Which table saw to buy?

[oldmate]

I would stick clear of cheaper ones. You'll  find the mitres and bevels not real accurate.

This is what I use. Does the job well. Goes 50* one way and 60* the other. And 45 bevel each way

[oldmate]

305mm blade.

[WilSurf]

Which model mate?

[oldmate]

Ls1216 that one is


For ripping sheets I just use a circ saw. If it has to be a nice straight cut I will use the fence or clamp a straight edge down.  For ripping larger material I have a big 9" circ saw for that. Make sure to keep all your blades nice and sharp. You can drop them of to be sharpened. I'll get back to you on current prices for that, just dropped about 5 blades off for sharpening.

[dazzler]

I wonder if the plans come in metric, I like the bench and it will save a lot of space in the shed

GG

They come in metric but if you don't need the portability you could do a similar setup with a normal torsion box bench and hang it off the end.

[dazzler]

I would stick clear of cheaper ones. You'll  find the mitres and brevels not real accurate.

This is what I use. Does the job well. Goes 50* one way and 60* the other. And 45 bevel each way

Same as mine. Great saw.

[oldmate]

Same as mine. Great saw.

Yep it is.

[Barry G]

 I have an early Triton, and have done heaps with it, including building complete kitchen benche cupboards from ply 25 years ago.
Also have a magnificent 1950s 'Shopsmith' that was my FILs. Once I have the new shed the Shopsmith will be getting a complete rebuild.

[dales133]

Keep your eye out for an older 8 inch hitachi....you can pick them up for around 250 -400 but they are arguably the best saw in thier class ever made.
Nothing you buy new comes close to them in quality

[Rumpig]

I would stick clear of cheaper ones. You'll  find the mitres and bevels not real accurate.

This is what I use. Does the job well. Goes 50* one way and 60* the other. And 45 bevel each way

i used to use the 305mm saws (had a couple of Dewalts over the years...though newer models not as good as the old one was IMHO), as you mentioned though, they are heavy to cart around. These days I just use the 260mm, a bit nicer to cart up and down stairs of houses each day

Keep your eye out for an older 8 inch hitachi....you can pick them up for around 250 -400 but they are arguably the best saw in thier class ever made.
Nothing you buy new comes close to them in quality

my old 305mm Dewalt would have.... I framed with that saw for over 10 years, and that was all stick framing. The replacement Dewalt saw I got lasted 2 years before a bearing went in it, and it wouldn't have done a tenth of the workload the old saw had done in the same time frame.

[dales133]

Yea the Dewalt a bigger saw but a good saw too.the new saws arnt anywhere near as well made...any brand

[oldmate]

Yea the Dewalt a bigger saw but a good saw too.the new saws arnt anywhere near as well made...any brand

i used to use the 305mm saws (had a couple of Dewalts over the years...though newer models not as good as the old one was IMHO), as you mentioned though, they are heavy to cart around. These days I just use the 260mm, a bit nicer to cart up and down stairs of houses each day

my old 305mm Dewalt would have.... I framed with that saw for over 10 years, and that was all stick framing. The replacement Dewalt saw I got lasted 2 years before a bearing went in it, and it wouldn't have done a tenth of the workload the old saw had done in the same time frame.

Yep. 100% agree there

Yep mal, I mainly use small saw as it fits in the toolbox on the ute. Don't use the big one often, but when I do, I'm glad I have it. Cutting anything over 130mm it's awesome

[oldmate]

wilsurf, any of the top name brands, will do the job you need, makita dewalt hitachi. I have a range of tools from each brand, most of my cordless stuff is hitachi, where my power stuff is mainly makita or dewalt, with a few cheap things thrown in that I may only use once or twice.
Just go to total tools/trade tools and have a look over different ones.   

[Rumpig]

wilsurf, any of the top name brands, will do the job you need, makita dewalt hitachi. I have a range of tools from each brand, most of my cordless stuff is hitachi, where my power stuff is mainly makita or dewalt, with a few cheap things thrown in that I may only use once or twice.
Just go to total tools/trade tools and have a look over different ones.   

x2 on above...I have those 3 different brands in the back of my ute in various tools

[dazzler]

You can tell we are the camper trailer crowd. Not a festool in site - sadly.

[oldmate]

Festool is for the White collor tradies  . We don't get paid that much. 

[Barry G]

Festool is for the White collor tradies  . We don't get paid that much. 

Most white collar workers I know don't make as much as trades!

[oldmate]

Really, best I put my rate up then

[kylarama]

Keep your eye out for an older 8 inch hitachi....you can pick them up for around 250 -400 but they are arguably the best saw in thier class ever made.
Nothing you buy new comes close to them in quality

Mines around 25+ years old and still going okay.  I got it 2nd hand and used it daily for 10+ years, mainly for cutting aluminium.
Good saw, but noisy and the guards are complete and utter rubbish.  I thew about 3 new guards at mine and gave up in the end.  Rubbish 3 piece plastic set up.
The guards on those era Hitachi's (8" & 10") were so bad Hitachi ended up doing a full recall on all the old CF models about 6 years ago.  Just had to take your old saw into any Hitachi dealer and they would give you a brand spanker for free!  I found out about the recall 12 months after it finished .


My current saws a 12" Metabo SCMS, the previous model which is just a rebadged Elektra Beckum.  Beautiful saw to use, smooth, quite and great depth of cut on compound mitres too.  Only thing I don't like is the trenching stop is a bit flimsy.

The LS series Makita's are brilliant too.  We've got quite a few of the 8 and 10" ones at work.  The LS1018 with the dual slide rails is a great saw.  As others said not as good as the previous models that were Japanese made.  The older Japanese LS1216 with the vertical handle was the best.

Makita, Hitachi, Dewalt, Metabo, Blue Bosch.  Can't go wrong with any of them, all comes down to what feels most comfortable for you.

[Rumpig]

Very basic stuff really.
I want to make a little storage for the fire wood, need to cut up fire wood to let it dry, making a frame for an attic ladder etc.
No furniture for me (yet, you never know)

for basic cutting of framing timber like you describe, this will work fine http://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-1430w-255mm-slide-compound-mitre-saw_p6240084 ....i use one of these at work now a days for both framing and fix-outs. It's not as powerful as the 305mm saws, just take your time when it's cutting and let the blade do the work instead of working it hard like you can with the bigger saws. The advantage of a bigger saw shows when you start cutting 100mm x 100mm posts etc, you can cut straight through them in one go versus smaller saws not having the same depth of cut available for you to use

[GGV8Cruza]

You can tell we are the camper trailer crowd. Not a festool in site - sadly.

I have a heap of festool gear, my drop saw is a hitachi, the replacement will be a festo

GG

[GeoffA]

You can tell we are the camper trailer crowd. Not a festool in site - sadly.

No mention of Fein yet, either...

[GeoffA]

I have a heap of festool gear......

A mate of mine like Festool.
The cases, stacked up, go from floor to ceiling.....twice....

[oldmate]

for basic cutting of framing timber like you describe, this will work fine http://www.bunnings.com.au/makita-1430w-255mm-slide-compound-mitre-saw_p6240084 ....i use one of these at work now a days for both framing and fix-outs. It's not as powerful as the 305mm saws, just take your time when it's cutting and let the blade do the work instead of working it hard like you can with the bigger saws. The advantage of a bigger saw shows when you start cutting 100mm x 100mm posts etc, you can cut straight through them in one go versus smaller saws not having the same depth of cut available for you to use

X2

[oldmate]

A mate of mine like Festool.
The cases, stacked up, go from floor to ceiling.....twice....

Does he use them every day on a building site where they get exposed to dropping, rain, run over, theft, forgot to put it back on the ute.  The rate that stuff happens it ain't worth the over the top expensive gear.

Festool owners are like toyota owners, paid premium price for a tool they have no idea how to use.