Best TS for $450-$650????

[Deuce Lee]

What's the best that one can get for under $650? Spending the lesser is actually preferred (would rather get best bang for the buck).

1. JET JPS-30 - $630 shipped @ amazon. Hybrid.

2. Ridgid JWTS-3650 - $580 total @ HD. Contractor style.

3. Please recommend other.

I might be able to get a 20% HD coupon so that would make the Ridgid $464, so take in consideration WITH and WITH OUT the coupon, what you'd do.

background: I'm not a wood pro, this is just for a hobby, I'll be using it to make speaker boxes, home and car, some cabinets, general house projects, etc...

thanks
Deuce

[Matthew Poeller]

I do not have experience with their tablesaws but I have been pleased with the other stuff that I have purchased from them. Does anyone else have any experience with their saws? At any rate it is worth a look. I wish I knew about them when I bought my jet contractor saw.

[Tim Malyszko]

The ridgid is a nice saw, but it's a contractor saw so it will have a 1 1/2 hp motor that hands off the back vs. the bigger 1 3/4 hp motor on the jet that is concealed. Basically, with the jet, you get a little more HP with a slightly smaller footprint.

With that being said, I have the Ridgid and am pleased with it, other than the power. For 90% of what I do, it's fine, but I cannot really venture working with many of the dense exotics or 8/4 and thicker domestics without the motor severly bogging down. Other than that, it's been a great saw.

If I had the choice between the two, I would probably go with the Jet (assumming that it has good reviews) based soley on the bigger, internal motor.

Also, don't count on the 20% Home Depot coupon. Counterfits were so wide spread a year ago that just about all HD's stopped honoring them. They have since moved to a scanable coupon with a unique serial number and those are extremely hard to get. Anything on Ebay or on-line for that matter are almost surely fakes.

If you do get the discount, however, I would go with the Ridgid. It really is a very reliable saw for your pricerange.

Good Luck.

[rocky brown]

also consider the sears craftsman 22114 hybrid. although it's a little over your budget, it has the advantages of better dust collection and an enclosed motor. the fence is also, imho, slightly better than the ridgid. i owned the ridgid before i up-graded to the 22124 and it served me well. i built a saw station around mine with a built in router cabinet that worked quite well for my situation.

another thing- if at all possible buy a cabinet saw now and save yourself money in the long run. i've been through 4 saws since i started this hobby 3 years ago...

rb

[John Shuk]

I'd go for the Rigid. I've never heard a bad word about it and for the money it includes a mobile base.

[Josh Youngman]

I have the Ridgid, for the price you cant beat it. Cast iron wings, accurate and solid fence, mobile base, dust collection (works pretty good).

The power of the motor has not been a problem for me. I regularly cut 8/4 walnut and maple with no bogging. the other day i ripped 12/4 walnut for some table legs with a 50tooth combo blade, as long as i went slow it was fine. yesterday i did the same but switched to my 24t rip blade and it went right thru with zero bogging.

I run an 8" dado stack in it and have no bogging with that either.

[John Lemke]

Add me to the list of happy TS3650 users. Right around Easter last year, HD ran an instant rebate deal that meant I got it for $450, and it's been well worth that. Toughest job I've given it was ripping 8/4 oak. I used a 24T rip blade, and it was slick. All in all, I've found it easy to adjust and really like the cast iron wings.

[Joe Chritz]

I use the Ridgid and it is a lot of saw for the money.

The best saw by far for that price range would be a used Unisaw if you can find one.

Joe

[Art Mann]

I also have the Ridgid and I believe it is one the the best saws of its type. The fence is particularly nice. It glides smoothly along the rails and always stays parallel to the miter slot. If you use thin kerf blades, the power is adequate for hobbyist needs, IMHO, although 1 3/4 hp would certainly be appreciated. I would rate dust control only fair, even if you use the shop vac port on the blade shroud. The Jet wuld probably be better. Also, the motor hanging out the back does tend to get in the way.

Overall, I might be tempted to go with the Jet but for one reason. I used to have a contractor saw with stamped steel wings and got rid of it because, over time, they tended to bend and not stay flat with the cast iron table. Maybe the Jet wouldn't do that, but I would hate to find out otherwise 3 years from now.

[Bill Lantry]

I have the ridgid, love it, would recommend it. But...

If you can stretch your budget just a little, you could get this:

go to grizzly, and search for the G0478

You're going to have the saw a long time. I got the ridgid, knowing someday I'd like to upgrade. But it's good enough that I have found other tools I need more. Still, if I had to turn back the clock...

If I'd had that grizzly, I never would have sprung for the incra fence. And the cost of the two combined is way more than the grizzly... Oh, and don't forget, you'll need a better miter gauge too...

Thanks,

Bill

[scott spencer]

By design, the hybrid has all the advantages over the 60 year old contractor design that's becoming a dinosaur. Very soon there will be no more contractor saws even on the market for that reason. A lot of us have owned and made nice things with a contractor saw, but you're facing a chance to make an upgrade that didn't exist for most of us. The hybrids offer many of the advantages of a cabinet saw. I think the Jet is heck of a deal, even with steel wings (which will hold up fine, and can be upgrade if you'd like)....in it's favor, it has an extremely good steel fence, and none of the issues with an outboard motor.

The 22114 is an excellent choice as well.

All in all, you'll get a nice saw regardless of which you choose, so go with the one that floats your boat.

[Matt Schell]

I have been happy with my Bridgewood contractor saw but I guess that is not an option anymore.

As always don't forget about the used market.

I always find it interesting to see what alot of the creekers are able to do with smaller, older saws especially if you are in a small shop.

[keith micinski]

Lowes has the Delta 36-979 for 400. You get two cast iron wings and built in movable base. At that budget rather then buy a substandard hybrid I bought the best contractors saw I could get. You then have the option of buying a t-2 fence from lowe's for 135 which is a better fence then any of the fences that come with the other saws by far or you could spend a little more and get a little better after market fence although the t-2 really is a good fence. This is the best way to go because if for some reason you upgrade to a good hybrid or cabinet saw later you can still use your fence where as the other fence options are designed to be used with there saws. To me after using a craftsman saw from the 60's for years the fence is the biggest key. I would still be using my saw if it wasn't for the crappy fence that came with it.

[scott spencer]

Lowes has the Delta 36-979 for 400. You get two cast iron wings and built in movable base. At that budget rather then buy a substandard hybrid I bought the best contractors saw I could get. You then have the option of buying a t-2 fence from lowe's for 135 which is a better fence then any of the fences that come with the other saws by far or you could spend a little more and get a little better after market fence although the t-2 really is a good fence. This is the best way to go because if for some reason you upgrade to a good hybrid or cabinet saw later you can still use your fence where as the other fence options are designed to be used with there saws. To me after using a craftsman saw from the 60's for years the fence is the biggest key. I would still be using my saw if it wasn't for the crappy fence that came with it.

Sorry Keith, but there's some inaccurate info about the fences. Anyone of the fences that comes with anyone of the saws mentioned can be retrofitted to just about any full size contractor, hybrid, or cabinet saw.

I know it's a matter of opinion but I'd like to know what makes the Jet "substandard" in your view....it's a third generation hybrid with a very well thought out design that eclipses most of those that came before it. The fence on the Proshop kinda of reminds me of a T2, and has received very high praise from reviewers....I'm curious what makes the T2 better "by far"?

[Art Mann]

It is a matter of opinion as to whether the T2 fence is better than the one that comes on the Ridgid. I have tried both and prefer the Ridgid. It slides more smoothly along the rail and stays square with the miter groove better. Perhaps it won't last as long because it is aluminum, but I know for a fact that two years of heavy use won't wear it out or even make it need adjustments. I would invite anyone who doubts what I say to actually go try both of these fences and see which one you prefer. Your experience may differ.

The one review I read of the Jet Proshop bragged on that fence too.

I used a Craftsman saw for 20 years and also know what it is like to use a sorry fence but experience with that saw is not relevant to the Ridgid.