Help me spend some money: £700 on a router and table saw

[EscapingScreens]

Hello,

First of all I want to thank the members of this forum, I’ve been a long time lurker here and have got some great tips, tricks and advice so far.

Due to the current global situation, I’ve have my holiday cancelled, so I’m left with around £700 to spend on some new gear. I started woodworking around a year ago and have been primarily working on basic skills with hand saws, planes and a couple of power tools. I’ve built some basic boxes and frames, along with a few jigs and time saving tools. I’d like to progress onto some larger projects.

I’m looking at buying a router and a table saw to increase the reproducibility of my results and hopefully spend less time setting up and more time doing.

Routers
I’m pretty sure from advice on here and having had the chance to play with a few that I’m looking at getting the Makita rp1800 series. It seems to be well reviewed and from a trusted brand.

makita-rp1801xk

If anyone has any other suggestions for a similar budget, I would be very grateful. (Updated following advice from RT0700CX2.)

Table saws
I know this seems to be a bit of a divisive topic on here, but I’m looking at spending my remaining £4-500 on a table saw. This isn’t for ripping down sheet goods, but more for reproducible cuts with minimal setup. I have a handheld circular saw that I’ve built a track for for ripping sheets, and that seems to work well.

I know this budget isn’t going to get me super precision, but if it gets me square cuts that’s are self-similar I’d be happy. I’m looking at about three saws, Bosch GTS 10 XC, Axminster ac216, Dewalt 745 (all on Axminster).

dewalt
axminster-craft
Bosch

I’m only on single phase power, so a lot of the pre-loved stuff would require modification, but I have no objection to second hand on principle, I got a great pillar drill a few months ago for £35 on eBay so I know bargains are to be had.

I’d like something that will last and retain some value if they start collecting dust, but I don’t really want to have buyers remorse in 6 months because I cheap out on something from scheppach. I’d like to buy soonish, but if something that blows these suggestions out of the water can be had for another £200, I’d save for longer.

Thank you in advance for any advice or guidance.
Sam

 

[marcros]

Well, if you are getting the Makita, I would switch it for the katsu and save some money on that. It is a handy little tool for rounding over etc but as an only router it has its limitations. As an only router I would go for something bigger that you can mount into a table if desired. It depends a lot on what you are making and what you want it for.

 

[marcros]

Whilst I am not up on every router model, from the ones that I have and use I think I would spend my money on a used elu. The katsu would be a handy addition when you come to need it- mine has a roundover bit living in it. Half inch is useful, but if you are only using smaller cutters and are careful, quarter inch will do the job.

 

[EscapingScreens]

My plan was to make a table for it so I can do rebates and box joints. I’ll definitely look at the katsu. Thank you.

 

[marcros]

The katsu wouldn't be suitable for this. Nor would the Makita version. Unless if course you are making models, in which case the scale is completely different.

 

[EscapingScreens]

Oh, I have seen a couple of people using these in diy tables and getting results from a couple of passes to create dados etc.

 

[sunnybob]

No, youve seen some fancy editing. :shock:
If you want a router to mount in a table for general use (not model making) you need a 1/2" router, end of story. A 1/4" router cannot power a large bit like box joint cutters reliably.

Like the old cartoons say.... youuullll beeee sooorrrryyyyy. :shock:

I have a makita rp1800 1/2" in a table. It lives there and has done for almost 6 years now. It has done everything I have asked it to do and I'm a hard taskmaster.
I have a couple of makita 1/4" routers that are fitted with roundover bits to save time on multiple boards.

Table saw... I have been very pleasantly surprised with my DW 745. Its a very good machine with an amazing fence for not very much money (check out the bay prices for this).

 

[EscapingScreens]

I’ll certainly take your advice on that then. At an extra ~£90 I can definitely stretch to that. Did you build your own table or get an after market one?

 

[gmgmgm]

I started out with a 1/4 router. Handy for doing odd bits of work, but now gathering dust, as a Katsu is so much easier for trimming jobs, and I now have a 1/2 router in a table. If you can swing both, it's much better. A 1/4 router just won't be a tool which sticks around.

On router tables: I had grand plans for making one, but ended up buying one locally on gumtree. Having good depth adjustment is reasonably hard to DIY. Though if you have plenty of free time at the moment it's a good project to get into!

On table saws: there are so many single-phase ones up for sale: when I was looking for my bigger 3ph one I had to sort through a lot of smaller 1ph ones, which seemed good value. Don't give up the hunt just yet!

 

[EscapingScreens]

I’ve set up a watch list for some things on eBay, I guess it changes frequently so I’ll keep an eye out. Thanks

 

[marcros]

A router table can be as simple as the router fixed to a piece of wood with a hole in. You would be shocked when you see the router tables that some professionals use, but they work perfectly well as can be seen by the results.

 

[EscapingScreens]

I’ve actually had a bit of luck, I managed to get the dewalt and makita on eBay for less than £400. Hopefully I’ll be all up and running by the end of the week. Thank you all for your advice and guidance

 

[Lonsdale73]

The Katsu is great for it's size and very easy to use. For table-mounted operations, look at moodels from Triton which offer power at a more affordable price and with the convenience of above table adjustmment possible.

And for a site-saw, the DW745 is hard to beat. I did consider the AC216TS for it's cast iron top but the DW745 does everything I ask of it so see no reason to change it at present. Don't underestimate the benefit that extra inch of blade can make.

 

[sunnybob]

Router tables can be anything from a kitchen worktop off cut, to an all singing all dancing best part of a grand cast iron whatnot.
I'm on my Mark 4 version, each new one more complicated than the last. :lol: :lol:
It totally depends on the amount of money you want to spend.

 

[twodoctors]

Re: table saw

Out of 3 you mentioned, I would go for the DeWalt.

I asked myself the same question recently, having only 1/2 a single garage as workshop. The Axminster is an Axminster obviously, but it's a 216mm blade (as per name), so your cut depth is more limited compared with the Bosch or DeWalt. DeWalt has better reviews compared with Bosch. All 3 has a smaller table compared with other "entry-level" table saw like the Evolution Rage or Charnwood W616 (one has foldable table, the other detachable like Axminster). You can get extension table and other toys for the Axminster but then the cost adds up a lot.

If you have the room you can go for the Charnwood W619, or the Scheppach equivalent. I was at the Charnwood showroom and it does look very impressive piece of kit compared with the W616 (which I bought an ex-display model). If I have a double-garage for a worksop I would have gone for that.

Good luck.

Adrian