Hi, I'm a college student in Indiana, I've been piecing together a work shop over the past year, and now I need to get a table saw, my budget is limited to about 500$ or less.
I've been reading for months about various saws, and I haven't really made any progress. I liked what I was reading about the Ryobi 3100, but I cant find one, and I really like the grizzly saws, but the cost+shipping is more than I can justify. Now I am looking into the Ridgid TS3650, its still a bit out of my price range, but it seems like a great saw for a good price. I'm just wondering if I really need it, I was looking through the local classifieds for a used saw and I found an old craftsman 113.298240 for 100$, it has a XR-2424 fence and I am told it is accurate and the motor is in good shape. Here are some pictures of it. (these pictures belong to the author of post 562690788 on craigslist)
Will this be a good choice or is it overpriced/no good? Looks a bit rusty to me, is that a big concern or can it be fixed?
I build cages for my reptiles(my main hobby), and I like them to look fairly professional, in the past I've borrowed a friends shop (he's a carpenter, and working with him is what got me interested in woodworking) But I want to be able to build anytime I want without imposing on him. The main thing I need is the ability to handle 8x4 sheets of plywood, I use my router for dadoes, and my miter saw for crosscuts. I also need to be able to cut thin strips for trim and finish work, I cant get anything close to accurate with my circular saw. I'm hoping someone can help me find the right saw at the right price(a lot to ask I know, but I need help...) Most projects I would work on would use plywood, I want to build things like bookcases, cabinets, and cages. I don't have any immediate plans to build furniture.
These are some of my projects, I'm looking for a saw that will let me build more like these. Each cage is its own unit, they can be stacked or stand alone.