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Discussion Forum

Table Saw: Ryobi vs DeWalt vs Bosch v…

| Posted in General Discussion on August 7, 2001 03:01am

*
Greetings,

I am about to purchase a table saw for casual (10-15 hours/month) home use. Flower boxes and outdoor furniture at first, as well as interior trim and eventually maybe some kitchen cabinets…

My budget is about $500 for the saw and have narrowed it down to:
* the Ryobi BT3000SX ($399)
* the DeWalt 744S ($499)
* the Bosch 4000 ($499)
* the Rigid TS2400 ($499)

I have read the recent reviews in Fine Homebuilding
http://www.taunton.com/fh/features/tools/fh134portsaws_katz.htm
and Fine Woodworking http://taunton.com/fw/features/tools/tablesaws/1.htm

Currently I am leaning towards the Ryobi but wanted some feedback from other users first…

The sliding miter table on the Ryobi is one feature that stands out (good or bad).

I am curious whether anyone has made any custom jigs for the BT3000 that may have been easier or more difficult with a traditional miter setup.

Also, I am interested in adding a router table to whichever option I go with. Ryobi makes a ‘snap in’ for the BT3000 for $65 but I could also make a custom one myself…

Any thoughts?

Thanks!!
-Dave

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Replies

  1. Jeff_J._Buck | Jan 10, 2001 12:55am | #1

    *
    Search.

    1. lonecat | Jan 10, 2001 08:54am | #2

      *Ditto. If you want to impress the women, don't go Ryobi.

      1. James_Hart | Jan 12, 2001 01:44pm | #3

        *Dave,I bought the Dewalt because I got a good deal at a tool show and because of the features and portability. It has exceeded my expectations and I'm very pleased with its performance.

        1. Rick_Morrison | Jan 18, 2001 08:46pm | #4

          *See the forums at http://www.ryobi.com and http://www.samconder.com/ryobi/ for much more info on the ryobi.

          1. The_Tennis_Court_Builder_...on_t | Jan 19, 2001 11:21pm | #5

            *I have a Ryobi router...but I shouldn't admit it.Never again...near the other blue stream,aj (MakitaJack)If it's cheap....it's...

          2. Chris_D. | Jan 20, 2001 01:40am | #6

            *I've only used the Dewalt in your list, but have used a good amount of different table saws. It is by far the best I've had the pleasure of trying. The rack & pinion fence is worth the $500. Only complaint is next time I use one I'll hook up a vac to it. It spits up alot of dust back in your face.

          3. Ludger_Hentschel | Jan 23, 2001 05:11am | #7

            *I use the Dewalt at home. I think it is the best benchtop table saw on the market right now (and you pay for that). The rack and pinion fence is great. Although I removed the guard, I fabricated an Inca-style splitter that can stay on for all cuts since the splitter attachment falls and rises with the blade.That said, I now think that for the same amount of money you can buy a contractor saw that is simply better. You can easily buy a contractor saw with a better table (benchtop saw tables are small, somewhat imprecise aluminum affairs) and a _much_ quieter motor. If you use your saw in the house, I recommend buying a quiet contractor saw for your $500.Basically all benchtop saws run at close to 100db. Many contractor saws run at 85db or less. 100db is terrifying in my whole house when I run the saw in the basement. 85db is loud but quite tolerable. If you don't have to carry the saw around all the time. Buy a better saw for the money: a contractor saw.

          4. Bob_Peck | Jan 28, 2001 06:59pm | #8

            *I have a Ryobi table saw and wouldn't buy another. I don't like the sliding miter table, cumbersome, at best. I took it off and fitted a piece of of laminate sink cutout with an accessory miter slot. The Ryobi router accessory table is a winner as is their outfeed table extension.

          5. Ralph_Wicklund | Jan 28, 2001 08:02pm | #9

            *My guess is that you can get used to any saw after a while. I've used the BT3000 and found that controlling a larger piece during crosscut a bit easier with the sliding table and long fence. Less side to side movement, because the fence IS longer. (never used a saw with the homemade crosscut table as some have). Conversely, the table has limiting stops and at extreme angles or wider boards you stop moving before the cut is complete. Also, the table gauge is far from accurate and you must carefully tweak and make some test cuts in scrap if you want accurate miters. Ryobi has a table piece that replaces that sliding table with a fixed, slotted table that fits the standard miter fence. The saw has plenty of power, the rip fence is accurate and grabs at both ends and with portable outfeed rollers you can cut sheetgoods easilyAs I said, you can get used to anything. I used a Craftsman 8" bench saw ($99 bucks) because that was all I could afford at the time and with a little care you can do good work. Even got the 2 degree bevel 8" sanding disk that allowed the saw to be used as a jointer. And, as if that's not enough, I have used the radial arm saw to accurately cut sheet goods.

          6. Ron_Budgell | Jan 30, 2001 02:48am | #10

            *About a year ago, somebody posted here the perfect reply to a question about a Ryobi tool - "Friends don't let friends buy Ryobi" (I wish I could remember who deserves credit for this.)There was a good and thorough review of portable table saws in FHB about a year and a half ago. Worth reading.

          7. Steve_Merrette | Jan 30, 2001 04:21am | #11

            *Ron, I've got a Craftsman contractor table saw (their top of the line unit with the full cast iron top and extensions) and a craftsman radial arm saw. Both of these units are made by Ryobi. the radial arm saw is halfway decent although the gaurds suck and I had to take those off. the table saw was probably middle of the road or a little better but I've tweaked it out and It is a pretty good saw now. the only thing I really can complain about is that the bevel adjustment needs a gorilla to crank to a full 45 degrees. other than that it does me just fine.

          8. Ron_Budgell | Jan 31, 2001 02:43am | #12

            *Well, I thought that was pretty funny when I read it. I had an 8" Ryobi circular saw which I hated every time I touched it. Sold it a year ago for next to nothing just to get it out of my sight. One of my partners had a Ryobi RO sander he felt the same way about bvut I guess he felt he deserved the penance and kept it until it died - which wasn't long. For me, it's Mil, Mak, PC, Hit and very little else.

          9. Steve_Merrette | Jan 31, 2001 03:51am | #13

            *Not saying it wasn't funny, I got a good laugh out of it too. I've got alot of other stuff, a bunch of PC stuff, milwaukee, makita, bosch and even some dewalt. I got the craftsman stuff when I was getting started cause A) I didn't know any better and B) my wife worked at sears so I got the employee discount. I'll use it til it dies and replace it then.

          10. Mad_Dog | Feb 01, 2001 03:05am | #14

            *I didn't realize any pros bought Ryobi tools. Matter of fact, I forgot they still made tools.Oops,MD

          11. Rob_Rehm | Feb 01, 2001 05:18am | #15

            *THe DewaltI din't like the ryobi. My Dewalt gets beat around & still cuts where & how it is supposed to. Worth every penny of the $500.00.

          12. Joel_Greer | Feb 01, 2001 05:50am | #16

            *Mad Dog,they still make good tools for your helpers! They work OK and they're so cheap they're almost disposable.:-)

          13. Little_Joe | Feb 02, 2001 03:57am | #17

            *I picked up the Bosch a couple months ago. Every time I use it I like it more! I do like the rack & pinion fence on the DeWalt, but the fence is so smooth on the Bosch, that I don't miss it. Also very quiet. No regrets with the purchase.Later. LJ

          14. Speiserboo | Mar 04, 2001 05:50pm | #18

            *Can anybody explain why Ryobi has started to suck?My old Ryobi 12v cordless drill was great. A friends 14.4 was even better. The new 14.4v "prfeshinal" sucks, and I just might return it.frustrated and idly dreaming of drills long since left.Aaron

          15. Little_Joe | Mar 04, 2001 11:26pm | #19

            *Sorry, I never knew Ryobi was any good.Later. LJ

          16. Dan_Case | Mar 25, 2001 06:09am | #20

            *I don't think it's particularly fair to label a tool good or bad because of the name on the label. After all, there are so many back-alley "deals" between some tool companies that we can't ever be REALLY sure who built some of this stuff.I have a Ryobi 14" abrasive cutoff saw (metal chop saw) that is absolutely great -- I've worn out a lotta blades in the past couple of years, pushed it to its limits, made it cut through unistrut WAY faster than I should have (we were in a hurry, up against a nasty deadline...), and it just keeps coming back for more. I've looked at a few other Ryobi tools, and just shook my head and kept looking. If I received a Ryobi cordless drill as a gift, I'd say thank you very politely, put it aside until it could be forgotten, and then sell it on Bay... to a perfect stranger that I never had to look at. :)I've heard a lot of folks bad mouthing Rigid, but I have a Rigid TS2400 saw and I love it. VERY solid and stable (for wht it is... it's not a Unisaw, after all...) more than adequate power, convenient on-tool storage, and a guard that's easy enough to get on and off that I actually USE it most of the time. We have it paired up with the Ridgid "Work 'n Haul It" folding stand, and it's the slickest thing on two wheels. In the decision making process, we came down to Ridgid and Bosch. There wasn't a Bosch to be had locally, and I refused to spend $500 on a saw I hadn't touched with my own hands. The Bosch is, i understand, a great saw. In the past 6 months of regular use, the Ridgid TS2400 hasn't given me a single reason to regret my choice.Now, the bigger Ridgid table saws... I'm not impressed. See the comments above about Ryobi cordless drills. :)D.

          17. Little_Joe | Mar 25, 2001 06:40am | #21

            *Dan -- Point taken. There are tools that I like from certain manufacturers, and some that I don't like. Not every tool from a particular company is something I would want.Later. LJ

          18. Tim_Mooney | Mar 25, 2001 07:50pm | #22

            *Tim Mooney Dewalt was my choice.no regrets-----love it!

          19. David_Sabia | Mar 28, 2001 03:05am | #23

            *Dave,Have used the Ryobi 3000 for over 4 yrs. now. It has cut thousands of board for a lot of my remodeling company and the only thing that I have replaced is the on-off switch this past Decemeber.The saw certainly has its weak points - could use a little more HP when cutting the big stuff and the plastic hold clips on the sliding table should be made out of metal - but it provides a lot of cutting options that the others don't have. The built in router table is a plus especially with the way you plug it in. The sliding table is a great help in the field when doing custom work.We do a lot of custom work in the field, the Ryboi offers a lot "extras" that the others don't - like the extension table that bolts on and swings away for transport. Do these "extras" make for a "better" table or are they just "frills"?? Seems to me it depends on what you need. DaveP.S. Just bought a second one that my local Lowes was clearing out ($300.00). It will sit in my shop till the field unit gives out. Hope it holds up as well as the first.

          20. Kyle_Bartlett | May 01, 2001 11:18pm | #24

            *If want to hear about Ridgid tablesaws read "Ridgid any good?"

          21. piffin_ | May 02, 2001 03:35am | #25

            *I'm with adirondac Jack - I've only owned one Ryobi. nomoI have the Dewalt and am happy with it but it's not the perfect saw either. The rack/pinion gaurd is great once you get it adjusted. Low pwoere makes it blade sensitive tho' I think that all small tabletoppers have the same problem to some degree.

          22. augey_ | May 02, 2001 04:37am | #26

            *After weeks of soul searching and research, I surprised myself by getting the Makita 10" (2703) and a Rousseau stand. In about 20 minutes I used it to build a folding outfeed support and a crosscut sled from scrap. Now I have a little cabinet saw that can fold up and fit into the trunk of my car. The rousseau stand is amazing, it does a pretty good impression of a biesmeyer fence system. And the saw doesn't permanently mount to it. It just drops in and is stabilized by s series of hard plastic bushings. I found it to be more stable than the stands that go with the Bosch and Dewalt; which was key for me because I need to rip full sheets of 3/4 MDF and don't want the saw tipping over when i drop the edge of the sheet onto it ( I've seen it happen, it isn't pretty). I also liked that each part is relatively light and easy to carry up several flights of stairs if necessary, I wouldn't want to do that with a Rigid, I think it's over 70 pounds. The saw also has plenty of power and cuts deeper than any other 10" saw of any kind-- 3 9/16". I got the Saw and Stand for $599 from Amazon.com, shipping was free, and no sales tax. It was delivered in two days. I think it was worth the extra $100

          23. Mark_Bolton | Aug 04, 2001 02:30am | #27

            *The Ryobi sliding mitre table is a joke. I'm regretting that purchase. You'll never make sense of their angle markings, they're absolutely useless. You might want to look at a Jet table saw in that price range.

          24. The_Tennis_Court_Builder_...on_t | Aug 04, 2001 10:39pm | #28

            *Wise choices augey...near the blue stream,aj

          25. nigel_martin | Aug 04, 2001 11:22pm | #29

            *to upset things, the Ridgid just dropped to $397..........and life time warranty (if you cry enought) HD will give you a new one! If you want to save skil make a stand just like the rous......... unit and the fence looks basic But works great!!

          26. Bucksnort_Billy | Aug 05, 2001 02:41am | #30

            *That's what I'd have if Makita hadn't been so tardy getting their 10 incher out. I made a stand and outfeed table for my by default Dewalt (don't get me wrong, it's a good saw), but the only Makita I ever saw quit, got run over by a F-250. Blew out a tire while it was going down, too.Makita & Rousseau,good combo, but at least two trips to the third floor...never did understand hitching a router onto a table saw. Oh man, I forgot to rip a stile, lower the @#$%%% router, it'll be easy to set back up...

          27. Hammer1_ | Aug 07, 2001 03:07am | #31

            *DaveI have owned a Bosch 4000 for about a year. So far no problems.I use it mostly for deck building. I just rec'd the Tool Crib/Amazon flyer for August. That saw with folding stand is on sale for $529.00 plus $20 off all Bosch tools over $199 so for $509 you get both. That is as low as I have seen it advertised, plus free shipping and no tax if you are not from ND.Regards

          28. tom_gattiker_ | Aug 07, 2001 03:01pm | #32

            *For non-portable use, I'd really encourage you to look at a contractors saw with an induction motor and a belt drive and a generous sized table, such as Jet or Delta. You said you want to get into cabinets later. Get a saw that can grow with you. For now you can keep it near 500: go with the stamped wings and bottom of the line fence. You can upgrade later if you need to--turning your $500 saw into one that sells for 850 as a package. You can't do this with some of the saws you are considering now.

  2. Dave_Karlson | Aug 07, 2001 03:01pm | #33

    *
    Greetings,

    I am about to purchase a table saw for casual (10-15 hours/month) home use. Flower boxes and outdoor furniture at first, as well as interior trim and eventually maybe some kitchen cabinets...

    My budget is about $500 for the saw and have narrowed it down to:
    * the Ryobi BT3000SX ($399)
    * the DeWalt 744S ($499)
    * the Bosch 4000 ($499)
    * the Rigid TS2400 ($499)

    I have read the recent reviews in Fine Homebuilding
    http://www.taunton.com/fh/features/tools/fh134portsaws_katz.htm
    and Fine Woodworking http://taunton.com/fw/features/tools/tablesaws/1.htm

    Currently I am leaning towards the Ryobi but wanted some feedback from other users first...

    The sliding miter table on the Ryobi is one feature that stands out (good or bad).

    I am curious whether anyone has made any custom jigs for the BT3000 that may have been easier or more difficult with a traditional miter setup.

    Also, I am interested in adding a router table to whichever option I go with. Ryobi makes a 'snap in' for the BT3000 for $65 but I could also make a custom one myself...

    Any thoughts?

    Thanks!!
    -Dave

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