Help Me Decide

gotta go with the table saw, and then if you have room, make a table around the thing so you can do cuts on full sheets of wood without help from anybody.

 

I think you'd be better off with a circular saw now.
It's easy to mark lines on a sheet of MDF, stand it up off the ground on sawhorses or stacked 2x4's or whatever, and cut along them by hand.

The little table saw won't be big enough or good enough to handle full sheets at any rate... and cutting full sheets even if you DID have a big table saw is a 2-man affair... where cutting panels out of full sheets with a hand circular saw is a 1-man affair.

A good hand saw will cost you what, $50?
Where a good table saw will cost you more along the lines of $500.

Get the hand saw now... and a jigsaw and cordless drill, while you are at it (12-14v is a good size... less is wimpy, more is heavy and bulky and inconvenient from that aspect). B)

 

Right now I REALLY want a table saw. Because of this, I have been kinda looking at them at different stores. I used to use a friends Dewalt table saw (a $500 one like what Geo was talking about). One thing I noticed about those cheap one's at Sears is the adjustable arm. The Dewalt one was very nice in that both sides stayed perfectly parallel with the blade as you adjust it. The cheap ones weren't as sturdy, and I can see this causing some problems with uneven edges being cut. It would be a pain to have to measure the back side just to be sure it is parallel each time. Go to Sears and play with them and you will soon find out what I mean.

 

Yes, definitely.
The laser guide sounds like a really nice idea, actually.
That saw looks better than mine, for sure.

Mine is a fairly cheap one... maybe $40 even... and I've been shopping for a new one for over a year now, just haven't found one that I want... I'm trying to find a full-size cordless one though, and I can't find one under $200 that's decent.

That one should work more than fine, that's a nice saw.

Although, personally, I'd probably opt for this one instead:
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?...pid=00910844000
It's basically the same saw, without the laser guide, for $20 less money. B)
In fact, the blade spins a hair faster on that one.

 

2 things on that table saw Cort.

First is on those low line models the guides often twist and wind up burning or chipping wood as the board twists. Not only that, but the also leave you with really poor wavy cuts. The units that start at about $550 or so even have issues with guides, but they are far better than the ones like you have listed.

Second, this is a direct drive unit. The direct drive is very unforgiving. A belt drive unit will, when bound up, jump the belt and limit kickback. The direct drive units like the one you have listed has no give when a board binds (and with the shitty guide and twisting, you know that will happen ) and has a very sudden and aggressive kickback. Kickback doesn't seem like a big deal, maybe just a ruined board, but kickback is also the #1 reason for woodworkers working with less than 10 digits . And mostt of them you see like that will tell you it was a direct drive unit that ate their fingers. I could introduce you to 2 of them that are my customers .

They are very dangerous. I highly reccomend against it, primarily for your safety.

 

I prefer table saws, as you always have a definate guide. But, you can't get a cheap low RPM one or cheap blades or one that vibrates etc.....

If you get a circular saw, do all that you can to get some nice clamps and a sturdy straight edge, or you'll have no success. Of course, you should always have clamps no matter what.......





Jeff

 

definately

I still say you spend the extra dough and get the table saw.

I'm not a big baby like Seth. I trust you know what you're doing.




Jeff








Disclaimers Notice: These instructions should in no way be taken literally. Should Injury, Death, or Permanent hearing damage result, this post will not take responsibility and will summon represenatives in its defense. All viewers should be aware of Systempimp_1500's inability to learn, and especially to teach.

 

I vote for the table saw...

I can only dream right now of what i could do with proper tools....

 

Buy the circular saw, which has MUCH more versatility, and then save up for a GOOD table saw down the road.

Much like buying a cool motorcycle now, saving up so you can buy a cool car down the road, rather than a used Ford Aspire now, because it had the same price tag as the motorcycle.
Who wants to be seen in that?

 

It was all in the way you batted your eyelashes and lisped the word "Aspire"..

 

Check out www.stealitback.com for power tools, some real nice tools on there, for awesome prices....occasionally get some decent audio equipment on there too.

One of those stand up saws that they use at Home Depot would be nice