BT3000 to Craftsman. Upgrade?

[Cike]

I've had a BT3000 for 5 or more years, and while I haven't used it as extensively as I'd dreamed, I've been very happy with the purchase. Yet when I read about the latest Craftsman version I was immediately attracted to the folding stand idea since my garage is my only workspace and I still need to fit a mini-van in there when not in the middle of a project.

Aside from the $$ between what I can sell my old saw for and what the new one would cost, are there any other upsides or downsides to moving from a BT3000 to the latest Craftsman that might not be so apparent as the some of the basic features (router mounting kit, miter-slot, rolling stand, etc.)? Or perhaps there is a better way to move my BT3000 around and take up less space when not in use?

Thanks for any thoughts!

C

[bthere]

The biggest plus for me with the Craftsman version is the rolling stand. It folds and rolls well and, at least on mine, the saw rarely ever needs adjusting after it has been folded, moved, and set up again. Other than that, it is just the 3100. I don't even use the router kit on mine.

[Cike]

The biggest plus for me with the Craftsman version is the rolling stand. It folds and rolls well and, at least on mine, the saw rarely ever needs adjusting after it has been folded, moved, and set up again. Other than that, it is just the 3100. I don't even use the router kit on mine.

Thanks for the insight, bthere. Do you think the rolling stand would be worth $200 to you?

C

[eezlock]

Bt3000 to Craftsman saw...

Why not contact Sears and see if the foldup/rolling stand could be bought
separately ? like a replacement unit ? might save you the cost of replacing the entire saw...just a thought here........

[LCHIEN]

my comments

The BT3000 and the Craftsman 21829 are fundamentally the same saw - same motor, same SMT, very similar Aux/router table, same fence, same rails. Everything works more or less identically. A lot of cosmetic differences - paint scheme, crank, rip fence T, etc. base, blade.

the major differences are:
base system of the sears - if you need the mobility, this may be for you. Buying this, while it would probably fit, off the Sears replacement parts store, I imagine will be very expensive (as are all replacement parts).

BT3 has the older shims, these have given about 1/3 of the owners problems at one time or another, but 2/3 have not had problems, so the odds are on your side. I suggest keeping the elevation slides clean and lube periodically with candle wax or dry lube.

[LinuxRandal]

When they first came out, I did a search on them and finally found out the part number:
"A182011301" which was and still is $170.14

I also went to Sears and looked at the Bosch gravity rise stand, and it seemed heavier duty, had gravity assist and could be found online for $139.99 now.

[Cike]

When they first came out, I did a search on them and finally found out the part number:
"A182011301" which was and still is $170.14

I also went to Sears and looked at the Bosch gravity rise stand, and it seemed heavier duty, had gravity assist and could be found online for $139.99 now.

The Bosch stand looks pretty cool, but it also seems kind of small. Has anyone tried the Bosch stand with a BT3x rather than a job site saw? Do you think the old shims will hold up to moving around (I've never had a problem with them that I know of).

C

[bthere]

Thanks for the insight, bthere. Do you think the rolling stand would be worth $200 to you?

C

Nope. But then I got the saw for just over $200. The outer layer of the box had been ripped off and a corner was crushed. I talked to the manager to see what he would do and he went half price. No damage to the contents and nothing missing, just cosmetic issues with the box.

[LinuxRandal]

The Bosch stand looks pretty cool, but it also seems kind of small. Has anyone tried the Bosch stand with a BT3x rather than a job site saw? Do you think the old shims will hold up to moving around (I've never had a problem with them that I know of).

C

If you search on my name and 21829, there is a post where I said something about this and a forum member posted that he had the BT on the Bosch stand.

[aluminumfury]

I have my saw on a Bosch stand.

It's probably the best money I have spent on equipment.
I had to drill a couple of mounting holes,but the stand is solid and easy to use.

[JR]

Cike, have you thought about putting a mobile base unders your current stand?

HTC and Rockler have popular models. I built a Wood magazine homebrew, which others have also done. These will all run about $50-$60 put together.

JR