Used BT3000

[cdhilburn]

I have a really cheap Delta benchtop saw and found a BT3000 for $80 with the stand. It does not have the miter slides or a saw guard. I am a newbie but I hear there are those who love and those who hate this saw. I thought for that price it may be worth a shot. Any input would be appreciated.

[JSUPreston]

I don't think you can go wrong for $80, even with the missing parts. There are a lot of guys on here that may have extra parts to sell. IIRC, Loring has the "official" BT3K guide for setting up the saw.

There are some people that don't like the saw, as you already mentioned. I owned one for a couple of years, and it was a great saw. I personally just like the old cast iron saws and the fact that I scored a Biesemeyer fence on clearance sent me over to the "Dark side." Honestly, everthing I can do on my Delta contractor saw can be done just as well on the BT3. It was just a matter of personal preference.

You'll find this group has a lot of knowledge and is a great bunch of folks to shoot the bull with as well. Welcome, and hope the saw isn't gone before you get a chance to snag it.

[dbhost]

For the $$ being asked, that is an excellent buy. I am curious though, is it the entire sliding miter table assembly that is missing, or just the miter fence? Both can be found on the used market no problem though...

The BT3000 is a good saw, and while you got some replies on the other forum from folks that fuss about adjustments getting knocked out, that is the exception rather than the rule...

I don't want to give you the impression that this is the same level of saw as saw a 3HP cabinet saw, it's not. What it is, is a very accurate, light duty (will last for decades in home shop use, would likely die a miserable death fairly quickly in a production shop), highly expandable, and customizable table saw. To get the features that are already in the BT3x00 series saws, you will end up spending a couple of thousand dollars for a traditional saw.

When set up right, these saws are super hard to beat. Folks that started out with them, and later upgraded to a traditional cast iron cabinet saw, frequently find themselves nostalgic for features the BT has that their big name big iron saws lack...

You have had mentioned the "Shark Guard" which is a custom replacement guard and riving knife for the BT3x00 (as well as other saws) that is made by a fellow member here, Lee Styron in his LeeWay Workshop. I have one on my BT3100, and it not only is a great guard and riving knife, but it is a HUGE improvement over every other guard on the market in the way of dust collection, particularly for the BT saws...

If the saw blade is dull, it might be worth sending out to be sharpened if it is the OEM blade. Those are made specially for Ryobi by Freud, and are a nice Italian made quality blade... The Freud Diablo blades from Home Depot are excellent choices as well...

[RAFlorida]

Welcome to a great forum for woodworking

and other issues relating to such.
I am one of the people who loves the BT3. Had a Craftsman many years back, which was a good TS. LOML bought me the BT3 some time in the early 90s and have never had a problem with it. Built our kitchen cabinets, the sun-room to the old house, and a lot of small stuff. As DBHOST noted, it is accurate; and for jobs where you take your time. I think you'll like your saw once you have it set-up and cutting.
But do yourself a big favor and contact Loring (his post nick is LCHIEN, and in his signature line you'll see how to get his FAQ) and get his FAQs about the BT3. He put a lot of time and effort in building that FAQ pamphlet and it's loaded with everything needed to know.
Also, as mentioned, there may be some members who have parts for the BT3, also eBay sometimes will list parts.
Hope you have a lot of pleasant building with your aquired BT3.
Roger