craftsman 113.xxx table saw

[jordan mccool]

Hello all, first post here. This forum seems very helpful and informative.

I am in the market to replace my current table saw. I am interested in a craftsman 113 model saw, as they are a dime a dozen on craigslist in my area.

I'm curious if certain years are better than others? I particularly like the styling of the 1960's models but am unsure if they are as robust as later models.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I did a search but didn't find what I was looking for.

[Lee Schierer]

I own and use a 113.298720 version of the Craftsman saw. It has been a good machine. It has the cast iron top and open web cast iron side tables. The OEM fence was unreliable for setting up square so I replaced it with a Beismeyer fence. The Cross cut guide was also difficult to set to precise angles including 90 degrees so it was replaced with a Kreg miter gauge. My saw was aligned by me with a dial indicator and it holds the alignment once you get it right. I get clean cuts with no visible teeth marks and no burning on rip cuts even in burning prone woods like maple and cherry. I built an enclosure in the base to catch sawdust and to connect it to my DC system.

Stay away from any of the Craftsman saws with direct drive, flex cable drive or aluminum tables. They will be noting but trouble. When I looked at them in the store, I never found an aluminum table that was flat and the aluminum will leave black marks on your wood.

[scott spencer]

Good advice from Lee. As long as it's a got a full size table (27" deep), belt drive, and ample motor power (usually 14 amps and rated 1hp to 1.5hp), the fence, setup and blade selection will ultimately determine how well any saw performs. I'm not sure what year King Seeley stopped making the Cman saws, and Emerson began, but Emerson made them 'til about 1997, at which point manufacturing switch to TTI/Ryobi, who made them 'til around 2004. Emerson and TTI/Ryobi have both made contractor saws for Ridgid and Craftsman, and both brands have a lot in common, including some interchangeable parts if made in the same plant. The fence on most of the Emerson saws was pretty mediocre IMO...the TTI/Ryobi aluminum fences were better.

The good news is that it's not particularly hard to put just about any after market fence on a full size saw. Some drilling might be required, but cast iron drills fairly easily. The Vega fences are good value and easy to install. The Biese is the cat's meow. Shop Fox Classic, HTC, Jet Xacta, PM Accufence, and Delta T2 are just a few other fence choices.

[jordan mccool]

Thank you both for the info, pretty much reiterates everything I've read.

I Definitely have plans to replace the fence and miter gauge.

[Rick Moyer]

All good points. I HAD a similar saw, and upgraded the fence and miter gauge for about $400. Also PALS for alignment. In the end, I wish I had just spent that money towards a cabinet saw in the first place, which I eventually bought. I didn't have to buy the saw for $100-$150 either, it was Dad's. So, even though you can make such a saw workable, you need to be sure that's what you want to do. $400-$500 total into a contractor saw, or $1300 (plus miter gauge) for cabinet saw.

[glenn bradley]

The 113. prefix indicates Emerson Electric with King Seeley being prefix 103. There is always some incestuous intermingling of tool makers so I don't claim this to be without exception ;-) I had a 1970's Emerson that I was able to make very useful. It's buried under all the aftermarket stuff in this pic:

Fence Extn 2.jpg

As others have stated, a good fence, a good miter gauge, link belt and machined pulleys, PALs and something to add sheer mass can yield a very workable saw. I think I paid $80 for mine a decade or so ago. I added several hundred dollars of add-ons to make it workable. It served me well for years, I learned a lot about what makes a saw good and bad and it found a good home when I moved on.

I still have a 113-27520 that was bought new by Grandpa. It is small but very stout trunnion, table and cabinet-wise. I have visions of making it a dedicated crosscut station (with a sled) someday.

GpaSaw.jpg

I have seen these little guys still in service more times than I can count. They can generally be had for around $100 which is one of the reasons I have kept mine; no resale value

[Jeffrey Martel]

If you get one with plastic handwheels, replace those with metal ones right off the bat. They like to break at the most inopportune times.

[Lee Schierer]

If you get one with plastic handwheels, replace those with metal ones right off the bat. They like to break at the most inopportune times.

Regular lubrication of the screw threads will prevent this problem. I still have my original wheels after all these years. Don't forget to put oil in the two oil plugs on the motor to lubricate the shaft bearings.

[Don Wurscher]

Been running my 113.29943 for over 43 years (1972), without a problem, a couple of things though.
#1 Replace the fence (A must), I got my replacement from Grizzly, #2 the arbor on some Craftsmam
right next to the inside hub, is smaller then further out. This is not a problem with a saw blade
but can make for an uneven bottom grove when using a dado. I use 1/2 of a blade stiffener next
to the hub, to correct this problem, you lose some dado width but that is easly over come by
adjusting the fence if need be. My saw has Alum wings, and I cut masonite pices to go inbetween
the alum ribs this eliminated the black marks. I also brought a ball bearing motor with mine when new.

[Will Boulware]

Put me down as another happy 113 user. Mine is a 1988-ish model with machined pulleys, a link belt, and a home made crosscut sled that I like much better than a miter gauge. If you're shopping, make sure to get one with the machined open-web cast iron wings.

Is it a cabinet saw? No. Mine comes slightly out of alignment every time I angle the blade, which is about twice a year. It takes an honest 8 minutes to fix this, so I really have no problem with it.

The fence... Well you've heard from others about it. I still have the stock one on mine mostly because I'm mostly a hand tool guy and being off a bit due to a less-than-stellar fence isn't that big a deal. I measure it from the front and back of the blade after locking it down and usually have to adjust it once or twice before it's where I want it. Workable, but far from ideal. Crosscutting with a good sled is dead on. I've used Freud Premier Fusion blades with great success, and now I'm using one of those Irwin Marples combination blades, also with no issues. A bad blade in a low power saw like this is a problem. Put a good blade on it and take the time to set it up and you've got a winner for $100.

[Dave Cullen]

I bought mine new in 1984 and it's served me very well. Never had to replace or repair any part. Over time I've replaced the steel extensions with cast iron, and the fence with a Vega. I have no desire to own anything else. My only complaint is that the tilt mechanism is sloppy and it won't return to 90° without a lot of fussing, so I never make bevel cuts with it.

[Lee Schierer]

I use my Beall Tilt box to set my blade to 90 degrees from the table and also to set any bevel angle I want. First I set the box on the table top near the blade and zero it. Then I can stick it to the side of the blade with the magnets as I tilt to get the the exact bevel angle I want and then use it when I want the blade vertical to come back to the 90 degree setting.

[jordan mccool]

Thanks you all for the great information. I picked this saw up today, unfortunately I can't find a serial number on it anywhere.

It has what appears to be an original 1 hp motor and came with one cast iron wing. I have a 220v 2hp motor I plan on installing along with 2 extra cast iron wings I have laying around.

[Lee Schierer]

The nameplate on mine is on the left side as you are looking at the saw in the photo near the back lower corner of the saw housing.

[jordan mccool]

Unfortunately the plate seems to be missing.