£100 table saw

[J4m3sg]

evening all,

question for you all concerning tablesaws. I'd like to get one as i'm looking for something that will allow me to quickly make clean accurate cuts repetitively. I have a circ saw with a guide which is good enough for rough cuts but doesn't get me where i need to be. it's also pretty unwieldy for smaller pieces, and repetitive cuts (drawers etc)

In terms of what i make, I'm just getting started really, but its smaller items to use around the house, cutlery drawer inserts, small shelves, small bathroom cabinet etc. I'll currently making a tv unit - I cant see me making anything much bigger.

I have a full time job, so making things is very much a hobby. I have a small corner of my garage I work out of, so I don't have loads of space, nor do I have a massive amount of disposable income.

I've seen table saws for around the £100 mark.

I get that they won't be as good as a £1000 cast iron version.

But as per the above, I don't have the space or the money for something like that.

So to my question. Is a £100 table saw "good enough" for the sort of stuff I'm doing, and for the frequency that I'm using it. I assume it will be a significant upgrade in terms of accuracy and speed than a circ saw/ handsaw/ planing combo.

Or am I wrong?

Would I actually be better off spending the money on some other tools.

Would be interested in people's opinion on this.


Thanks
Jim

PS. I'm not particularly keen on buying something second hand, as I don't want anything that dangerous to be in anything less than tip top condition when I start using it.

PPS, please don't say "Get better with hand saws" - I want to spend my precious free time making things, not trying to square ever decreasing pieces of wood

 

[rdesign]

I wouldn't call a 100 euro table saw safe! it will have a horrendously loud motor. a fence that will not stay locked or parallel to the blade, A riffing knife that will be flimsy and hard to set in the perfect position. and a really light narrow kerf saw blade as it will have an under powered motor. this will drift out of square.

What make is your Track saw. The track saw table saw stand is suppose to be decent but expensive

but I think you will be better off to but a small bandsaw and fit it with quality blades from tuff saws.

will be good for cutting stock quickly and a quick clean up with a plane to remove saw marks and square.

Regards Richard

 

[J4m3sg]

Thanks for the reply Richard,

It's not a track saw as such - a circ saw from screwfix, with a home made cutting guide. It's a complete pain in the ass to move it around and clamp it on top of a slab of celotex I use outside for cutting on. It's almost impossible to get an accurate cut.

I really don't want to spend another winter on my knees cutting wood.

Jim

 

[dzj]

A £100 second hand saw is probably safer than a £100 new one.

 

[RogerP]

I'm with Richard, a small band saw with a Tuffsaws blade would be ideal for the small stuff you are making. They are quiet, fairly safe and accurate once set up with a quality blade and also they don't take up too much room.

 

[Bodgers]

evening all,

question for you all concerning tablesaws. I'd like to get one as i'm looking for something that will allow me to quickly make clean accurate cuts repetitively. I have a circ saw with a guide which is good enough for rough cuts but doesn't get me where i need to be. it's also pretty unwieldy for smaller pieces, and repetitive cuts (drawers etc)

In terms of what i make, I'm just getting started really, but its smaller items to use around the house, cutlery drawer inserts, small shelves, small bathroom cabinet etc. I'll currently making a tv unit - I cant see me making anything much bigger.

I have a full time job, so making things is very much a hobby. I have a small corner of my garage I work out of, so I don't have loads of space, nor do I have a massive amount of disposable income.

I've seen table saws for around the £100 mark.

I get that they won't be as good as a £1000 cast iron version.

But as per the above, I don't have the space or the money for something like that.

So to my question. Is a £100 table saw "good enough" for the sort of stuff I'm doing, and for the frequency that I'm using it. I assume it will be a significant upgrade in terms of accuracy and speed than a circ saw/ handsaw/ planing combo.

Or am I wrong?

Would I actually be better off spending the money on some other tools.

Would be interested in people's opinion on this.


Thanks
Jim

PS. I'm not particularly keen on buying something second hand, as I don't want anything that dangerous to be in anything less than tip top condition when I start using it.

PPS, please don't say "Get better with hand saws" - I want to spend my precious free time making things, not trying to square ever decreasing pieces of wood

No matter what the frequency of use is, a cheap tablesaw is a cheap table saw. The only one I see that fits your budget is the Titan one from Screwfix. Despite the positive reviews there, you are still probably going to come across issues with repeatability, ear bleeding noise levels and compromises with accuracy. If you don't mind fighting those things, go for it. Otherwise, don't bother

If you stick another £100 you could probably get yourself something used which has a cast iron top and an induction motor which will probably save you time and be less of a frustration to use.

 

[shed9]

If you want new and compact, go with the Screwifx Titan or the Scheppach at £100 and £120 respectively.

Live with it a bit and if you find you want more accuracy, do a google search on improving your saw, such as a better fence, homemade wider table, etc.

It's doable just be realistic in your expectations at that price point.

Good luck.

 

[mahomo59]

I think, a more suitable track saw. Very versatile, packs away easily, great dust collection, lightweight and better for sheets. With a few YouTube clips etc there are plenty of folk demonstrating repeat cuts and on narrow stock.
Best of luck with your purchase.

 

[RickN]

Would you not be better off with a lidl / scheppach track saw and maybe a MFT style replacement top with some parf dog type thing?

Just a quick trawl of the bay turns up a sheppach TS http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SCHEPPACH-PL3 ... SwBLlVVMUo
And an MFT replacement for £40 including postage http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Festool-MFT-L ... SwubRXKIgi

or a tad more than the top on it's own is this contraption, friend of mine bought one, he rates it. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Festool-Makit ... SwdvpWDpji

That would leave you just requiring a couple of sets of dogs. I got mine from Axi, think they where about 20 quid for 2.
I have fallen foul of the cheap table saw , the worst one being not so cheap from clarke which I scrapped rather than risk some poor bugger lose fingers after i passed it on.
Either way , with hindsight , I'd have bought a set up like the above if I'd have known what I wanted it for, and what it was capable of... much easier processing sheet goods to a manageable size with a track saw.

 

[cammy9r]

Cheap saws can be useful but also a PITA to set up accurately. I had a Ryobi rts1425 which I rather liked. Other than the noise it cut cleanly but took a few extra mins to set the fence up and the provided scale could not be trusted. That said it worked well to the end of its life and I was sad to see it die.....in the middle of a project! I always had my eye on a larger cabinet style saw but space and funds forced my hand to buy cheaper than the Ryobi. This resulted in the green evolution tablesaw £160 of utter garbage, a large dusty sneeze could send this thing to the back of the garage. A mdf base filled with bags of sand sorted that though. The fence was horrendous to use and was as stiff as a strawberry lace. I ended up butchering the old Ryobi fence and rail to fit the evolution and it semi transformed it to a useable saw.....I still loathed it but it got the job done. Another thing is the blade went out of square when used for bevelling which resulted in some interesting cuts. I will say though that it never felt unsafe and I NEVER experienced kickback from either the Ryobi or evolution.
Later I bought a Makita mlt100......................yes my life is one mistake after another..............only kidding this was not a bad saw at all but at twice the price i was expecting miracles perhaps. It cut clean straight both bevel and square had handy sliding extensions and a sliding carriage which was good once I learned how best to use it, you don't. I still have this saw and it does well for a site saw but it IS VERY NOISEY and starts with a bang and a jump if not weighed down.
To sum this rambling up even if you spend near the £320 mark the saw will never live up to its expectations. People say the axminster ts200 is good after some engineering and it starts at ~£350.
I now have record power ts250rs with squaring frame, I like this machine but even it needs some great care and attention to its set up. It does however require its very own workshop, it has a huge footprint for a mid/hobby range saw. Workshop commencing this Saturday, whoohoo.

 

[graduate_owner]

I bought a second hand Scheppach TS2500, not the cast iron version. It cost me £630 including sliding table and fold awzy side table. I know this is above your budget ( it was above my original budget too, I was thinking of a Clarke £120 machine - so glad I didn't get one of ghose) and it is probably a bit on the large side, especially with the extra tables. BUT it is really nice to use and I don't expect to have to change it in my lifetime - although I am in my 60's.

OK so my point is if you get a saw you are not happy with you will (a) regret it every time you use it (b) have to go through the same palaver of deciding which to buy when you eventually get fed up and decide to upgrade (c) lose money when you sell the cheapie.

I agree with the comments about safety too. I'm sure that you would be safer by spending on a good quality used saw than a flimsy new one at the same price. It is an investment ( so are your fingers) so buy accordingly, or do without until you have saved / put aside enough. I have never regretted buying mine, albeit at oover 5 times what I was originally thinking of spending.

K

 

[DennisCA]

Yeah I had to just keep upping my budget too. But on the plus side I'll never need to upgrade again.

 

[Steve Maskery]

All excellent advice above.
Google a Ruskin quote...