I was planning to rent a table saw to make a few final cuts before actually finishing my kitchen. As I was wandering around Home Depot, trying to remember why I was there, I found a $99 portable table saw. I know I'll be renting a table saw a few times in the future, and I had thought of purchasing one, but I have nowhere to store a big one. This portable one will fit in my outdoor closet easily, I just want to make sure there isn't some huge problem with a small table saw. I'd much rather have one of my own, because I'm afraid that if I rent one, I'll feel rushed and make mistakes. Any input will be appreciated.
Oh, and also I may have already posted this question. I really thought that I had posted it last night, but I can't seem to find the post, so maybe I didn't click on "send."
What saw were you looking at? $99 seems pretty low, but you never can tell when you'll find a great deal! The biggest problems you have with small table sawa are instability and problems balancing sheet goods on the smaller table top, and difficulty in getting the saw tuned and having it KEEP the settings. I've got a Dewalt benchtop saw that U used for quite a while that did a nice job for me, but it was a bit more... I got a refurb from Harbor Freight for about $300 I think? Had to wait a LONG time to get it, but it was a good deal.
I've since upgraded to a significantly larger saw, but the Dewalt was great for getting started, and didn't take up a fraction of the room that my current saw uses, though I use it as an assembly table too, so I don't miss the space *that* much.
Had to put a static shock mat (with a towl under it) on the cast iron top for several weeks to train the cat NOT to jump up and leave little rust causing footprints on it... Worked pretty well.
*zzzzzzzap!* ::cat jumping down with pitiful persecution complex yowl:: .
Anyway, back OT, depending on what you're planning on using it for, it might be a good deal, or you might be better off with a good circular saw/Jig saw and a clamped straight edge...
James
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It's a Ryobi (I think) portable table saw. It's definitely pretty small. I'll be cutting down one cover panel and two doors. I'm going to have to use it in my living room because the old folks in my condo association don't want us to do any work in the parking lot or in the yard. Considering I'm on the third floor, I also like the prospect of carrying a small saw up once as opposed to a large saw up and down in one day. Would putting a small saw on a table instead of on it's folding stand help?
For cutting down the doors it would probably work great once it's setup and tuned. The cover panel could be a problem though, depending on how big the panel is compared to the the size of the saw table. Putting the saw on a table (and clamping it down) might help depending on how heavy/stable the table is. The folding stand *might* have infeed/outfeed rollers though that could help extend the effective surface area of the saw top.
You will probably want to buy a good blade for the saw as the ones that they come with are generally throw-away blades that don't leave a smooth cut behind.
Another option would be to get a sheet of plywood that's long enough to use on the floor and get a decent circular saw and straightedge. That would be pretty small, highly portable and should do a good job regardless of how large then panel is. If using the tablesaw, I'd cut just over half way through the material, then flip it over and cut the other side, that will minimize the tearout/splintering and reduce the load on the saw at the same time, so you're likely to get a better end result. If using the circular saw, cut through the material all the way and set the blade height to just nick the plywood under the panel, getting the strightedge lined up exactly the same twice (flipping the material) would probably *not* work well.
Something likethis from amazon might work well, they have them in various lengthes. I haven't used one myself but they look like a good solution for space effective use.
James
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We bought that Ryobi table saw and it worked great for our kitchen remodel. Better than we expected for the price (we did buy a finish-work blade which probably helped).
I'll definitely get the saw blade with the most teeth I can find. I didn't make it to the hardware store last night. I downloaded a dvd library program and spent all night entering my dvds. I was up until 2 and didn't even enter any of the "personal" information (whether it's the original or a dvd-r, where it's kept, whether I've seen it).
DS worked for many years with a tiny table saw. The problems are as outlined by Tigratus: balancing large pieces can be tricky.
We now have a bigger one, but smaller than Tigratus', it sounds like. If I had to choose now between a small table saw or the circular saw/straight-edge solution suggested by T., I would go with the saw/straight-edge combo. Then you don't have to worry about balancing things.
Table saws, with the open blade, are trickier safety-wise. If one is struggling with the material being cut, one is more likely to forget about safety. In my work, I deal with the repercussions of injuries every day. You don't want to go there, trust me.
I just quickly scanned this thread so I hope I'm not repeating anything, but my DH bought a Ryobi (he loves that brand) portable table saw at Big Orange during their buy power tools get gift cards free promotion (March? April?). He'd wanted/needed one anyway.... He got the one that folds up and has wheels for moving it around. It's worked really well and been a godsend for all of our remodeling projects. Yes it's a little small, but it's easy to use and he's figured out how to manage cutting big 4x8 sheets of ply with it. If you haven't already gotten it I say go for it.
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I agree with the saw/ straight edge comment. If you're just using it for a couple cuts, its just not worth having another big (even if it is small) tool.
I have a small table saw, and have head the very same problems others are talking about. I'll probably build a larger table for it one day.
The best straight edge I've found is a aluminum angle and clamps. I've made some MIGHTY fine cuts with that setup!
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