Accessory kit worth it?

[LYU370]

Was at HD the other day and noticed that they had a few of the accessory kits. Is it worth getting the kit for the router mounting kit & mitre slot table? Sounds like the dust bag and wheels are more or less worthless. Are the other accessories worthwile?

Thanks.

[ElRay]

I didn't see any value in it. I made ZCTP's from some 1/2" UHMW I already had. I also bought some Miter Slot track at a trade show to make my own MST. The casters didn't seem to be any value, because I plan on making a UTS-style cart -- It's amazing how much a baby on the way, and then a sub-1-year-old takes away from the shop time -- I'm not complaining, I've just been planning my cart for over a year now.

Ray

[LarryG]

I got the kit when it was free, and am actually using everything but the dust bag and the dual miter slot (I had it on, took it off, may put it back on). But I wouldn't pay $100 for it. Or even $50.

The router mounting kit is servicable, but nothing sensational. It's easy enough to make your own mounting plate. Many guys have done that, and you might have to drill holes to match your router in the kit's plate anyway. The two-piece fence is very rudimentary; again, easy to make your own. The bit-hole inserts are about the only thing in the kit that are sorta-kinda nice to have, and would be slightly tough to make.

I wouldn't say the wheels are COMPLETELY worthless. If you have to move your saw every time you use it, then yeah, you'd want something better. But for occasional moves, like I do with mine, they're okay.

The dual miter slot is nice if you prefer a conventional miter gauge, or want to build jigs that needs a slot. But again, you could make a table insert with a slot pretty easily.

So unless you find making your own stuff too much trouble, your best course might be to try to find just the items you do need and forget the rest.

[monte]

I don't think it's worth the $100 either. If you are looking for a particular piece you might find it posted on this forum under "Member Classifieds" or on ebay. The only thing I used from my kit is the dual slot miter table.

[WEG]

Hi LYU370;

I agree with the others, the kit is really not worth the money. I got mine for free as well when I bought my saw. The only things that are "good" are the set of router inserts for the accessory table router hole and the router mounting plate. You can make a plate pretty easy, the rings might be a bit harder. I also recommend looking around this site or ebay for what you might like to buy. Enjoy the saw, it's really a nice tool.
WEG

[Mainemarc]

Hi LYU370:

I'll disagree just slightly with everyone else. I think it depends on your current needs, abilities and how much you like fabricating your own jigs and fixtures. (My highly unscientific take on the average BT3Centralian is that he/she actually *loves* to make jigs and fixtures, often to the exclusion of actual furniture and such!)

In the best case scenario, the kit is worth right around $100 if you use just about everything and you’d rather get started right away building something other router table fences and mobile bases.

The mobility kit and the router kit are not great substitutes for shop-built solutions, but they can get you started if you have nothing better. Even if you eventually build a better router fence (and you should), you do get 5 T-nuts and 4 threaded knobs. Even the angle brackets for the split wooden router fence have nice scribed ruling marks, so they could be useful for some other jig.

The dust bag is completely worthless, unless you like to advertise your table saw loyalties on a windsock. But the elbow fitting that comes with it is sort of nice if you plan on having a folding out feed table.

The two zero clearance throat plates and the dado plate are nice to get you started, although as Elray says, you can make your own.

What does that leave? The miter clamp kit is genuinely useful and is way over-engineered. The miter slot table is nice to have, if not for a miter gauge, then for feather boards and special jigs.

Of the truly useful things included in the kit, my best guess of the relative value is as follows.

If you actually use the router and mobility kits as intended:

Router kit $30
Mobility kit $15
Miter clamp $15
Miter slot table $15
Elbow fitting for dust port $2
Zero clearance throat plates $15
Dado throat plate $7.50

Total value: $99.50

If you DON’T use the router and mobility kits as intended:
Parts from Router kit: $10
Parts from Mobility kit: $10
Miter clamp $15
Miter slot table $15
Elbow fitting for dust port $2
Zero clearance throat plates $15
Dado throat plate $7.50

Total value: $74.50

[JR]

Yeah, Mainemarc makes a very good point. While many of us bag on the "value" of the accy kit, most everyone who has one has used it beneficially.

I still have the router kit mounted in my BT3K. A better fence is on the to-do list, but the stuff from the kit gets me by while satisfying my need for space conservation in my small shop. I'll probably always have a router mounted in the BT.

The casters got me by until I couldn't stand it any more and built a mobile base. They'll find a home in some other project.

I have two MSTs installed and have never used either one in a project. I will use them eventually - I think. In the meantime I have the satisfaction of the largest table surface I could get without increasing the footprint of the package.

The other candidate for that Benjamin burning a hole in your pocket is a SharkGuard. I don't have one, but would consider it a viable option. Without it there will come a day when you will make a cut without a splitter because it was too much hassle. If you were to hurt yourself because of that you'd be righteously angry at yourself.

YMMV
JR

[Stick]

quote:Originally posted by JR

Yeah, Mainemarc makes a very good point. While many of us bag on the "value" of the accy kit, most everyone who has one has used it beneficially.

I still have the router kit mounted in my BT3K. A better fence is on the to-do list, but the stuff from the kit gets me by while satisfying my need for space conservation in my small shop. I'll probably always have a router mounted in the BT.

The casters got me by until I couldn't stand it any more and built a mobile base. They'll find a home in some other project.

I have two MSTs installed and have never used either one in a project. I will use them eventually - I think. In the meantime I have the satisfaction of the largest table surface I could get without increasing the footprint of the package.



YMMV
JR

I bought my kit last year on Ebay. It wound up around $45 Canadian with shipping and exchange. At the time the kit was unobtainable in Canada. Price on it if it were would have been close to $300. I used everything, even the dust bag and casters, at first. My saw's now a wide table with a full sheet MDF outfeed table, so it ain't going anywhere, but I never bothered to take the casters off. I still even use the dust bag once in a while if my shop vac's in use elsewhere. It's better than nothing, but not much better.

I use the MST all the time for featherboards. The only mitre gauge I own is a really cheap plastic one that came with a plastic router table from years ago. Nothing I would ever use when I have the SMT instead! I can see maybe making a miter sled that used the slots, or a box joint jig.

I use the router kit all the time, but I find most of what I do involves bearinged bits and odd shapes, so I seldom use the fence anyway.

[ElRay]

quote:Originally posted by Mainemarc

The dust bag is completely worthless, unless you like to advertise your table saw loyalties on a windsock.

Hey, somebody pointed out that with a second, you could make a pretty decent dog costume []

Ray

[Mainemarc]

That would make a pretty good poll or contest: most creative use for the Accessory Kit dust bag.

[LCHIEN]

if you haven't read it, the FAQ has a comment on the accessory kit,
this being a common qustion.

The FAQ is linked in the first post in the Getting Started section of this website.

It's had over 3000 reads!