Table Saw Advice

Discussion in 'Carpenters' Talk' started by Kierri, Aug 5, 2019.

  1. Kierri

    Kierri New Member

    Hi Everyone,

    I'm looking to buy a table saw and I know you get what you pay for, but I have a budget of under £300 and whilst I'm not expecting miracles, I want the best quality I can get for my money. I think I've narrowed it down:

    Metabo TKHS315C at about £265
    Scheppach HS120-0 at about £290
    Evolution Rage 5s at about £265

    Can't find many reviews for the Metabo and Scheppach. So... Which one is the best for the money and why? Please help, I'm getting desperate and want to get on with stuff.

    Many, many thanks,

    Kierri x
     
  2. Mr Rusty

    Mr Rusty Screwfix Select

    Why are you after a table saw? what you cutting? Of all my tools my table saw gets used least. For panel work a track saw is much nicer, for cross cuts a sliding mitre is much more flexible, and for long rips, a band saw is better. Table saw hardly ever comes out, mainly because of all my tools I am most wary of it.
     
    WillyEckerslike likes this.
  3. Shytot

    Shytot Active Member

    I use a DW 745 which is a great saw but out of your budget ..
    out the manufactures mentioned I’ve only used a Scheppach table saw .. It was a real basic site saw but proper workhorse and never let us down .
    Sorry I can’t help with the models mentioned..
     
  4. xednim

    xednim Screwfix Select

    I have used scheppach in the past- or I was unlucky and got bad model, or it was rather not designed to be: accurate, quiet and vibration free
    currently using gtm12jl - over 400 quid- not perfect but v.good (found few cons but is universal)
     
  5. FlyByNight

    FlyByNight Screwfix Select

    WillyEckerslike likes this.
  6. diy_nixy

    diy_nixy Active Member

    I would spend a bit more..or wait and save up. I pondered this question for years when having a cheap table saw. Looked around....its mainly about the fence. But this Dewalt model is over £400.

    i settled for Dewalt DW745. Happy

    https://www.ffx.co.uk/tools/product/Dewalt-Dw745-5035048145487-230V-Portable-Site-Table-Saw

    Wait for Ebay special offer days for a 15% or 20% discount. (You just missed one last week sorry). Maybe another one in a few months
     
  7. Kierri

    Kierri New Member

    Good news for me, budget just increased to £500 thanks to a random night at the bingo - I never win anything, so I think the Table Saw Gods were on my side.

    Would you go for the DW745 over the Bosch GMT12JL?
     
  8. diy_nixy

    diy_nixy Active Member

    Bosch is a combo chop saw and table saw for carrying around I guess.

    If you want a more serious table saw thats good enough for accurate cabinet making and more serious woodwork - go for DEWALT DW745.

    If your just doing outdoor work like fencing and ripping/chopping 4 x 2 and need portable - Bosch maybe a good idea. But not sure how good they are to be honest?
     
  9. FlyByNight

    FlyByNight Screwfix Select

    What accessories are available for them both? What warranty do they come with? What are you actually planning to do with it?

    Is there a decent tool showroom close to you where you could see/try both?

    What colour do you prefer?


    And it may always be worth talking to FFX to see if they will extend their 20% off ...
     
    KIAB likes this.
  10. ajohn

    ajohn Screwfix Select

    It's possible to do pretty accurate work with a good quality track saw. My experience with table saws isn't so good. I did have a Kitty plus sliding table etc. I thought it would be an improvement over using a radial arm saw and basically it wasn't. Given some price point they may be but it's going to be a hefty piece of kit.

    There is one obvious limitation on radial arm saws - the cross cut width but actually that depends on the depth of cut it is set up for. The rear fence on some is adjustable with spacers. The other one is the ripping width. Many can be set for out ripping so that can be surprisingly wide. For other things they make mitre saws look like a load of junk.

    So say some one wanted to rip some of an 8x4ft. It's simple. Fasten a straight edge to it with clamps and run that along the outer edge of the table. It should all be set up so that the resultant cut is perfect. The max width that can be ripped is set by that. Personally though my track saw would come out for cutting up big sheets.

    The main thing with them as most have angle stops is setting up. When set for cross cut the table is adjusted to achieve 90 degrees. The stop for 90 degree vertical cuts also needs to be engaged and the blade adjusted to cut actually at 90 degrees. Once this and the other stops if any are done the stops produce accurate angles.

    Some moan about rigidity so maybe work can't be forced through them. Who does anyway. It's never caused me any problems. Rather expensive new but 2nd hand is very different. The other odd factor is that cross cuts pull the blade into the work so little effort is needed. Sounds odd but if the fence and table are in decent condition they always produce splinter free cuts thanks to that. Best thing to do with the table is attach a thin sheet of ply so that just needs replacing now and again. A new fence when needed can be made on them. Best option for a newbe to them is to buy a book - Radial Arm Saw Technique.

    John
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  11. Isaac Cox

    Isaac Cox Member

    A good quality track saw can be used to create very accurate work and the advantage of it over a radial arm or table saw is you don't need 2.4m either side of it to rip a sheet down.
     
  12. sospan

    sospan Screwfix Select

    I have had 4 Kitty table saws over the years. I found them excellent and so solid. The only reason I sold them was because they were built so solidly they were so heavy. I would sell one because they were so heavy to move around, then get a replacement and not like that, buy another Kitty and so on. I have an Axminster Saw thats not quite as heavy but too heavy for me now. That's going to be listed on eBay and probably going to be replaced with a cordless DeWalt table saw
     
  13. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Had a Kity 419 saw bench for years, superb kit,sadly had to sell it, due to lack of space at a new place many years ago.
     
  14. ajohn

    ajohn Screwfix Select

    LOL well I did sort of suggest both. As you mention a track saw has that advantage over a table saw as well. Also no need to hold the saw of what ever type it is firmly in place. ;) A few years ago I cut several 8x4 sheets up on a fairly portable table saw and finished the cuts by putting my feet up against the saw and pulling it through. Yes should have been on a stand but lighter weight saws can have problems even then so need fixing down. I also had to extend the fence and clamp at both end to ensure the fence remained parallel to the blade. Lots don't include the facility for clamping both ends - copying real machines that will both cost and weigh a lot more.

    All people need with a track saw is something suitable to work on. There are lots of options on that but it ideally needs to be pretty rigid and of no consequence in an ideal world if the blade cuts into it slightly. It's rather difficult to buy something like that. I made this for similar reasons

    ToughBuiltTable.jpg

    Picked a toughbuilt sawhorse following KIAB's comment that they are rigid - they are. :) His is a bit bigger than mine but I adjusted the height to match a cheap simple workmate. I need to ideally double up the thickness of the hd chipboard top at some point but it does as it is really. The top is slightly cut down standard size. Off cut used to stiffen the board along the longest centre due to the way it's mounted.

    The track for a saw needs setting up for every cut. Bit more work but results will be as good as the setting providing the blade is well aligned with the track and at 90 degrees.

    What I think goes on with radials is that people buy them, work away quietly doing what ever and eventually they fall into disuse. Like mitre saws some might not realise that they need setting up. They have been very popular in the past especially for amateurs but new ones cost. Some could be adapted for overhead routing but that option seems to have gone - for routing that really is hard to beat for all sorts of jobs.

    John
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  15. Kierri

    Kierri New Member

    Thanks for your replies and wealth of information. The Bosch I was talking about is the GTS10J, not the combo mitre/table saw. I've had a real learning experience, especially looking at the next price bracket.

    Track saws aren't going to jive with me, I'm not working with huge sheet materials, so the table will suffice for the time being - though they come highly recommend. This is my only chance to buy and so I want to buy well. Both the Bosch GTS10J and the Dewalt DW745 will do what I want it to, similar prices, similar spec. I heard that...

    The DW475 can have power surges at switch on and make a loud bang noise and also, you can't make grooves with it, because of the riving knife - which you can do with the Bosch. Although I'm sure I'll be warned about the guard etc and probably won't try it for a bit.

    How many votes for Bosch GTS10J and how many for DeWalt DW745? Am I missing any other saw that is just as good for the same money?

    Thank you guys, I know this is an often asked topic, but I appreciate you sharing your experiences and views.

    Kierri x
     
  16. Kierri

    Kierri New Member

    I referenced this by mistake, sorry!
     
  17. Mr Rusty

    Mr Rusty Screwfix Select

    I have the GTS10J - as I said before I seldom use it because other saws do most jobs better. Good saw, good fence which locks both ends, except it has a small problem with the riving knife. - It pushes up and down, so you can slot with it, except the slot in the knife fills with sawdust which gets compressed and the knife doesn't then push down properly. Getting it off to clean it out is a mega cow of a job. In fact I cut a hole in the under casing to reach the allen bolt better.
     
  18. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member

    Those Toughbuilt are sturdy,but not exactly lightweight,never thought to use one like that with a top, usually it's a pair with two short or long rails & a top doubled up,just got another pair, C650's with FFX latest Ebay discount offer.:)
     
  19. Shytot

    Shytot Active Member

    I’ve can vouch for the DW 745 , great saw , powerful but light enough and portable . Wish the OFF switch was easier to use like the Triton ( have you looked at the Triton saw , excellent) .
    PS you can take the riving knife off , p.o.p
     
  20. ajohn

    ajohn Screwfix Select

    It's not that bad to move around and I have aged weakened muscles. I bought a highly regarded folding table of sf and took it back. Not really rigid and while the clamps that came with it could be used on it holding flexibility was ****. Height was pretty useless as well for me. So did this so I can clamp just about anywhere around the edge and if needed drill holes or whatever for other sorts of fixings.

    ToughBuiltTableEnd.jpg

    It's held on by coach bolts and thumb screws so easy to take off and top easy to replace. It needs a large washer under the coach bolt heads as they tend to loosen off. Wonder what happened to harder pines. Not a problem really but should be done. Also coated everything in mdf primer to make it a bit waterproof.

    John
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    KIAB likes this.

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