Newbie to the BT3000 and here

[Combahee]

I found a 1996 BT3000 in excellent condition with all the accessories, blades, dado, tools, stand, plates etc.
I found this site while researching the saw.
I was surprised to find a site dedicated to this saw. So here is the big question:
What is so great about this saw to have garnered such a following? I'm being serious. So far I really like the saw so all comments are welcome.

[Pappy]

During its production the BT3000 and then the BT3100 were priced along with the Bosch and Dewalt bench top saws but had accuracy equal to the best cabinet saws and better than most contractor saws. The sliding miter table was unique to the BT's. (years later Jet was hailed in the magazines as having the innovation of the year when they introduced a version of the SMT).

Because of its uniquness, traditional jigs didn't work on the BT3. The jigs started to show up on the Ryobi user forum and the following started to grow as more and more owners joined in. Technical problems and a lack of good support plagued the Ryobi forum and led to Sam starting SamCondor.com, which evolved into BT3Central.

BT3 owners were flamed and ridiculed on most of the other woodworking forums for owning an aluminum 'toy' saw. Real table saws were made of cast iron. Bt3Central developed a strong following in part because that attitude doesn't exist here. As the header says, "It's not just about the saw". What matters here is not what brand tools you own but what you do with them. Put another way, BT3Central is a place that is about friendship, comraderie, and a common love for woodworking.

Almost forgot......

Welcome to the Asylum!

[leehljp]

Welcome! Yep, the BT3x00 does have a loyal following. I have had a 3000 since 2000 and purchased a 3100 in 2004. I used them in two different places (Japan and USA).

The advantages of this saw is that it offers great precision at a fraction of a cabinet saw cost. The disadvantages of the saw is that it is underpowered for all day long workshop type of work that a cabinet saw goes through, and it does not do well when hauled around to job sites in the back of a pickup. It doesn't hold its settings when literally dropping 2X4s on top like a cast iron top saw. And yes, these are some of the complaints we have heard over the years from users.

Aside from that, for a person that takes care of his (or her) saw, set it up properly, align it properly, check it on occasion, clean it (blade also), it works well. I used to check mine about every two or three months for alignment and then learned that mine stayed in alignment for a couple of years or longer before needing realignment on anything.

As to precision, my two have been very accurate and makes glass smooth cuts. One fellow from Australia used to make furniture cut solely from the BT3000. I know from some of the description that he got ten's of thousands of dollars from his work.

Great saw when treated well.

[Kristofor]

Welcome aboard.

Probably one of the biggest contributing factors for a dedicated site was that with a low entry price, and a boatload of saws sold there were a lot of beginning woodworkers picking up these saws new or second hand (raises hand). Combined with some of the non-traditional aspects of the saw that Pappy mentioned, a lot of the assumptions and procedures found in books or on other sites required modification for use on the BT3 that may not have been immediately obvious to novices.

As you may have noticed if you were searching for threads this site was (or at least seemed) much more active when the saws were still available through Home Depot. There were new people asking about the pros-cons of the design on a weekly basis. At the same time the atmosphere was as good or even better. A rarity in my experience, these forums always had very little personality based conflict, minimal trolling, and a great bunch of guys willing to share their experience with newbies. I suspect the enforcement of Sam's two verboten subjects contributed to that, but in general it seems to be a culture shared and nurtured by most members.

[LCHIEN]

you might ask me for the FAQ, it has this information you ask plus a hundred other questions with answers.

[Combahee]

Thanks guys. This is my third saw as the other two were junk hand me downs. I am only an occasional user, mostly light construction at home or trim work. I'll also occasionally use it at work, boat mechanic.
I was just intrigued that there was a forum at all. And I read many posts before I bought it. In fact I chose it because of what was said on this forum.
So thanks for cluing me in.