Thinking about buying craftsman table saw! HELP!

[Joe Poyner]

Ok after reading almost all threads with Craftsman, Cman, Crapsman, etc. I feel I still dont know!!!

I am thinking about buying a used Craftsman cabinet saw.

This is the saw.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00922694000&subcat=Table+Saws

Now the saw I am thinking of buying is actually a 5HP and the motor was re-wound recently (Possible cause for alarm??) It also has the cheapest fence that I have ever seen and will need a immidiate Beismyer transplant! Besides that the saw is in overall good condition. Now for something odd. While it is EXACTLY like in the picture, no where on the saw does it saw craftsman. It looks like someone possibly removed the sticker on the front. Dont know..

Here is the kicker... The guy wants 500$ for the saw...

Now I would LOVE to save up and buy a delta contractors or cabinet but we all know how long that can take! What I want to know is peoples opinions about Cman saws. I know there are ALOT of ANTI-CMAN people out there (I am a little cautious myself) but (a big but) is that perhaps the contractors saws being more expensive possibly are better quality?

Thanks alot folks for all the help!

[Russ Massery]

The link you posted in NOT a cabinet saw, And if its the one your buying it's not worth $500.00 new or used

[Joe Poyner]

What would it be then (sorry for my ignorance) a hybrid? Contractors?

[Boyd Gathwright]

.... In my opinion I would save my money until you can buy a real saw. Second time around always buys “QUALITY”. First time around always buys something “LESS” :o. Make your money count and do it right the first time.

.... Good luck :).

Boyd

.

Ok after reading almost all treads with Craftsman, Cman, Crapsman, etc. I feel I still dont know!!!

I am thinking about buying a used Craftsman cabinet saw.

This is the saw.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00922694000&subcat=Table+Saws

Now the saw I am thinking of buying is actually a 5HP and the motor was re-wound recently (Possible cause for alarm??) It also has the cheapest fence that I have ever seen and will need a immidiate Beismyer transplant! Besides that the saw is in overall good condition. Now for something odd. While it is EXACTLY like in the picture, no where on the saw does it saw craftsman. It looks like someone possibly removed the sticker on the front. Dont know..

Here is the kicker... The guy wants 500$ for the saw...

Now I would LOVE to save up and buy a delta contractors or cabinet but we all know how long that can take! What I want to know is peoples opinions about Cman saws. I know there are ALOT of ANTI-CMAN people out there (I am a little cautious myself) but (a big but) is that perhaps the contractors saws being more expensive possibly are better quality?

Thanks alot folks for all the help!

[Tom LaRussa]

Ok after reading almost all treads with Craftsman, Cman, Crapsman, etc. I feel I still dont know!!!

I am thinking about buying a used Craftsman cabinet saw.

Hi Joe,

Welcome to the 'Creek! :D

IMHO, by the time you upgrade the fence on that dubious Craftsman saw you will be into the thing for enough money that you'll really wish you bought a better saw, brand new, with a good fence, a warranty, and the like.

[Cecil Arnold]

Take two asprins, lay down and get over it. In the morning you will feel better and then can start looking for a good saw. Used is often a good route to go if you know enough about saws, or if you have a buddy who does.

[aurelio alarcon]

Ok after reading almost all threads with Craftsman, Cman, Crapsman, etc. I feel I still dont know!!!

I am thinking about buying a used Craftsman cabinet saw.

This is the saw.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00922694000&subcat=Table+Saws

Now the saw I am thinking of buying is actually a 5HP and the motor was re-wound recently (Possible cause for alarm??) It also has the cheapest fence that I have ever seen and will need a immidiate Beismyer transplant! Besides that the saw is in overall good condition. Now for something odd. While it is EXACTLY like in the picture, no where on the saw does it saw craftsman. It looks like someone possibly removed the sticker on the front. Dont know..

Here is the kicker... The guy wants 500$ for the saw...

Now I would LOVE to save up and buy a delta contractors or cabinet but we all know how long that can take! What I want to know is peoples opinions about Cman saws. I know there are ALOT of ANTI-CMAN people out there (I am a little cautious myself) but (a big but) is that perhaps the contractors saws being more expensive possibly are better quality?

Thanks alot folks for all the help!
I'd have to see the saw for myself. But if it is the same one as in the picture, it is not a bad buy for 500 dollars. But this is just my opinion. I have had excellent results from my Craftsman tools. I'm not an advocate --just my personal experience.

[Tim Morton]

It also has the cheapest fence that I have ever seen and will need a immidiate Beismyer transplant!

So now you are at $850 for a used craftsman saw with a motor that may or may not work down the line. Save another 150 and get a grizzly 1023SL. :D

Think about it like this...if it has a cheap fence, imagine what the parts may be like that you CAN"T see :cool:

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Joe,

First off welcome to the creek!!

Second, sorry that everyone is raining on your parade...

Where do you live?? If it is anywhere near me and you don't buy the saw, let me know I WILL BUY IT! Don't think that you will HAVE to upgrade the fence right away, try it out, if it works use it... then you can upgrade it later. Also, the people who said that you would have $850 in the saw are partially right... Just keep the old fence if you upgrade it. When you go to sell the saw, you will get $500 back out of it, or almost and you will still have the beismer fence to go on your new saw.

I will admit I am biased... almost all of my tools are craftsman. Guess what!??!? They work!!! Sure, they aren't $2500 tools, but I didn't pay near that either.

All in all, decide if you like the saw, if you do, get it. If you don't, let me know and I will buy it :)

[Darren Ford]

I think that would have been a decent buy last year. However, with the new top of the line Sears hybrid going for 6-700 (on sale) with a commercial Beise fence, I think I would pass.

[Marshall Harrison]

For the $500 for that saw + the expense of the Bies you would have enough money into it to get the new top of the lineSears hybrid model. It will come with the Bies fence.

Welcome to the Creek. You'll find that the people here are friendly and nice. You will also find that Table saw preferences are very persoonal to some people. Kind of like the old Ford verus Chevy arguments I remember my father and grandfather having. Dad was a Chevy man while grandad was nuttin but Ford. Found memories there.

[Joe Poyner]

Just another question.. Since the motor was re-wound recently do you fellas think that is cause for alarm?

I think you fellas are right.. It looks like the sears hybrid is a good saw or perhaps a grizzly (I HATE paying for shipping!) but I still am thinking about it.

Considering I am upgrading from a tabletop model, even craftsman is a improvement!:D

Keep the coments coming and thanks for the support!

[Tom LaRussa]

Just another question.. Since the motor was re-wound recently do you fellas think that is cause for alarm?
As long as it was done by somebody who knows what's what, it's no problem at all. It's like a rebuilt engine in a car.



I think you fellas are right.. It looks like the sears hybrid is a good saw or perhaps a grizzly (I HATE paying for shipping!) but I still am thinking about it.
I am not one of those who has big name, big price tools in his shop. My most expensive single tool is my Grizzly G0555 14" Ultimate Bandsaw with 6" extension block. It cost me less than $500 last year.

My table saw is a Ridgid contractor model that I bought used for $202.50.

With that said, I would never buy a "hybrid" saw. My impression of them is that they are really just contractor saws prettied up to look like -- but not work like -- cabinet saws.

If I were you I'd do one of two things. If you can swing it right now, buy a cabinet saw -- I'd recommend the Grizz and I'd also remind you that you always pay for shipping, whether it's broken out in the price or not.

If you need a better saw right away and can't afford a cabinet model, look around for a used contractor-type to hold you over. Don't spend more than $200 on it though.

BTW, please put your location into your profile so it displays on your posts. It's just possible that you have a neighbor with an extra saw reading these posts but you'll never know it because we don't know where you are.

:)

Tom

[Byron Trantham]

Joe, I owned a Craftsman for several years. I dumped a bunch into it trying to improve including a Beis fence. By the time I ended up selling it I have $900 into it! :mad: I sold it for a decent price and bought a Unisaw. I think that ultimately you will want to upgrade. Money always gets in the way! :rolleyes:

[James Carmichael]

If you've got the budget for that thing, why not get a Griz and have a couple hundred left over for other goodies, like a fancy dinner and roses for LOYL so you don't have to stay too long in the doghouse :eek:

[James Carmichael]

...(I HATE paying for shipping!) ...

You ARE paying shipping if you buy the Craftsman, it's just hidden in that $1200 price tag. Buy local and you pay sales tax to boot, plus you'll likely be on your own getting it home and into the shop.

I've never had to have anything freighted to me, but from what I hear, if you're lucky, it's delivered to your door and the driver will usually help unload.

[Carl Eyman]

It has been my experience over years of buying industrial electric motors, that it was usually better to have one rewound than to get a new one. Reason: if the motor rewind shop was reliable they had more at stake from a blemish on their reputation than a faceless factory - perhaps in China. far as the saw goes are you going to test the trueness of the arbor, etc. with a dial gauge? Have you seen the saw in operation? I the answers to these questions are positive, and you don't see a more expensive saw in your immediate future, I'd go for it.

[Joe Poyner]

Yeah I have seen the saw in operation. Quiet nice humm to it and it starts well. I cant say as much for testing the trueness of the arbor..

[Bruce Page]

Hi Joe,

Welcome to the 'Creek! :D

IMHO, by the time you upgrade the fence on that dubious Craftsman saw you will be into the thing for enough money that you'll really wish you bought a better saw, brand new, with a good fence, a warranty, and the like.
Exactly! Been there & done that.

[scott spencer]

Hi Joe - That sure looks like a cabinet saw to me, and the fence looks very similar to what used to come on Grizzly's 12" cab saw (G5959?). For $750-$800 equipped with a better fence (minus whatever you can get for the original fence), I'd still be uncomfortable with what most would prefer to be a once in a lifetime purchase. Wood Mag didn't rate the full Craftsman cab saw too well in their review a while back. There's alot of good used Uni's and PM66's for that price.

[Darren Ford]

Tom, I don't want to get into the long discussion that this topic sometimes leads to, but the hybrid saws have a couple of advantages over contractor saws, depending on the brand and model. Your comment about them being prettied up contractor saws has merit, but thats what they are competing against. I don't think anyone who purchases a hybrid thinks he is getting a cabinet saw.

The couple of advantages I mentioned are:

1) Improved dust collection with a full-cabinet hybrid design like the Craftsman and new Delta.

2) Cabinet mounted trunnions. I think only the Sears models have this, the almost identical Delta has the contractor style (table mounted).

3) This one is more arguable, so I did not include it in the count above, More mass = more stability. I'm sure there are contractor saws that are beefier, but my 22124 is quiet and virtually vibration free compared to my former Delta contractor.

No arguments here that given the option between a cabinet saw and a contractor/hybrid which is the way to go; I just think the hybrids have some advantages over straight contractors (removing brand names for a minute).

[Rob Horton]

Ok after reading almost all threads with Craftsman, Cman, Crapsman, etc. I feel I still dont know!!!

I am thinking about buying a used Craftsman cabinet saw.

This is the saw.
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&pid=00922694000&subcat=Table+Saws

Now the saw I am thinking of buying is actually a 5HP and the motor was re-wound recently (Possible cause for alarm??) It also has the cheapest fence that I have ever seen and will need a immidiate Beismyer transplant! Besides that the saw is in overall good condition. Now for something odd. While it is EXACTLY like in the picture, no where on the saw does it saw craftsman. It looks like someone possibly removed the sticker on the front. Dont know..

Here is the kicker... The guy wants 500$ for the saw...

Now I would LOVE to save up and buy a delta contractors or cabinet but we all know how long that can take! What I want to know is peoples opinions about Cman saws. I know there are ALOT of ANTI-CMAN people out there (I am a little cautious myself) but (a big but) is that perhaps the contractors saws being more expensive possibly are better quality?

Thanks alot folks for all the help!

Joe,

Not sure if you have a Home Depot around you or not. But the one near me here in Missouri is currently selling a Delta Contractor Saw with Delta's version of the Beisemeyer fence on it for $399. It doesn't appear to be a sale price or anything either.

I haven't looked into any closer than that though. It might be worth checking out.

[Stephen Dixon]

All craftsman saws have at least a Craftsman model no. on them. That dosen't look like the hybred saw that most everyone is thinking of. It looks like the saw out of their industrial tool catalog that they sell only to industrial accounts. BTW Grainger sells an identical saw as a Dayton brand. They are available with both a 3 or a 5 HP motor. If it doesn't have the typical Craftsman model no., then it is probably a Dayton. The Craftsman model no. is identified by a 3 digit no. followed by a dot and another 5, 6 or 7 digit no. such as 113.197702, which happens to be the model no. of my RAS. the first three digit represent the manufacturer, the rest is the specific model no. for your device. All Craftsman equipment is no. this way.

Steve

[Tom LaRussa]

I just think the hybrids have some advantages over straight contractors (removing brand names for a minute).
Darren,

You're right.

I really meant that I would not buy a hybrid if I could get a cabinet model for just a little bit more.

[Jim Andrew]

Joe, how far from Kansas are you? I ordered a unisaw, and would make
you a deal on my old cman. It is really old, and heavy. Jim

[Christopher Stahl]

I'd definitely pass. Take your time and find a deal on a used cabinet saw or save a little extra and get a new Grizzly. It will be worth your money and time. You'll get a good saw, good fence and good support from the members of the creek.

By the way, welcome!

chris

[Joe Poyner]

Stephen. Thanks for the info.. I suspect you are right! It doesnt have the craftsman model number but it does have a number similar to the one in the GRANGER catalog under the DAYTON tag..

Sigh...:(

What to do.. What to do!

I think I will go with a Grizzly but stephen (seems like you know a bit about dayton) do you think the dayton saws are comparable to say Grizzly/Delta/PM? That question goes for anyone who knows about the saw in question!

Again thanks for all the help! So nice to be on a forum where the people dont treat you like a dummy even though its possible that you are one!:D

THANKS!

Oh Jim I am in Oklahoma City.

P.S. if you get tired of the thread let it die! You all are really tired of hearing from me im sure!

[Curt Harms]

Delta is introducing a cabinet saw made in China to compete with Grizz. I don't know if they're at dealers yet. You could also go to www.shopfox.biz and either email or call for a list of dealers near You. Shopfox is similar to but perhaps slightly upgraded Grizz but comes with 2 year warranty and local dealer support. Nuthin' like adding to your confusion :rolleyes:

Curt