Table Saw Purchase on a Budget

I can’t speak much for the Ridgid or Craftsman as I haven’t used them, but I have seen the Craftsman in store and wasn’t overly impressed with the quality. Then again, sometimes it’s just because it wasn’t assembled well.

I have the Delta… bought it off Craigslist for $400. It was barely used at the time and has served me well since. At the time, I was pretty much in your boat trying to decide between the Delta and a Grizzly hybrid. I saw the CL ad and figured even though it wasn’t a steal and if I waited I could find a better used saw… it was nearly new and would save me a couple hundred bucks vs. buying from Lowes.

I think out of these three, the kicker is the fence which most would say is much better than the Ridgid/Craftsman fences. If you have to buy new and buy now and these are the only three you are willing to look at, I’d go with the Delta. You could try Grizzly, but it is certainly less convenient. Or, you could hold out for a good deal on Craigslist and try to save a little $ for other tools.

-- Weathersfuori, Texas, www.facebook.com/f5creations

Try for a hybrid cabinet saw, unless you need portability. Look at Grizzly catalog.

M

-- Madmark - [email protected] Wiretreefarm.com

The G0771 has a full cabinet, solid cast wings, and cabinet mounted trunnions going for it. In the lower price range, I prefer the Delta over the R4512/21833…better fence, better track record.

Set aside at least $30 for a decent blade Marples, Freud Diablo, Infinity, Forrest, CMT, Ridge Carbide, Tenryu, Amana.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

I have the Craftsman 21833 table saw looking device.
Other than having a 1 3/4 hp motor instead of the 1 1/2 hp claimed by Ridgid, it was the exact same saw as the Ridgid 4512. The Ridgid appeared on the market about 9 months after the Craftsman.
Both saws are made in the same factory from the same cheap ass raw materials from the same inferior design. I truly regret ever spending any money on my saw. It is a true piece of crap, with no customer service.
Ridgid does offer a lifetime service agreement which is of questionable value since it requires you to pack and ship the 300 Lb pile of crap to a service center.
If I could do it over, I would wait and get a Grizzly 1023 or 690 series saw. they are more in the $1300 to $1500 price range, but are a one time purchase you will never regret.

The Craftsman and the Ridgid are exactly the same saw. The split fence rail (Made that way only to save the company on shipping costs) affects accuracy. How much depends on who you talk to. If you are going to buy new and are limiting yourself to these saws I would go for the Griz. You have 2 other options though.
1) Do a couple of side jobs, work a little OT, be patient, wait, save up and go for another 5-600$$. I know it seems like a lot, but the quality difference is HUGE between a 6 and 1200$ saw. That will put you in the Jet, Higher end Griz, Delta X series (well, almost), etc. This purchase will be the centerpiece of your shop. You will NOT regret your patience.
2)If you need something now, check the used market. I would stay away from old Craftsmans, but Delta Unisaws are pretty easy to find if you are willing to drive a little, and are in your price range. From my own experience, don’t rule out a used Ridgid 3560 or 3660. They are stable, great mid-range fence, heavy duty and parts are readily available. In my opinion they were the last good table saws that Ridgid made, and they can be had for around $300-350 which leaves you room for a new blade and a nest egg for a bigger saw when you are ready. I have owned a couple of these and they always sell for the same or a little more than I buy them for, so you won’t loose anything while you are saving up. Their biggest drawback is that the motor sticks out the back, and the blade sits a little further back in the table. Their built-in mobile base is invaluable, at least in my small shop. I agree with the comment about the new blade, and If you do go used, plan on investing 5-6 hours to clean and tune up your saw. You can bring them back to new and the older ones alot of time were built alot sturdier. Good luck! Buying a tablesaw is a very fun adventure.

I can only speak to the delta – I bought one brand spanking new just over a year ago and I absolutely love it and am glad I jumped in with both feet.

Previously I had a craftsman and while it did fine for the 10 years I owned it, I never really did a lot of work on it – a few cuts here and there, plus it was portable so I could take it to a few jobs I had gotten over the years

I never really got the craftsman aligned or setup properly since I didn’t know you had to do that and when I did learn how, it was a real chore to do.

The delta however, not being portable I use almost daily – I’m not nearly as squeamish about setting it up, aligning it and the fence and etc is a real ease to work with.

I looked at the grizzly as well as the delta unisaw (both cabinet saws) and for me having a small shop the 36-725 made the most sense not only for it’s size but also for the cost – I got mine at Lowes and got 10% off + 5% off and that also helped to sway me towards the delta

Either way, best of luck with your choice – I don’t think you can make a terrible decision wth any of those saws

-- They said I could be anything... So I became Sarcastic! They also said making drawers is easy... I think they lied :(

My first criteria for a table saw purchase is, Where is it going to be used, shop or job site. If it is going to be a shop table saw, and is the blade mounted directly to the motor shaft. I choose another.

I learned this the hard way with a Delta shown above except but when it was $100 cheaper. I paid $500 for the saw and when the motor went out (and they will given time) the replacement was $492. In essence I was then the proud owner of and expensive boat anchor. This model above I believe still has the same setup.

I read a review and the Craftsman does have a motor/belt drive setup. but…..the choice is yours.

The Rigid, I’m not sure if it a a direct drive bade/motor but that that would be a deal breaker for me if it is. That and from what I’ve seen & experienced with rigid power tools on the job site doesn’t make a positive impression with me.

The Grizzly I noticed has a set of gears between the motor and the blade making the possibility of replacing the motor without junking the entire saw feasible. I have no experience with Grizzly tools but of the four choices it would probably be at the top of the list.

-- Darrell, making more sawdust than I know what to do with

I have this saw:

& love it.

M

-- Madmark - [email protected] Wiretreefarm.com

Your profile says you are in Columbus. I saw this Unisaw for $500. It’s 220v but could likely be wired for 110v.
https://columbus.craigslist.org/tls/5533602246.html

-- Matt - Phoenix, AZ

I watch CL all the time for used tools. That’s how I got my jet 6” jointer, and a jet 1442 lathe. When I am on CL list I look at what is being sold most often it is usually craftsman ryobi or the small portable ones. Those are the ones I tend to stay away from. I am going to be buying the Grizzly G0771 saw pretty soon as I would would rather put money into a new saw for that price then spend the same amounts on say a used jet contractor saw. I work construction and have gotton good recommendations from those that have Grizzly saws.