newcomer and already need some help

[beejay]

fistly thanks for having me on board and hopefully i'll be able to contribute as much take. although looking at some of the BIG workshops you guys have I feel im very much in the novice class here.
Im trying to get shot of my RAS as its a bit too large for my single garage workshop and i wanted to buy the Electra KGS 303 because of its footprint, its beautifully quiet induction motor and the apparent high quality......Big problem however is that it does not have depth of cut/trenching facility and that is a must for me.
Is anyone aware of a same size and spec machine with trenching as i cant find one anywhere.
beejay

 

[Aragorn]

Hi BJ
Have you had a look at any of the DeWalt models?
Believe you may have better luck there.

Welcome to the forum!

 

[Scott]

Hi BJ

I have DeWalt DW712 which is great saw. Trenching stop is just a flip-over lever (engage/disengage). Depth of trenching is controlled by a thumbscrew that sits on the lever if it's in the "depth-stop" position. Dead easy!

I'd guess you get far less capacity than with a RAS though, particularly if you use a sacrificial spacer against the fence to avoid the little bit of snipe when the trench doesn't go full depth all the way to the line of the fence.

Deffo nice saw though.

Good luck
Scott

 

[Anonymous]

hi
i have a small workshop too, i currently own the makita ls1013 and just like tommy walsh i swear by it ,i use the trench facility to form tenons, the handle is upright ,like holding a mug, very comfy for prolonged use,what i find is when trenching i need to insert a sacrificial fence (lol)so that the blade can follow through this is where the makita has the edge over the 303 , the width of cut is a inch bigger and the height half inch.
i take this saw everywhere i go and its not too heavy too lug about,
and i think the new model comes with a light attached. the cheapest i have seen this saw is 499 about the same price has the 303 from d & m tools
shameless plug.
http://www.dm-tools.co.uk/store/weeklys ... MAKLS1013X

 

[Noel]

Beejay, if you're after an induction motor model there is so little choice on the market. EB and Aminster (although not sure if it's a SCMS, Edit - it is)) are the only ones that I know of. Brush motor wise, much bigger choice from DW, Makita, Hitachi etc. Also the new Bosch (Alf being a proud owner). I have the EB KGS 331 and I used to swear by it because of the induction motor but once you're slicing through a 2" bit of stock there's just as plenty of noise from the blade as a belt driven Hitachi, DW etc and that's with a 60T Freud. I did miss the lack of a trenching facility but TS and BS etc takes care of that. Charley has an EB as well.

Noel

 

[trevtheturner]

Hi Beejay,

Welcome to the forum.

I've had a Makita LS1013 for three years and agree with bobby d. I can't fault its accuracy. I've not had any other to compare it with, though.

Wot Noel says - once the blade hits the wood the noise from the motor, brush or induction, becomes a bit irrelevant - specially if you wear ear muffs!

Cheers,

Trev.

 

[Aragorn]

I've owned the EB and the Makita. Good saws.
Main issue I had with the EB (before the fence exploded in my face) was that it didn't hold its accuracy: I could set it OK, but really needed to recheck very often (every use in the end).
I've owned the Makita for as long now as I had the EB - I've set it up once in that time, when I first got it, and have never needed to do so again! It really is a quality saw, well worth the money and the footprint.

 

[beejay]

The makita looks nice and referrals are always added peace of mind.
What is the front to back length when the blade is pushed to its limit? and would removing the dust bag shorten this. I imagine the bag is pretty ineffective, and the unit hopefully would fit the enclosed dust hood that i've built to house the RAS.
The RAS takes up 3'of the width of the shop with the bench opposite. another 2' so that gives me 3' between the two which is why length is so important --- Im sure my wife said that to me recently-- and I need to determine how far away from the wall the Makita would need to sit to allow full travel.
Hope that made sense and hope someone can let me know.
beejay

 

[Aragorn]

Maximum front to back length on the Makita is 1050mm. Removing the dust bag would take off 20mm. The dust bag does do something! Just not much.

 

[Alf]

Also the new Bosch (Alf being a proud owner).

Co-owner -technically... :evil: I really haven't used it enough to give a proper opinion on it, but suffice it to say I'm very impressed so far; done everything I've asked of it, held its settings etc. But if space is an issue it's probably not ideal. It's one big hunk of machinery and sticks out plenty, so I'm going to have to rearrange a few things in the workshop to accommodate it sensibly. We very nearly went for the Makita, based on the positive noises from owners on here, but finally decided the Bosch had thought things through a little more, the adjustments were all at the front and the fence was larger. PWW choosing it as one of their tools of the year clinched it. No reason to regret the decision yet.

There's the DW707 (IIRC) that has the sliding bars going into the body of the saw so it doesn't stick out at the back at all, but I can't recall if it can do trenches or not. It's also a little limited in capacity, but fwiw.

Cheers, Alf

 

[beejay]

I think the Bosch would be too wide but thanks for the feedback. I do like De walt and use a lot of their kit but I think, if I can find a nearby dealer with Makita in stock and it fits which I think it might. it looks like the 1013 wins the day.
Many thanks to you all for the assisatnce.
Anyone want to buy a Dewalt RAS????
beejay