Hard to find reviews on table saws, help me choose

[brucetheshark]

Hi there

I'm just starting out in woodworking and I'm probably looking to buy a table saw in the next few weeks. I've got a budget of about £280 which doesn't go an awful long way it seems.
I've had a look at the second hand options but lack of warranty is a real killer for a newbie like myself.

I've basically narrowed it down to 3 options:
Ryobi RTS1800EF (I have a homebase voucher which will make up the difference in my budget, I use a fair bit of ryobi tools so far and I'm happy with them)
homebase co uk/en/homebaseuk/ryobi-ac-table-saw-389730

Scheppach HS105 (has some nice reviews (thanks a lot to those reviewers, they were very helpful) on here which is encouraging but I've never dealt with the brand)
screwfix com/p/scheppach-hs105-255mm-table-saw-230v/7225j

Wildcard: Titan TTB674TAS - gets good reviews and horrible reviews....(quality control issue) miles cheaper which would allow me to pick up other tools like a router.
screwfix com/p/titan-ttb674tas-254mm-table-saw-230-240v/9486j


I want to make decent stuff for around the house, a few desks, sideboards, maybe a bed alongside the usual stuff like making my own workbench and a nice garden bench.

Appreciate any feedback, thanks.

 

[transatlantic]

Forget about the Titan. I tried two before picking up the HS105, which was well worth the extra ~£140. Other than the Dewalt and Bosch offerings in this category (job site saws?), which are out of your price range, I think the HS105 is good value for money. I won't go into the details as you say you have read the reviews about the HS105 on this forum, but it only really has minor flaws, the two main ones being a wobbly mitre gauge and rubbish dust collection. Both of which you'd kind of expect for this money.

Can't really comment on the Ryobi. I've only seen it in passing.

 

[MikeJhn]

If you are serious about what you want to make with this table saw, all of those saws listed will be wonting in one way or another and you will soon want to upgrade to a better specification, also seriously consider the size of timber you will be wanting to rip and or cross cut, this will dictate the length of feed in and out from your table, doesn't need to be full length of the piece's being cut, but it does help if they are well supported, also consider the stability of the saw itself when being asked to cut long piece's you could easily push a lightweight saw over, this can be overcome with the saw built into a bench of some kind, I know this is not what you want to hear, but better to know now that making furniture can not be taken lightly if you are going to make a good, safe job of it.

IMO anything with a cast iron table is required for that type of work, I have no doubt it can be done without, but it would be easier with a heavy unit and flat top.

Minimum IMO: http://www.axminster.co.uk/axminster-ho ... to-st-pp-1 or something similar.

Mike

 

[LancsRick]

Go second hand on that budget. For £250 I picked up an EB PK200 with all accessories when I set up, great little piece of kit. If you stretch your budget a little you'll be into TS200 territory which might be best.

 

[LJM]

I don't recall the models, but have used a few of the saws in this class; I would agree with LancsRick and say go second hand (unless you need the portability). But further to what he said, you'll also find many older saws well within your budget and worthy of upgrades such as a new fence. These will be like night and day in comparison to the cheap site saws.

 

[Lonsdale73]

I was working to a similar budget when setting up my workshop and I went for a Charnwood W616. I wasn't doing very well with it at all until I found this forum and picked up some pointers from more experienced heads than mine. I replaced the blade and set the fence up as advised and now it cuts cleanly and - most importantly for me - square! Knowing what I know now, I might have spent a bit more money and bought another model. I have subsequently bought a tracksaw which I find easier to use to cut down sheet materials and a mitre saw for cutting to length. I dismantled the tablesaw as I sought to maximise available space in my single garage workshop and if I was starting again I think I might look instead at a bandsaw which some on here suggested might have been a better fit for my needs.

 

[sunnybob]

Bandsaws are extremely versatile, but they have a limit of width of cut to whatever the throat size is. You cant cut up big sheets with a bandsaw unless you want lots of strips.

I'm starting to think about a table saw, keep all the opinions coming.

 

[dynax]

I have the HS105 and i love it, and to be brutally honest if i was to buy another ts i would still get this one, even with it's minor flaws it is a very capable machine,

 

[Superstrat]

Years ago I had a cheap, b&q table saw with a relatively thin extending aluminium table that flexed. It served its purpose but was never that accurate or that easy to set up and, annoyingly, it didn't have a standard mitre slot. The included, non-standard mitre gauge was a sloppy fit which really frustrated me when accurate cross-cuts were needed. Dust collection was also virtually non-existent.

When you choose your ts check the mitre gauge for a snug fit and also how easy it is to change blades as access can sometimes be difficult from above, particularly on less-expensive saws. You could use a universal blade but for the best quality cuts you'll need to change blades for cross-cuts, rip-cuts or laminates. Also check the quality and rigidity of the table top.

All that said, ultimately the accuracy and quality required will depend on what type of woodworking you intend to explore.