any cut. I finally got sick of the saw when the depth started to drift and searched for a replacement. I found an ancient Craftsman saw (Craftsman 113.29991) that a buddy just gave me to get it out of his storage. The thing weighs a ton but the fence always stays square without constantly adjusting and no drifting depth. 
Remember the adage "You get what you pay for".


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

If you want something that will store easily find a Bosch. If space is no problem Do a Delta contractor saw. Just remember that the fence is the heart of the saw. Both can be had on Craigslist


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## crofter (May 5, 2011)

The newer saws with the _gear reduction brush type motor_ will not log near the hours before biting the dust that the old belt drive saws would. 

Certainly check that the shaft will take a dado blade stack.


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## Billboard (Dec 28, 2014)

Yeah i want the dado blade. Ill check the ones mentioned out. Thanks. My father has a radial arm saw. He bought it when i was about 5 or 6 yrs old and im 48 now . The thing runs good still. In fact im going to my parents this weekend to use it.


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## aunt betty (May 4, 2015)

Started with an ancient craftsman belt driven one. (heavy) 
Then I got a cheaper lighter model and finally my buddy sold me his newer 2-horse Craftsman. Now I have three. It's sweet! I can leave the dado stack on one and use another for rips and I've sort of retired the ancient one. It's the spare. 
I build a lot of boxes and it really is a time saver to have two. 
Eventually, and I mean next Tuesday, I'm taking some of my home built boxes to show, tell, and try to sell at the bee club meeting. We have a huge membership so why not?

Craigslist is full of table saws for sale usually.


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## johnbeejohn (Jun 30, 2013)

I got one for 100 used old craftsman on a stand fresh blade works great came with a dado as well already saved me money since I owned it just made double nucs bottoms for like 17 bucks a piece 
You can do it all with a table saw


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## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

I don't think this is hijacking. I am looking for the same recommendations as Billboard, but I would like one of the portable saws on wheels that also collapse so you can hang it on a wall. I have a large, very difficult to move, old Ryobi. It does everything, but I need more space and the ability to move it by myself. I agree that the fence is very important. Would also like one with metal blade adjustment gears and not plastic. I am not afraid to spend on a good tool.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

If you have the space to store/use it (_no_ folding up to put it away), a table saw with a belt driven blade is my suggestion. The belt drive allows the motor to be mounted '_out back'_, where the height of the motor does not impact the maximum cutting depth of the blade. And since the overall physical size of the motor is then not an issue, the motor can be a capacitor start AC induction motor. A direct drive motor is more likely to have compromised performance due to the need to keep the overall physical size of the motor smaller.

Craigslist is a good resource for affordable larger size induction motor saws. 

.


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## frogpondwarrior (Aug 2, 2016)

I had belt driven stationary saw but really no warm or level work space. Gave it to my brother. So shifted to a portable DeWalt table saw with the wheels. Now it can be loaded on the truck with just ramp lifting or left standing in the corner of the green house or barn. Mine will take my stacked dado and wobble dado blade barely. It has run hard and heavy since 2011.


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## Munson (Mar 16, 2014)

Invest in the fence. I found an old cast iron sears saw with a biesemeyer fence. Had to replace the motor after a year but it is beautifully accurate. And the new motor is a beast. She sings. She cuts perfectly straight. Craigslist search for a biesemeyer and checkout saws that have one. Bring boards to attest motor strength, check square on the blade to fence. An ibox needs a stable saw that rips a straight edge.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

I got a Ridgid TS3650, and for making boxes, it's a great saw. Light enough to be easily moved around on it's wheels. Takes a Dado set and has enough power to push it. Nice fence. I got it used and in great condition on Craigslist for $350 and I've seen one since for $250. 

Here's a review


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## NAC89 (Jun 1, 2016)

Adam Foster Collins said:


> I got a Ridgid TS3650, and for making boxes, it's a great saw. Light enough to be easily moved around on it's wheels. Takes a Dado set and has enough power to push it. Nice fence. I got it used and in great condition on Craigslist for $350 and I've seen one since for $250.
> 
> Here's a review


X2. I found a barely used TS3650 on Craigslist a few months back and picked it up for $325. Love the saw and it does roll around nicely for being nearly 300lbs. Funny thing is I bought it to make more beekeeping equipment and have yet to make any because I've so busy making other projects with it.


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## Billboard (Dec 28, 2014)

I found this one on craigslist https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/tls/5985364041.html
Its listed for $550 at home depot on craigslist they want $300. Otherwise the rest are pretty old. There is this one 
https://chicago.craigslist.org/sox/tls/5982505399.html
But i have no clue about Hitachi brand? Anyone heard of Hitachi?


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## Hops Brewster (Jun 17, 2014)

any new saw, and many used saws, will need to be squared up before using. A new saw's manual will describe how to square it. Manuals for used saws are just a google search away.


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## Ddawg (Feb 17, 2012)

I gotta agree with the older Cman folks. Also, your life will be a lot easier if you can use a 3/4" dado stack, most newer saws (in the $300 and under range) and tabletops can only handle up to a 1/2" stack.
I picked up a nice Cman 113 with a belt drive and 3hp motor and a 2424 rip fence for $100 at a yard sale. The best money I've spent in beekeeping yet.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

I have three stationary circular saws now, a small Delta table saw, a very old Craftsman radial arm saw, and a Milwaukee panel saw. 

My table saw is too darned small to be considered a serious machine, and a "friend" managed to lose some parts on the fence so it is now difficult to keep square. But good table saws are a cabinetmaker's tool. The good ones are versatile and precise. 

Radial arm saws seem to be passing from favor, and I'm not sure Craftsman sells them now. Mine is ancient, probably a 1959. They're scary pieces of machinery, but they will handle some jobs that table saws are not well suited for. They're especially good at letting you see what the blade is doing. They can do many of the same jobs as table saws, particularly on beekeeping equipment scales. So with both a table saw and a radial arm saw, you have some ability to leave one set up for dados. I think many people these days are getting chop saws or miter saws to do the work of a radial arm saw, but I have never seen one of these smaller saws run with a dado blade. 

Panel saws are specialized for cutting rectangles out of large sheets. That's all they do but dang, they do a sweet job of it. They're the safest of the three. You have to make an effort to get your hand near the blade.


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## Billboard (Dec 28, 2014)

Well i just got home from my dads. I just cut enough wood for 8 deep nucs. 1 double nuc box. And best if all i brought the radial arm saw home. I ripped three 1x12x12s so easy and fast i couldn't believe it. When i told my dad i was going to buy a table saw he told me to take his. He said he needs back surgery and he wont be using it anymore. So the need for a table saw is still there but not such a hurry. Ill be putting boxes together starting tomorrow. It was a good day today. Im gunna have some fun with this saw. It even has router attachments and drill attachments.


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## gww (Feb 14, 2015)

I do not have good luck ripping oak with a radial arm saw. I like the table saw much better. You really have to have the radial squared well to rip well.

For cross cutting multiple things of a single lenght the radial is golden.
gww


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## Billboard (Dec 28, 2014)

I used the saw last yr about the same time when i made my cedar hives. We ripped boards then too. They stacked up real nice and even when the hives were put together. Im hoping it goes the same this time.


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## coalsmok (Jan 27, 2017)

I have two radial arm saws. They do good work but you have to remember to keep them checked and squared to everything. A hard hit can mess one of the many adjustments up and not be obvious until something don't square up like it should. 

I'm hoping for to add a table saw this year for building som cabinets around the house. I just can't get the repeatable accuracy out of my radials the distances needed. 

That said I have built plenty of smaller things with mine. 40 or so bee boxes this winter and working on tops and bottoms now.


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## EastSideBuzz (Apr 12, 2009)

I got a saw stop. It is amazing. It sounds amazing. I love cutting with it and I cant cut my finger off. When I filleted my finger a year ago the deductibles cost as much as the saw. Never again.

http://www.sawstop.com/


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## Michael Palmer (Dec 29, 2006)

Ddawg said:


> your life will be a lot easier if you can use a 3/4" dado stack,


Even better if the arbor will accept an additional 1/16 chipper. Then you can use an auxiliary fence and make 3/4" rabbets on the edge of a board without leaving a bur.


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## Jim_in_PA (May 17, 2016)

Michael Palmer said:


> Even better if the arbor will accept an additional 1/16 chipper. Then you can use an auxiliary fence and make 3/4" rabbets on the edge of a board without leaving a bur.


This is absolutely good advice...


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

EastSideBuzz said:


> I got a saw stop. It is amazing. It sounds amazing. I love cutting with it and I cant cut my finger off. When I filleted my finger a year ago the deductibles cost as much as the saw. Never again.
> 
> http://www.sawstop.com/


A local woodworking shop sells those. Absolutely remarkable. Not cheap, but as you say, maybe cheaper than the alternative.


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## Jim_in_PA (May 17, 2016)

Yes, SS brings an element of safety, albeit at a cost. If I ever were to go back to a traditional North American design table saw, I would consider one. (I use a Euro sliding table saw in my shop which is a bit of a different animal...)


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## Brad Bee (Apr 15, 2013)

Billboard, old is good when it comes to table saws. If you aren't going to be moving it much get one with a cast iron deck. Buy one that's rusted up so you can get it cheaper. Sand the deck down with 360 grit sand paper then apply a coat of car wax ever so often, keep a sharp blade on it and it'll cut wood like butter.


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## Richard Cryberg (May 24, 2013)

gww said:


> I do not have good luck ripping oak with a radial arm saw. I like the table saw much better. You really have to have the radial squared well to rip well.
> 
> For cross cutting multiple things of a single lenght the radial is golden.
> gww


Get yourself a blade intended for a radial arm saw and you will see a lot of improvement. What you need is a negative 5 degree hook angle which I doubt you will find on the shelf at very many stores. I find ripping is much faster on a table saw, but not as accurate, nor as smooth an edge as I can do with my radial arm. On the radial arm saw I can rip ready to go glue joints on a six foot long hardwood board like cherry. No need to joint or hand plane to get a fit. Any ripping on a radial arm saw on smaller parts absolutely requires hold down jigs for safety or you are going to throw pieces back at yourself. A well tuned table is a little bit safer in that respect, particularly with a lower hook angle blade and you have the vertical room to make hold downs. Either are disasters waiting to happen if not well tuned. Blade stiffeners on that radial arm help a lot also once you have the right blade on it. Sharp blades also help a lot. I have no cure for the ever present internal stresses found so often in hardwoods that cause the board to warp/twist during the rip on longer boards.


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## Phoebee (Jan 29, 2014)

In principle, a radial arm saw and a table saw should both be good at ripping. But the dimensions and conditions of the saws will determine if they can do the job well. A small portable table saw may not have a long enough rip fence to align well. A radial arm saw uses a wooden rip fence that you cut thru as needed, and needs periodic replacement. Either type can become misaligned with age and rough treatment. Both saw types are are challenged by large sheets (not that this is a big problem for making hive bodies. The big Saw Stop model I looked at had a huge table and support area, and a long and beautifully-made rip fence. I have no doubt it would do lovely rip cuts. But big table saws eat floor space.

Either a radial arm saw or a table saw will rip more reliably if used with feather boards, and both should be used with pusher sticks. Good setup is everything.

This was brought home to me last year when I needed to cut EPS foam panels. Foam is very sensitive to blade alignment, and will tend to bind and kick back like crazy if there's any misalignment. I even tried using specialized razor-edged foam cutting blades. They make a beautiful cut if aligned, but are even worse at binding if ****ed a little on cuts against a rip fence. Neither my table saw nor my radial arm would rip foam properly. The radial arm would cross-cut OK, but the travel was not sufficient for the pieces I needed to cut. I finally bought the panel saw, which could do all my cuts as cross cuts, and turned out to be the ideal tool for the large foam panels. 

Panel saws do a great job of ripping plywood. They can rip and cross-cut dimension lumber, but this will involve getting down on your knees due to the construction of these near-vertical panel-handlers. If I had my other two saws set up for special cuts, I'd not hesitate to do the basic rectangular cuts on the panel saw. I might check to see that nobody was looking, or at least that I didn't have my crack exposed. Panel saws are large, but you can put them against a wall. Mine has rollers so I can move it if I need room to handle big sheets.


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