Help me decide between the 21829 and Jet Benchtop with legs

[jonmnelson]

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.

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Dustmight,

Thanks for your input. These are great points. The 21829 is definitely the more substantial saw in terms of size. I also agree that the table size and SMT give you more room to work in front of the blade. I did make a crosscut sled for the Jet, which helps. I wish the 21829 had a rear outfeed support, though.

While I don't dislike the SMT, it would be nice to have miter slots -- and standard ones -- as well. But if you add the miter slots, doesn't that throw off the front rail measurements? I use a tape to check my cuts anyway so maybe that's not important. And are the miter slots "standard" t-slot so that you can use pretty much any after-market accessory?

Thanks again for all your input. This is a great resource.

[ragswl4]

Dustmight,

But if you add the miter slots, doesn't that throw off the front rail measurements?

Adding miter slots would not throw off the measurements as long as you do not move the rails. The tape on the rails only measures the distance from the blade to the rip fence so adding or removing various tables, smt, etc will not alter that measurement. (My reference point is the BT3100)

[prlundberg]

I agree with Dustmight.

I looked at the Jet before I bought my 21829, and I think it's pretty clear that the 21829 is the better saw.

How much did you pay for the 21829? It goes on sale often. I got mine for about $370 if I remember right. If you are patient and pay close attention you can almost certainly get an even better deal.

When you say they both cut wood, does that mean you have used them? If so, Sears will charge you a significant fee to return it.

[eweu]

Adding miter slots would not throw off the measurements as long as you do not move the rails. The tape on the rails only measures the distance from the blade to the rip fence so adding or removing various tables, smt, etc will not alter that measurement. (My reference point is the BT3100)

Unless they've changed it in the past two years this is not the case with the 28129. The scale tape as applied to the rails leaves just enough space for the SMT on the left. I added the miter slot table and now I can't use the rip scale. It's not a big deal to me, but before I had the MST I could rely on the accuracy of the rip scale and I liked it.

On the bright side, I have extra motivation to add extra rails an build my own stand.

[jonmnelson]

Unless they've changed it in the past two years this is not the case with the 28129. The scale tape as applied to the rails leaves just enough space for the SMT on the left. I added the miter slot table and now I can't use the rip scale. It's not a big deal to me, but before I had the MST I could rely on the accuracy of the rip scale and I liked it.

On the bright side, I have extra motivation to add extra rails an build my own stand.

Does the miter slot table allow you to use any of the standard accessories available for other saws (tenon jib, etc.) or are the slots non-standard in size?

[JR]

The scale tape as applied to the rails leaves just enough space for the SMT on the left. I added the miter slot table and now I can't use the rip scale.

You should be able to fix this by moving the indicator on the fence from one side to the other. This will allow you to adjust the rails and use the scale.

Does the miter slot table allow you to use any of the standard accessories available for other saws (tenon jib, etc.) or are the slots non-standard in size?

Yes, the slots are 3/4" x 3/8", the "standard" size. It should be noted that this assembly is made of aluminum. Some users have reported that jigs with iron rails damage the slots.

JR

[eweu]

You should be able to fix this by moving the indicator on the fence from one side to the other. This will allow you to adjust the rails and use the scale.

Unfortunately the indicator is already on the left side of the fence, so I'd be reading about +5 inches on the scale. I can't trust myself to remember that so I just never set the rails. (The position of the scale on the 21829 is different than on the BT3100.)

I don't think this is enough of a problem that Jon should find the 21829 inferior to the Jet. As many of us know, the BT is a great saw with a lot more potential than most people would consider without a group like this.

[Sawatzky]

If you want to get into more serious woodworking, the 21829 is as small as I would go. I have a BT and have done some great work with it, as it is a great saw. But it does have its limitations and I would not want anything smaller with less features. Jet makes good stuff in the heavy duty realm. This Jet saw you are looking at is their smallest one I believe, and if you do anything serious, you will quickly outgrow it. Plus, as mentioned before, the BT series saws have quite a following, and are easy to part out and sell if you decide to upgrade later. I doubt it would be as easy to get much money for the Jet. I would consider myself an itermediate woodworker, and the BT has done everything I have needed. So, I would keep the Craftsman and retun the Jet.

[jonmnelson]

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.

I've seen the miter slot accessory, but how do you make your own with the Kreg miter track? This sounds interesting.

One other thing -- the blade on the Jet tilts to the left, whereas the blade on the 21829 tilts to the right. I've noticed that many of the higher end saws -- Delta contractor's saw, for example -- also tilt to the left. Does anyone see an advantage to a left-tilt as opposed to a right-tilt?

[JR]

I've seen the miter slot accessory, but how do you make your own with the Kreg miter track? This sounds interesting.

Check out this thread, which shows how to attach a plywood table to the saw, using brackets. The miter track would be embedded in the plywood. http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=29416

[Knottscott]

I've seen the miter slot accessory, but how do you make your own with the Kreg miter track? This sounds interesting.

One other thing -- the blade on the Jet tilts to the left, whereas the blade on the 21829 tilts to the right. I've noticed that many of the higher end saws -- Delta contractor's saw, for example -- also tilt to the left. Does anyone see an advantage to a left-tilt as opposed to a right-tilt?

Left tilt/right tilt is mainly a matter of preference. There are pros and cons to each design, and fans of both camps have legitimate arguments supporting their stance.

Left tilt is thought to be safer on bevel cuts b/c the blade tilts away from the fence. Right tilt owners counter this by moving the fence to the other side of the blade for bevel cuts.

Left tilt has the arbor flange on the left, so if you use blades with different widths, the width can effect the zero reference of the tape measure. There are several work arounds for this issue....it's easy to recalibrate the cursor to accommodate the width change. Some folks calibrate the cursor using their thickest blade and add a dado shim when using the thinner blade. Others use only the same thickness blade., etc., etc... Stacked dado sets require measuring by hand b/c they're too thick to compensate for using shims or recalibrating the cursor.

Left tilt arbor nuts get threaded from the right side using a normal thread orientation...very handy for right handers. Right tilt saws thread from the left side of the arbor and use a reverse thread orientation.

I've owned both and prefer left tilt for my own reasons. I view the debate as a small issue and wouldn't let it be the determining factor of an otherwise great deal on a good saw.....it's a resonable tie breaker IMHO...

[LarryG]

Left tilt is thought to be safer on bevel cuts b/c the blade tilts away from the fence. Right tilt owners counter this by moving the fence to the other side of the blade for bevel cuts.

Or by using some kind of hold-down device on the workpiece segment that's under the titled blade, which essentially renders the tilt direction moot.

My BT3100 was right-tilt, obviously; my new cabinet saw is left-tilt. I've owned the latter only seven months and can't say that I've formed a preference. (I do know that when I started using the new LT saw, I did not go, "Oh, yeah, baby, left tilt is where it's at!")

A lot of people place significant, even primary, importance on which way the arbor tilts; left tilts are fashionable right now, and the feature is arguably getting more press than it deserves. Like Scott (Dustmight), I personally don't regard it as a deal maker/breaker either way.