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JET 708307K JWTS-10PF 10-Inch 1-1/2 Horsepower Contractor Saw with 30-Inch Xacta Fence and 2 Steel Extension Wings, 115/230-Volt 1 Phase | List Price: $1,449.00 Discount Price: $1,041.76
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| Brand: Jet Binding: Tools & Hardware
Slick Table Saw [Posted on 2007-12-04] First, I must remark that this table saw makes beautiful cuts. The motor spins up easily and won't trip your 20 amp circuits if you choose to run it from a standard 110 volt outlet. First the pros:
1. Very stable at 275 lbs (more if you upgraded the fence like I did).
2. This steel all around, which makes this beast as heavy as it is, means that you won't have any unwanted vibration and the machine should last a long, long time. The excellent quality powder coat means that it will last even a little longer and the off-white both looks great and matches Biesemeyer in color.
3. The cast iron table top seems very well machined. I've checked it with multiple measuring tools and I can't find any imperfections.
4. It's pretty good about keeping most of the sawdust below the working surface.
5. The factory blade guard and splitter are actually quite functional and do a good job of lining up with cuts right out of the box.
6. All the adjustment knobs are heavy duty and spin easily. The adjustments themselves seem pretty true right out of the box after taking some measurements.
7. While it's no Incra, the miter gauge is very heavy duty and has three adjustable stops that allow you to get those perfect 90's.
8. The blade that comes with the saw may not be the best after market blade, but it cuts much better than any other stock blade I've used and many after market blades as well. It has a moderate number of teeth but you'll need to invest in a good crosscut blade at some point.
9. Overall, I had no problem lining up any of the bolts as long as I didn't tighten them down before they were all in, although this was a beast to assemble and you will need a partner, but there are some tricks (such as mounting the motor to the support plate before lifting it into place).
While I highly recommend this saw and can't believe how smooth it operates, there are some imperfections that I must point out:
1. While it keeps sawdust under the table, it doesn't have a blade shroud underneath like some newer saws, so that means it shoots all the sawdust out the back of the saw (although this is fixable to a limited degree with a modified backplate and a good dust collection system). This is the main reason why I downgraded the saw from a four to a four star rating.
2. The housing itself is not well sealed around the underside of the cast iron table top, but this can be fixed with some gasket material.
3. The belt enclosure (which I appreciate for its added safety) does rattle some but, once again, you can fix this with some door gasket material, which they even sell in white to match the powder coat.
4. The steel extension wings are very high quality, but they are not cast iron. You will have to poke and prod them a bit to get them straight.
5. The hand wheels for tilt and blade depth are located close to the table top so you may bump your hand on the cast iron from time to time as you make your adjustments. This also makes them harder to reach, but the operation is so smooth that it does compensate for some of this.
6. At this price I'd like to see the saw come with a mobile base, preferably the HTC HJTS-761X, which has been the perfect addition.
7. Finally, while I like the Xacta fence itself better than the Biesemeyer fence (due to its more durable plastic faces) the Biesemeyer has a more robust rail system. I actually use the Jet Xacta II fence (has the micro adjust feature) on Biesemeyer rails and that's been the best of both worlds.
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