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Adam Professional Jobsite Saw
June 10th, 2005 11:37 AM
June 10, 2005 Professional Jobsite Saw



I own the Craftsman Professional Jobsite table saw.

It may fit your needs.

It is in the $400 range ($100 below the targeted Dewalt Jobsite saw).

It has standard 3/8x3/4 inch slots, allowing a variety of jigs and fixtures to be used with it.

Its friction reducing large surface table top makes it seem closer to a contractor's saw than a universal motor driven saw.

It does not "scream" while turning. But, it sounds very powerful with the whirring blade ready "to do work".

It is light enough in weight to be moved around. The legs fold up underneath it and it can be rolled around via large 5 inch wheels and a luggage style extendible handle.

It is the only saw I know of that stores vertically, reducing dead storage space between uses.

Its table height is 36 inches. But, the table top to stand height is 13 inches. Either the stand's legs could be modified or it could be unbolted and refastened onto a custom height stand.

Popping out the 3 plastic feet and one leveling foot would allow about 3 inches of square tubular steel leg to be removed before encountering the two cross braces.

A friend with a surface grinder and does welding could reposition the braces up the legs, allowing further leg height adjustment.

The saw uses a full ten inch diameter blade. It is limited (like all universal motor driven table saws) to a 9/16 inch wide dado cut, with dado plate included with the saw.

I'm going to either take two passes or switch to my monster Radial Arm Saw for wider dados.

Most of my projects use ½ (17/32) inch Birch plywood. So, the limited width dado groove cut should be no problemo.

Being a carpenters' type jobsite saw, both bevel and blade height controls are built into one up front control wheel. Simply turning the wheel will raise and lower the blade. Pushing in on the spring loaded wheel will engage its teeth into a curved rack on the front panel to cut bevels. A locking lever has to be released and retighted for the bevel feature to work.

This arrangement allows extremely fast bevel to be setup and then returned to upright position. The trade-off is there is no side wheel to turn a million times to get that perfect 33-1/2 degree angle.

I find the trade-off acceptable after six months of saw use.

The table's surface area can be extended with a built in sliding rear support table.

And, wide rips can be done by sliding out the right table section, locking it in place, and positioning the rip fence on its surface.

This is one nice table saw package.

A recent woodworkers magazine rated it as best "overall-value". This is the area the Craftsman tools generally rule.

I hope this is helpful.
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