My shop just got smaller - Gloat - >> PICS <<

[Jeff Pilcher]

I purchased the Craftsman 22124 table saw today. With the Club Saver sale and other discounts, I got the saw for less than $700.

Here are some pics of the homecoming and assembly/setup.

It just fit into my pickup, cleared the cap by about 1". I got it out of the truck by sliding it down a pair of 2x6 ramps. This was not as hard as I expected it to be, it slid down the ramps into the garage easily and without incident. Everything comes in the two cartons you see here. The saw is one and the Biesemeyer fence is in the other.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-01.jpg

Removed the cardboard. They use a frame made of square steel tubing to protect the saw in the carton.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-03.jpg

Another view of the packaging. Everything was neatly stretch wrapped and nothing was damaged in any way.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-04.jpg

All unwrapped and ready to begin the assembly.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-05.jpg

The table top is oiled and covered in plastic in the carton. The saw is bolted to the metal frame using the threaded holes for the leveling feet.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-07.jpg

More to come.

[Jeff Pilcher]

I tipped her on her back so I could attach the mobile base.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-08.jpg

I bought the Sears mobile base that was recommended for this saw. It came with side rails for the base but the instructions said not to use them for this application. The four corner pieces bolt to the cabinet using the threaded holes for the leveling feet. I was a little skeptical about this attachment method, but it turned out to be very sturdy and the saw is very stable when the wheels are raised.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-09.jpg

My first of two minor problems during assembly. The mobile base brackets partially covered two of the screws holding the cabinet side panel in place. I considered removing the offending screws but in the end I decided to grind a relief into the base instead. I actually had to do this to two of the four corners of the base.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-10.jpg

I had one other little issue when I installed the blade guard. The splitter would not align with the blade to my satisfaction. I had to remove the front splitter attachment bracket and file one of the holes into a slightly elongated slot. Only took a few minutes and afterward the splitter aligned perfectly.

The rest of the assembly went very smoothly. Here she is with the Biesemeyer fence installation almost complete.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-15.jpg


Alignment of everything was too easy to mention. Here is the saw fully assembled and just after a few successful test cuts.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-16.jpg

Still more to come.

[Jeff Pilcher]

Here is a shot of my father cutting a few scraps. Notice the nickels standing proud on the table top. I stood the nickels on the table, started the saw, made a few cuts and turned the saw off, and the nickels never moved.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-17.jpg


Fully assembled, aligned, cleaned, lubed, waxed and ready for action.

http://epilcher.com/wood/shop/tablesaw/22124-19.jpg

Compared to my previous saw (Shopsmith MK-V Model 500), this thing is a joy to work with. The Biesemeyer fence is perfectly accurate and slides so easily across the table.

Thanks for allowing me to ramble. I can't wait to start my next project.

[Dan Forman]

Jeff---I reckon that would shrink your shop just a bit. It's a good looking saw,,like that big "stop" button. Have lots of fun breaking it in, and don't forget to pick up your nickle. :D

Dan

[Jim Becker]

Congratulations, Jeff. It's great having a nice saw to work with and you have a super upgrade there! Enjoy! (We expect lots of project pictures now... ;) )

[Steve Roxberg]

Congrats, I have never loved Craftsman tools, but they have a winner with that saw. Wouldn't be suprised to see one make it into my shop when I upgrade.

[Darren Ford]

What is the model # for the mobile base? I was under the misunderstanding that the mobile bases at Sears were not strong enough to support this saw. I need a base and if the one from Sears works I might as well pick it up there.

[Richard Wolf]

Good looking saw, best of luck with it.

Richard

[Chris Rosenberger]

That is a very nice saw. It looks like the blade tilts left, but the motor cover is on the right side. How is the motor mounted? Have fun.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

Congrats on the new saw! I am sure it will serve you well for a good LONG time!

[Jeff Pilcher]

What is the model # for the mobile base? I was under the misunderstanding that the mobile bases at Sears were not strong enough to support this saw. I need a base and if the one from Sears works I might as well pick it up there.

The mobile base is #22103. The documentation says it will support up to 600 lbs. The C'Club sale flyer shows this base for $24.99 if purchased with the saw. Mine rang up at 19.99.

I am very happy with the base, it is very strong and sturdy.

[Russ Massery]

Congrats! Nice looking unit. I'm impressed the way they crated it up for shippment Grizzly should take note!

[Jeff Pilcher]

That is a very nice saw. It looks like the blade tilts left, but the motor cover is on the right side. How is the motor mounted? Have fun.

I have no experience with other brands of saws. The blade on this saw does indeed tilt to the left. The motor is mounted with the shaft pointing to the left and the motor swings out into the side cover area when it is tilted.

[Todd Davidson]

HI Jeff~
Thanks for mentioning the couple glitches with assembly. Will keep your solutions in mind when I tackle assembly in a couple weeks. Sears didn't have any mobile bases in stock when I got my saw yesterday so I have to wait for one to be shipped anyway.


Hi Darren~
The mobile bases that Sears sells under the Craftsman name are made by HTC (as is their mobile miter saw stand).

[John Miliunas]

Congrats, Jeff! You're set to have an awful lot of fun and I'm really glad Sears has put out a product worthy of such praise! I can remember, almost like yesterday, upgrading from my Shopsmith to a Delta contractor. WOW!:) What a difference and I daresay you're experiencing the same joy and then some!:D Enjoy, make loads of sawdust and, most importantly, be safe!:) :cool:

[Tony Falotico]

Congratulations, Jeff! I hope you find it to be an excellent saw. I too bought one yesterday, after way to much thought and personal debate.

Attached is a pic of mine (for the pic police). I used the 48" extension table from my old C'man saw, couldn't see throwing it away. Fit perfectly. Next step is to mount my new Woodpeck PRL into it.

A few initial thoughts:

Love the fence storage brackets on the side, Good Job Sears!
Don't try to lower the rear Outfeed table with the fence stored on the side .. Oops Sears!
Love the oversize stop switch, a couple inches above the knee and works great. Way to go Sears!
The stock miter gage & fence ..... lives up to Craftsman's previous reputation. not very accurate and the 45 d bevel on one end is SHARP and ragged. Oops Sears! (saw worked great with after market miter gage I have)
Like the flat grooved belt, much better than conventional 'V' belt. Instructions say to make sure it is properly on the pulley. You can only see it through the blade insert hole from above the table, Unless you have a six foot very flexible neck and very long arms ......


All and all, I think it's a winner. Cuts smooth, runs smooth. Looks good, dust collection seems well thought out. Hope I feel this good about 6 months from now.

[John Miliunas]

Well then, congrats to you too, Tony!:) I'm not much of a Craftsman fan myself, but I sincerely hope you find your last statement to be true in 6 months and beyond!:) Hey, even Sears has to hit a homer every now and again, don't they?!:D You guys enjoy your new toys!:cool:

[Corey Hallagan]

Craftsman previously sold a rebranded HTC 2000 model that was rated for 400 lbs. Many thought it struggled under the saw when moving. It looks just like that one, however, if it is rated for 600 lbs. they may have beefed it up a bit. It looks fine with Jeffs saw.

Corey

[Jeff Pilcher]

Congratulations, Jeff! I hope you find it to be an excellent saw.

I too bought one yesterday, after way to much thought and personal debate.

Congrats to you too, Tony. The new saw looks like it is a good fit in your shop.

I spent about 5 weeks reading about and comparing various saws before I decided to go for the C'Man saw. Once I finally decided to get this saw I forced myself to wait for the next sale. I figured the next sale would not come until later in the year. Really surprised me when the sale flyer came this week.

I spent about 4 hours in the garage/shop today trying out various uses of my new saw. I ripped, I mitered, I beveled, I cut rabbets, I tried to cut tenons (I need to build a new jig for this saw :rolleyes: ).

So far, I am very happy with mine, I hope you will be too.

[Jeff Pilcher]

Craftsman previously sold a rebranded HTC 2000 model that was rated for 400 lbs. Many thought it struggled under the saw when moving. It looks just like that one, however, if it is rated for 600 lbs. they may have beefed it up a bit. It looks fine with Jeffs saw.

Corey

I believe this is a new base for Sears. When I was buying the saw I told the tool guy I wanted the base too. At first, he grabbed a different one that was more expensive and only rated for 400 lbs. He was not even aware there was a different model available.

Had I not spent so much time looking at the pictures in the sale flyer :p I might have overlooked this little detail as well.

My saw is rock steady on this base with the wheels up. It rolls very smoothly with the wheels down (even rolls over the expansion joint in the garage without complaining).

[Jeff A. Smith]

Is that gauge as nice as it looks? It certainly looks better than many other "stock" miter gauges I've seen.

Congratulations on your new saw! I grew up with a left-tilt but now use a right. It took me a year to get used to right-tilt, but now I'd have to re-learn a left-tilt saw. What did you upgrade from?

Jeff Smith
Athens, AL

[Tony Falotico]

Well then, congrats to you too, Tony!:) I'm not much of a Craftsman fan myself...........

Thanks John, I too am not much of a Craftsman fan, as a matter of fact if I had a buck for every time I swore I'd never buy another Craftsman tool , It would have paid for the saw plus a nice night out with LOML. But, bottom line, it replaced a C'man that was 25 years old. The bearings over the last few months had worn to the point that there was way too much blade wobble. Being sleeve bearings, you can't simply replace bearings, you have to replace parts. I was looking at minimum $200 plus shipping for what I needed, another $60 for what I should'a replaced. BUT, after 25 years service, what should you expect?

Yes, I've been drooling over the PM's and the Uni's, but for a weekend woodworking warrior, does it really justify the expense? This tool obsession (fired by continued presence at SMC (LOL)) is getting out of control. I'm sure this saw will have it's issues, but so do many of my high end tools. We learn to work around them. For 1/2 the cost of the low end Uni, 1/3rd the cost of a PM66, I have a unit that will service me well. If it goes for 25 years like the old one did......... Well statistically speaking chances are I won't be here to worry about it!

Anyway, if I find it that bad within 90 days, back to Sears for a full refund. I seriously doubt that will happen, I will work through any issues and enjoy the saw as much as I enjoyed the old one.

Thanks again for your comments John,

Your woodworking cyber buddy, Tony.

[Tony Falotico]

Is that gauge as nice as it looks? It certainly looks better than many other "stock" miter gauges I've seen. Jeff Smith, Athens, AL

IMHO, NO. As I stated above The stock miter gage & fence ..... lives up to Craftsman's previous reputation. not very accurate and the 45 d bevel on one end is SHARP and ragged. Oops Sears! (saw worked great with after market miter gage I have)

I have the Accu-Miter by JDS Company http://www.jdstools.com/index.asp?PageAction=Custom&ID=4
This is part of the tool obsession I spoke of in last post. It is far superior in accuracy, fit and finish. My first thought before buying the saw was to use the new stock miter gage and sell the Accu-Miter. After assembling the Sears one those thoughts quickly changed.

[Jeff Pilcher]

Is that gauge as nice as it looks?

What did you upgrade from?

The new miter gauge seems okay to me, but I don't have much experience with others for comparison. I upgraded from a Shopsmith MK-V which has a limited table saw feature.

The new miter gauge is better built than the Shopsmith (heavier, too) although the stop pins and locking knobs are of a similar design. The work clamp on the new gauge is nicer than my old one.

I was able to get the new gauge aligned accurately with little effort. So far (with one day of use) I am able to get accurate repeatable miters using the stop pins for 90 and 45.

The gauge included an adjustable stop, but it does not flip up. This I will change when I get the chance.

I am finding it a little hard to get used to the T-Slot washer that keeps the gauge from falling if it is pulled too far back (when cross cutting wide boards). I am so used to just dropping the thing into the slot anywhere across the table. Instead of just removing the washer (my first reaction) I am going to try to get used to it. I think it will become a trusted safety feature once I get used to it.

I call myself an amateur sawdust maker and I am sure this saw will be making sawdust for someone else long after I'm gone.

[Effie Lever]

Jeff, I'm ready to take the plunge but my club saver (on the web) show $799. did you have additional discount or do they have different prices for different locations? I'm not that far from you, in the Milwaukee area.

[Byron Trantham]

Jeff, my brother-in-law recently bought one as a replacement for Jet contractor's saw he loves it. The Bies is just the cat's meow! Congratulations!

[Jeff Pilcher]

Jeff, I'm ready to take the plunge but my club saver (on the web) show $799. did you have additional discount or do they have different prices for different locations? I'm not that far from you, in the Milwaukee area.

I had the $799 sale price listed in a recent sales flyer, but when the clerk entered it into the computer it came up $759. I had previously signed up for the Craftsman Club email blasts online and was allowed to print a 10% coupon that I applied to the purchase. Some members here mentioned an additional $100 discount but I did not get that with my purchase. I bought mine at the Sears Mall store at Gurnee Mills (by the Great America amusement park).

Good luck and enjoy the new saw.

[Jeff Pilcher]

Jeff, my brother-in-law recently bought one as a replacement for Jet contractor's saw he loves it. The Bies is just the cat's meow! Congratulations!

Tell your BIL he made a good choice IMHO. I agree, the Bies is terrific.

Is he going to let you use the new saw?

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks John, I too am not much of a Craftsman fan, as a matter of fact if I had a buck for every time I swore I'd never buy another Craftsman tool , It would have paid for the saw plus a nice night out with LOML. But, bottom line, it replaced a C'man that was 25 years old. The bearings over the last few months had worn to the point that there was way too much blade wobble. Being sleeve bearings, you can't simply replace bearings, you have to replace parts. I was looking at minimum $200 plus shipping for what I needed, another $60 for what I should'a replaced. BUT, after 25 years service, what should you expect?

Yes, I've been drooling over the PM's and the Uni's, but for a weekend woodworking warrior, does it really justify the expense? This tool obsession (fired by continued presence at SMC (LOL)) is getting out of control. I'm sure this saw will have it's issues, but so do many of my high end tools. We learn to work around them. For 1/2 the cost of the low end Uni, 1/3rd the cost of a PM66, I have a unit that will service me well. If it goes for 25 years like the old one did......... Well statistically speaking chances are I won't be here to worry about it!

Anyway, if I find it that bad within 90 days, back to Sears for a full refund. I seriously doubt that will happen, I will work through any issues and enjoy the saw as much as I enjoyed the old one.

Tony, you might enjoy reading the recent post "the businessman" started by John Hart in the Off Topic forum. Mark Singer makes some great comments pertinent to your thoughts. G'Luck w the new tool. I understand your reasoning.

[Todd Davidson]

Hi Elle~

Many of the Sears stores were having a one day sale last Saturday on the Hybrid Saw for $759 (a sale for the general public, not just C'man Club members). Craftsman Club members got an additional $100 off when your club card was swiped. Then there was the 10% off coupon from the website. I believe now the saw is on sale for $899 (w/$100 off for C'man Club members = $799). The 10% coupon would lower the price another $80. Good luck!

[Effie Lever]

Thank's Jeff, Tonny and everyone else for the information, I'm off to sears.:D

[aurelio alarcon]

Of course I would have to put in my 2 cents in on this one. That is a beautiful saw! I am saving up to get one for myself. Congratulations to both of you!