Last year I looked at a 3hp Jet cabinet saw about 20+ years old for a friend. Before we went to look at the saw he told me it had rust on the table. The rust covered the entire top. The saw was stored on a small plywood floor in a barn. Apparently humidity caused the rust. The rust was not deep, no pitting either. They wanted $800.00 for the saw. I used to sell these same saws when I worked for WoodWorkers Warehouse. I recall they sold for around $1200.00 then. I got them down to $300.00 after they offered to turn the saw on and rip a piece of lumber.
The blade would not raise. The trunnion did crank to 45° .
Got the saw home, unlocked the blade height crank knob and the saw blade went up and down with no problems.
We went over the table with 220 grit sand paper with an orbital sander and motor oil. This got about 1/2 the rust off in few minutes. Cleaned the mess up and went over it by hand with 0 steel wool and motor oil. Finished with green scotch brite pads and no oil. The rust was gone and we Used Johnson's Past Wax to protect the table from rust.
The table has discolored spots but no rust. If the rust is the only thing wrong, may still be a good saw buy after some elbow grease.
It's made in China, but it gets good reviews. It probably has a Bies or T2 fence. Has cast wings. No dust collection or riving knife. Has a built-in mobile base.
(02-19-2018, 08:11 PM)Lynden Wrote: It's made in China, but it gets good reviews. It probably has a Bies or T2 fence. Has cast wings. No dust collection or riving knife. Has a built-in mobile base.
I saw a number of good reviews from Googling the model, but they were from 10 years ago. That doesn't mean this one is 10 yrs old, it's just that the "era" for this saw was some time ago.
I don't claim to be an expert, but I'm not seeing much advantage over a new Ridgid with a lifetime warranty.
This model was sold without a fence. The 36-980 was sold with a fence. A Delta fence system is $300. So for $57 more (before tax on the Ridgid), I can get an old saw. Judging from dates on reviews and forum posts, this saw could easily be 10 yrs old and is out of production.
Not very attractive, to tell you the truth.
A folding contractor saw is great if you need to fold it and store it, but it is a compromise, a huge compromise. There is a reason why people here spend $5,000 or even more for a table saw this is the workhorse of your shop. It's weight and precision make a difference in it's ease of use. Don't right off an older model for a fancy new one(my saw is over 40 years old), there is a reason the Rigid costs around $400, because that is what it's worth. For $500 you might be able to get a $2000 saw. I paid $150 for my Unisaw. The bigger and heavier a saw is, the more of a joy it is to use.
You may not like the looks of the Dewalt or the logistics of the stand but there is a reason for it, it is a much more capable and stable platform, read the reviews of knowledgable owners, see what percentage give it 5 stars. Having switched from a Rigid saw to the Dewalt, I can attest to the difference in quality. I am a fan of Rigid's tools for the value and warranty but would not buy an inferior product, especially when it is as important as a table saw.
I certainly could see that the DeWalt stand created a very stable work platform. The wide stance of the legs is obvious.
One of the things that changed my mind from a folding stand-type saw, like the R4513 or the DeWalt, was that HD recently raised the price of the R4513 from $399 to $499. I figured if I was going to pay $500, why not look at the next model up and all of it's comparables. That took me to the R4512 and the Delta 36-725.
I'm all for finding a good used saw. I just don't like what I have to choose from, at least as far as what Craigslist has to offer. The two offerings even worth considering are Delta's. I've heard all kinds of stories about the company and replacement parts and so on. It doesn't give me a warm fuzzy going forward.
I know that I'm also not buying a lottery ticket when it comes to the Ridgid. It's not like 80% of all the reviews say run away from this model (the R4512). There are a lot of people who are very happy with their saw. So when I look at all the information in front of me and I look at my resources and the space I have available and how I want to utilize it, if I'm going to buy new and pay $600, I've decided on the Ridgid.
As it turns out, I may have a longer time to make up my mind (not that I was required to buy a saw in the next week or two). My wife and I have been looking at doing some landscaping in the backyard and after doing some research on that, I may forego the saw for the time being to help pay for the landscaping. Since looking at some Jet models in the $1200-$1500 range, even some SawStop and Powermatic models, maybe I'll just wait until next year (tax return) when I can devote more money (maybe as much as $2000) to a better saw. In the meantime, I can continue to use my hand-me-down Craftsman and still be able to immerse myself into the hobby and really get my feet wet.
Don't confuse old Detlas with new. I would not consider any newer Delta product but an older Delta Saw can be a good deal. If budget is tight be on the lookout for a used under $200 contractor saw to get by until you can buy a better saw. Anything I buy cheap on Craigslist I consider a free rental. I know I can sell it for the same price give or take even years later. The fence is the most important part of any tablesaw you may buy.
(02-20-2018, 11:27 AM)photobug Wrote: The fence is the most important part of any tablesaw you may buy.
Which was one of the main beefs I had in my original post. Knowing you can't turn the saw on and see it work, in a big box store, at least make sure the fence works. What else does a buyer have to go on?
As for getting by, I have an old Craftsman model 137.218020, pictured in the attachment. It's not actually mine, just a picture I found. It's a hand-me-down. I've never done any adjustments on it and I've never replaced the blade. If I wait until next year, I'm sure I can make it work.
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