Do you still use your BT3X?

[woodturner]

A discussion on another board made me curious, thought it would be interesting to have an updated poll.

If you once used the BT3X saw and now have opted for a different table saw as your primary table saw, or use another saw in addition to the BT3X, please post to explain.

Thanks.

[Stytooner]

My 3100 is in what used to be my woodworking shop.
It was taken over as a shark factory. Built a new shop and just finalizing all the moving now. My old shark factory will once again become a woodworking shop with the 3100 in it.
My new shark factory has a PC table saw.
I need to flip the pads on my SMT on the 3100 and it will be ready to rock ...er....rather cut some actual wood. It hasn't gotten to cut much of that lately.

[leehljp]

I have a 3000 and a 3100 and use both. I bought a 3000 in the fall of 2000 and carried it to Japan in 2001. Every year when I came home (Mississippi) for a vacation, I always needed a saw here to do minor repairs on my house or my daughter's house, so I bought a 3100 around 2003.

I brought the 2000 back home with me when I retired from that work overseas, so now I have two BT3Xs. I am in the process of putting the 3000 on a Bosch Gravity Rise stand for easy mobility.

In '96, my dad passed away and left me a Unisaw. He liked it but complained constantly that things worked out of alignment even though it would pass the nickel test. Adn he used dial indicators to measure runout on things and used linked belts too. He figured it had a very very fine vibration somewhere even though things were in specs. I used the saw in the summer of '96 and had constant alignment problems (for things staying in alignment).

It seems that all the things that heavy tool users complain about lightweight saws - seemed to be bound up in that Unisaw. For the life of me, I can't see why cast iron loving people will admit and say that it "happens" sometimes - and then vilify a "lightweight" saw for doing the same thing. Kinda hypocritical to me.

[wardprobst]

I have two BT3000 saws and use them in our shop for making parts and jigs. For my purposes, they are the best saw I have ever used and that includes a Unisaw, other cabinet and contractor saws. I have had no issues with adjustments staying where they are put. Shims were replaced on one saw but no issues otherwise. I do occasionally use them at the edge of their capability but not often.
YMMV,
DP

[Cochese]

Almost three years since I picked up the 21829. I'm thinking about moving on, but it won't be for another year or so.

[cwsmith]

I have a BT3100-1 that I purchased on clearance back in 2005, IIRC. I also have a BTS-21 which I keep at the other house. Though portable, it too has its own version of the SMT, a feature which I very much appreciate.

My BT3100 is my first table saw, having used a RAS which I purchased back in 1973. And while my RAS is my favorite tool, the BT has become the most often used saw in the shop. It has proven to be everything nice that has ever been said about it. So much so, that I simply can find no reason to do more than look at anything else. The BT has so many great features, that it leaves me wondering why in the world hasn't some of them been incorporated into other table saws.

For example, the most often "on display" table saw that I run into is the Ridgid 4512, and I can't help to wonder why the wing tables can't be moved, or why one has to cope with the minimum support provided by a mere miter guage? In other words, I think I'm spoiled by the design features of my BT!

The only regret I have with the BT is the expense of those drive belts (I've had to replace them once). So far, my projects have all been handled just fine by the BT's accuracy and very fine cutting ability. I added a Ridgid Herc-U-Lift soon after my purchase and have since made a couple of simple jigs to facilitate particular projects.

CWS

[Skaning]

I bought my Craftsman. (re-badged BT3000) tp get a lightweight portable saw to work on a rental house my son had. It stayed on the trailer for quite a while until it took up residence in my garage. It's what I've used now for probably 15 years. Have had shim issues once, had the elevation adjustment strip out and replaced with a helicoil, had the adjustment crank freeze up, tore it down, relubed and good to go. That's the major issues. Not pleased with the SMT, in my view it's flimsy. I went with the miter slot adddition for most of my work and it works well. In the past year I've finally gotten out of a 1 car garage to a dedicated 3 car space 30x40. (wish I had made it 60 but another story). I've added a 3hp unisaw to the mix which I'm still setting up. Read running 220, dust collection, extension and outfeed tables. The BT is working away making parts for the additions to the Unisaw. Depends eventually on space issues, but I'm leaning towards keeping the BT, at least in the near term. I have had some issues with maintaining alignment with the rip fence to the blade but the miter slot has NEVER shifted w/respect to the blade. So I built a jig with a HF dial indicator to check alignment between the fence and the miter slots. Doing a fussy cut or see some issue ripping, it's a two minute check and maybe a 5 minute adjustment. I will say, since it's gotten a fixed location in the shop I have not had realignment issues.

[Pappy]

Don't know how old my BT-3000 is but it predates this site, and is still going strong. I have a second one in storage as a backup/parts saw that was a store display. Picked it up when one of the HD's was being moved to a new building. This was about the time the BT-3100 came out.

If the money ever comes around to get the slab poured and my bigger shop built I may opt for a cabinet saw for primary use and dedicate one of the BT's to dado and router operations.

[scmhogg]

I got my BT3000 in 2001. It was an upgrade from my 10" Delta direct drive benchtop. It was truly terrifying to use. The fence would slip during a cut and the noise it made was awful. So, the BT3000 was, and is, the saw for me.

I use a sled for most of my cuts. The SMT has had little use since I made several sleds. I have Forrest blade with 24, 40 and 80 teeth. They all give me "no sand" cuts, still.

Steve

[atgcpaul]

I bought a BT3100 in 2002 or 2003, I think. I eventually sold it in 2008 or thereabouts after moving cross-country. I learned how to use a TS about a year prior to buying the BT on a cabinet saw and continued to use cabinet saws when I took WWing classes at a community college.

I made some nice projects with the BT but always felt it was underpowered on thick boards and I was continually paranoid of shim replacements, belt replacements, motor burnout, etc. When we got a bigger house with bigger garage/shop and we had a windfall on the house sale, I got a cabinet saw from Grizzly which I've been very happy with. I am also happy I bought the BT because this forum is great.

[Carpenter96]

I recently sold my BT3000 that I had owned since 1998. It worked fine but when ripping 2" maple you had to go slow (Even with a new blade). I bought a very lightly used delta series 2000 cast iron contractors saw that will run on 220V. It allows me to go as fast as I want, with no burning of the wood. Regards Bob

[cabinetman]

I bought a BT3100 in 2002 or 2003, I think. I eventually sold it in 2008 or thereabouts after moving cross-country. I learned how to use a TS about a year prior to buying the BT on a cabinet saw and continued to use cabinet saws when I took WWing classes at a community college.

I made some nice projects with the BT but always felt it was underpowered on thick boards and I was continually paranoid of shim replacements, belt replacements, motor burnout, etc. When we got a bigger house with bigger garage/shop and we had a windfall on the house sale, I got a cabinet saw from Grizzly which I've been very happy with. I am also happy I bought the BT because this forum is great.

I recently sold my BT3000 that I had owned since 1998. It worked fine but when ripping 2" maple you had to go slow (Even with a new blade). I bought a very lightly used delta series 2000 cast iron contractors saw that will run on 220V. It allows me to go as fast as I want, with no burning of the wood. Regards Bob

I don't have a BT, but have used them. One of the shops I mentor started off with a new one, but experienced the same problems as the above members. As a daily user, the saw lacked the power, and was just too lightweight. The BT was replaced with a Unisaw and a 50" Biesemeyer. The power and accuracy was greatly improved.


.

[Stytooner]

Oh. I do have the guts of a Unisaw here. Does that count?
I'm using it for some R&D. Good things coming soon for Unisaws.

[Sawatzky]

I started off with the BT3100. It was a good saw and I made some nice things on it. It worked well, but also helped me see what I really wanted in a table saw. I upgraded to the Ridgid TS3650 contractor saw, and have been very happy. I have been using the Ridgid for 5 years now, and have not once missed the BT. It is no cabinet saw, but it has more power, holds its settings better, is quieter, and is all around a much better built heavy duty saw. The BT really felt like a toy to me, and I was constantly tinkering with it. I cut a lot of sheet goods, and ripping down a full size sheet of plywood on the Ridgid is no problem. I do heavy woodworking, and the BT would never have been able to keep up with my demands for a table saw. Many people still love their BT's, but I am one who does not miss it and would not want it back. My biggest complaint was the SMT as it never seemed to cut straight. I use the factory miter gauge with the Ridgid and get spot on 90 degree angles on cross-cuts every time.

[Denco]

I've had my BT3100 for about 9 or 10 years (I think). I don't do any industrial kind of woodworking, so it works fine for me. No way I could justify a more expensive saw to LOML at this point. Gotta admit that my BT3 has really held up. I just clean it out periodically, nothing special. It seems to be happy.