That is a very important point. I have two table saws, one good but old shop saw, and a cheap Skill that I take to jobs.
Unfortunately, the Skill came with a short shaft that will not handle much more than the installation of a single saw blade... maybe two if I want to cut a narrow dado, but that's it.
My big Rockwell will easily handle my adjustable dado blade. And that is an important feature.
The portable saws aren't near as nice as a decent contractor saw. Look at the Delta, the Jet, and Ridgid. They might not hurt your budget as much as you think. The portable saws really limit you in my opinion...Been there, done that.
I'm not sure if this fits your needs... but the Ridgid 3660/3650 is being closed out at Home Depot nationwide. Regular 549.. on sale for 399. It isn't their portable jobsite saw but it does have a pretty decent wheel system. It gets pretty good reviews for saws in its category.
I'm not sure if this fits your needs... but the Ridgid 3660/3650 is being closed out at Home Depot nationwide. Regular 549.. on sale for 399. It isn't their portable jobsite saw but it does have a pretty decent wheel system. It gets pretty good reviews for saws in its category.
I bought this yesterday for the $399 + they let me use a 10% coupon!!!
I put it together last night and I am SOO overly impressed with the quality. The saw in the box is 301lbs, so we tool everything out and carried it to the basement. It takes some time to put together but man, what a saw.
I have the Ridgid 3650 and I don't think you can do any better in the price range. At that $399 closeout price, I'm tempted to buy another one! My suggestion is buy it NOW, spend the extra money on good blades, a link belt to replace the stock one, and an upgraded miter gauge......and don't look back! You'll be happy!
That said, I'm not gonna run out and buy another one, 'cause I want to see the granite top 4511 they're coming out with to replace it. :yes: They already have it up at the Ridgid website if you want to take a look.
...I just got a Ryobi BTS15 for dirt cheap off of CL. It needed a new arbor bearing. I ordered one and she is a good as gold. The Fence on the BTS15 surprized the hell out of me...it is very very good for the saw.
Don't give up on finding a good deal out there somewhere. This kind of good saw can be found at estate sales all the time. I got mine free from a private school I was remodeling. They were throwing this and a Radial Arm saw out. Unfortunately, the Radial Arm was pretty much junk... but I have one of the big Sears electronic jobs already anyway.
Keep your eyes open, they're around. And the old ones are often so much better than many of the newer ones.
Didn't I say to keep looking? Today, a friend walked up to me at church and asked if I wanted a 12" Craftsman contractor's saw with a 40 tooth carbide tip blade and spring drop wheels added, and an additional adjustable dado blade included. Free.
I jumped on it, and it's now sitting in my shop.
The picture is of a 10", but it looks just about like this one.
UPDATE:
I got a chance to clean the gunk off the saw today... It's not a 12" after all, but a 10". But still a great saw for free.
The same guy also sold me an 18" Delta Variable Speed scroll saw for $20. It's all rusted, needs a throat plate and blade, but I see potential.
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