Another (soon to be) BT3000 Owner!

[Pappy]

Welcome to the Asylum, David. My BT3000 is older than the one you are buying and still going strong with the original shims. The trick to their longevity is frequent lubing.

As you can see, we sometimes argue a bit here but rarely does anyone get upset about it. When we say this is a family site, it means more than just clean language....

[pelligrini]

I certanly don't hope we have scared off David D with some more off topic banter about saw types. This should be an introduction and welcome thread.

[leehljp]

The traditional Contractor's saw design is the same now as when it was first introduced, and was used on alot of jobsites. What is used on probably most jobsites now are Jobsite saws that are light in weight. Two different table saws. There are Benchtop table saws, Jobsite table saws, Contractor's table saws, Hybrid table saws, and Cabinet table saws. The traditional Contractor's table saw, has a cast iron top and internal works with miter slots and stamped steel wings, or cast iron wings. The motor is a 56 frame, capacitor start, can be wired for 115V or 220V, and can be removed quickly for storage, or when transported. The dust port if equiped is 4". It is a heavier built saw. I think your trying to call the BT's a Hybrid Contractor's saw, but you mention that the BT's couldn't stand up to the rough treatment of the jobsite. So what is it ? At best I think it's a inexpensive entry level Benchtop sliding table saw with a router table for some DIYers or occasional hobbyists. It probably works well for someone that doesn't have a compound miter saw and a router table, or the room for them in the future. A light, compact system.

Charlie, Joe, Jim or what ever you want to be called . . . Just kidding. I know your name, but I want to draw attention to it for the purpose of what you are arguing about. You are given the name you go by. You can make the case that something is NOT what it is - according to traditional intrepetations. You have the right to that. But YOU cannot change the history of the intent of the creation of that saw.

Traditionally, the contractor's saws did have cast iron. But WHY? To Keep Vibration down. That is the dumb way! Vibration should be engineered out and the machining capability has long been here, just no one attempted that for the lower end saws. So Ryobi attempted it. Just to put it in perspective. If you don't like that, then so be it, but deal with it! They originally designed it as a contractors saw. It didn't work in that category but it did work in the other.

Remember, you can bring up all the this that and the other, but you can't change what it was intended to be in its design. If you want to deny it and rename it as something else, then can we rename you?

Charlie, lighten up. Its Christmas. Is the calling it initially a contractors saw going to kill you or anyone else? Is it going to embarrass the world? Or are you embarrassed. Deal with it and move on!


For your information on the quality of the saw, I had a Unisaw that was my dads when he died. I knew the history of it. It had been apart a half a dozen times and had a fine vibration that would still allow a nickel to stand, but still the slight vibration caused bolts/nuts to continually back out or come loose over the course of a week or two of daily use, and required resetting far too often. I used that saw considreably. But after my dad died, I sold it and bought the BT3000. FAR more accurate and holds its accuracy much better than the Unisaw did. I don't look back anytime.

Now one more piece of information - quite getting riled up over nothing and poking and disparaging things on purpose for the very purpose of your own soap box. Do it again and it will not be tolerated!

[wardprobst]

David,

Welcome to the world of BT. You'll enjoy the saw and accessories; they are well designed tools. I have a pretty large shop budget and could have pretty much any table saw out there and ended up happy with two BTs. I use them within their limitations, like any of my other tools, and they are a pleasure to work with. I hope you find the same satisfaction.

DP

[David D]

I certanly don't hope we have scared off David D with some more off topic banter about saw types. This should be an introduction and welcome thread.

YIPE, yipe, yipe.... *runs away* (just kidding!)

Oh, don't worry, I belong to enough forums to understand this kind of thing happens.

I'm very pleased to have found this website. Thank you Loring for sending me the FAQ. What a great wealth of information! I can't wait to get the saw home and start using it. Of course, I'll follow all the suggestions and go over it with a fine tooth comb first!

[JSUPreston]

David, the BT3100 was my 2nd table saw. My 1st was the cheapest Craftsman I could get from Sears about 10 years ago. 3 or 4 years ago, I sold the BT3100 and moved up to a Delta Contractor saw from Lowe's. I had gotten the Biesemeyer fence on clearance from Lowe's earlier that year.

The BT3100 is a fine saw. I was in school most of the time I had mine, so I really only used it for home "handyman" type projects. For what I used it for, I was happy with it. When I first saw it, I thought it was a toy that HD was selling, but after reading the reviews and seeing what people on this forum have made with it, I am thoroughly convinced that it is a very capable saw. I agree that it wouldn't do well in a high volume cabinet shop or being thrown in the back of a truck all the time, but the entire time I had it, the only time I had to adjust it was when I got it out of the box.

The main reasons I moved on to the Delta: I got the Bies and really didn't want to have to build all sorts of adapters or tables to use that fence with the 3100, and I just prefer the heavier saw. However, if I had a smaller shop, I would have stayed with the 3100.

Really, it all comes down to personal preference and talent. There are guys on this forum that can build high quality furniture with something MacGyver would have in his pocket. I, on the other hand, could have Norm's shop and not be able to cut a straight line some days.

Hope you enjoy the saw, and keep us up to date with any projects. Also, if you have any questions, be sure to ask. Someone on here will have the answer.

[David D]

As stated before, I am very limited on shop space and have been apprehensive about finding a saw that would fit, yet provide the quality that I desire. It's encouraging to hear how capable and accurate these saws are.

[JimD]

David,

I use a BT3100. I could easily order myself a new table saw but do not because my Ryobi does what I need a table saw to do. I have it on a portable base that you can read about in the old articles you can reach through the BTX portion of this website (mine is Spruce and Sandeply but there are a several good bases).

I have made a complete new bedroom set for myself (bed, nightstands, chest/entertainment center), 4 kitchen chairs, 2 kitchen tables and 8 chairs for my 2 kids, a bedroom set for each kid, an entertainment center for my son, and bookshelves for myself and my daughter. Also a new kitchen island. And 7 windows worth of plantation shutters. All of this except the shutters is clear finished hardwood projects where accuracy in the joints shows up quickly. The BT3100 was fully up to these projects.

Good luck with your new saw.

Jim

[Norm in Fujino]

Edited in later: A few other things I remember it seems like the engineer designers were in Italy. Does anyone else remember this?

The rumor I recall is that the saw was a joint-design effort between Ryobi and Freud (Italy).

[David D]

Well guys, my "new to me" BT3000 is home and it's beautiful! Not showroom new mind you, but really nice shape. I've spent the past hour looking it over and I'm happy. First the good:

-Date Code: 9407
-15 amp motor
-Original throat plate
-Two plastic zero clearance throat plates
-Dust bag
-Quick Fold Table
-Wide Table kit
-Wide Table leg set
-Craftsman mobile tool base
-Blade guard & Riving knife

The only questionable things I've found are:

-The power switch, which has a black ON button with a removable guard (key) around it and a red OFF button. Don't see this kind mentioned in Loring's FAQ?

-The rip fence cam appears to have lost some material around the part where the handle threads into it. It works, but I wouldn't want to lean on it very much. Looks like it was cross-threaded and cracked off.

All in all, I'm very pleased! I will take it apart and go over it with a fine tooth comb soon (shims, lube, etc.). I will take some pics in the next few days and post 'em up here.

David

[pelligrini]

No kidding, that's a pretty good array of accessories.

That dust bag works fairly well if you don't have any other type of collection. I used one quite a bit before I ran more power to my shed.

[Uncle Cracker]

I assume you will be sending cigars to each of us...

[David D]

I assume you will be sending cigars to each of us...

Sure... Here's a virtual cigar on me!

[Uncle Cracker]

Sure... Here's a virtual cigar on me!

Well, at least you sent a good quality cigar... Some guys would have posted a cheap one.