I never used a table saw......what are the pros and cons

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Rip width isn't everything. After all, how do you rip a 48" piece to 36" with a saw that only goes to 24"? You take 12" off the back.

 

[iagrdshaka 5,000+ posts]

Rip width isn't everything. After all, how do you rip a 48" piece to 36" with a saw that only goes to 24"? You take 12" off the back.

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/word.gif.64b12e39f936af3b4fff38a1c0bd0244.gif Learned that way back in my Junior High shop class! lol

 

[bjfish11 5,000+ posts]

Rip width isn't everything. After all, how do you rip a 48" piece to 36" with a saw that only goes to 24"? You take 12" off the back.

True, but its not always that easy. For example, say you need 2 panels 37" long, but your fence goes to 32". And to fit everything correctly, you need to cut the 37's off the length (96"). It gets challenging.

When I was looking for a table saw, rip capacity was one of the highest up specs I was looking at. For cutting Trupan, I didnt need a ton of power. So I bought a Rigid table saw from HD. It had a 36" rip capacity, and had a nice big cast iron top. I have just added a 50" Rip capacity biesemeyer fence, because 36" wasnt enough a lot of the time.

To Robin....

A table saw would be a great addition to your tools. It saves so much time, its not even funny. Once I get the cut sheet printed off, It takes me less than 20 minutes to cut ALL my panels (for a standard ported box), get all the panels routered that need routered, tape laid on, and all pieces painted. I couldnt imagine how long it would take to cut it all with a circ.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Don't get me wrong, having a large rip width is nice but my point is that unless you build stuff for a living and can sacrifice a lot of room somewhat permanently to your tablesaw getting a huge rip distance isn't practical. Knowing how to do what you need to do with the tools available is a lot more important.

A huge factor for me is the fact that I don't have a truck or a way to get sheets of material home in one piece in the first place. 36"x48" is the biggest piece I can fit in my car. I can cut any size possible from that size piece with a 24" fence throw. I'd love to have a cabinet table with an 8' laminated table on either side of the blade and a precision fence and several precision T-slots on it but I just don't have the room. Between a garage that is only nominally "2-car" and 3 motorcycles I'm kinda limited on real estate and I'm sure I'm not alone.

Things I would look for: belt drive, secure fence, cast iron table, good miter gauge, decent sized and sturdy extensions on the table. If you're going to get a saw and really want it to be as useful as it can be don't get a cheap saw. I've built furnture, cut hardwood flooring, built a new staircase and a lot more in addition to building several boxes with my saw. It has more than paid for itself in the 4 years I've had it. It's one of the larger Craftsman saws. I've added a router table as a replacement for one of the table extensions. It has also doubled as my workbench for those 4 years in the absence of something better.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

True, but its not always that easy. For example, say you need 2 panels 37" long, but your fence goes to 32". And to fit everything correctly, you need to cut the 37's off the length (96"). It gets challenging.
When I was looking for a table saw, rip capacity was one of the highest up specs I was looking at. For cutting Trupan, I didnt need a ton of power. So I bought a Rigid table saw from HD. It had a 36" rip capacity, and had a nice big cast iron top. I have just added a 50" Rip capacity biesemeyer fence, because 36" wasnt enough a lot of the time.

To Robin....

A table saw would be a great addition to your tools. It saves so much time, its not even funny. Once I get the cut sheet printed off, It takes me less than 20 minutes to cut ALL my panels (for a standard ported box), get all the panels routered that need routered, tape laid on, and all pieces painted. I couldnt imagine how long it would take to cut it all with a circ.

to be honest, i can get 4 24x48 sheets, or a 24x48 and 2 36x48 sheets cut down to size in about 20-30 minutes.

to size = a standard ported box.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

so getting a table saw would be a hefty investment..?

 

[thunder9500 10+ year member]

and the maximum rip widths...i was in the store looking, and it doesnt look like i can go bigger than 16 inches.

wtf?

here's a con for ya......some of you may have seen these

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

must have happened to you?

 

[thunder9500 10+ year member]

happened to my left hand. cut three of them off.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

and they fixed it?

still have the use of your hand and all that mess?

 

[thunder9500 10+ year member]

and they fixed it?


still have the use of your hand and all that mess?

thumb works good. about 50% smaller than the right hand though //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

middle finger works 85% and the index finger is dead. i keep it taped to the middle finger to keep it out of the way until I can have it cut off....again.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

Safety FTW.

 

[Bolognablake 10+ year member]

here's a con for ya......some of you may have seen these

D A Y U M .

 

[Mr Cabinetry 10+ year member]

thumb works good. about 50% smaller than the right hand though //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif
middle finger works 85% and the index finger is dead. i keep it taped to the middle finger to keep it out of the way until I can have it cut off....again.

Thunder,

I feel for ya man, I really do because I to suffered at the hands of TS many years ago which my left hand got blasted.

Lost just above the first digit middle finger, nicked the index and fourth finger and completely lost the the first digit of the thumb.

Tablesaw's are nothing to fu
And for anyone that thinks " Ahh Man, that shi!t's never going to happen to me ", don't kid yourself, because I have heard that comment so many times from folks that work around such equipment that the odds will catch up with you eventually.

Don't buy a POS saw thinking you can do on it what can be done on larger saws because your just asking for trouble and let those pictures burn into your mind to remind you that power tools ain't toys.

 

[iamamp3pimp 5,000+ posts]

thumb works good. about 50% smaller than the right hand though //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif
middle finger works 85% and the index finger is dead. i keep it taped to the middle finger to keep it out of the way until I can have it cut off....again.

i suppose so they can try to fix it?