need opinions on Craftsman TS

[John Tindle]

Hello all!!! Just wanted to get some opinions on the Craftsman 137.248830 10" table saw. I can pick it up for $135 with the stand and dust bag. Saw looks to be in near perfect condition. I am currently using a small 7 1/4" delta and its just too small. Any and all opinions are welcome. Thanks in advance.

[Dan Barr]

I think everyone here will probably want to tell you to get a cabinet saw or hybrid or at least a contractors saw with an extension.

but for what its worth. 135.00 for that saw is a good deal.

unless you only occasionally woodwork, you will outgrow that saw just as quick. and probably very soon. just know that your spent 135.00 is a transitional fix and that you will soon be feeling the urge to purchase something more capable.

you might want to dig through craigslist and the paper and look on the classifieds here on SMC as well. even e-bay might have something worthwhile. exhaust all of your options and make sure that if you do think that you will outgrow that saw, how quickly will this happen and is spending 135.00 worthwhile til then. if you outgrow it in a month, probably not worth it and it would probably be wise to save up 700-1000 and purchase a used cabinet saw or a new hybrid. something youre not going to outgrow, at least not for a long time anyway.

hopefully this eases your anxiety. :D

v/r

dan

[scott spencer]

It'll cut wood well enough to make some furniture and other projects, but is the type of saw that tends to frustrate users in the long haul, and gives the better Craftsman saws a bad name. It's bigger than what you've got and should offers some improvements, but is still on the small side, is light, loud, and a tad sloppy. See if you can try it out and see what you think.

I'd be surprised if you couldn't find an older full size cast iron Emerson made Craftsman contractor saw with a belt drive induction motor in the same price range.

[Mike McCann]

I had that saw I just upgraded. The saw was very frustrating. THe fence would never be parrallel no matter what I did. It does have nice features with the extension wings and out feed. You would definately need to upgrade the blade. You can get this new for about 160 so 135 for a used one is not that great of a deal

[chris dub]

I had one pretty similar. It was frustrating to not be able to trust the fence, wobbly miter guage etc. If I had it to do again i would have bitten the bullet a latite or waited and saved some more. I got it for 3 reasons, 1) Budget, 2) I needed something right away 3) I didn't know any better. I sold it on ebay for 100 bucks, same as I bought it for. I got a 21829 used and like it much better. I can now make parallel cuts! I still have a budget and space considerations. I have heard the Ridgid jobsite is on sale for $299. I think it would be 2X better.

[John Lock]

That's the saw I replaced this year with a Ridgid 3650. I have to agree with the other posters about the frustration level. The miter slots are non-standard so you can't use any aftermarket parts for it either. I was able to build some decent pieces with it, but there was so much time wasted doubling checking to make sure every cut was straight, that I upgraded first chance I got.

[John Tindle]

Wow, thanks for all the advice. I really want to get out of this tiny saw but it sounds like that saw is not the next step. Much appreciated.

[Jim Heffner]

John, I have to agree with the other posters to that question myself. That is basically a portable/ jobsite saw that is made to be transported
from job to job in a truck. I would think that the accuracy of that saw
is something that you would be aggrivated with in a short time.

If you want a good shop saw, look at the better sears saws like the 22104, 22114 these will be a lot better for the long run and will last for years to come. The pictured saw is more of a hobby saw than a reliable,
everyday shop workhorse. Jim Heffner

[John Revilla]

I had this saw and eventually gave up and sold it for $100. No way you can make the fence true and the saw is so lightweight that wobbling and vibration is common everytime you turn the motor on. The dust collection is a joke. The table extensions are not good either. I upgraded to a Delta contractors with Bies fence, very happy. Godspeed.