Which TS to buy?

[Nilt]

That's right. Anyway, the BTS-21 does a good job, my big fuss with it is I have to re-engineer pretty much every jig ever thought of to make it work... Ryobi REALLY should have made the 21 modular like the 3x... Specifically with an add on / swap in miter slot table instead of the SMT. The SMT is REALLY nice for doing crosscuts. But things like Tenoning jigs etc... are kind of a nuisance with it...

That's exactly why I went with the Bosch 4100-09, personally. I actually bought one of the BTS-21 saws but after tinkering with it a bit I ended up taking it back and got the Bosch. Too bad, really, because for the money it's a great looking saw. I'm brand new to table saws and didn't want to figure out how to finagle the different jigs and sleds, etc, that I've seen folks talk about to work on the SMT. I also found the SMT on the one I had to have a slight wobble in it, which made me concerned for accuracy, although I didn't use it enough to see anything that'd justify my concern.

Oh well, I'm happy with the Bosch. Money's a renewable resource. Heh.

[cabinetman]

A lot can be said for a new piece of equipment. Budget sometimes makes up our mind. The whole question of which saw, considering all the options, can be mind boggling.

The cost of a sizeable cabinet saw like a Unisaw, or PM66 with a 50" T" square fence can be staggering. To some that is an ideal saw. But, like its been said before, the wood doesn't know what cut it. As for the quality in performance, IMO, a major portion is the craftsman using the equipment. I can mount a hand held circular saw upside down in a sheet of plywood and still do my work. I did it like that in the beginning for a long time. It may not be as fast or as convenient, but I'll... as they say "Git 'er done".

What you might consider is watching for a good used saw of your choice from all the sources. You might just run across a deal of your life, without having to sacrifice what you want for what you can afford.
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[Nilt]

What you might consider is watching for a good used saw of your choice from all the sources. You might just run across a deal of your life, without having to sacrifice what you want for what you can afford.

I agree. I often prefer lightly used equipment to new. I wasn't having any luck getting to the used saws I found locally before other guys. I'd love ot have a cabinet saw for various reasons, table size among them, but I simply doon't have the space in my basement.

[dlminehart]

I sold the BT3100 and bought a Craftsman 22114. Not sure I'd do it again. I dislike the 22114's fence, and missed out on the Lowe's $50 Biesemeyer clearance. If going the Craftsman route, I'd recommend going all the way to the more expensive 22124 with Biesemeyer. Or, get the BT3100 and build a good Sawzilla extended stand to compensate for the small BT3100 table size.

[dbhost]

Yeah, I am pretty sold on the 21829 / BT3100, but only with the miter slot table. I am working on a deal for one...

[Russianwolf]

DB, remember that the 21829 miter slot table is meant to be used with the router, not the saw. With the table being moved around fairly often, it's easy to get out of alignment with the blade, so accuracy on it can be poor.

The double miter insert in the accessory package allow you to do a more permanent mounting so you can get them aligned to the blade accurately.

[ironhat]

I believe that this wasn't mentioned about the Ridgid, but the motor hangs off the back which takes up space and might me a consideration in your application. In my 14'x24' shop it hasn't been an issue for me. I use the mobile base very frequently and it's flawless.

[stormdog74]

I believe that this wasn't mentioned about the Ridgid, but the motor hangs off the back which takes up space and might me a consideration in your application. In my 14'x24' shop it hasn't been an issue for me. I use the mobile base very frequently and it's flawless.

This is an excellent point to consider. I have this saw and while it is a great saw it does take up a lot of room. If I had to do over I would get the Ridgid that folds up - I forget the model.

[Knottscott]

This is an excellent point to consider. I have this saw and while it is a great saw it does take up a lot of room. If I had to do over I would get the Ridgid that folds up - I forget the model.

.... TS2400/TS2410 ?

[ironhat]

This is an excellent point to consider. I have this saw and while it is a great saw it does take up a lot of room. If I had to do over I would get the Ridgid that folds up - I forget the model.

Craftsman makes a hybrid with the motor inside the cabinet (to the side) for a smaller footprint but I believe that you would be looking at more money - sorry, I don't have that immediately at hand.

[pecker]

I believe that this wasn't mentioned about the Ridgid, but the motor hangs off the back which takes up space ...

I've never really understood this complaint. One of the first things most owners build is an outfeed table, which extends another 2 feet or more past the end of the table, and covers up the motor. Without one, you're really limited in what you can cut, unless you set up outfeed rollers each time you move the saw from the storage area.

[Gator95]

The extra space taken up by the motor on the 3660 only matters if you are really space constrained on storage. In use, it is a non-issue since you'll need plenty of clearance behind for outfeed anyways.

Biggest disadvantage of the 3660 is that the miter gauge is functional for 90* crosscuts at best. Not up to the rest of the saw at all. Feel the same way about the Jet miter gauge that comes with the workshop saw my neighbor has. You'll need to build a sled to get even close the the SMT. I think the tradeoff is worth it, given the quiet operation, stability, and ease of jig making for the 3660.

FWIW: the CM 21124, and probably Jet Proshop as well, has design advantages over the Ridgid- but your call if the hybrid design advantages are worth the extra $300-400. In it's price range, the Ridgid is far and away the best saw for the money IMHO.

[Knottscott]

Hi Pecker - The outboard motor adds an additional 12" or so of depth unless you remove it. Alot of folks need to roll their saws against a wall or out of the way to store when not in use. There are also several other possible downsides to the location of an exterior motor. I once lifted my solid maple workbench up with the motor while tilting it and whacked the alignment.

[Nilt]

Alot of folks need to roll their saws against a wall or out of the way to store when not in use.

Yeah, I don't have a lot of room in my shop so I have to use the one car garage to set up for cuts. One of these days I'll snap some pictures but I'm working on cleaning the clutter first.

[stormdog74]

I've never really understood this complaint. One of the first things most owners build is an outfeed table, which extends another 2 feet or more past the end of the table, and covers up the motor. Without one, you're really limited in what you can cut, unless you set up outfeed rollers each time you move the saw from the storage area.

I store mine against a wall and use a rolling work bench as an outfeed table when in use. Like I said, great saw, but the fact that it sticks out into my work area when pushed against a wall is a bit annoying