Upgrade table saw or get a jointer

[Sean Bice]

I took a look at the table saw online too and it looks perfectly serviceable to me too.
spend time and adjust it so the blade is perfectly square to the table top and the miter slots.
Then get the fence adjusted parallel to the blade and square to the table top.
Finally spend the money and buy a Woodworker II 40 tooth blade. The one that lives on my saw has the flat top tooth profile and I like it a lot.

Now how how would I spend your $2000-$3000 budget ??
Not knowing what electricity you have installed I will stick to 120v tools.
Only knowing that you have the tablesaw and a planer you can add a lot more very serviceable tools to your shop with $3000.
Many here have good luck with used tools and I am not opposed to that route, but I am not going to do refurb to get one going...so I am a new tool kinda guy.
6" jointer the hobbyist standard issue, $600 for the Ridgid jointer at Home Depot every day. I have one and love it, would 8" be better...sure, but it's a lot bigger, needs 220v, and costs a lot more.
14" bandsaw another hobbyist standard around $1000-$1500. Laguna and Rikon are the popular ones now and they are nice saws the 14-12 or the 10-326 would be very nice. I sill think the cast iron Delta clones made by Jet are very viable options too. I have the Jet entry level 14" saw, I like it a lot. I have spent money upgrading it and would like the Deluxe Pro at $1030 better. Depending on how you feel about Grizzly you may find good value there.
Wow I still have almost half of your budget left.
I would spend a good chunk of it on a dust collector and I wouldn't mess around with the Harbor Freight solution. I would get a 1 1/2hp Jet or Laguna cyclone. No they aren't in the same class as Oneida or Clearview but they are quieter, very compact, run on 120V, and will do a good job.
There's still enough money to buy an ambient air cleaner if you want one too.

Good luck, have fun, anytime you want me to spend you money let me know.

Charlie

Thank you for the input. I really appreciate it. The biggest issue with the table saw is the fence. No matter how many times I square it up, it gets out of alignment. I have the blade square and seems to be holding fine.

I have 240v available. I have a few Grizzly tools. I have a 14" band saw and a 2hp dust collector from them.

I think I will look into upgrading my table saw fence and look for a jointer.

Thanks.

[John Sanford]

I'm going to drop into the 12" Jointer/Planer camp with Derek. Depending on where you are and whether or not you're willing to be patient, you may be able to get lucky like I did and score a used European 12" J/P (Minimax FS30) for $1,200. More realistically, finding one used for $2,500 shouldn't be to much trouble, and there are the Asian J/P machines in your price range. Because I was able to sell my 6" jointer and 2 lunchbox planers, the net cost to me was only a couple hundred dollars.

I can't say how many times I ran up against the width limitations on my 6" jointer, except to say it was enough that when I saw the Minimax FS30 pop up on our local Craigslist equivalent I called and went over IMMEDIATELY. I know that since I've gotten it I have jointed things 10"+ wide, so a 8" jointer would still have left me stuck.

[Sean Bice]

I'm going to drop into the 12" Jointer/Planer camp with Derek. Depending on where you are and whether or not you're willing to be patient, you may be able to get lucky like I did and score a used European 12" J/P (Minimax FS30) for $1,200. More realistically, finding one used for $2,500 shouldn't be to much trouble, and there are the Asian J/P machines in your price range. Because I was able to sell my 6" jointer and 2 lunchbox planers, the net cost to me was only a couple hundred dollars.

I can't say how many times I ran up against the width limitations on my 6" jointer, except to say it was enough that when I saw the Minimax FS30 pop up on our local Craigslist equivalent I called and went over IMMEDIATELY. I know that since I've gotten it I have jointed things 10"+ wide, so a 8" jointer would still have left me stuck.

Thanks, John.

I live in Dallas. I have been keeping my eye open on the used market for a long time. Very little has shown up that was worth it. I have been late on a few. Asked if available less than an hour after posting and still got beat. Most people want too much for a used machine. After talking to my wife I am going to watch for a used jointer and hopefully something pops up in the next few months. I was really looking at Grizzly but they are having stock issues on jointers. Some have been on backorder for over 6 months.

[Lee Schierer]

My son recently purchased a 4512. It was pretty well aligned out of the box, but a few minor adjustments made it better. Get a Freud glue line rip blade for it and a Freud LU82M blade to replace your OEM blade and you should have a good saw.

Get the jointer now.

[Wade Lippman]

Your saw ought to be fine. I've never used one, but you ought to be able to square the fence.

I would buy an 8" jointer with an insert cutter. Obviously many love their jointer/planers, but they seem like a sad compromise to me. There are probably 10x as many times that I need a 15" planer (rather than a 12") than I need a 12" jointer (than a 8"), and I would hate to put up with a 55" bed and knives. But I guess we all work differently.

[Joe Hollis]

Hello,

Like others I would suggest that you consider buying a jointer before upgrading your table saw. Up until about a year ago I only had a table saw and small planer, and when I bought a used Rigid 6" jointer I was able to do work that I could only do by hand previously (and not very well). I am just a hobby woodworker, but I think the combination of the two tools will broaden the range of work you can do, and will increase your enjoyment of woodworking.

Joe H.

I have been a member here for awhile but have never posted. So, hello.

My wife has finally given me the go ahead to spend some money. But I can only get one new tool right now. It will likely be until Christmas until I can get the next one. I started woodworking about 18 months ago and got the Ridgid R4512 saw shortly after I started. It's fine but not the best. Should I upgrade my table saw now and purchase a jointer later (I don't have one at all), or get the jointer now and wait on the table saw?

[Simon MacGowen]

Sean,

Against the tide here: don't get a jointer since you have a thickness planer which can do both jointing (narrow stock) and planing. Tons of information on this on the web, just google. A jointer, normally 6 or 8 in, is no match to a 12 or 13" good quality thickness planer.

For edge jointing of wide stock which many use their jointers to do can be safely and accurately done on the tablesaw even if your saw does not cut dead square. Again google jointing on the tablesaw to find lots of information. I build furniture projects and work with mostly hardwood, rough lumber as well and have not used a jointer since I sold it years ago. Tables, benches, cabinets and all of them without one single cut on a jointer.

So, if you have $2000 to $3000, the best investment would be in a SawStop PCS unless you go the sliding saw path. No need for me to repeat why it is such a great machine in a shop but it is a fact that it is the #1 selling cabinet saw in NA. Its dust collection and mobility (upgrade options) will make your woodworking less dusty. You can't find a cabinet saw better than SawStop on those two accounts, not to mention its finger and palm saving technology.

If the tablesaw you have already meets all of your needs, then the Festool Domino Joiner would be my recommendation if you are into furniture building. The Domino Joiner will replace the biscuit joiner, mortising machine, dowel jig, Kreg jig and even dado cutter in one go (at least that was my case).

Sell your Ridgid which may get you a couple hundred bucks back and use the money to buy lumber or accessories for your tablesaw or Domino Joiner.

Simon

[Brian Nguyen]

Get the 8" joiner, your TS is fine (just tune it up). Most power tools are luxury items, I can't think of any tasks that you can't do by hand. But like any other power tool, a jointer will make you much, much more productive with your projects. You can use hand tools like a neanderthal, or make jigs for jointing at the TS or router table, but nothing beats flipping a switch and squaring up a board within seconds.

So don't become paralyzed by the 1,001 suggestions being thrown around, just listen to mine and order that 8" jointer

I have been a member here for awhile but have never posted. So, hello.

My wife has finally given me the go ahead to spend some money. But I can only get one new tool right now. It will likely be until Christmas until I can get the next one. I started woodworking about 18 months ago and got the Ridgid R4512 saw shortly after I started. It's fine but not the best. Should I upgrade my table saw now and purchase a jointer later (I don't have one at all), or get the jointer now and wait on the table saw?

[andy bessette]

I would not want to be handicapped by that table saw.

[Charlie Hinton]

I don't think spending money on a new fence for this saw is the greatest idea.
Of course I bought a Kreg fence and roller bearings for my entry level 14" Jet bandsaw and I have my eye on the riser block now....so I have some experience with bad ideas when it comes to tricking up tools.
Sean, I live in Rowlett and I am retired.
If I don't have to drive through downtown Dallas I could come and look at the fence with you.
Just throwing that out there if you are interested in having second eyes on it.

[Roger Marty]

Jointer and fence upgrade for the R4512

[Charlie Hinton]

I think I scared him off.

[Simon MacGowen]

I think I scared him off.

I had used the Ridgid saws (two different models, one with the granite top). I fully agree with your "I don't think spending money on a new fence for this saw is the greatest idea." The weakest link in the Ridgid saw is not the fence.

Simon

[Roger Marty]

I had used the Ridgid saws (two different models, one with the granite top). I fully agree with your "I don't think spending money on a new fence for this saw is the greatest idea." The weakest link in the Ridgid saw is not the fence.

Simon

I completely disagree! The fence is absolutely the weakest part of the saw. The rest is fine...especially the newer ones with the "II" trunnion design that doesn't have the blade shift issue.

The fence cannot lock down repeatably straight. The rails are flimsy and a single rail is made up of two separate pieces. The best I could do was apply pressure to the left side of the T when locking down, and that would help. But it was still not repeatably perpendicular. I had blade burn problems like crazy.

spending $200 on a Delta T3 takes this saw to the next level.

[Roger Marty]

I completely disagree! The fence is absolutely the weakest part of the saw. The rest is fine...especially the newer ones with the "II" trunnion design that doesn't have the blade shift issue.

The fence cannot lock down repeatably straight. The rails are flimsy and a single rail is made up of two separate pieces. The best I could do was apply pressure to the left side of the T when locking down, and that would help. But it was still not repeatably perpendicular. I had blade burn problems like crazy.

spending $200 on a Delta T3 takes this saw to the next level.

This is a good illustration of the problem and how one person fixed it: http://lumberjocks.com/topics/58544

Not upgrading the fence on an R4512 is the worst advice i've ever read on this forum!