Table Saw

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Steve welder

Steve welder

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Any recommendations for a 8' portable table saw? The cheap stuff I see in HF are all plastic, id like something a little better and with a accurate fence
Not using commercially, just for small projects. Thanks
 
Honestly, keep an eye peeled on Craigslist and FB Marketplace- lots of lightly used stuff hitting the blocks as millennials try to unload their parents' estates. The market is miserable for the stuff, and there's some good deals to be had. Plus it's more likely you'll run into more of the old Rockwell, Delta (when they were good and heavy/all steel and built like a tank), and others instead of the current crop of plastic disposable stuff.
There's still some good stuff being made, but it's hard to justify the cost of some of the new stuff, especially for occasional use.
 
I agree with the professor. For an 8 inch, you can't beat the old Beaver saws......Dead accurate. Do yourself a favour and get a v belt driven saw. More cutting capacity, and you don't have to scrap the saw if you have a motor issue. I have tons of woodworking equipment (my first love). Nothing newer than 30 years old. I did buy a 12" dewalt compound for crown moulding..........A plastic swivel base.......I use my 10 inch Makita from 1983 for everything else.
 
Another vote for the older machines. I've owned at least a dozen table saws over the years and they were almost all from the 60s, 70s, or 80s. Most have been the cabinet style table saw, but that's not what you're looking for. Much better built back then. Delta/Rockwell made their machines in the U.S. until the early 80s I believe, then went overseas. Obviously, quality suffered. However, they did have plants in Canada and Brazil, those machines were comparable to the U.S. made ones, IMO.

Regarding accuracy, table saws do need to be "tuned." I don't know about the lower end "new" units, but anything worth getting will have adjustments for the table and fence to get them accurate to the blade. It takes a little time to get set up to where it's accurate, but definitely worth it (and you'll get to know your machine while you're at it).

Another plus with the older saws is that even the bench models are belt drive. I like the old Craftsman 103 models, Delta, or even the Delta Homecraft line, which was their economy line. At least in my area, you can find these old saws in great condition for around $100 all day long.
 
Professor Fate said:
Honestly, keep an eye peeled on Craigslist and FB Marketplace- lots of lightly used stuff hitting the blocks as millennials try to unload their parents' estates. The market is miserable for the stuff, and there's some good deals to be had. Plus it's more likely you'll run into more of the old Rockwell, Delta (when they were good and heavy/all steel and built like a tank), and others instead of the current crop of plastic disposable stuff.
There's still some good stuff being made, but it's hard to justify the cost of some of the new stuff, especially for occasional use.
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Agreed. I've done a bunch of work with old belt drive craftsman table saws I've bought cheap and sold for the same. The only complaint I've had with them are the fences. They tend not to be straight after years of being banged on while taking up space and getting them dialed in is an exercise in frustration. After looking around and around for something 'better', I came to the conclusion that a table saw is only as good as it's fence. So buy any old belt drive saw and then go buy a kickass fence system and never look back. Most fence systems can be retrofitted to older saws. Anyone who works on an old car can do it. If you're going to have to fiddle with getting the fence straight, you might as well get a good modern one and get it dialed dead-nuts. I also like the old saws because they tend to have cast iron tops that weigh a ton and don't tip over or skid around when you're doing something dumb or working with large/heavy parts. This also draws the ire of every house wife who wants that 'heavy lump of crap' out of the way and as a result they tend to be cheap to get them gone 'quick'. Be ready to haul it on a small trailer or take it apart to make it more portable.

Going with common vintage models means you'll be able to find plenty of parts on ebay or even made new. Delta and craftsman were the ones I always came across but pretty much anything with a cast iron table is going to get the job done. Motors, sheaves, belts are all pretty universal items and you can find what works best for you or even upgrade should the need arise.

Dialing in an older machine can be done in a weekend - less time than unboxing a chinesium special and the inevitable return sometime later.
 
Another vote for buying the old stuff! I had my Dad’s old Rockwell table saw from the 70’s I donated a few years ago when I inherited my Dad’s new, larger 1990’s Craftsman table saw. While they are handy when you need them, I didn’t use them very often. In fact I didn’t use the Craftsmen table saw in the 5 years I had it (never fully set it up after moving it to my garage) and finally sold it. I needed it gone pretty quick so sold it for a good price.

My neighbour has the Dewalt table saw and mitre saw that I’ve got access to should I need the stuff now. :)

You can get some quality stuff for a great price on the used market. The only catch is if you need it tomorrow the used market isn’t as predicable as buying new at a store.
 
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You know, that was the best thing about the Chinese crap that the decent companies like DeWalt sell now...............It certainly has pushed the prices of the good old stuff down. I think it has something to do with the newer generation's willingness to take this ****. Turn it on, it works, good to go. I'll buy another one when this one breaks down............Throw away society. Tools are no different than anything else. But me, when I buy tools, I want them to last as long as me. And, my Canadian made "General" tools and vintage Delta and Rockwell fit the bill.
 
CFD244 said:
You know, that was the best thing about the Chinese crap that the decent companies like DeWalt sell now...............It certainly has pushed the prices of the good old stuff down. I think it has something to do with the newer generation's willingness to take this ****. Turn it on, it works, good to go. I'll buy another one when this one breaks down............Throw away society. Tools are no different than anything else. But me, when I buy tools, I want them to last as long as me. And, my Canadian made "General" tools and vintage Delta and Rockwell fit the bill.
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A lot of modern stuff has benefits in some ways. Lighter, more portable, cordless. But there are so many build quality issues that unless you NEED those attributes, the old stuff is just better.
 
Ive actually had 3 saws. One was an old cast iron Craftsman that I kick myself I got rid of a long time ago.
Another newer Sears from the 80's I gave to my brother
Some years ago I bought some import for a certain job that was junk, that one I threw out
Im not in a rush so yes I will look for a older used one and thanks
 
True story..........A bunch of years back, this guy had a 14 inch planer for sale. I went over right away, because I recognized it as a Canadian made General. So I get there, and the guy is asking $700. The planer looks good, but it has a 3ph motor so I was unable to hear it run.............But I jumped on it. As soon as I handed the guy the money, he laughed and said check this out.........He had the original bill of sale from 1965 showing that he paid $700 45 years earlier, and thought it was just great that he had owned it all of those years and never lost a cent...........I didn't have the heart to tell him I would have paid $1700 as is. :)

BTW......This thing can hog off 3/16 in a single pass if I want it to!
 
The model i have also has a positive lock, gear drive fence, that is ALREADY square and adjusts in a second, along with a folding stand. If you're practicing Woodwork in your garage or something like that the big old machines are great, if you're an actual Carpenter by trade and have to transport those things set them up use them constantly adjust them and break them down and get them out of the field at the end of the day? The one I got can't be beat, you can get one with the same motor that comes with the rolling folding stand but it's almost 100 lb so you'd have to carry around the trailer... I've also got one of those Dewalt 12-in double bevel belt drive compound miter saws the only thing plastic on it is motor housing and the handle. Things killer
 
Ironracer said:
The model i have also has a positive lock, gear drive fence, that is ALREADY square and adjusts in a second, along with a folding stand. If you're practicing Woodwork in your garage or something like that the big old machines are great, if you're an actual Carpenter by trade and have to transport those things set them up use them constantly adjust them and break them down and get them out of the field at the end of the day? The one I got can't be beat, you can get one with the same motor that comes with the rolling folding stand but it's almost 100 lb so you'd have to carry around the trailer... I've also got one of those Dewalt 12-in double bevel belt drive compound miter saws the only thing plastic on it is motor housing and the handle. Things killer
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You are so right about this^^^^^^^^^ :thumbsup:

Everything I have is stationary, with the exception of mobile rolling stands. Just in case I need the space, I can push the machines out of the way.
 
Ironracer said:
I've also got one of those Dewalt 12-in double bevel belt drive compound miter saws the only thing plastic on it is motor housing and the handle
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Look underneath.........The rotating table rides on a plastic disc if it's the same model that I have.

Here's an example..............A wear plate. Means it wears...........Why would they do this?

Screenshot (198).png
 
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CFD244 said:
You are so right about this^^^^^^^^^ :thumbsup:

Everything I have is stationary, with the exception of mobile rolling stands. Just in case I need the space, I can push the machines out of the way.
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I do kitchens, bathrooms,doors, decks, whatever it is, I can do it. I can have my tools set up for the time it takes to get out of the truck. I have a rolling stand for my compound miter saw it's actually breaks up to be 13 ft long and folds out with one push of your foot and then locks in. Works great for long Millwork and stuff like that
 
Back to which saw to buy. Sorry I started a sidetrack.
 
toolmanmike said:
Back to which saw to buy. Sorry I started a sidetrack.
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If I only knew how to do the roll over laughing guy! HAHAHA! LOL! I Do it, unintentionally, all the time, its all part of Memories, Observation, and Conversation. I think I've only really had one person say something. Now it's very possible I may have had a few posts deleted in other threads by getting off topic, on what someone else considered political. When its just Reality. Ok, back to the Saws! I love the old American Steel, Delta, Etc, saws they're just too heavy to drag around anywhere, and set up efficiently. That being said, you're never going to get a saw worth anything, for less thn' $400, as stated above, AND, I fully agree you can score some good stuff, on the low Buck, from one or two time users, or (hopefully not as also mentioned above) Millennials liquidating their parents assets (which actually sickens me)
 
Ironracer said:
I fully agree you can score some good stuff, on the low Buck, from one or two time users, or (hopefully not as also mentioned above) Millennials liquidating their parents assets (which actually sickens me)
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I don't like it either ('cause that's where the majority of my stuff will probably end up eventually), but it's been true for a while now, the best deals on the good tools of all types have been trending towards estate auctions and sales, and the usual "for sale" sources I mentioned; C-list, FB Marketplace, and Kijiji for our northern friends...
Heck, I scour the corners of garage sales for old coffee cans full of old twist drills- the good old American steel ones that hold an edge forever, and NEVER snap off (as long as you're not being stupid :rolleyes:).
 
Steve welder said:
Any recommendations for a 8' portable table saw? The cheap stuff I see in HF are all plastic, id like something a little better and with a accurate fence
Not using commercially, just for small projects. Thanks
Click to expand...
Some interesting stuff here...
www.thesawguy.com

The Best Circular Saw Table in 2021 - The Saw Guy

a table saw, but you can get table saw results from a circular saw. Read on to find the best circular saw table in 2020 to learn more about these tools...
www.thesawguy.com www.thesawguy.com

Lol, here's something ya' won't see much of.
Even though I have my old 10" MW table saw, I thought I'd try cutting my mini bar framing and top with this TrimTramp contraption. It actually worked just fine. Kinda' portable as well I'd say. Set it up on a couple sawhorses and add a circular saw.

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