# Performax 10" table saw



## Christopher Nichols (Jun 3, 2019)

I'm new to wood working entirely and currently have not done much that requires ripping boards. Saving up for a good table saw but ran across a Performax 10" table saw on the FB Marketplace with stand for $50. Doesn't appear to have any safety features around the blade which concerns me as I have a 13 year old who is starting to get interested as well although I can simply do the table saw work for him entirely instead of helping him if I'm concerned with safety... although I like my own digits just as much as well. Question is this worth it? I don't want to have something that doesn't cut right or is going to be problematic, I'd rather save up for quality so is $50 worth the interim or too good to be true? I attached a picture of it as well.

I hesitate on used power tools with my rationale being I never know why one is selling something or how it was treated.


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## sweensdv (Mar 3, 2008)

Considering that you can probably find a very nice used 1-1/2 HP contractor saw in the $250-$300 range I would put that $50 in the "saving up for fund". That saw would be alright for general construction type projects but only adequate for projects requiring more accuracy.


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## faith michel (Sep 10, 2017)

Christopher Nichols said:


> I'm new to wood working entirely and currently have not done much that requires ripping boards. Saving up for a good table saw but ran across a Performax 10" table saw on the FB Marketplace with stand for $50. Doesn't appear to have any safety features around the blade which concerns me as I have a 13 year old who is starting to get interested as well although I can simply do the table saw work for him entirely instead of helping him if I'm concerned with safety... although I like my own digits just as much as well. Question is this worth it? I don't want to have something that doesn't cut right or is going to be problematic, I'd rather save up for quality so is $50 worth the interim or too good to be true? I attached a picture of it as well.
> 
> 
> 
> I hesitate on used power tools with my rationale being I never know why one is selling something or how it was treated.


 if i were you .. i buy a circular saw at H.D store... it is cheaper price than a table saw.. it is under the guarantee in 5 years.. i can convert circular saw to table saw.. you can do it ..

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## Christopher Nichols (Jun 3, 2019)

faith michel said:


> if i were you .. i buy a circular saw at H.D store... it is cheaper price than a table saw.. it is under the guarantee in 5 years.. i can convert circular saw to table saw.. you can do it ..
> 
> Sent from my SM-J700F using Tapatalk


I have an older craftsman circular saw already, I'm just not great with it yet even with a guide. I'm also not sure how to use it to rip longer dimensional lumber, with plywood and such I'm fine. What I'm looking to do at some point is take the rounded off edge off of some boards so I can put them together. A jointer would work as well but figure a table saw covers more things than just that one single task to start.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*For someone just starting ......*

I would NOT get that saw without the blade guard. Until you get totally familiar with the operations of a tablesaw AND what happens when you rip into a long piece of wood, even plywood, don't skimp on safety.


I won't give you a safety lesson here, you do need to read a saw manual, watch some of the more "watched" woodworkers demonstrate how to use a table saw and then make a well thought out purchase.


The Menard's house brand is Performax and they are a decent saw for the price when new:
https://www.menards.com/main/tools/...with-folding-stand/rt7202/p-1444451074330.htm


As with any of the low end, low cost saws, they are lighter, have more plastic parts, may not have the most accurate fence, come with a blade that may not perform the best, etc. A used older, cast iron contractor saw may be a better choice, but it will be heavier, have a larger foot print and may not have a roll about stand. The motor on a contractor saw kinda hangs far out the rear, so it takes up more space. The Performax has a built in motor so, it's a small footprint.



https://www.amazon.com/s?k=portable+table+saw&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

Skil, Craftsman, Dewalt, and Ryobi and other portable table saws can cost as much as $600.00 depending on the stand and other standard equipment. My saw, a Bosch 4000-09 is a fine machine with good accuracy and plenty of power. It has a really nice fence, which is very important. It locks securely and parallel to the blade and miterslot, which is also very important. The fence is really the heart of the tablesaw, more so than the blade or the motor in my opinion.


Blades are another subject, but the cost has come way down and quality has gone way up in the last 10 years or so. Freud's Diablo line are thin kerf and require less power from the motor and cut really well. I own a bunch of them with different tooth patterns.


Good Luck in your new venture!


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## Christopher Nichols (Jun 3, 2019)

Thanks woodnthings. Your confirming what I'm thinking. I grew up around much of this equipment as my dad had it so I've seen it used at least, I just didn't get into it back then. Also for the time being just watching videos on usage as you suggested and various projects taking notes on what I wan to do one day when get the tools and what I can do now with what I've got. I'm looking at a Delta 36-725 or Ridgid r4512 and holding out on the lower costs "contractor" or bench top table saws as I simply don't want to spend $300 to $400 to not be 100% happy and to turn around later and spend $650-$700. I've always been this way on things either it's cheap cheap with an understanding of expendable or go for a good solid long term fit and investment. Thanks again for the advice and I think the safety aspects are more important than a few dollars saved.


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## Mikhail2400 (Jun 20, 2018)

I bought a used Porter Cable 270TS 10" table saw off of Craigs List and like you I was leery of buying used tools. I looked at several saws before I bought the PC but it was in great shape with all the safety features. You can find a good used table saw out there you just need to look. One thing is if you buy a $50 saw you usually get a $50 saw. If you want to teach your son to use a table saw then perhaps you should pass on the one you posted and look for one with the safety features needed to teach a youngster on. At the minimum I would want a blade guard, kick-back pawls, riving knife and a big paddle off switch. The paddle switch wouldnt be a deal breaker as you can all ways add one later.


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## Tony B (Jul 30, 2008)

The main thing to consider is that most plywood weighs in at around 70 lbs per sheet and 3/4" MDF weighs about 90 lbs per sheet.
thats a lot of weight that gets slammed down on an awkward angle on a table saw. At least make sure you are comfortable with a table saw heavy enough to handle this kind of work. Nothing like pushing a piece of 3/4" plywood through a table saw and have the saw tip and roll over. Then will that kind of weight slide across the table against the fence without moving the fence? These problems are not just a poor quality cut problem, they are MAJOR safety concerns.

Just something to think about.


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## Christopher Nichols (Jun 3, 2019)

Now I found an older Craftsman being sold for $125 with crosscut sled, outfeed table and multiple inserts but again no riving knife or blade gaurd in the picture so I hesitate. Still saving for the front runner saw at $600, a delta contractor saw. Ad says selling due to health and it cuts true... But in the back of my head that still no safety features. Son wants to build shelves which he did at school on a band saw so leaning towards that 125 towards a 10" band saw as that's what he knows how to use for finishing. I do own an old radial arm saw, and two old what are labeled as mitre saws but one slides and one chops so basically I just can't rip boards at this point.


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## Kerrys (May 2, 2016)

You can do rip cuts with a radial arm saw but it is an advanced procedure. I’ve never done it but @woodnthings has and hopefully chimes in.


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## Christopher Nichols (Jun 3, 2019)

Somewhere in my tools is a rod with a sort of claw on it. 9 years never used it but I know it's to prevent kick back when ripping a board with the radial arm saw. I think I will keep saving and get a new saw with all the safety features after the band saw. I'll just home the circular saw skills in the meantime, always multiple ways to accomplish things.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*I don't recommend a RAS for a novice ....*



Kerrys said:


> You can do rip cuts with a radial arm saw but it is an advanced procedure. I’ve never done it but @*woodnthings* has and hopefully chimes in.



You CAN do a lot of operations with a RAS, but there is a learning curve. This is because the blade starts cutting from the top down, unlike a table saw where the blade starts it's cut on the bottom of the workpiece. Why does this make a difference? On a RAS, it tends to lift the workpiece off the table, rather than press it down like a table saw at first, so you have to firmly hold it down and against the the fence when starting your cut. You also have to firmly control the feed rate as you pull the blade across the workpiece. A special blade with a zero tooth or negative rake is used to help minimize this. A regular table saw blade has a too aggressive rake, like 15 degrees.


https://www.amazon.com/Oshlun-SBW-1...ocphy=9016999&hvtargid=pla-568656136773&psc=1


Once you learn the basics of a RAS, you can then "safely" perform the other more complex operations with an understanding of the "blade dynamics". Feed direction is very important on a RAS, because it will eject the workpiece at about 100 MPH if you feed in the wrong direction. 



An interesting and informative video on RAS in general for those who are not familiar with them:


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## Tool Agnostic (Aug 13, 2017)

If I had a 13 year old son who was interested in woodworking, I would get a SawStop table saw. Yes, they are expensive, and used ones are rarely appear. Consider it an insurance policy. I would be heartbroken if my son got hurt.

I recommend the contractor or cabinet version, because it has a longer lead-in distance for safer, better rip cuts. I just replaced my jobsite saw because it had such a short lead-in distance. That was a primary motivation for replacing it. 

I learned woodworking on a radial arm saw. I used it for woodworking and construction, and made many rips cuts on it. I would not want my 13 year old son using it, especially not for rip cuts.

That said, we all grew up playing with dangerous toys that have been recalled, chemistry sets that have been banned, power tools that lacked basic safety features, and much more. We are all lucky to have survived long enough to read this post, and we probably put our parents though more anxiety than we realized. Still, we have learned a lot since then, and the risks are still very real. If it were my son, I would save up for a SawStop.


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## faith michel (Sep 10, 2017)

Nobody teen people are drive a car under the 18 years old in my country.. my children want to use my car.. but they have to wait for to be 18 years old... if they are 18 years old and they have a driving license they can drive my car..

Same thing for table saw... 13 years old very early for table saw.. he is not young.. he is just a child..

I did learn woodworking at high school. . I was 18 years old.. we can work no electric tools in first 2 years.. we can work with miter saw band saw table saw etc. in just last class..

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