Help me decide between the 21829 and Jet Benchtop with legs

[jonmnelson]

I'm deciding on my first table saw and actually have the Craftsman 21829 and the Jet benchtop table saw with legs. One of them has to go back, but I'm having a hard time deciding because they're both pretty good. I was hoping some of you more experienced woodworkers might help me make my decision.

Craftsman 21829 Pros:

* Portable on a collapsible stand.
* Sliding miter table (which might also be a con to some).
* Pretty good dust collection.
* Riving knife.
* 13/16" dado capacity.

Jet Pros:

* It's more like a little contractor's saw, with miter slots, although the slots aren't standard size.
* Rear outfeed and side wings.
* Power switch on the left side (I prefer this to the right).
* It's $150 cheaper than the 21829 and has a five-year warranty.

Neither has many cons, although some might prefer the miter slots to the sliding miter table, and the Jet doesn't collapse for storage but is still pretty compact. The Jet has only a 1/2" dado capacity, but it seems that most people cut dados with a router rather than take the time to change blades on a table saw. I've also read that the BT3100/21829 has had instances of the power switch failing.

I should add that I work out of my garage, so compact is better. The Jet takes up about as much room as the 21829 even when folded. I'm looking for the best bang for my buck that will keep me working until I outgrow the saw and can justify spending significantly more.

At the end of the day they both cut wood and seem like capable saws. That's why I'm having such a hard time deciding on which one to keep. If anyone has experience with either saw and/or can offer suggestions to help me decide I would very much appreciate it.

Thanks.

[ragswl4]

You didn't say which model of the Jet? One weighs 59 lbs and the other is 79 lbs. Both seem a little light but then what it really boils down to is what you will be doing with the saw. Both certainly seem a little light to handle large panels and could move around on you if you tried to cut large panels or even large 2x6 or bigger lumber.

One thing about the Craftsman that I would think is a PRO is the router table on the saw, especially if you have a small shop.

I think it boils down to what you will be doing with the saw. Cutting any heavy or large pieces of material would seem the Craftsman is better. Light duty either would do fine. Finally, consider resale value if you think you may upgrade in a year or two. I started out with a BT3100, a great saw, but upgraded to a full size hybrid after 2 years as my projects required the larger heavier saw. The BT held its value very well. Only cost me $100 to use it for two years.

[Knottscott]

One thing to consider...the 21829 is basically a BT3. Many of the parts are interchangeable, and perhaps most importantly, you get an incredible wealth of knowledge about how to use, setup, and trouble shoot that saw with this group....not so with the Jet.

[jonmnelson]

I agree that this forum is great, and that is a definite plus. One concern I have about the 21829 is that the sliding miter table seems somewhat delicate and not hard to knock out of alignment. Is this true, and how hard is it to align the SMT? The Jet I'm talking about is the 718315LSB -- the one with the legs.

I'm not so much worried about resale value as having a competent saw that will get me through a variety of projects.

Thanks for any comments/suggestions.

[DonHo]

I've had both the BT3100 and now have the 21289. They are pretty much the same saw, the 21289 rails are a little longer (a plus in my books), I've not had any problems with the SMT on either saw. I have always checked the fence for square before making any cuts and a few times the fence has moved a little but the SMT itself has never been out of alignment. I know nothing about the Jet but I have a Jet bandsaw and the quality on it is good so I suspect the table saw will be good. I'd go with the 21289 because of the riving knife and the SMT but that's just my preference.

DonHo

[cdub101]

I just got the 21829, and I like it. I really like the SMT. I used drafting square to square it up and I have been able to get perfect 90's on my test over 8". No play in the SMT. It also feels very secure and convenient making crosscuts. It's like having a crosscut sled that I don't have to make! I tried making one for my other craftsman saw, but because of the non-standard miter gauges it didn't work so well. I picked up a bosch/craftsman router combo for $80 bucks and mounted it to the attached router table. Nice touch. If you plan on using raised panel router bits you would need to get a table with a larger hole. other wise a great setup for dado, edges or rabbets.

I needed to rip some 1" strips for drawers, I set the fence at 1" locked down the fence ripped the pieces and they were dead on 1" across 2ft.

The riving knife is another key selling feature. I feel a lot better having the kerfs held open 1/4" from the blade versus the piece having to get to the back of the table. I want to figure out how to make a riving knife that doesn't have the guard attached, but in the meantime I’ll keep using the factory one.

I also like being able to roll it out of the way in a 1 car garage.

My $.02

[jonmnelson]

I just got the 21829, and I like it. I really like the SMT. I used drafting square to square it up and I have been able to get perfect 90's on my test over 8". No play in the SMT. It also feels very secure and convenient making crosscuts. It's like having a crosscut sled that I don't have to make! I tried making one for my other craftsman saw, but because of the non-standard miter gauges it didn't work so well. I picked up a bosch/craftsman router combo for $80 bucks and mounted it to the attached router table. Nice touch. If you plan on using raised panel router bits you would need to get a table with a larger hole. other wise a great setup for dado, edges or rabbets.

I needed to rip some 1" strips for drawers, I set the fence at 1" locked down the fence ripped the pieces and they were dead on 1" across 2ft.

The riving knife is another key selling feature. I feel a lot better having the kerfs held open 1/4" from the blade versus the piece having to get to the back of the table. I want to figure out how to make a riving knife that doesn't have the guard attached, but in the meantime I’ll keep using the factory one.

I also like being able to roll it out of the way in a 1 car garage.

My $.02

What router combo are you talking about? It seems like a router is the quickest, easiest way to make dados, particularly on longer stock.

Thanks for the input.

[gwyneth]

I'm guessing he means the recently discontinued Sears Bosch clone router.

As the owner of a 21829 since April (and one cheapo Craftsman and two other BTs scattered carelessly around the country) I think the answer depends on three things: how much you like sliding tables and the ability to customize your saw; and whether you see either saw as a temporary solution until you upgrade.

I personally can't see owning any table saw without a sliding table, but part of that may be because it really helps a 5' user obtain precision.

Many forum members are on their eighth, ninth, or tenth year with their BTs, so IMO it will give longer service than the Jet--not necessarily that the machinery will last longer, but that it will take you much further before you "need a better saw".

Also, as you observe, once you use a riving knife you'll really miss its absence.

BTW, your posts kind of give off the air that you've really decided on the 21829 but you need to justify it to yourself.

[cdub101]

I did catch a deal on the bosch clone combo. I like te idea of being able to do large pannel routing.

I have a ryobi table and hitachi combo but my recently aquired tool deal addiction wouldn't let me pass up the new router to dedicate to the new saw.

I would have even considered one of the craftsman routers they have for 58 bucks to dedicate for the table saw router table.

My rational is that the JET is like other JET saws, just less expensive. However the bt3 clone is the top that Ryobi made and has a lot of unique features.

[Hoakie]

I want to figure out how to make a riving knife that doesn't have the guard attached, but in the meantime I’ll keep using the factory one.

Check out LeeWay Workshop for the splitter (home of the Shark Guard)

[jonmnelson]

I'm guessing he means the recently discontinued Sears Bosch clone router.

As the owner of a 21829 since April (and one cheapo Craftsman and two other BTs scattered carelessly around the country) I think the answer depends on three things: how much you like sliding tables and the ability to customize your saw; and whether you see either saw as a temporary solution until you upgrade.

I personally can't see owning any table saw without a sliding table, but part of that may be because it really helps a 5' user obtain precision.

Many forum members are on their eighth, ninth, or tenth year with their BTs, so IMO it will give longer service than the Jet--not necessarily that the machinery will last longer, but that it will take you much further before you "need a better saw".

Also, as you observe, once you use a riving knife you'll really miss its absence.

BTW, your posts kind of give off the air that you've really decided on the 21829 but you need to justify it to yourself.

I really haven't decided between the two. Some days I think the Jet is the way to go and others it's the 21829. The good news seems to be that I can't make a bad decision either way as they're both good, just different. Still, it's tough to pick the one to keep.

[drumpriest]

One thing to keep in mind is that it isn't terribly difficult to add miter slots to the 21829. There was a BT3100 accessory, and you can also make your own pretty easily using the Kreg miter track.

[LCHIEN]

i dont know much about the jet saw, seems a bit light weight from what I've read. The Ryobi based saw is good enough to serve most purposes save continuous heavy duty work, and very flexible for jigs etc. and quite accurate and sound. It will hold up to reasonable hobbyist work.

[LarryG]

+1 on Keith's comments about the ease of adding a miter slot or slots to the BT3x00/21829. I'm in the contingent of BT owners who never much cared for the sliding miter table, and added the dual-slot table from the accessory kit to the left of the blade and a shop-built single slot to the right. During the last year or so before I retired my saw, I generally left the SMT locked down and used the miter slots for crosscutting, just as I would have on a conventional table saw.

If the JET's miter slots are an oddball size, that will greatly diminish the theoretical advantages of having them.

[Knottscott]

I really haven't decided between the two. Some days I think the Jet is the way to go and others it's the 21829. The good news seems to be that I can't make a bad decision either way as they're both good, just different. Still, it's tough to pick the one to keep.

I don't own either of these saws and I don't want to come across as wanting you to buy what I have.

It looks to me that the 21829 has several feature and structural advantages.... table size, mass, functions, fence quality, depth of cut, etc. The Jet looks pretty small to me and it won't even stow away. The Jet is only 18" deep....I believe the 21829 is closer to 22". Both are smaller than a standard full size saw, and one downside to smaller saws is the distance in front of the blade, which means less space to maneuver in. The 21829 is a few inches deeper to start with, plus the SMT can extend in front of the table for substantially wider crosscuts. There's a big difference in mass too (75# vs 125#) ...the heavier saw will be more stable.

The Jet might work out fine but is the type of saw that most people outgrow in a very short time. The 21829 may not be a lifetime saw for everyone, but has a proven track record of long term service to many here. A TS is such an important tool to most shops...not a good place to short yourself. The Jet warranty is attractive, but I doesn't come close to offsetting the other disadvantages to me...other than price and warranty, there's literally no aspects of the Jet that outshine the BT. Overall the 21829 seems like the better saw and the better buy IMO.