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Hey gang, looks like I'm in the market for a table saw and could use some help making my mind up. I do not have a large shop space so I planed on a table top unit that can be made mobile (roll around). Aside from space, I need a good accurate fence / blade adjustment.

I really planed on getting a Ryobi BT3100 / BT3000 (part number might be slightly off)...However, these are no longer availble new and Ryobi no longer provides a belt driven entry level model.

I'm in the US and I have a few homedepot gift cards so...I'm thinking about a JET (if the depot doesn't discontinue carring it)...model #708315LSB (temporarily unavailible)

Anyway...what are your experiances with table top saws and what's the "hot" set-up??? Also, what about JET??? Thoughts???

Thanks so much for your help,
JP

I have no experience with the saws you mention, but I have not been too impressed with the light weight table saws I have used. With a decent cast iron table, a powerful motor and a sturdy fence the table saw can be an amazingly versatile and accurate tool. A flimsy fence, thin table top, vibrations and so on can be frustrating to no end and will limit how many operations it can be used for in guitar making. No amount of tuning and set up will eliminate all these inherent problems. I know some people are happy with their contractor saws, and I bet they will give you some advice and which brands are good if you chose to go that route. I would save up for a much sturdier unit (used is fine) and upgrade with a proper fence if necessary. Put it on casters or a mobile base if you need to move it around a lot.

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Rian Gitar og Mandolin

Spend 500 to 1000 ($US) on a good, cast iron table saw with an excellent fence system. Then spend the an hour or so making sure the blade (and the fence) is exactly parallel to the miter slot. These two things (fence system and blade to miter slot relationship) will make your cuts accurate but will go a long way to keep your fingers attached to your hand.

I have the Ryobi BT3100. It's an outstanding saw, and there are tons of people who love them...in fact, there is a BT3100 forum.

Consider buying one used. I found mine on Craig's list for just over $100 bucks. Near mint condition, local and came with a few attachments. The guy, who was upgrading to "built in" saw, even gave me about 20 minutes of lessons on how to use the thing to its fullest. I bet you could find one in those local "Shopper" type papers without too much trouble.

Also, those "red" lockable wheels at Woodcraft are a perfect fit for the feet of the BT3100. Direct bolt on; took about 5 minutes, tops.

Just a thought.

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Eagles may soar, but weasels don't get sucked into jet engines.

Sears is selling it's own Craftsman version of the Ryobi BT3100. I have the BT-3100 and I can't say enough good things about it so far, it does everything I need to do. I think it's a great saw for the serious hobbyist.

The Craftsman one is more expensive than the BT-3100 was (on sale now for $430) but it does come with some nice standard features that were optional or non-existent for the Ryobi. I like the new mobile base design quite a bit.

link to Craftsman saw

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Jonathan Kendall, Siloam Springs AR

Sorry to all Ryobi owners but I have had poor luck with Ryobi tools. If you
want something portable check out Bosch and Makita has a new one.
Something I would look into though is if the motor and drive are one unit,
see how much it would cost to replace the motor if it cooks. A cast table
can always be put on wheels and the motors are not too expensive to
replace. I've gone through a few. There are some great fences that can be
added on to any saw but some of the better quality saws come with good
fences.

The more you spend the better it will be.

I just posted a review for my new saw in the off topic forum here. Some others have put in their opinion too. If you haven't looked at the Rigid TS 3650, it could be another option.

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nay

My blogs
Hand Made Gutar
Woodworker++

The major concern for my upcoming table saw purchase is accuracy. I plan on using the tablesaw to slot my frets, so there isn't much room for slop or inaccuracy.
-j.

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“If God dwells inside us like some people say, I sure hope He likes enchiladas, because that's what He's getting”
-jack handy

Thanks so much for all the inputs...

I'm still pretty torn since I will be using this saw for more than luthiery and will be using it for building some furniture and maybe even some cabinets...so I might just need to re-group and find some space for a cabinent model.

Thanks again,
JP

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sweat the small stuff.

[QUOTE=Dread1916] Thanks so much for all the inputs...

I'm still pretty torn since I will be using this saw for more than luthiery and will be using it for building some furniture and maybe even some cabinets...so I might just need to re-group and find some space for a cabinent model.

Thanks again,
JP[/QUOTE]

You understand that "cabinet" saw refers to the construction of the saw, not its intended use, right? You can make cabinets with a contractor saw, too. Sorry if this is obvious.    Cabinet type saws actually have a smaller footprint than contractor saws, BTW.

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Howard Klepper
http://www.klepperguitars.com

When all else fails, clean the shop.

I have a C#&%tsm*@n hybrid that I like a lot. It's referred to as their "zip code" table saw on the WW forums. Mine is the 9922114, on sale at Sears here through today at $50 off. 1 1/2 HP which seems about right,given how it takes stock, and how it occasionally trips my 20A breaker if anything else is running on the circuit. Not the best, but plenty accurate for my needs and budget. Rip capacity 24" which might not be enough for some. Cast table, decent trunnion, weighed about 400 lbs on the pallet.

My contractor nephew said I should cover up the logo 'cause it doesn't look like anything Sears would sell. But they're coming around, if you've had a look at their new mid-price bandsaws and other TSs.

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now known around here as Pat Foster
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http://www.patfosterguitars.com