Portable table saw, Which one?

[Jake]

I saw a record table saw the other day and for the money was blown away as to the quality for the money compared to mine, but that weighs as much as your van.

Hmm. I think you might want to do a little more research using the search facility in this forum.

 

[Barry Burgess]

I also use the Triton saw in my Workcentre its got the grunt for the job

 

[Shady]

Hmmm: at the risk of sounding like a mad disciple: I've just taken delivery of this system, in an attempt to solve exactly these problems:

Here's some background on it:

http://www.eurekazone.com/products/detail/sgs.html

I'll be posting a review as soon as I can get around to it - there are others out there. Before you dismiss it as 'not a table saw', it appears to offer:

Accurate right angled cuts and straight lines
Portability
Relatively low cost
Flexibility (it can take routers with the appropriate adaptor)

I doubt it will equal £2000 worth of panel saw in a dedicated shop - but I have a strong suspicion that it will provide the amateur or the 'mobile' tradesman with a very cost effective panel cutting 'system'... You may want to wait a week or so and see what I think...

 

[Barry Burgess]

Shady how do you cut the wood required to make say 20 pull out drawers with your choice. Lets say half are 75mm deep and the reat are 200mm deep???

 

[Shady]

Shady how do you cut the wood required to make say 20 pull out drawers with your choice. Lets say half are 75mm deep and the reat are 200mm deep???

Barry: I'm not sure I understand: I presume you're talking about repeat cuts. While I didn't order the specific accessory that achieves that, (I like to use a cut off at the set length, and just shunt it into the gap for each cut - guaranteed repeatability), they do 'do one'. If that is your question, you may find these videos of interest:

http://eurekazone.com/gallery/Cabinet-maker-in-action

As I say, I have not yet played: but I have played with 8 x 4 sheets of plywood on my Axminster table saw and damn nearly cut my hand off, because it's too small... I can't afford £2000 for something to cut panels up once in a blue moon, but this appears to offer that capability at a sensible cost/benefit ratio... Let me answer you one way or another once I've played with it...

 

[-David-]

Well, that was a good workday - first of the season in T shirt and shorts.

I have looked at those guide systems with interest for panel work but wonder how you would rip any narrow timber which was narrower than the guide, unless you packed the guide to its full width.

After looking at Triton videos it seems that Triton can easily deal with 8 X 4's. The only problem I am having with the Triton system is its lack of cutting depth. Now I might be shot down in flames here, but is it possible to cut thicker timber by simply turning the piece over and cutting from the other side - taking all due precautions of course? Is that standard practice?

David

 

[Barry Burgess]

Well, that was a good workday - first of the season in T shirt and shorts.

I have looked at those guide systems with interest for panel work but wonder how you would rip any narrow timber which was narrower than the guide, unless you packed the guide to its full width.

After looking at Triton videos it seems that Triton can easily deal with 8 X 4's. The only problem I am having with the Triton system is its lack of cutting depth. Now I might be shot down in flames here, but is it possible to cut thicker timber by simply turning the piece over and cutting from the other side - taking all due precautions of course? Is that standard practice?

David

That what I do - you have to take due care

 

[Barry Burgess]

Shady if you are charging for your time - you will not make money using this system. I do it for fun and I would be had pressed to do 30pieces from a 8X4 sheet using your system.

 

[Barry Burgess]

[
As I say, I have not yet played: but I have played with 8 x 4 sheets of plywood on my Axminster table saw and damn nearly cut my hand off, because it's too small... I can't afford £2000 for something to cut panels up once in a blue moon, but this appears to offer that capability at a sensible cost/benefit ratio... Let me answer you one way or another once I've played with it...

Shady I use 8X4 sheets on my less than £600 Triton workcentre with a maxi extenstion table on a regular basis without help and at no risk to my hands
Barry

 

[Shady]

Shady if you are charging for your time - you will not make money using this system. I do it for fun and I would be had pressed to do 30pieces from a 8X4 sheet using your system.

Barry -you miss my point: it's not 'my system' - it's 'a system' that I've bought to test after spending some time analysing what I need to do -and that's generate a straight reference cut, and slice bits from that safely and at reasonable speed in panel goods, with as high quality a cut line as possible. I have no particular bias, and if the kit doesn't do that, I'll say so - but the original post asked about portability - this system seems to offer a quality of precision and cut that nothing else (except a festool - which suffers exactly the same 'repeatability' issue, unless I'm missing something) offers in the same cost ballpark, while being genuinely portable. If your Triton works for you, great, and be happy with it: I find them inadequate for my needs with respect to quality of cut, but I don't do much site carpentry, so that's just my problem...

 

[Scrit]

Nobody has mentioned the new deWalt D27105 flip-over saw. 12in blade (instead of the older DW742/743/Elu's 10in), more accurate and greater capacity in chop saw mode, brushless motor (therefore less to maintain and quieter) and a built-in "wheelbarrow" to cart it round. There's been a few people flogging 240volt ones on eBay for under £450 and when you consider that there's a sliding table option as well it may be worth a look. OK the rip fence is nothing to write home about on the previous models, but at least it's square to the blade.

Scrit

 

[devonwoody]

Shady:
The quality of cut depends which blade you have on a Triton saw, 24, 40 or 60 teeth, plus two qualities of blade to choose from.
Panel work obviously needs the 60 tooth, but I suspect would still have the tear out on the opposite side because of the lack of a second blade beneath, which I assume is not available for any portable table system.

You could at a pinch perhaps recut two thicknesses on a panel (turning the panel over for the second cut if the job demanded it) The sliding extension table is sturdy enough to cope with 8x4 sheets or kitchen laminated tops.

 

[Barry Burgess]

Shady if you want a top quality finish I do the initial cut 1mm too big and then remove the 1mm so the blade does not have to do much work and the finish is great using the 60T triple cut blade.

 

[kevin m]

Oh dear, after all this debate I went to a tool shop to see some saws and have to say that I really wanted the Festool cs50. It was so light and with all the extensions on it, it really would be a great tool BUT at around £1,350 it is so overpriced. That is a lot of money for a portable saw. I think I need to look at some more options as my Festool ts55 and rails make a good job of cutting up big pieces of MDF and my flipover saw cuts well and I saw that I could get a dust extraction hose set for it for £25 which now seems very cheap.
I told my wife that I needed a new small table saw for work before I went to the tool shop and when I came back she said did I see anything that I liked and I told her about the CS50.Why didn't you just buy it then she said to me? You should have seen her face when I told her how much it cost :shock:
Cheers kevin.

 

[wood1000]

but it may be worth a look. Makita USA site http://www.makita.com/menu.php?pg=produ ... tag=2704X1

Here the saw in the uk. http://www.axminster.co.uk/product.asp? ... e=1&jump=4

Makita UK site: http://www.makitauk.com//index.php?page=122

 

[patrick]

Hi kev. I have a Bosch GTS 10 and I am very happy with it. It is large but gives you a great working area. Apparently it weighs 34 kg but it feels no way near as heavy as a DeWalt flip over which is supposedly the same weight and which I have had to lug about more than I care to mention. I keep mine in a cellar and although a little awkward to carry you soon get the hang of it. The fence is super for a saw of this type and the right extension gives the capacity to half rip sheets if you are up for it. Dust extraction is ok but a bag to go underneath it would really improve matters but is not available unfortunatley. The mitre gauge is good but there is a little play in the channel. A replacement Incra would make this a very accurate saw for trim and mitre work. Overall a great saw, like having a workshop saw on site.

Out of interest, which timber merchant do you use as I am local to you?

 

[kevin m]

Hi, Patrick, I have put buying the portable table saw on hold as I don't seem to need it and I always have the flipover if I need it. But it is good to know that the Bosch is good because I might buy one if I had a job coming up where I thought it would get a lot of use.
The timber merchants that I use a lot are TW Parkers (they have a good table saw and will cut MDF accuraty to size) or PO Joyce who are nearer to me. I mostly use MDF and pine or standard hardwoods like Meranti or Sapele. Both merchants can mill work to your requirements. I sometimes use Goodwoods as they cut to size accuraty but they are more pricey. Cheers Kevin.

 

[Colin C]

Hi Kevin
A little off topic but if you use T W Paker in palmers green, you cant be far from me as I live just down the road need the hospital ( North Mid )

 

[devonwoody]

Hi Kevin
A little off topic but if you use T W Paker in palmers green, you cant be far from me as I live just down the road need the hospital ( North Mid )

Is that next to "The Cock". ?

Howzat from Devon.

 

[kevin m]

I live in the Muswell Hill area, so I am on the other side of TW Parkers. Cheers Kevin.