BT3100 vs BTS20 - What do I need

[ytsemaddy]

I've heard nothing but raves about the BT3100 so I'm leaning towards buying one. There's one NIB available at one of the HD's nearby, but they still have it for $299, and even when the manager was told other HDs were selling them for $239, they wouldn't budge on the price. The BTS20 they have for $199, and has the wheeled base, which would be convenient to have.

The main reason we want / need a table saw is we're about to put new hardwood floors down on our kitchen. We also have a small room that we're putting engineered floor down in. Apart from those two projects, and possibly flooring a third room in the future, we have no immediate need for a table saw. For the sake of saving $100, is it better to get the BTS20 and spend $40 on a nice blade, or am I really better off buying the 3100 even though we only see using it for 2-3 small projects?

For what it's worth, if they had come down to $239, it'd be sitting in my garage right now.

Thanks for the input!

-Maddy

[mpc]

For nothing but hardwood floors a compund miter saw or sliding miter saw would work quite well too. For the basic style chop saw get one that has enough capacity to cut the width of whatever floor pieces you want. The sliding ones cost a bit more but have a lot more cross-cut capacity in general. My dad used a Makita 8.5 inch slider to do the Pergo floors in his house; worked great.

The BT3100, when properly set up, is very precise. The BTS saws generally are not as precise; I'd pick a good compound miter saw before a BTS for flooring. Factor in the price of a quality blade as well; the blades that come with saws today will handicap pretty much any saw. A quality saw + basic blade will often under-perform a quality blade on a so-so saw.

mpc

[JSUPreston]

I personally don't know anything about this saw, so I may be talking out of my..., well, you know.

Anyway, Sears is running a special through the Craftsman Club for a 7 1/4 compound miter for $60 plus tax. It may be worth looking into. May or may not have trouble finding a good blade for this thing for what you want to do...and it may not be big enough, but I thought you'd like another option. I imagine it would cut up to about 2 1/2" width, maybe 3. However, you'll probably need a 10" saw. I had decent luck with an old Delta Shopmaster, but I replaced it last Christmas with gift money with a Ridgid (still with stock blade). Lot nicer saw, lot more expensive. If all you're doing is the floor, I'd suggest a decent 10" saw with a good blade. Most of the guys on this forum know a lot more than I do, so take their advice and learn. I know I have.

When all I was interested in was home improvement and not making a hobby, all I really needed was a good circular saw, drill, saw horses and miter saw. Table saw was nice, and I got it first, but at the time I would've been better off with the miter first. Then again YMMV.

Good luck on the floors.

[bigfoot]

I'd pick up a cheap benchtop TS for those flooring projects. I agree a miter saw would be plenty fine for the end cuts, I have not yet figured out how to rip with one, and I have yet to see a floor go in without needing to rip at least one row of planks.

[drumpriest]

You do typically have to rip boards to install a floor, however you can do this job with a jig saw. The cut doesn't have to be clean as it will be covered by base board and quarter round. I've done 1000 sq feet of flooring, and you honestly don't need a table saw. A chop saw is ideal for making the majority of the cuts. You really should scribe the start row to the wall shape, which couldn't be cut with a TS anyway.

A TS is ideal for building cabinets and furniture, and I've used it for framing and roof repair, but flooring can be done well without one.

[wardprobst]

Years ago when I installed hardwood floors we used a small band saw.
DP

[Sawatzky]

If you really want to buy at table saw, I would buy teh BT3100. Even if you don't think you will need it later, you may and you will have a saw that is much more capable in the future. You will not regret getting the better saw. I also agree with the others that a compund miter saw is much better at crosscutting than the table saw. I rarely use the sliding miter table for thin crosscuts becasue that is what a compound miter saw is designed to do. A compound miter saw is a must for any home workshop IMO becasuse it is so versitile. So, if you can get both, do it. If you can only get one, it sounds like the compound miter saw would do the best for your flooring job.

[ytsemaddy]

We are borrowing a CMS to do crosscuts and baseboard trim. We're looking at a table saw to rip boards. The hardwood floor project is about 200 sf of flooring, and the engineered floor is only 100 sf. We do have a circular saw, but are a little worried about not being able to cut in a straight line without some kind of fence or guide.

Thanks again,

-Maddy

[NJFrank]

Delta Shopmaster 10" table saw at lowes $99.00, or maybe the little Ryobi BTS10 at HD same price I believe. Ryobi has a carbide blade not sure about the delta.

Either should get you through the job no problem, then stow it in the shed/basement or sell it on Craigslist.

if you think you may want to do more in the future get the BT3, but it's not as portable. Can also sell it off in the future.

I'm still a newbie?

[sbs]

As others said there's no need for a TS for flooring. If that's the only need then save your money.

If you found a real need, then I'd get a used BT3k/3.1k over a new BTS20.

[drumpriest]

You shouldn't buy a 100$ table saw to do the flooring. If you want a table saw, get one with some semblence of quality. I'd rather see you not get hurt by a junk tool.