Howdy from Houston

[bubba04]

I want to get into wood working and have been doing research on all the different table saws out there. Ideally I would have a table saw/router table combo because space is really limited in my 2 car garage.

I am new around here and I am looking for advice.

I am looking at the Craftsmen 21829 (420 at the sears near me) the clone of the BT3100 series, but I reading here and other site reviews I have some concerns.

I have read that it’s not real accurate for making precision cuts for making furniture, (the primary use I will have for it).

My other concern is the mounts for the Routers. I tried to find a craftsmen router that would fit the table and I could not, leaving me to wonder what I am doing wrong here.

Then there is the dado problem, but from what I understand I can find what I need at T-nuts, is this correct?

I want a good all round table saw that won’t break the bank. At 400 bucks I don’t want to make a mistake.

I hope yall have some guidance. Thanks.

Bubba

[dbhost]

Howdy Bubba,

I'm not sure who you heard the BT3x00 / 22811 / 21829 does not give accurate cuts. They plainly put don't know what they are talking about... The BT3x00 / 22811 / 21829 are well known as very accurate saws. There are folks that are biased against TTI built saws such as the Ryobi / Craftsman saws, BUT... remember that Steel City has farmed out a lot of their production to TTI as well...

The router mount on the 21829 is a bit different from the BT3000, or BT3100, and it integrated the mount plate. Owners are simply getting the router they want, lining up the base plates, marking for the holes, and drilling the mount holes they need in the accessory table... Not a big deal if you are confident in your ability to drill a straight hole where you want it in metals. Simply mark, dimple with a punch, drill, and mount...

I am completely confounded by what you mean by Dado problem... Do you mean you need a Dado throat plate?
Ebay Link for a Ryobi Dado throat plate...

Honestly you are probably better off making your own, that way you get a zero clearance dado throat plate....

[Uncle Cracker]

Stick to a 6" dado stack in the BT saws, as there might be clearance trouble with an 8". You don't need an 8" unless you gotta cut some really deep dados, anyway.

I don't think you'll have any accuracy problems with a BT. A good thin kerf blade, some shop-built jigs for whatever suits you best, some attention to initial tuning and maintenance, and you'll be able to make very repeatable accurate and intricate cuts.

For router mounting, you can add a set of half rails to any of the BT's, and just fab your own miter table, to accept any quality plate insert. Many of us have a big honkin' router (like an M12V or the like) built into our BT's on crank-type router lifts. No sacrifice of quality there...

[Ed62]

I'm not as experienced as some of the others here, but I've had my BT3000 for quite a while. I haven't had a reason to think it will not make accurate cuts. If your saw has not been set up properly, you'll be less than satisfied. But that holds true with any saw. Take your time to get it set right. Once set, I found mine to hold settings very well. Here's a tip....Do not use excessive force when raising or lowering the blade, or making other adjustments. It doesn't take much to keep the fence from moving, and if you over tighten it, you're asking for problems.

Make an investment in safety by reading about safety practices with your saw, and understand what you're reading. You can start by clicking on my signature link. It will take you to a well written article about kickback. The author, Ray, is a member of this site.

As Uncle C said, a 6" dado blade will do the trick for you. It will cost less than an 8", and you won't have the problem he mentioned.

There are a lot of ways to save money in woodworking. When you're ready for something specific (say a router lift, etc.) do a search for shop made items. Many times the shop made things will do the job very well, and save you a ton of money.

Welcome to the site.

Ed

[Richard in Smithville]

There isn't much more that I can really add about the BT from what the others have already said. It's a great saw for the size. Perfect for the smaller shop and the everyday hobby woodworker. I think you will find it some time before you constantly reach it's limitations. Hey, I even cut 4x4 sheets of oak ply on my BT( with a little thought).

Glad to have you on the site with us.

[bubba04]

Thanks for the responces guys. I read some reviews at sears.com about the saw not making accurate cuts. But those are few and probably relate to not having the saw set up properly to begin with.

I ram tempted to go buy this and the freud router and just learn as I go. Both these on sale and the good reviews make me feel like I cant go wrong here.

Ed is that your shepherd?

[wardprobst]

Howdy Bubba,

The sears reviews are not too helpful on this item. I think you'll find the saw to be more than accurate enough. All kind of help available here. Be sure and email lchien for the BT3 faq, it's great.

DP

[LCHIEN]

the basic saw is fully capable of making very clean, accurate cuts provided the saw is properly set up. Good rail system, SMT, and rip fence contribute to this.
It's worst beef is that its not a heavy duty saw, not designed for all day continuous thick cuts - although with care and proper techniques it can be made to do a few hard cuts. Something for a hobbiest or craftsman but not a production cabinet shop perhaps.

Its very adaptable. The router table is a freebie almost although the hole pattern is for the Ryobi routers and router made by Ryobi with sears Craftsman labels. There's been various stories about how other routers have been fitted to the 21829, which they changed the router mounting from the BT3000/3100 which used a more easily adapted plate.

Dado plates are available or you can easily make your own out of just about any 3/8" think, flat material (wood, plastic etc.). A word to the wise, the BT series saw is most amenable to a 6" stack dado... something like the Freud SD206 which will run about $75-100. Avoid 8" and wobble dados and those rated for less than 5000 rpm.

more detail on the 21829 router mount, dados, and stuff in my FAQ (see the sig line below).

Where in Houston are you?

[bubba04]

I live off highway 6 in Copperfield.

Thanks for the info, I will be sending you a PM.

[bubba04]

I have been browsing the craigs list around here and I came across a Rigid TS3650 barely used for $400. It is definately bigger with the motor in the back, but I think I could make room for it after looking at my current configuration in my garage. It looks like a real good saw in the pictures and I have read some pretty good reviews. Has anyone out there had any experience with it?

[Uncle Cracker]

Been replaced at Home Depot by the TS3660 at $549. Good saw for the price range, but all things being equal, I'd get a new one with a warranty, or try to talk down the price on the used one, using the aforementioned info. Don't jump too quick, 'cause sure as you're sitting there, a better deal will come along the day after you buy something...

[bubba04]

Good point. I saw they were stopped making that model, but I didnt know the replacement was that cheap!

[Ed62]

Ed is that your shepherd?

Yep. She'll be 5 years old in July. We've had a lot of dogs through the years, and she's the best yet.

Ed

[bubba04]

Yep. She'll be 5 years old in July. We've had a lot of dogs through the years, and she's the best yet.

Ed

I am on my second and third GSD they are such great animals. One is almost 5 and my other one (a rescue) we are guessing is between 3 and 4.

[bthorne]

Bubba,

I have the 21829 saw, and I can tell you that the holes on it match up perfectly with the bases from Craftsman's 28084 router kit.

Whatever router you get, I would recommend building your own fence for the saw's router table, as the included one is neither long nor tall enough to work well. The parts of the router fence make great starter parts for other jigs, though. The miter slot in the accessory table is also close enough to the router bit that you can't use the included miter gauge with larger diameter bits.

Those are actually my only two gripes with this saw, and neither of them pertain to the saw's primary function - turning an 1/8 (or thinner, preferably) inch strip of wood into sawdust. It does that job quite well and accurately.

Bryan