Thomas Knighton
11-30-2007, 11:01 AM
Hi folks. As you can tell by my huge post count, I'm new here (Call me Captain Obvious, right? ;)). I'm also VERY new to woodworking. I came across the Delta SM200L Shopmaster table saw and it's $99.00 price tag at Amazon.com.
Now, I know the hazards of buying cheap tools (more or less). Yeah, I've got Black & Decker Firestorm's compound miter saw and circular saw, but they were purchased with an eye toward doing some stuff in the house and they've done just fine for me in that regard, but I know that ultimately, I'll have to upgrade down the road on all fronts. The thing is, my wife is worried about putting out a huge outlay of cash only to find that this is something I don't enjoy. It's a fair enough concern, so the price of the SM200L is very attractive for that purpose.
My question is, would it ultimately be a waste of $99.00, or an inexpensive way to get started? I know Delta usually makes good stuff. I've got a Delta bench grinder that I love, so I know the brand, but I don't know the Shopmaster line at all.
Any help is greatly appreciated :)
Tom
Now, I know the hazards of buying cheap tools (more or less). Yeah, I've got Black & Decker Firestorm's compound miter saw and circular saw, but they were purchased with an eye toward doing some stuff in the house and they've done just fine for me in that regard, but I know that ultimately, I'll have to upgrade down the road on all fronts. The thing is, my wife is worried about putting out a huge outlay of cash only to find that this is something I don't enjoy. It's a fair enough concern, so the price of the SM200L is very attractive for that purpose.
My question is, would it ultimately be a waste of $99.00, or an inexpensive way to get started? I know Delta usually makes good stuff. I've got a Delta bench grinder that I love, so I know the brand, but I don't know the Shopmaster line at all.
Any help is greatly appreciated :)
Tom