anybody have experience with Jet power tools?

[the_bird]

I'm looking at this table saw...

http://www.amazon.com/JET-708315LSB-JBTS-10LS-2-Benchtop-10-Inch/dp/B000CFH3AI

Seems to get a lot of good reviews at Amazon and on Home Depot's website, much more positive feedback than I see on the other table saws I was/am considering in the same price range ($150 - $250). But, I've never seen this brand locally, so I'll be ordering online (free shipping) from Amazon - after clicking the Amazon link on Basic Brewing Radio's website, of course!

Does anyone have experience to share on this company, or ideally on this saw?

EDIT: Forgot to mention, free shipping at Amazon, and I like that the saw is belt-driven; not sure how much of a difference that makes in the end, but it seems to be a positive from all that I read.

 

[brewt00l]

I have a jet lathe that is several years old, bought new. I like many things about it for the price but absolutely despise the poorly cast tool rest. Woodworkers Warehouse used to carry jet prior to going out of business and they were one of the only retailers in my area that I can recall. I have to use a tool or be really familiar with the company before buying myself.

 

[the_bird]

Yeah, I was hoping to hear some peoples' experiences. The problem is that most of the other saws in my price range are saws that I KNOW have problems; low-end Craftsman tools are crap, it's immediately clear when you start reading reviews, the Ryobi model I was looking at is mostly plastic.... there's a Skil saw I'm considering as well, but it's not quite as big.

Thanks for the input!

 

[HighPlainsDrifter]

Don't know about Jet, but I recently bought two Hitachi table saws for my job sites. The guys are hard on equipment sometimes, so I really try to find something tough and cheap. They were a little more than your $150-200 range (about $320 @ Lowe's) but I really am impressed by their performance. If you are going to use the saw quite a bit, I would spend a little more so that it lasts for you. Also, you should definitely at least put your hands on the thing if you can't actually use it. Check the fence, is it sturdy when locked? Any flexing is a bad thing. Raise, lower, and change the angle of the blade. Can you lock the blade into it's height/angle with little or no effort? How sturdy is the base? You don't want to be pushing your saw across the floor while you are trying to make a cut. I'm not trying to scare you off of the Jet but you really should try to at least see one in person. I have found out the hard way that when it comes to power tools, when you get them cheap, that's just what you get. 2cents

 

[the_bird]

I decided to go ahead and buy it. I looked at the Hitachi C10RB for about the same money (but without free shipping), and the reviews seemed to be medicore overall, whereas I didn't find any really bad reviews of any Jet tools anywhere. I really didn't want to go much above $250 given the amount of use the saw will receive; some, but it's not like I'm building a house from the ground up. All the saws that I have seen in person in that range have some other thing that I really dislike about them, so while I'm taking a bit of a gamble, any of the saws I see around locally (and there are no Jet dealers around here at all, it appears) are all ones that I doubt I'll be happy with long-term, anyway. Lots of the Jet's reviews were also of the opinion that "this feels more like a $400 saw," which is encouraging.

Oh, well - I'm a gambling man, and if it's crap, five year warranty.

 

[Yuri_Rage]

Let us know how it works!

I'd like to give Jet a try at some point. IIRC, they have a line of sheet metal tools at reasonable prices. I almost bought the 52" brake/shear/roll at one point, but I decided I didn't have room for it.

 

[fretman124]

I have a Jet tablesaw. Don't know the model number off hand. The saw is about 8 years old. 1 1/2 hp, cast iron top, 32" table to the right, mobile stand. Cost was a bit more thn yours @ $900. I've ran about 5000 board feet of lumber thru it, with no issues. I love the fence, its stable as hell, easily set and repeatable. I have a thin kerf ATB finish blade(what I use the most) on it that after laying 1200 sq ft of laminate flooring could use sharpening. That stuff is hell on a saw blade. I also have a good dado set and a another coarse ripping blade

You right, belt drive is the only way to go. Less vibration, more power. You can tune you saw up for not much $$ by putting a machined pully on the arbor and getting a linked belt. Make youserf a zero clearance insert to minimize the dust in your face and to keep small stuff from falling thru. Make several of them, each at a different angle that you will use frequently, i.e., 45, 22.5, degrees

Enjoy the saw dust

you get a finger in the blade only once. I've been lucky (anally safe) for many years. A few of my friends are missing a digit or two.

While its relaxing to putter around the shop making a toy for the grankids, drinking beer and playing with carbide steel moving at high revs isn't smart. I do it sometimes, but it ain't smart.

I will sit at my scroll saw and cut for hours, drinking beer until I fall out of the chair. But if I'm using the tools that require hearing protection, I usually don't even have a single drink.

Last time I got seriously hurt with a tool, I fell on my chainsaw while it was running wide open. Kinda messed up the front seat of the truck getting to a doctor, and scared my wife a little bit. That was 30 years ago

 

[brewt00l]

Good luck with it! Is it just for general use around the house, work or some specific project?

 

[the_bird]

It's for general use, although there are a couple of projects that have been put on hold because I really need to cut some beveled pieces and a table saw is the best job for that (could do it with the circ saw, but my circ-saw skills aren't terribly good ). Really, I've been wanting to buy one for two years, I just haven't been satisified with any model saw that's less than $500, and I can't justify spending that much money right now. This one, I'm cautiously optimistic, is a "cut above" other homeowner-grade table saws, so to speak...

I'm actually really stoked about this, because there are other projects that I have been back-burnering (making some built-in shelving for the closets, as one example) that will be greatly facilitated by having a table saw and being able to make dado cuts.

I'll let you guys know my impressions of the saw when it gets here. I have no idea how long it will take to ship - but hell, free shipping? I ain't gonna bitch!

Oh, and fretman? I'm clumsy enough when I'm sober, I never touch a drop of alcohol when I'm in the shop! Just me personally, I can't do finish carpentry work sh~t now (still getting better), I can't imagine how bad I would be (not to mention the danger) with a couple brews in me!

 

[grampska]

I would highly recommend Jet. I have a table saw that's a step above yours and it's great. All of the contractors who have come through our house drool over it if that's any display of how good they are.

Also, I haven't owned any larger Hitachi tools, but the hand tools and drill bits I've bought from them are solid as a rock. I'm sure there larger tools are of the same high quality.

And of course, avoid Craftsman like the plague, especially for table saws. They typically use proprietary sized tools which don't accept everyone else's standard sized attachments. Additionally, I can't tell you how many things I've bought from them that break a month after the warranty wears out.

 

[brewt00l]

I'm actually really stoked about this, because there are other projects that I have been back-burnering (making some built-in shelving for the closets, as one example) that will be greatly facilitated by having a table saw and being able to make dado cuts.

Remember, you are going to have to find new excuses outside of the "well, I need a table saw to do that" when your significant other asks!

I have an older delta sidekick for smaller jobs and portability that I couldn't imagine how to do without anymore.