I've decided my new tablesaw needs to be left tilt, with reasonable
dust containment. And a blade that runs true with no wobble. My
search was narrowed down to the new Dewalt, and the new Jet Super Saw.
Yesterday I was leaning towards the Jet at $850.
Was in a Sears store this morning, and found their 24830 contractor
saw: cast wings, dust shroud underneath, including a dust containment
bag (or port for vacuum), and left tilt. Has a router mount on the
left wing. The fence is OK, though nothing special for sure. The
raise/tilt wheels are a little floppy, but they work. It boasts a
"3hp" cap-start induction motor. The saw is $450.
Question: Is a guy on a budget going to forever regret this Sears
unit? Also looking at teh new Dewalt planer ($479) and the Performax
10-20 sander ($499). Saving $400 on a TS would be nice, if the saw
worked. I'm not a professional cabinet maker, just interested in
making a few pieces for the house over the next few years. But I DO
want/need a saw that will cut a straigh line . . .
Thanks for your insights,
Scott
Thanks for the feedback. I must say, the Craftsman looks pretty good
otherwise. However, the 24830 did make a mixed first impression in
one area: the plastic wheels on the display model were very loose and
floppy/wobbly, as were the plastic crank handles. The other models on
display had different wheels, and seemed better . . . Wonder what's
us with that?
I just learned this morning that Jet has their "Green Tag" deal going
through April. Since I was going to buy the little Performax sander
anyways, if I buy a second piece (e.g., the Super Saw) then I get $100
off. And if I wait two weeks, Woodcraft will give me 10% off anything
I buy. This brings the Super Saw down to almost $650, which is closer
to the Craftsman at $500 (or $450 with the club discount). So, I may
spring for the Jet after all.
I'll report back on whichever ends up in my garage!
Scott
> It would be hard to pass up a Super Saw for $650. If you can afford
> that and the Performax, then that may be the way to go. Is the
> additional 10% off from the birthday month sale? I ask that because I
> just used mine last week, and in the fine print it says that it
> excludes all power tools. It kinda pissed me off...I don't think it's
> too much to ask of Woodcraft to give us a 10% discount off anything in
> the store once a year.
I looked more closely at the Super Saw again today: it too has wobbly
wheels! However, they do look prettier than the Craftsman. Also, the
Jet fence doesn't seem to lock as positively as the Craftsman: it was
rather easy to nudge it loose. And while some think router provisions
are silly on a table saw, I would like one, and the Jet doesn't have
it (though I suppose you could make one for it; the biggest Jet DOES
have one). While on the subject, the Dewalt website has some
woodworking articles, and one of them favors the tablesaw/router idea,
pointing out the obvious use of the fence and large table surface,
larger than most ready-made router tables, depending on the saw.
If I wait for the Sears saw to go on sale in a few weeks (very likely
according to the sales gal), and get the 10% "club" discount, then it
may be as low as $400, or even less. We'll see how this exciting
drama plays out. ;>)
As for the Woodcraft discount, no, it's not entirely the birthday
discount. They have a "10% off everything" sale near the end of
February. Since February IS my B-Day month, the manager said he would
extend the "everything" sale to me a bit early. Pretty decent of him,
I must say. I will pick up a Dewalt planer, and Performax sander from
him, if not the Jet saw.
Cheers,
Scott
Scott notes:
>I looked more closely at the Super Saw again today: it too has wobbly
>wheels! However, they do look prettier than the Craftsman. Also, the
>Jet fence doesn't seem to lock as positively as the Craftsman: it was
>rather easy to nudge it loose.
Don't depend a lot on the saw's set up no the floor. There's no way of knowing
how much skill or interest the person setting the saw up may have had. If the
Jet is on the lfoor, ask to see the manual and see how much work adjusting the
fence is. Same with the Craftsman. Look at the handles to see if they are even
screwed down tightly, too. That's an assembly mistake, not a saw fault.
>While on the subject, the Dewalt website has some
>woodworking articles, and one of them favors the tablesaw/router idea,
>pointing out the obvious use of the fence and large table surface,
>larger than most ready-made router tables, depending on the saw.
On a personal basis, I do NOT like router tables built into the table saw
table, for a variety of reasons. The table saw has always been the most used
tool in my shop, and having to break down a router set-up to use it is a
PITA...and may be counterproductive if I have to return to that router set up
after cutting more material. The extension table on my saw also tends to get
used, covered with plastic, as an assembly table for projects when all other
space is used up (too much of the time, regardless of the amount of space).
Have a router bit sticking up, or a hole there, might create problems.
If there's space, a freestanding router table, IMO, is a better deal. The table
surface on the saw is large, but not large in the direction many home-made
router tables I've seen are. You can make a router table in your shop with any
size table you wish to use. Again, if there's space.
If space is short, the router in the extension table is a good deal. Otherwise,
I think, not.
Charlie Self
If God had wanted me to touch my toes he would have put them higher on my body.
http://hometown.aol.com/charliediy/myhomepage/business.html
[email protected] (Charlie Self) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Don't depend a lot on the saw's set up no the floor. There's no way of knowing
> how much skill or interest the person setting the saw up may have had.
Yes, I considered that. But one would "think" the Woodcraft folks
might do a better job than the temp drones Sears likely hires to
assemble the tools. Of course, I've purchased bicycles from
"respected" bike shops, finding I had to re-adjust every moving part
once I got it home . . .
> On a personal basis, I do NOT like router tables built into the table saw
> table, for a variety of reasons. The table saw has always been the most used
> tool in my shop, and having to break down a router set-up to use it is a
> PITA...
I can see that, but I do so little routing that this won't be a major
issue for me. I don't have space for a dedicated router station at
this time, so having the ability to temporarily convert the TS into a
solid, accurate router table would be a good thing. But I did consider
that I could make a table insert for the Jet, and attach it when
needed, remove it when I don't. Could leave the router fixed to the
removable insert. Can't do that as readliy with the Sears . . . ???
Cheers,
Scott
Scott responds:
>> Don't depend a lot on the saw's set up no the floor. There's no way of
>knowing
>> how much skill or interest the person setting the saw up may have had.
>
>Yes, I considered that. But one would "think" the Woodcraft folks
>might do a better job than the temp drones Sears likely hires to
>assemble the tools. Of course, I've purchased bicycles from
>"respected" bike shops, finding I had to re-adjust every moving part
>once I got it home . .
Normally, I'd guess that would be true, but you don't know what kind of
pressures the assembler might be under--things like manning (or womanning[?])
the register, that sort of thing. I haven't really paid much attention to
either of the "super" saws, DeWalt and Jet, for I quickly realized they were
damned expensive for 1/4 HPO upgrade on a contractor's saw. The deal you're
writing about sounds good, though, if the saw is as good, say, as the Jet
top-of-the-line contractor's saw.
Still, I prefer the fence on the JTAS and the contractor's saw. Biese clone
made, I think, by HTC. It is the best of the Biese clones.
Charlie Self
If God had wanted me to touch my toes he would have put them higher on my body.
http://hometown.aol.com/charliediy/myhomepage/business.html
>
> Was in a Sears store this morning, and found their 24830 contractor
> saw: cast wings, dust shroud underneath, including a dust containment
> bag (or port for vacuum), and left tilt. Has a router mount on the
> left wing. The fence is OK, though nothing special for sure. The
> raise/tilt wheels are a little floppy, but they work. It boasts a
> "3hp" cap-start induction motor. The saw is $450.
>
I have a older saw with the same fence, and am very happy with it. It is
quick to set, and reliably square.
However...
The dust bag and router mount are useless, and the 3hp motor is probably
about 1hp.
The saw does not compare to the more expensive ones, but will very likely be
fine for your use.
Scott,
I have the same saw (24820...same saw, different mobile base), and
it's really not a bad saw. You can also save an additional $45 (10%)
if you buy it during Craftsman Club days. There's no doubt the Jet and
Dewalt you mentioned are better saws, and they should be for twice the
price. If it's set up correctly, this saw will cut a perfectly
straight line. The fence (although aluminum) locks solid and square,
vibration is minimal (especially with link belt), the miter slots are
parallel, the power is sufficient (actually 1-1/2 hp, 13 amps), and
the router wing and mobile base are also nice features. My only gripes
are fairly minor...fence catches a little when sliding over where the
two piece rail system connects (had to do a little filing...don't know
why they went with the two piece???), the router wing is only drilled
to fit Craftsman or Ryobi routers, and the dust shroud catches most of
the bottom dust, but tends to throw a lot of dust on the top of the
table. I also had a little excess arbor flange runout (.0015") on my
saw, but my brother has the same saw, and his was just under .001",
which is about as good as you can expect. I got them both down to
.0005" using my tenoning jig and a honing block. I'm sure you'll
probably get a lot of Craftsman bashers replying, but speaking as
someone who owns one, I'm quite happy with my saw and think it's well
worth the money.
Tom
[email protected] (Scott) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> I've decided my new tablesaw needs to be left tilt, with reasonable
> dust containment. And a blade that runs true with no wobble. My
> search was narrowed down to the new Dewalt, and the new Jet Super Saw.
> Yesterday I was leaning towards the Jet at $850.
>
> Was in a Sears store this morning, and found their 24830 contractor
> saw: cast wings, dust shroud underneath, including a dust containment
> bag (or port for vacuum), and left tilt. Has a router mount on the
> left wing. The fence is OK, though nothing special for sure. The
> raise/tilt wheels are a little floppy, but they work. It boasts a
> "3hp" cap-start induction motor. The saw is $450.
>
> Question: Is a guy on a budget going to forever regret this Sears
> unit? Also looking at teh new Dewalt planer ($479) and the Performax
> 10-20 sander ($499). Saving $400 on a TS would be nice, if the saw
> worked. I'm not a professional cabinet maker, just interested in
> making a few pieces for the house over the next few years. But I DO
> want/need a saw that will cut a straigh line . . .
>
> Thanks for your insights,
>
> Scott
[email protected] (Scott) wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> Thanks for the feedback. I must say, the Craftsman looks pretty good
> otherwise. However, the 24830 did make a mixed first impression in
> one area: the plastic wheels on the display model were very loose and
> floppy/wobbly, as were the plastic crank handles. The other models on
> display had different wheels, and seemed better . . . Wonder what's
> us with that?
> I just learned this morning that Jet has their "Green Tag" deal going
> through April. Since I was going to buy the little Performax sander
> anyways, if I buy a second piece (e.g., the Super Saw) then I get $100
> off. And if I wait two weeks, Woodcraft will give me 10% off anything
> I buy. This brings the Super Saw down to almost $650, which is closer
> to the Craftsman at $500 (or $450 with the club discount). So, I may
> spring for the Jet after all.
Yeah, mine has the plastic cranks also, although I haven't noticed
mine wobbling. I would prefer metal ones too, but I didn't think it
made much difference. It does lack a crank lock for the blade height,
which I was a bit concerned about, but I read that a lock wasn't
necessary due to the finer threads (something like 31 cranks to raise
the blade vs. 8 cranks on a Delta).
It would be hard to pass up a Super Saw for $650. If you can afford
that and the Performax, then that may be the way to go. Is the
additional 10% off from the birthday month sale? I ask that because I
just used mine last week, and in the fine print it says that it
excludes all power tools. It kinda pissed me off...I don't think it's
too much to ask of Woodcraft to give us a 10% discount off anything in
the store once a year.
As much as the Craftsman has been good for me, if I was doing the buying,
and it was a $200 difference, I'd buy the Jet.
Figure you'll "grow into" it!
Let us know what you end up with -
Nick
"Scott" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Thanks for the feedback. I must say, the Craftsman looks pretty good
> otherwise. However, the 24830 did make a mixed first impression in
> one area: the plastic wheels on the display model were very loose and
> floppy/wobbly, as were the plastic crank handles. The other models on
> display had different wheels, and seemed better . . . Wonder what's
> us with that?
>
> I just learned this morning that Jet has their "Green Tag" deal going
> through April. Since I was going to buy the little Performax sander
> anyways, if I buy a second piece (e.g., the Super Saw) then I get $100
> off. And if I wait two weeks, Woodcraft will give me 10% off anything
> I buy. This brings the Super Saw down to almost $650, which is closer
> to the Craftsman at $500 (or $450 with the club discount). So, I may
> spring for the Jet after all.
>
> I'll report back on whichever ends up in my garage!
>
> Scott
Scott -
I have a 228390 (I think it's similar - no dust collection- think the motors
are the same) - my wife gave it to me for Christmas '02 (GREAT wife!). It's
not the Jet/Dewalt/Unisaw, but it cuts a straight line. I put a link belt
on it and a Freud 40T Combination blade, and I just bought the Freud 24T
Glue Line Rip blade. After putting the better blade and the link belt on
it, I noticed a big improvement in the cutting power, particularly on rip
cuts. I've cut 2" stock, and as long as you watch the feed rate, it does a
great job. Out of the box the blade was square and straight. The top seems
flat, but I didn't check it down to .0001" with a gauge - as I said, I don't
need that kind of precision right now. Like Tom said, the fence works fine
with a little modification, although I think there are better fences
available if you really needed it.
It's really nice to have the router table set-up on it. I've used it quite
a bit in the several projects I've done to date. True it is drilled to fit
Craftsman or Ryobi, but I think I saw an adaptor in the tool section at
Sears, or somewhere in their on-line parts that will let you use other
routers. I bought a Craftsman router that I use with the router table, and
so far it works fine (I also have a PC 8529 for non-table use :)) !!). I've
cut rabbits and dados with it without a problem.
Like you, I'm not a pro woodworker - I just enjoy working on small stuff and
doing some furniture projects. It has been a great saw to learn on. Is
there a Jet or Unisaw in my future - hopefully - maybe when I get closer to
retirement (so I'll have time to use it more!!) and have some more
experience. If I went into one of those saws now, it would be like
expecting a rat to fly an F-18 :) - ain't gonna get it off the ground, or if
it does, only bad things are gonna happen...
Just a newbie's opinion, FWIW -
Nick B
"Tom M." <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Scott,
> I have the same saw (24820...same saw, different mobile base), and
> it's really not a bad saw. You can also save an additional $45 (10%)
> if you buy it during Craftsman Club days. There's no doubt the Jet and
> Dewalt you mentioned are better saws, and they should be for twice the
> price. If it's set up correctly, this saw will cut a perfectly
> straight line. The fence (although aluminum) locks solid and square,
> vibration is minimal (especially with link belt), the miter slots are
> parallel, the power is sufficient (actually 1-1/2 hp, 13 amps), and
> the router wing and mobile base are also nice features. My only gripes
> are fairly minor...fence catches a little when sliding over where the
> two piece rail system connects (had to do a little filing...don't know
> why they went with the two piece???), the router wing is only drilled
> to fit Craftsman or Ryobi routers, and the dust shroud catches most of
> the bottom dust, but tends to throw a lot of dust on the top of the
> table. I also had a little excess arbor flange runout (.0015") on my
> saw, but my brother has the same saw, and his was just under .001",
> which is about as good as you can expect. I got them both down to
> .0005" using my tenoning jig and a honing block. I'm sure you'll
> probably get a lot of Craftsman bashers replying, but speaking as
> someone who owns one, I'm quite happy with my saw and think it's well
> worth the money.
>
> Tom
>
> [email protected] (Scott) wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > I've decided my new tablesaw needs to be left tilt, with reasonable
> > dust containment. And a blade that runs true with no wobble. My
> > search was narrowed down to the new Dewalt, and the new Jet Super Saw.
> > Yesterday I was leaning towards the Jet at $850.
> >
> > Was in a Sears store this morning, and found their 24830 contractor
> > saw: cast wings, dust shroud underneath, including a dust containment
> > bag (or port for vacuum), and left tilt. Has a router mount on the
> > left wing. The fence is OK, though nothing special for sure. The
> > raise/tilt wheels are a little floppy, but they work. It boasts a
> > "3hp" cap-start induction motor. The saw is $450.
> >
> > Question: Is a guy on a budget going to forever regret this Sears
> > unit? Also looking at teh new Dewalt planer ($479) and the Performax
> > 10-20 sander ($499). Saving $400 on a TS would be nice, if the saw
> > worked. I'm not a professional cabinet maker, just interested in
> > making a few pieces for the house over the next few years. But I DO
> > want/need a saw that will cut a straigh line . . .
> >
> > Thanks for your insights,
> >
> > Scott