Think I need a table saw?

[gotoPzero]

I have a couple of big ish projects coming up in the house. I need to fit (make) 2 sliding doors. I also need to shelve out 2 or 3 cupboards.

I want to make a neat job of it and I think a table saw would help? I have never had one before, but I would also like to re-skirt the downstairs which again I think the table saw would be good for?

So, whats best - I dont have a massive budget - a couple of hundred quid? Einhell 4340490 on amazon for £120 currently?

Or would I be better off getting something else?

[Scabutz]

At £120 table saw is likely to be ste. The motor underpowered, the stock blade will be rubbish and will probably have a fair bit of lateral movement. The fence will be flimsy and probably not very square. Adjustments will difficult as there won't be much control and the on board gauges inaccurate.

Personally I would look for a known brand second hand plunge/circular saw with a track system.

[Gtom]

A plunge saw with guide rails and a sliding mitre saw are what you need.

This being PH, they need to be cordless festool and while you are spending, they have brought out a cordless table saw too.

Joking aside, evolution make some stuff that will be fine for your diy projects.

[gotoPzero]

If I need to cut long lengths down to size wont I need a table saw though? Or am I getting confused?

[Scabutz]

A pluge saw with a track will be far easier to rip long bits down on your own. Feeding large pieces onto a flimsy table saw will be hard work. Of course you'll be limited on the track length but they do come in decent lengths and if that long you'll never get it through a cheap table saw even if there are two of you.

Just need to go slow on long lengths as the cut will close and the kick back can be dangerous

[Teddy Lop]

Scabutz said:

At £120 table saw is likely to be ste. The motor underpowered, the stock blade will be rubbish and will probably have a fair bit of lateral movement. The fence will be flimsy and probably not very square. Adjustments will difficult as there won't be much control and the on board gauges inaccurate.

Personally I would look for a known brand second hand plunge/circular saw with a track system.

I've got a cheap table saw, Screwfix erbaurer jobbie. Fine for what it is; guard is a bit of a joke and the stick-on measurement guides out of wonk meaning you're best off measuring and lining the guide up without their input, but powers fine and a blades a blade.

But yeah a tracksaws probably where you should be thinking unless you have specific requirements today.

[Gtom]

Just remember if you are using a table saw to rip long lengths, you need SPACE! Realistically cutting 8x4 sheets down, you need a good 20 foot of space for feed in and feed out plus some space to stand.

[Another project]

As mentioned earlier, a sliding mitre saw is what you need for skirting boards, for breaking down sheet material especially if you're on your own a plunge saw is the way to go and it won't take up loads of storage space when not in use

[eskidavies]

Got an old Mac allister one ,it’s lethal,hit the start button and it does asomersault ,not very accurate I just use it for ripping down rough scrap planks to make trellis or fence posts and the like ,fence is broke so I g clamp some batton to the table ,as said sheet stuff use plunge saw or circular saw ,hard work shoving a 8x4 sheet through a table saw solo and being accurate,I tried running a door through once to take 1/2 “ off ,it was like a dogs hind leg

[ATG]

Table saws are great, but they are almost never necessary. And you can say pretty much the same for any other kind of saw too. Table saws take up a lot of room. They're great in a workshop where you can set them up permanently and use other nearby benches and surfaces to support wood being fed in and out of them. They're a pain in the arse to bring out, do a few cuts, and then put away afterwards. For more temporary or mobile set-ups, circular or plunge saws with tracks or guides would be much less hassle. In combination with a mitre saw, you can do pretty much anything a table saw can do and plenty of things better than a table saw could do. E.g. a table saw is great for ripping, but if you're making a really, really long cut a track saw can be easier to control accurately. Table saws with a crosscut sled are great for cross cutting, but mitre saws are generally quicker to set up for a given cut, particularly for angled cuts.

[gotoPzero]

So I presume I need both a plunge saw and track saw?

The plunge would use for the skirting, batons and stuff like that and the track saw for sheet ply etc?

Is that right?

[Aprisa]

Not quite, A plunge saw is a track saw but a track saw doesn’t have to be a Plunge saw as a normal circular saw can sometimes be used on a track if so enabled.
The track saw will be used to make longer rip cuts, you will also need the Mitre saw as suggested for cross cuts and angles.

[Baldchap]

A decent track saw will have the option to cut on the angle as well, although a sliding mitre saw will do this far easier.

My mate got a table saw when we were doing a house and I hated it. Dangerous and unwieldy. I can see why so many accidents happen with them.

Much happier with my track saw.

[MBVitoria]

Gtom said:

A plunge saw with guide rails and a sliding mitre saw are what you need.

This being PH, they need to be cordless festool and while you are spending, they have brought out a cordless table saw too.

Joking aside, evolution make some stuff that will be fine for your diy projects.

Add a jigsaw and the above will cover 99% of DIY projects.

I have the Evolution mitre saw and for my basic needs it's bril. Also got the Titan track saw from Screwfix and likewise ace for the money. I think both were under £100.

[jefword]

Maybe a stupid question from someone who has a cheap track saw, but say I had a length of 1" wide timber a few feet long and I wanted to rip it down to 3/4" wide or smaller, how would I do this with the track saw?
Would I have to make something the same height as the timber to rest the other edge of the track on. Different for every thickness of wood I need to saw or is there another way.
I would just use a table saw but if It's no longer necessary I may decide to get rid as storage space is limited.

[skeeterm5]

MBVitoria said:

Add a jigsaw and the above will cover 99% of DIY projects.

I have the Evolution mitre saw and for my basic needs it's bril. Also got the Titan track saw from Screwfix and likewise ace for the money. I think both were under £100.

I find it hard to cut a long straight line with a jigsaw.

I have a sliding compound mitre saw and a plunge saw with tracks which do for most things. I do however also have a table saw which is great for ripping down a lot of wood. For example we clad the end end of one of our barns and I used the table saw to cut a whole load of 150mm boards to 75mm to give a nice board on board finish,

I found the table saw easier for this type of thing because it is easier and quicker to repeat than constantly using the plunge saw.

I would agree with others on the post about a very cheap saw being poor, but you can improve it by buying a decent blade. But if I had the choice I would buy a decent one to start with.

[Rob.]

jefword said:

Maybe a stupid question from someone who has a cheap track saw, but say I had a length of 1" wide timber a few feet long and I wanted to rip it down to 3/4" wide or smaller, how would I do this with the track saw?
Would I have to make something the same height as the timber to rest the other edge of the track on. Different for every thickness of wood I need to saw or is there another way.
I would just use a table saw but if It's no longer necessary I may decide to get rid as storage space is limited.

It's a fair observation. I've struggled with this a bit too, and just used other offcuts as packers, as you said. However, I'd love to hear a better solution, as it's a bit of a nuisance trying to clamp the workpiece.

[paulrockliffe]

A jigsaw is just what you buy while you're waiting to buy proper tools, you'll never get anything better than a rough cut out of one, but if you're careful about how you go you can always plane the board back into shape afterwards.

OP, I reckon you're wasting your money on this one, your best bet is simply to buy your sheets from a proper timber merchant. They'll have a £10k carriage saw and an email address you can send your cutting list to. You'll then be able to pop in and fill your car with al your boards cut to the exact size you need ready to go.

[gotoPzero]

That is something I have considered!!

[geeks]

paulrockliffe said:

A jigsaw is just what you buy while you're waiting to buy proper tools, you'll never get anything better than a rough cut out of one, but if you're careful about how you go you can always plane the board back into shape afterwards.

OP, I reckon you're wasting your money on this one, your best bet is simply to buy your sheets from a proper timber merchant. They'll have a £10k carriage saw and an email address you can send your cutting list to. You'll then be able to pop in and fill your car with al your boards cut to the exact size you need ready to go.

Indeed even B&Q have a cutting service and the first 3 cuts are usually free, though they generally cant cut anything under 150mm