Replacement for old Craftsman Table Saw

[andy bessette]

I found a Rigid TS3660 on CL for $400...

OK for rough work.

[Art Mann]

I have posted this man times but the irrefutable fact is that a very large number of Craigslist markets have essentially zero worthwhile table saws to sell. Where I live, I monitor Craigslist every day for various reasons and I typically see something like 2 or 3 used heavy US made cast iron table saws per year and they are usually over priced or so rusty they aren't worth taking home for free. A good deal doesn't even last a half day.

[John Gulick]

Sawstop. best value

[Art Mann]

It is beyond question that the Sawstop brand is the safest small table saw. It is highly questionable among many woodworkers with long term experience as to whether it represents the best value. Over the past 40 years, any extra money I might have spent on a Sawstop, were it available, would have been completely wasted.

[David J Blackburn]

Just to be clear, the MJ splitter is *NOT* a riving knife. It's a splitter. You can't use it on non-through cuts (unless it's a very deep non-through cuts) and you can't use it on non-90 degree cuts. A riving knife rises and lowers with the blade, so it's always below the top of the blade and can be used in all non-through cuts and rotates with the blade so you can use it on non-90 degree cuts. It also stays closer to the blade than a splitter does.

A riving knife is a much better safety feature than a splitter. I, of course, have an MJ splitter on my zero clearance insert plate for my older Grizzly 1023. So I am not saying that you shouldn't use one, just being clear that it's not as good as a riving knife.

[Nick Decker]

I have posted this man times but the irrefutable fact is that a very large number of Craigslist markets have essentially zero worthwhile table saws to sell. Where I live, I monitor Craigslist every day for various reasons and I typically see something like 2 or 3 used heavy US made cast iron table saws per year and they are usually over priced or so rusty they aren't worth taking home for free. A good deal doesn't even last a half day.

Agreed. I think the posters who are seeing all this "old arn" are in large metro or former industrial areas. Rare around here.

[Lee Schierer]

The purpose of a riving knife or splitter is to reduce the chance of a kick back. Before I did the alignment on my Craftsman, I would get an occasional kick back, since I did the alignment, I can't remember having a kick back. When rip now I have to look extremely closely to see which side of a piece was the cut side versus jointed side of a board. I can generally pause slightly while ripping maple or cherry without getting a burn mark on either side of the blade. The hardwoods I work with seem to be free of internal stresses so I don't see any pinching of the blade during rip cuts. When ripping narrow pieces I always use a push stick and my grip tite magnetic feather boards on the infeed and out feed side of the blade. The outfeed feather board mounts sideways on my steel faced fence. (Normally the fence mounted feather board is behind the blade. I was cutting a rabbet in the side of the piece in this photo)
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[andy bessette]

...the posters who are seeing all this "old arn" are in large metro or former industrial areas...

The farther one lives from large metro areas, the farther one might have to drive to pickup good old machines.

[Roger Marty]

Thanks Lee, I will check that out.

I had looked at that SawStop Robert. It seems decent but I'm concerned about the cost if I accidentally hit something conductive when cutting (assuming it's not my finger).

I'm amused at this post :-)

(I will personally no longer use a table saw that doesn't have flesh detection)

[andy bessette]

...(I will personally no longer use a table saw that doesn't have flesh detection)

Pretty skeery!

[Art Mann]

(I will personally no longer use a table saw that doesn't have flesh detection)

I am happy you realized the limitations of your skill set.

[Mike Cutler]

I have posted this man times but the irrefutable fact is that a very large number of Craigslist markets have essentially zero worthwhile table saws to sell. Where I live, I monitor Craigslist every day for various reasons and I typically see something like 2 or 3 used heavy US made cast iron table saws per year and they are usually over priced or so rusty they aren't worth taking home for free. A good deal doesn't even last a half day.

Art

I think this is somewhat cyclical, and as pointed out, somewhat regional.
Machines seems to go in cycles it seems, sometimes jointers, then planers, then table saws, and then band saws, and sometimes nothing.
Right now I'm seeing a lot of table saws on Craigslist. Not big iron like a Moak, Oliver or a Tannewitz, but plenty of circa 80's Unisaws. ( Although I've seen more than a few Northfields lately. Big $$$$.) There is also a ton of Craftsmans for sale. Now for some reason, Euro' style sliders are starting to appear in numbers also.
I think there are a lot of folks retiring here, "up north", and looking to shed some "load" to make the move south.

I'm looking for a bench top Milling machine myself. Something under a 1000lbs. None here up north, maybe you got 'em down south.

[Bill George]

I'm amused at this post :-)

(I will personally no longer use a table saw that doesn't have flesh detection)

The only shop person I know of with a missing finger wasn't done on a table saw, but band saw.

[Bill George]

Kind of agree with Art on used CL saws. Once in a while here you will find a nice table saw for sale but a lot are just overpriced junk. 30 year old Craftsman and pretty much worn out or rusty and they are asking at least $200 which is more or less what it sold for new. Or they call it Vintage which is suppose to make it worth more!

[Mike Geig]

Jet models are on sale this weekend for black Friday. I was eyeballing the Jet 708494K. A little above my budget but seemed to have good reviews.