# Buying first Table Saw - Would like opinion



## Olorin (Jan 7, 2019)

Hi All, 

I'm new to woodworking and finally have my own shop and I've started stocking it with tools to begin my woodworking journey.

At this time, I don't have the expendable budget on this new hobby to justify hundreds of dollars on a table saw, nor do I live in an area where great older saws often come up for sale. So, my options are typically the fairly cheap table top saws (Mastercraft, King, Craftsmen) are available for around $50-100. 

However, I cam across this saw locally. The seller is asking $200, but I'm confident I could negotiate down to $150. The idea of a contractor saw rather than a table top one is much more appealing. But I also don't want to buy junk.

Does anyone have any experience with Craftsmen contractor style saws? From what I can tell, this unit is a Craftsmen 315 series model. I've attached a picture to show the saw.









Thanks in advance.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

That should be a good saw for $150. It has an upgraded fence and looks like someone has added a router table mount on the left side. I have never seen any like the "feet" under the saw, but it looks like it is a moveable setup which is good.



Just ask the owner to let you plug it in and see if it is running properly. Does he have all of the manuals?


George


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## Olorin (Jan 7, 2019)

Thanks, George.

I'll be going to look at the saw tomorrow evening. Hoping everything works out so I can start working on projects.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Also ask about other "accessories" .....*

There may be extra blades, or dado sets IF the owner is getting out of woodworking, or if this is an estate sale. Ask why they are selling in a "curious" manner. Maybe they are upgrading and will hang onto the accessories ..... it may be worth asking about.


Looks like a good saw for the money IF it is NOT flex shaft drive. Beware of the flex shaft drive saws, since replacement drives are expensive and a conversion to belt drive is all but impossible. :|


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## subroc (Jan 3, 2015)

That would be a good buy for $150. I believe those 315 saws have a 1-1/2 HP motor. A nice fence and rail system as well. I picked one up a few years back for a real good deal. It was advertised as needing repair. It had a loose pulley. I pulled the router table extension off, put it on my saw and sold the rest of it for more than I paid for it. The router table extension is a great feature. You can still find the plastic insets for those table extensions on ebay.


Nice saw. Good luck with it.


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## kroll524 (Jan 12, 2020)

What makes a saw good is starting with a good blade,there are blades for cross cutting and blades for ripping.Measure both ends of your fence to make sure its square I bet it cut like one of those cabinet saws.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Blades are important for sure, but .......*



kroll524 said:


> What makes a saw good is starting with a good blade,there are blades for cross cutting and blades for ripping.Measure both ends of your fence to make sure its square I bet it cut like one of those cabinet saws.



The fence is the heart of a table saw, not the blade, not the motor. Why? It's the one accessory you constantly adjust and reset to make different width cuts. It must lock down accurately/parallel to the miter slots each and every time you move it OR you will be frustrated with the entire saw. Measuring twice each time you move the fence to make certain it is parallel to the blade/miter slot will get tedious and tiresome. The Biesemeyer and it's clones have pretty much solved this issue. They lock entirely on the front rail, there is no rear rail lock like some of the older Emerson/Craftsman saws ...... :thumbdown::wallbash:


Changing out the blade for a rip on hardwood to a 24 tooth blade is a bit time consuming, but it will make better and faster cuts. The 60 tooth blade will work on plywood and crosscuts. A general purpose 40 or 50 tooth blade can do almost all you cuts IF your budget is limited OR you just don't want to change out the blade. :|


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## kklowell (Apr 4, 2016)

So,I'm curious, Olorin... did you look at the saw? Did you buy it?


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

Generally I recommend staying away from these "consumer" type machines.

I'd be pretty confident that saw has a direct drive motor which is not really ideal. They also don't have a trunnion, but rather a stamped steel motor mounting system that is not ideal either. That said, its a usable machine, but won't take you very far in your ww'ing journey. If you do buy it use a thin kerf blade and be aware of its power limitations regarding dados, ripping hard lumber, etc. 

If you haven't yet bought one, here are 5 recommendations I think are important:

1. Induction motor 1 1/2HP minimum.
2. Cast iron top and wings.
3. Cast iron trunnion
4. Trunnion mounted directly to top
5. Beismeyer type fence

I am of the belief that low powered saws with unreliable fences are more dangerous to operate.


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## kroll524 (Jan 12, 2020)

If he was closer I have a Unisaw with sliding attachment FS @ 1000.00 but he is starting out so he has to make the most of his investment. I started out with the Craftsman which was belt drive,good point Dr Robert. There are Craftsman saws on CL all the time.


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## Gramoy (Jan 10, 2020)

Olorin said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I'm new to woodworking and finally have my own shop and I've started stocking it with tools to begin my woodworking journey.
> 
> ...


I've had a Craftsman table saw for years. It has given plenty of good service..It is no Unisaw, but it is a good tool..

With that upgraded fence (shown in the picture) it is a bargain @ $200, even better @ $150.. You will not find anything new for those $$ that is 1/2 as good...

Good Luck


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## redeared (Feb 7, 2019)

I would buy it for $200, if it works.


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## SteveKoz (Feb 22, 2019)

Did the saw originally come with that fence or can they be added on aftermarket? I have an old or very old Craftsman 10" and would love to upgrade the fence. Would love to upgrade the entire saw but she's still working and don't know what I would replace her with.. Maybe a facelift new rip fence will get a few more years out of her...


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

That fence was an upgrade. I do not think it is available new anymore. You might find one used.


There are probably other new fences out there that would fit your saw.


George


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## FrankC (Aug 24, 2012)

SteveKoz said:


> Did the saw originally come with that fence or can they be added on aftermarket? I have an old or very old Craftsman 10" and would love to upgrade the fence. Would love to upgrade the entire saw but she's still working and don't know what I would replace her with.. Maybe a facelift new rip fence will get a few more years out of her...


A new good fence will run you around $300, if you are lucky you may find a used one but often a good fence is saved and put on any used upgrade.

https://www.amazon.com/Shop-Fox-W20...d_r=89AD8KBQ65NH9M3MJ8R2&psc=1&qid=1579374658


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## SteveKoz (Feb 22, 2019)

FrankC said:


> A new good fence will run you around $300, if you are lucky you may find a used one but often a good fence is saved and put on any used upgrade.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/Shop-Fox-W20...d_r=89AD8KBQ65NH9M3MJ8R2&psc=1&qid=1579374658



Thank you. This fence is 42" long. My current craftsman fence is 31" and has the angle iron rails on both ends of the table. Do fences like this use 2 rails? Is the fence adjustable to fit on narrower tables? 11" seems like a big overhang.


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## Hineps (Dec 13, 2019)

I have been using that saw for the last 15 years. I picked it up for $75.00 at a garage sale. Added 2 cast iron extensions and that same fence. I believe I got the fence new for about ~$120.00. It has done everything I needed. I make cremation urns and mountain dulcimers. Just needed to do some tune up when I first bought it.

Phil


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## cubman (Nov 27, 2011)

I've been following this thread because there seems to be alot wisdom here from experienced woodworkers. I'm kind of in the same boat as Olorin, I've never bought a tablesaw before but have some experience with woodworking in various industries. I would like to know some of the terms used here and their importance. Trunions for instance. I dont know what it is or its importance. Can you expand on that. I'm looking to replace a cheap tablesaw that my wife bought for me years ago and dont want garbage like some of the stuff I see at Lowes. I'm leaning towards a used Powermatic or Delta Unisaw. Any others I should consider. I wont buy cheap Chinese garbage. Any help or direction would be appreciated.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Watch this video from Grizzly ....*

It will get you a pretty good idea of the parts underneath the table like trunnions and is also a good video for the set up on the blade;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpg39Lbwpu0


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## B Coll (Nov 2, 2019)

Trunions are the system used to mount the blade architecture to the table top on many contractor saws. To set up a contractors saw you loosen the trunion bolts and square the blade to the table. On a cabinet saw you loosen the corner bolts on the table top and square the top to the blade. The heavier the trunion the less vibration and runout, as a general rule.


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

I like grilled trunnions and peppers on hot sandwiches. ;-)

Trunnions are the curved guides that support the blade at different tilt angles. Big, heavy cast iron trunnions are better than thin stamped aluminum trunnions.
@Olorin has not been here since 7 January 2020, but @cubman is interested. I like @DrRobert's list of what to look for in a quality table saw. 

I had a jobsite table saw and replaced it with a cabinet table saw. Even though the jobsite table saw was a well-made tool suitable for woodworking, the cabinet saw was a major improvement. The features I disliked most about the jobsite saw were the short lead-in distance to the blade, and the aluminum table.


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## John Smith_inFL (Jul 4, 2018)

*Olorin* - it has been over 3 months now.
did you find a table saw ??

.


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## cubman (Nov 27, 2011)

Sorry for hijacking your post Olorin and to the responders of my question, thank you for your input.


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## cubman (Nov 27, 2011)

I've found a Jet table saw with a 50' extension and a Grizzly 3 hp motor on it for $700.00 and a Powermatic 64A on an casters for $650......is there a reason one that I should chose one over the other?


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## DrRobert (Apr 27, 2015)

deleted


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