TS-200 Table Saw Update? New Tablesaw help

[TornUp]

Hi All,

So im new here! been reading the forums quite alot over the last 1-2 weeks and now feel its time to join up and get some advice!

First of all, I'm from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, so near Stevenage, Bedford,Etc..(incase anyone says "come look at my ##### before you buy!)

Recently just moved into my own house with my partner and our two kids, away from mine and my fathers workshop(that was VERY focused towards his woodturning) and am looking at building my own from scratch(iv got a few tools from my old shop, but idv rather buy my own!)

So, first on the agenda for me i think is....A Table Saw!! My budget is.....around the £300-£400-£500.....maybe £600 if i save a bit harder(saving is VERY hard for me!!) mark...

I have been looking at the axminster TS-200, but seem to find myself reading one post about how much a owner loves his, and then another post about how the table isn't flat, or the blade isn't true to the fence/miter slot... But... all of these Posts/Articles have one thing in common, they are at least 7-8 months old...Now i work in IT, i know how much can change in 7-8 months!

So, what are you views on the TS-200(anyone brought one recently?)

My main type of work is going to be some DIY and furniture building(TV Stands, Entertainment cupboard, fitted wardrobes. but im also quite intrested in making a dolls house for my daughter....My main problem with my previous table saw(at my dads workshop) was it was a cheap one, and the fence was appaling, so thats somthing i want to make sure my table saw does well, a nice rip fence please!

Also, little bit too much watching of New Yanky Workshop, but i learnt today that Dado blades are pretty much non existant/non fitting on UK table saws? Are there any that are capable of taking a dado blade?

Thanks for reading and for the advice your hoping going to help me with!

Tom.

 

[studders]

Hi All,
!

So, what are you views on the TS-200(anyone brought one recently?)



Tom.

Hello.
When I bought mine a year and a bit back I thought the price/quality ratio was about right. I was prepared to do some work on it to get it working right.
With the recent price increases I very much doubt I would do it again. I would look for some second hand ex trade/school cast iron. It might cost a bit to collect or have shipped on a pallet so that has to be taken into account but, I still think you'd end up with a far higher grade of saw for the same money.

 

[TornUp]

Hi All,
!

So, what are you views on the TS-200(anyone brought one recently?)



Tom.

Hello.
When I bought mine a year and a bit back I thought the price/quality ratio was about right. I was prepared to do some work on it to get it working right.
With the recent price increases I very much doubt I would do it again. I would look for some second hand ex trade/school cast iron. It might cost a bit to collect or have shipped on a pallet so that has to be taken into account but, I still think you'd end up with a far higher grade of saw for the same money.

Ok, sounds good, i actully forgot to mention in my original post that im happy to drift from the TS-200 and am also happy to buy second hand....

in which case, any recommendations of make/model in my price range? (lets say around the £400-£500 mark...)

Thanks for your post!

Tom.

 

[studders]

Ok, sounds good, i actully forgot to mention in my original post that im happy to drift from the TS-200 and am also happy to buy second hand....

in which case, any recommendations of make/model in my price range? (lets say around the £400-£500 mark...)

Thanks for your post!

Tom.

Best bet is to have a look on the bay. Wadkin, Sedgewick, Startrite etc. There may also be some of the larger SIP models which seem well regarded from users on here.

 

[TornUp]

If there isn't any machines on Ebay in my price range any New products that fit my pricerange for a good quality table saw with a nice rip fence and somthing i could buy jigs for, for example a tenoning jig?

 

[studders]

Not really, that I know of. I think you'd have to go up to the £800 mark to get anything decent. Unless someone else knows different?

 

[siggy_7]

Someone is selling a 10" SIP table saw within your budget here, I would have thought from the description it's the 01332 model which is generally very highly regarded in these parts. If I were in the market for a saw right now I'd be snapping that up!

 

[MickCheese]

I have a Kity 419, the model the TS200 is based upon, bought used and have to say I love it for my hobby woodworking.

I also have a tracksaw that I thought I would use to dimension sheet material before refining on the table saw. In reality the tracksaw has many uses that I would have used my table saw for.

So, my point is, the type of things on your to-do list may be suitable for a tracksaw to begin with until the right table saw comes along.

Just a thought.

Mick

 

[Steve Maskery]

You will always get better value for money buying GOOD machines second-hand. Of course, that does rather rely on you being able to tell a melon from a lemon. I could do that now, but not when I started. So it depends on your own experience and judgement.
It's quite straightforward to replace a nasty switch or a dodgy fence. I've written about making replacement fences and tenon jigs, for example. What's much more difficult to do is rectify defects such as tables that are not flat, or inadequate motors, or trunnions that are difficult to adjust.
Remember that even with a new machine you may well have to fettle it. I've written about and filmed this myself, as have plenty of other authors, particularly in the States.
Happy hunting!
Steve

 

[TornUp]

Someone is selling a 10" SIP table saw within your budget here, I would have thought from the description it's the 01332 model which is generally very highly regarded in these parts. If I were in the market for a saw right now I'd be snapping that up!

Hi Siggy,

Yeah, i saw that table saw yesterday. I've not actully got the funds avaliable at this exact moment, otherwise i would of been in there moments after the topic was created!

im just trying to judge the rough price mark I need to save to, and then I can start figuring out what luxuries i need to cut out todo it ( this table saw might actully be the drive i need to pack up smoking!)

You will always get better value for money buying GOOD machines second-hand. Of course, that does rather rely on you being able to tell a melon from a lemon. I could do that now, but not when I started. So it depends on your own experience and judgement.
It's quite straightforward to replace a nasty switch or a dodgy fence. I've written about making replacement fences and tenon jigs, for example. What's much more difficult to do is rectify defects such as tables that are not flat, or inadequate motors, or trunnions that are difficult to adjust.
Remember that even with a new machine you may well have to fettle it. I've written about and filmed this myself, as have plenty of other authors, particularly in the States.
Happy hunting!
Steve

Steve, this is my exact problem! Melons and lemons! I know what quality is required on a table saw from past experience of having a bad one in my dads shop... i just don't know what saws contain that quality, and id rather not base my "quality" on price... IE: that saw is obviously better then this one because that one is £400 more expensive!" lol...


Anyone have any experience with Xcaliber? I like the fact(ok.... shoot me now! ) you can fit a Dado cutter in them(i think you can.. can you!?)


Maybe i should rephrase the question... if you could save up for a table saw with a good fence(a good fence is prob #1 on my list!), good power(ideally 13amp but if i need to run 16amp to it that is possible) and good capablity of running my own Jigs in the miter slot(so a good miter slot)..... and you had a budget that is around £500 but are capable of going up to around 800ish(but would rather not) what saw would you buy?

Thanks for all the advice guys! I like to get very active on forums, so hopfully you can watch my journey take shape(with photos! )

Tom.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Tom
Yes you can fit a Dado head to an Xcalibur. I believe Woodford sell a set, but I've not used it. Mine is the Freud Safety Dado. Everything is relative, I guess. You'll need the optional 5/8" long arbor and you'll need to provide yourself with a new guard and hold-down fence. I don't need to tell you where to find plans for such devices, do I?
You won't get a new one for £800, but you might get a second-hand one, if one became available. No, I don't know of such an offer at the moment!
I think that ANYTHING you buy you should see in the flesh first, so yo can make the melon/lemon judgement.
Cheers
Steve

 

[TornUp]

Tom
Yes you can fit a Dado head to an Xcalibur. I believe Woodford sell a set, but I've not used it. Mine is the Freud Safety Dado. Everything is relative, I guess. You'll need the optional 5/8" long arbor and you'll need to provide yourself with a new guard and hold-down fence. I don't need to tell you where to find plans for such devices, do I?
You won't get a new one for £800, but you might get a second-hand one, if one became available. No, I don't know of such an offer at the moment!
I think that ANYTHING you buy you should see in the flesh first, so yo can make the melon/lemon judgement.
Cheers
Steve

Hi Steve, you said i won't get a new one for £800... what is the Xcaliber - 8020101? thats £424.86(Ex VAT) im presuming this one isn't too good?

Do you/anyone know if i am able to visit WoodFord? do they have a showroom?

Tom.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Hi Tom
Sorry, I was referring to the 806 cabinet saw. I think that is about 1K +VAT. I've not used the 802.
Woodford certainly used to have a showroom, but they have changed addresses since I went. Why not give them a ring? Roy is an approachable chap. Tell him I sent you
S

 

[cutting42]

Tom
Yes you can fit a Dado head to an Xcalibur. I believe Woodford sell a set, but I've not used it. Mine is the Freud Safety Dado. Everything is relative, I guess. You'll need the optional 5/8" long arbor and you'll need to provide yourself with a new guard and hold-down fence. I don't need to tell you where to find plans for such devices, do I?
You won't get a new one for £800, but you might get a second-hand one, if one became available. No, I don't know of such an offer at the moment!
I think that ANYTHING you buy you should see in the flesh first, so yo can make the melon/lemon judgement.
Cheers
Steve

Hi Steve, you said i won't get a new one for £800... what is the Xcaliber - 8020101? thats £424.86(Ex VAT) im presuming this one isn't too good?

Do you/anyone know if i am able to visit WoodFord? do they have a showroom?

Tom.

Hi Tom

I bought the TC10RAS a few years back from Woodford and they did have a showroom at the time. Try calling them 0161 439 5683. I like it a lot and it has been the mainstay of my workshop for 6 years now and I use a dado set in it as well.

 

[TornUp]

Hi Tom

I bought the TC10RAS a few years back from Woodford and they did have a showroom at the time. Try calling them 0161 439 5683. I like it a lot and it has been the mainstay of my workshop for 6 years now and I use a dado set in it as well.

can you give me some more infomation on it? what is the Rip Fence like? what about the miter slot? is it a standard size slot that can take any jig(like a tenoning jig?)

you said you can run a dado set in it? nice!

Tom..

 

[cutting42]

Hi Tom

I bought the TC10RAS a few years back from Woodford and they did have a showroom at the time. Try calling them 0161 439 5683. I like it a lot and it has been the mainstay of my workshop for 6 years now and I use a dado set in it as well.

can you give me some more infomation on it? what is the Rip Fence like? what about the miter slot? is it a standard size slot that can take any jig(like a tenoning jig?)

you said you can run a dado set in it? nice!

Tom..

I will take some pics tonight and reply in more detail later on as I have to pick the kids up from school now

 

[Digit]

Buy anything that is cast iron within your budget and sort it as required would be my advise. Don't expect a rock solid dead accurate fence from any budget saw, and if it's new the blade will probably be useless as well.
Once you have your saw you can make your own jigs.

Roy.

 

[Steve Maskery]

I have to say that I think the above is good advice. I can't help thinking that you are about to waste £160. A new saw at that point is going to be very disappointing. My first saw was of that ilk. Yes, I did use it to produce furntiture, but the fence was rubbish, the guard useless and it didn't have much power.
However, if you spend that sort of money on a second-hand machine that is basically sound, you can build a better fence easily and inexpensively, ditto a guard and with a bit of effort you will have a far, far better machine.

S

 

[Digit]

That sounds like the course the rest of us have followed Steve. I purchased a brand new display SIP 10 inch saw. It was badly assembled, bits fell off of it, the fence was 'out', the blade insert a joke.
But we are supposed to be making things, so I set too and sorted it.
Wouldn't be without now, what was a struggle with its cheapo predecessors is now straight forward.

Roy.

 

[Steve Maskery]

Yes, buy cheap, buy twice, I'm afraid.
S