You do have to spend some time setting the saw up... blade, fence, etc. But once done, the saw is great. Fairly compact which is Nice ruclips.net/user/postUgkxXh-4_3-ZT1fFWP91ZV7iVqzElr0lEb-a I did get an Incra Miter Gauge which takes some setup as well. The stock miter gauge can be adjusted in the miter slot with a little painter's tape... this tightens up the side to side play a lot.
Nice one Keith it makes a change to see someone actually give a honest tool review rather than just sing the praises of the company to try get more out of them! You mentioned that you made a zero clearance blade cover, instead of using the screws try countersink area's on the underneath of it and install earth magnets 🧲. On that note great review well done sir 👏 👍
Get yourself a small mechanics magnetic tray for those tiny screws. I use them anytime I dismantle anything. Just lob the screws in the tray and they stay there even if you upend the whole lot.
Hi from 5 miles down the road. I have the Axminster Hobby Series TS-250M-2, which suffers from many of the same issues - I actually used a load of foil tape to cover all the gaps in the body. As well as this I did exactly what you did and only attached my vac to the crown guard to improve dust collection. Like you ive found the measuring a bit naff - that said, I'm not doing much high-end work, so i tend to simply measure it out with a tape. Past those niggles though, I'm pretty happy with it, and for a "hobby" saw its miles better than a site saw. Plus it also has an induction motor :) Edit - one other thing I did was to cut up some rubber washing gloves and gaffa tape it to the back of the crown guard so it looks a bit like a cape! Its an obvious short term bodge, but it stops a lot of the dust flying out of the back and allows for better dust collection. And It doesn't get in the way of cutting at all. Im thinking about a better long term solution, but for now, this bodge does help.
Great review. I resently purchased the 315mm version of this machine and had most of the same problems. Mitre slots and bow in top. My side door doesn't line up great either. When it came I had an issue with the motor constantly triping the rcd. Axminster has a better than most aftersales and sent an engineer out and replaced faulty motor. My riving knife was not set up and is awful to adjust. Like you these small niggling faults aren't enough for me to regret buying the saw as the others at a similar price point will have similar issues. I have a number of trade Axminster machines and the only one I cant recommend is there drum sander. In my opinion it isn't up the the job. But they accepted it back at no cost to me. I then got the laguna drum sander
Nice table saw indeed, mate, congratulations on the upgrade. 👍🏾 Save your old table saw blades and make riving knives from them, then you'll have perfect match fit for each differing blade you run. 👌🏾
Couldn't agree more! I had the exact same minor problems with the saw and made the same inprovements. Nice to see that its not just me being to precise. Can't wait to see you make a crosscut sled, i made one but had many problems with the mitter slots. Good luck!
I took the alternate route to you and bought a old rusty fox f36-529 10 inch cabinet saw from gumtree. The motor stalled when I test cut at collection and ended up give the guy £80 for it thinking it was worth it for the body and cast iron table. Long story short, I dismantled the whole thing replaced 2 bearings, the belt and gave it a really good clean. Put it back together, painted it and bought a new blade. And much to my surprise it works a treat!
I too am going to upgrade my table saw but will be going for the Laguna fusion 3 . not being a snob but i recently bought a Laguna extractor and it is exceptional so hoping for the same quality from their saws but anything would be better than my Naerok antique which has a fence that needs locked from both ends , has no motor brake and makes so much noise that i have had complaints from Gatwick airport
I’m from Italy and a woodworker like you. I had same issue with my old 0.75kW dust extractor and any other improvement I found over web are really expensive. Finally I hook down this one from Cormak, a good Polish manufacturer, and now I solved any dust problem. Cormak FM340 230V Portable Dust and Fume Collector & Extractor 3200 m3/h Oh. I decided to add a paper filter from Charnwood I found on Amazon for few bucks. Great improvement. I’m nor sponsored by them. Regards. Marco Zamarco Malaspina.
Welcome to the club Keith. I've had this saw for 4 years and its still going as strong as the day it arrived. Just FYI you can run the saw off a 13amp plug socket with a 10 quid adapter from Amazon, its the 12inch that demands 16amps
Hi Keith, I have had the 315mm version of this saw for just over 3 years now and I love it, I had the same issues as you and have done most of the same improvements as you. My biggest issue was the dust extraction, I taped up any and all gaps around the saw but one of the biggest improvements I did was to remove the dust chute from underneath the saw blade then I fitted a big mouth plastic dust extraction fitting I git from Axminster, I fit some thin plywood to guide the dust to the big mouth the fit a 100mm hose to it, it took a bit of work but it has improved dust extraction greatly, I still use a separate extractor for the crown guard. As stated, I think it's a great saw and I'm sure it will give you many years if pleasure using it.
Ive purchased an exact same table by another Brand (but obviously still coming out of China). The video was really helpful for the extra points in setting up the machine. The guidebooks for setting up the machine are somewhat difficult to wade through given the quality of photographs and the translation in the instructions.
Hi, i have a sip 12" saw of very simmilar design. You mention not being happy with the 'Micro adjuster'. On mine i couldnt even get the rack and gear to even engage with each other. I checked the booklet that came with it but not a mention of how to install it, no mention on youtube either. On removing the micro adjuster i noted that it was fitted with a grub screw, i loosened it up and found that it released the round carrier and found it was in fact an excentric adjuster. I now have adjusted it and the rack and gear mesh perfectly allowing easy micro adjustment. May be of help to someone with a problamatic fine adjuster mechanism.
When I attached the wings to my saw I clamped the straight edge to the main table, overhanging where the side tables go. Then put the side tables in place and clamped them to the straight edge and bolted them on. Easy Peasy for one person.
Nice level headed review :D I do love the quick release riving knife on my tiny DeWalt 4785 though. Looking forward to seeing you use your new saw a lot in the future videos. Cheers.
Hi I have got the AW10BSB2 had it for about five years now the only main trouble I had was when i set the blade at 45 Deg and made a cut the timber used to jam on the riving knife , it turned out that you have to recheck the slot to the blade at 45 Deg and if out of parallel you have to either pack the front two or rear adjustment bolts to make it parallel and then check again at 90 Deg and once both are ok your good to go.
I bought the same wall mounted dust extractor when I bought my trader bandsaw. It works great with the bandsaw. The guards across the hose attachment (if that makes sense) are a pain when I use it with my thicknesser. It clogged all the time and I was constantly having to remove the hose and remove the chips. I removed this using a jigsaw and it is great now. No more clogging and plenty of suction. Hope this is useful.
Hello Keith, I have the Itec saw and it is almost exactly the same and comes with 2 cast iron extension tables as standard. Not surprising as they all are made in e same place! I have had it for about 2 years and it is quiet and cuts very accurately so I am sure yours will too. Re mitre gauge I saw a video on this and all you need to do is use a centre punch to put 2 or 3 "dimples" on each side of the slide bar to take up the slack, will not be absolute but near as dam it. I use mine sometimes but mostly the cross cut sled that I made. I don't bother screwing the blade guard down as mine is a stiff fit and needs a tug to get it out so swapping from it to my zero clearance, which is also a tight fit is quick and easy. Like the idea of the riving knife I think I will give that a go.
Alan, I also have recently purchased the itech equivalent saw and as you say it comes with the two cast iron extensions which makes it a much better deal compared with the Axminster.
A great review Keith and I was especially interested as I went for another site saw (Bosch GTS 10 XC) rather than this. I should say the chap in Axminster Basingstoke did point out the need for a HVLP dust extraction on the saw. I do wonder if you're seeing a lot of dust fall straight through the saw and collect under it.
Cheers Karl, the amount of dust underneath the cabinet was unbelievable until I hooked up the other extractor. It's not bad at all now but I'll definitely be upgrading to something quieter and lvhp... Just struggling to figure out where to put it
Hi Keith. Enjoyed your review, the holes in the machine housing that are reducing the effective extraction are easily blocked using upholstery foam pushed in where needed. Your always better having a bigger extraction than what's needed by the manufacturers, the more suction the better in my experience. The saw look a really nice tool with the cast iron extension tables and substantial fence and guide set up. The fold down handles on the hand wheels is a good feature, saves the bruises. Tony
I have the original saw from Axminstet I bought about 15 years ago.Mine comes with the heavy duty sliding crosscut table.Only changed the drive belt on it once,it's still going strong.When it was delivered the fence WA bent slightly,but they sent me a new one witching 2 days.
Great review. I'm looking at getting a used one of these and for my needs it seems a good purchase. Pity about the riving knife though. I like your particulate measurer will have to get one of those.
I had the same problem with the 'key' missing for the turning handle. I cut off a section from an oblong cross section clout nail. Must be a regular Axminster problem. Love your channel!
We have found that you need a high flow low pressure to the body and a high pressure low flow to the crown guard. We have a Henry hoover performing the latter duty and an ancient monster machine outside the building so that we don't have to worry to much about filtration. I agree - no real thought or understanding of air flow went into the design of this tool. On this set up we pass a professional inspection each year.
Great review. You need captive screws for the insert plate. If there is any space under the plate where it screws down, they could be fitted, but as you said should have come from the factory with a better system.
I have been considering replacing my Dewalt DW745 with an Axminster for at least a year now, so your review is very useful to me. The minor dip in the table surface I could probably live with but it is a shame that the mitre slots have that amount of wobble, that the arbour will not take a dodo stack, that the insert is screwed in, and that the dust collection is so poor. The much quieter motor is a big win but if that is the biggest gain I might have to save up for another year or two, and aim for something that resolves the other issues too. I will be following your development with upgraded dust collection but that is of course an added expense too. Thanks for sharing.
Very good review Keith. Funny thing to mention here, I have a scheppach table saw and had pretty much the same issues as yourself but I had a cheap saw before this one and the odd thing is, it had a quick release riving knife where the one I have now, doesn't. But to be fair, I'm still learning a lot about these saws in general and in all honesty, it's been quite good. Great video mate
Hi Keith, grate review. I'm almost committed to buying the updated version of this saw, AP254SB. I need to get a 16amp supply sorted for my workshop and I just wondering if you can tell me the approximate cable length provided on your saw. thanks, Shane.
Hi Shane, the ap254sb shares nothing in common with the saw that I have as far as I can tell. It's best to contact axminster if you need the cable length
I feel your pain Keith. I spent a lot of time and money to get the dust collection up to par on my Powermatic 64A. I added a Shark Guard to the saw for both safety and for "above the blade dust collection". It helped a great deal. I used expanding foam insulation (rattle can) to seal up all of the gaps in the base. I also created my own dust collection chute below the blade to capture as much dust as possible. The stock version was terrible. I hate to say it but you made need to upgrade to a better (more CFM's) dust collector. I know you said it wasn't in your budget but it can make a big difference having a properly sized blower. Bill Pentz has some great information on his web site. I learned a ton from it. I'm not sure what systems are available in the UK but I'm sure you will work it all out. It will be fun to see where you wind up. Take care and stay safe!
Might be a bit late Keith but my Charnwood w619 extraction wasnt great so I enclosed the cabinet using mdf in a fashion that runs down toward the dust port. Extraction is massively improved.
Had one for 10yrs...still going strong but had exact same issues back then too! I machined the slots and installed some incra t-track nice and square to the blade. Incra mitre guage fits a treat now.
Bonjour Merci pour cette vidéo qui permet d'en savoir plus sur cette scie je souhaiterais savoir à quel vitesse tourne la lame, et quel diamètre de lame sur cette belle machine? bien à toi Michel
I recently purchased Proma 250, I belive same like yours, and the worst things I discovered was the tilt mechanism is on pins not trunnions. Every time, you tilt the blade, you have to adjust the fence. The truth about brushless motor is a fact. Power is astonishing. After couple of years of using the brushed table saw I chopped off my finger just in first 5 minutes of ripping boards. I paid about 600 euro for 2 hand one.
Thanks for a good review - very comprehensive. I have an 8" Axminster Hobby table saw that shares some of the things you have noted: easy to set up for accurate cuts, nice quiet induction motor, good overall performance. Dust extraction is very poor - aside from filling the workshop with dust, dust gets into the screw threads of the tilt and height mechanisms inside the cabinet that need frequent cleaning to stop them gumming up over time. That wouldn't be such an issue if they were easier to access. I also modified my riving knife like you. I can't understand why it would be designed to sit above the height of the blade - seems bonkers to me. I also find it very awkward to adjust the tension of the drive belt from the motor to the blade, but I've only had to do that once in 3 years. Would I buy it again: yes.
Great review! 🙌🏻 love the folding handles, that a neat feature. Glad they sent out the keys for you without any issues. Id love to upgrade to a workshop table saw but I don’t have the ability to upgrade my electrical supply to support 16amp machines. In the future though I’ll definitely be coming back to your vids to help me choose the right one for me. Thanks for sharing 😊🙌🏻😁
Thanks for the honest review Kieth. Isn’t it a shame that when choosing a table saw of over £1000 you still get parts that let it down. Glad you are happy with it though and enjoy. I wonder what price point you would have to spend to get better and more thoughtful quality. Regards Adrian
Adrian Brewer It's Badger of Badger's Workshop, RUclips channel. He quite recently did assembly and build of another table saw. He's done about 4 now! But he's happy at last.
G'day Browny, I have also just purchased the same saw (in Australia) and like you have identified the same floors. I am interested to know what you made the zero clearance insert from. I have already lost a screw as you spoke about. I do have the larger HLVP dust extraction and find it is awesome as i don't use the above blade guard often. The riving knife is frustrating and i will do the same as you have and modify mine. I see you have put the fence rails further to the right. When installing mine the manual said to centre the rails. What is you maximum cut now you have it further to the right? Thanks for you RUclips content i watch often. Cheers Wooffa.
Nice video. Not sure I’ll be going for this table saw, makes sense to save a bit longer and get something a bit more refined. Out of curiosity, what’s your spanner set on the wall there?
Great review as always, I own a SIP table saw which I think is the same I purchased it second hand but after a lot of problems I decided to upgrade to the Laguna Fusion 3. Currently waiting on delivery. Are you looking to upgrade your planer thicknesser I'd like to hear your thoughts on the current options available
That dust collector you're looking at looks fine. My two cents worth of advice are to avoid filter bags like the plauge! They let waaaaay too much fine dust through.
I agree. A cartridge filter will catch _much_ more of the fine dust than even the best filter bags. Here in the US, even the "premium" bags are 99% efficient only down to 1 micron. A good cartridge filter is 99.9+% efficient down to 0.3 microns. It's those tiny particles that are the most dangerous to your lungs. In the US, a good source for cartridge filters is Wynn Environmental. I'm not sure if they sell to the UK, but if not they'd probably be able to recommend someone who sells equivalent filters there. Their web site has good instructions on converting existing bag-based filters to use cartridges.
That is an excellent review; the good, the bad and the ugly. I guess that in order of priority: is it accurate. yes; is it powerful, yes; dust extraction, meh; is it quiet, yes. Could it be improved, absolutely. I would like to think Axminster actually listen to their users feedback and feed your comments into their product management process. Given that virtually every table saw owner makes a zero clearance insert, it does surprise that manufacturers don't supply them, even as an addition.
Great honest review Keith, loads of positives, a few negatives and could do better idea's.... Not sure I like your "Flappy Paddle" seems a bit small and hard to find... but you do have a large table top so i don't suppose you have the same issues as with the DW745.. Must be great to have that saw in your lovely looking shop.
I'm glad you got this saw for a bit of deal as axminster have just released a 10 inch version of their craft saw the AC254TS. Bet they didn't mention that when you spoke to them so they could up sell you. It's only £200 more than your saw so maybe it's a good upgrade anyway.
@@RagnBoneBrown sorry I meant less. I've always been disappointed by the rip capacity of axminster's saws. Based on your recommendations previously I have recently bought a dw745 for the 10 inch blade and the greater rip capacity.
I really appreciate the transparency on the affiliate links with Axminster and love your honest review but the best part is how excited you are to get your new tool out and setup. Curious as soon as it was plugged in did you do a test cut or first try and dial it in?
Hi Mate, I have that same saw (differently branded here in NZ) . It will work great with a proper HVLP dust collector. I have a 2HP on mine.. They need air flow (to provide the "high volume") so all the gaps are in your favour unlike with a vacuum system (HPLV) where it wouldn't work. My miter slots ain't consistent either. My cross cut sled binds on the front. Enjoy the saw! 🤙
Nice video. Have you any new thoughts on the table saw, things you like, things you don’t like, things you have changed or upgraded. I would love to hear your thoughts. Cheers Martin.
Hi Keith, regards your dust extraction- I have a very similar setup (inspired by you!) and I think our cyclones are bottle-necking the flow with c50mm inlet and outlets. I’ve been looking for a larger cyclone at a reasonable price but nothing seems to be available in this country. I designed a 3D-printable modular cyclone with 75mm inlet/outlets to suit my 68mm ducting however when I calculated the cost/time of the filament to print everything it was not viable. Happy to discuss further (and if you need 3D printed custom pipe couplers a relief valve then give me a shout!) - thank you for the videos!!
@@RagnBoneBrown thanks Keith, yeah I have seen that however it's a bit of a monster - although with the RnB affiliate discount it may just be something I can sneak past my better half ;)
In regards to the dust collection, does most of it just fall into the cabinet of the saw? I wouldn't mind that personally, it just means opening the cabinet door at the end of the day and giving it a quick clean. Or are you saying that most of it ends up in the air? which is of course a much bigger problem.
How long is rhe fence rail? Do you have any idea if it can be mou Ted on a Bosch GTS 10 XC? My fence is realy accurate, and I am happy with the saw, but I would like a little extra rip capacity. Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Thank you for great review! It is funny. I opened it and said, hey where do I know this guy from? Ah! I saw video about dewalt 7492 upgrade. It is funny for me, because I want some accurate saw in this price range, and I was thinking about 7492 - I tried it, it is a great job site saw. But. Still job site saw... And then I found this saw and I see that you switched from dewalt to this axminster :)
Nice review. Where you showed the mitre slots not being accurate along there length does this affect checking the blade alignment when measured from the mitre slot?
I'd like to try that, although when you look inside the body of the saw it seems like quite a daunting task, and I'm not sure if slapping some gaffer tape in there will do enough to improve things... I'm open to ideas! Thanks Peter
@@RagnBoneBrown I tried that on an Evolution trade saw I adapted for the workshop, there are more air ways in than you can block, especially when you get to the tilt mechanism. :-(
Looks like a pretty nice saw! It's looks a lot nicer than the Delta contractors saw I had before I bought my current one. You're right about how big an improvement a quick-release riving knife would be. When I bought my current saw (a Sawstop), that was my favorite new convenience feature compared to the old Delta. That plus a quick-release table insert make it super easy to change blades, to switch from the riving knife to the blade guard and back, etc. (Unlike your Axminster, on Sawstops the blade guard has its own, separate riving knife. I really like the way your saw's guard just clips onto the riving knife; that makes it easier to take the guard off and on, and making a safety feature easier to use is always a good thing.) All saws are different, but on mine I've found that having good dust collection around the blade under the table is better than just having it on the blade guard. Having both is of course better if your dust collector has enough airflow. I ran a separate duct along the ceiling to a spot above my saw so I can run the hose from the blade guard straight up to there and it won't be in the way. When I'm not using it I hang the blade guard (and hose) from a hook on the ceiling and close that blast gate. I can't give you much advice on more capable dust extractors. Aside from being in the US where the market is different, I have a "franken-cyclone" I made from a 2HP blower I bought off of Craigslist for $50, a Super Dust Deputy, and a good cartridge filter. So my only advice there is that before you go out and buy a new extractor, search the used market for extractors or parts you could use to make one.
Great video. I came to the same conclusion for which saw to choose (although a little too late to avoid the £100 price increase). I’m hoping to add a router table to the end as well, so very much looking forward to that video. How’s the planning coming on for that?
3:00 i always keep neodymium magnet on any machine that takes screws to be removed and put back on regulary or on an ocacion. My drill press cover is basically a fridge door - there are hundreds magnets for all kinds of stuff.
That's a Beast of cabinet saw. You'll need to be more selective what you do , don't try treating it same as your DeWalt site saw. Posh work only !!Love the mod to the riving knife, I would have tried extending the slots on the original, but your £8 fix is a winner !!
I would definitely encourage you to try the HVLP route. For me it was a revelation for bigger, messy machines such as planer/thicknessers and table saws. The LVHP extractors are great for router tables etc.
Keith I'd recommend a minimum 1.5hp dust extractor. Every dust extractor is overrated on its specs. I run a 2hp extractor on my AW12 and that works a treat and I dont even use the crown guard.
Hi mate, I got the same saw about a year ago & I’ve also got the Axminster trade wall mount dust extractor with the cartridge filter. Dust extraction for the main saw is great but I ended up using my trend m class vac on the crown guard as it struggled a little when doing both I think it best for single machine use so if you were replacing your current central unit with HVLP I’d go at least 2HP of keep the wall mount just for table saw/planer. Keep doing the vids pal 👍
I second that! You can get a sip 3 hp dust extractor with the charnwood filter upgrade for around 500. I've just set it up all with 150mm pipe (cheap from screwfix) and wow what a difference compared to 100mm pipe, it's a rabbit hole dust collection but bigger pipe is essential to get the air flow. I made a lean too to house it out of wood I had laying around, all in i think I spent 590 including pipe and blast gates, I had a record dx1000 and it drove me up the wall. There is the argument about lose of heat in winter though....
Re: Rip fence parallel to blade. It's quite common for these to be set 'toe-out' to reduce the chance of kick-back. If this was the case here, it may of been intentionally factory set so (certainly quicker from an assembly line perspective ). Personal preference which way you go.
Hi, just a thought but can you attach the magnifier from below rather than above, this would get you closer to the tape and if it works like that you may even be able to add washers to that and get it even nearer.
In addition to needing an HVLP extractor, you may need to upsize your shop's piping as well. As you said, disappointing. Glad you found a working short term solution, though. She's a beautiful unit!
Hi Keith, I have the same saw, and overall am really pleased with it too (hobby woodworker, not a pro!). I notice all the same gripes you mentioned in this review, but have gotten some really useful ideas and tips from this video, so thank you very much in advance (the riving knife idea in particular will have to be done!!) I though you might be interested to know, I also have the Axminster Craft AC153E 2.0HP Dust Extractor, which is really good, generally speaking (defo need to upgrade the filter bag though......). However, it makes little or no difference to the collection on this saw, which remains terrible. Unfortunately, I dont think upgrading your extractor is going to help with this? While the one you mentioned (Axminster Trade AT50E, i think it was), may better than the craft version i have, i cant help but think the dust collection on this saw will not benefit much from a better extractor. While I would be very interested in seeing how that works out, if you decide to go for it, seeing how hard you have worked over the past few years, i dont like the thought of seeing you wasting your money if it isnt going to improve matters. I hope this helps, either way. Thanks for all the great videos, looking forward to the next!!
I had the S.I.P 10inch cast iron table saw very similar to this table saw, it served me well, at 3hp its powerful enough but the fence is poor, the design allows for saw dust to enter where the fence locks down and thus inaccurate fence settings sadly are created. The castings are incredibly good, nice and flat, for the money it's a table saw that's affordable but the fence really is poor, I decided in the end to upgrade.
How did you find going from a left tilted saw to a right? I do alot of 45deg cuts and as I'm right handed a left tilted blade seems right to me but like you were I'm looking to upgrade my table saw but all the saws I have my eye on which are around the same price bracket you had are all right tilt. I was wondering how you find yours and if you have any pros and cons for both left and right tilt tables? Cheers
Hey Keith, big fan of you channel! I actually have the exact same tablesaw, and after a few months of use have found that the fence goes periodically out of the square, sometimes by more than 2 mm. I was wondering if you had experienced something similar and, if so, did you find a fix for it?
I wonder if it may have to do with the clamping of the router table fence, as that is the operation I perform that exerts any real pressure on it. Otherwise I am at a loss as to why it is happening. Very frustrating indeed.
I've just bought the same machine, Keith, and the blade is not perfectly aligned to the miter slots. Do you know if this is fixable. There's no mention of how to do this in the manual! Cheers
I've had this saw for a few years now and I run it on normal UK 13 amp outlet without any problem, all I needed was a 13 amp to 16 amp adaptor which I got from screwfix. Did you not have any problem with the blade height adjustment? On mine whenever I change the blade height the blade goes out of square so I have to adjust again. Also the fence is not perfectly straight. Overall it is a good saw for the price.
I'm giving away some to family and friends, some I'm keeping in the house for renovation work so I don't have to keep moving tools in and out of the workshop. Eventually once I no longer need them I'd like to do some giveaways/donations
Great review - on the Axminster site someone has commented the mitre slots aren't a standard size i.e. not deep enough for things like Incra. Do you agree?
No it won't fit, the US brands have mostly standardised things like mitre slots. You'd have to build something to fit your table, Incra sell a "build it" series of things. Otherwise there's Axminsters UJK jig making accessories
just listening to your comment about the mitre slots not being universal - surely you would expect a cast iron top to be dead on? did you contact Axminister about it, it would do my head in lol. By the way it would have some effect with a sled - you could end up with pieces .1mm in difference from each end on how you push the sled. I had an evolution table saw, jeeeeeez the slots were really crap i could be out by a mm or more (actually yours now in comparison to my old one is much better) - i just got rid of it and for now i am building around my circular saw to compensate not having a table saw (proper track with adaptor, mft top, bench dogs and so on) and use my router also to make certain cuts like notches . I think one has to spend like 2k plus to get a 'proper working table saw., hence trying the cheaper alternative above.
You do have to spend some time setting the saw up... blade, fence, etc. But once done, the saw is great. Fairly compact which is Nice ruclips.net/user/postUgkxXh-4_3-ZT1fFWP91ZV7iVqzElr0lEb-a I did get an Incra Miter Gauge which takes some setup as well. The stock miter gauge can be adjusted in the miter slot with a little painter's tape... this tightens up the side to side play a lot.
Nice one Keith it makes a change to see someone actually give a honest tool review rather than just sing the praises of the company to try get more out of them!
You mentioned that you made a zero clearance blade cover, instead of using the screws try countersink area's on the underneath of it and install earth magnets 🧲.
On that note great review well done sir 👏 👍
Thanks. I'm a bit worried about the magnet idea as I don't think they would hold against blade spinning at such a high RPM
@@RagnBoneBrown i wouldn't discount it keith I was really surprised how strong they are, way way stronger than the normal type of magnets!
Get yourself a small mechanics magnetic tray for those tiny screws. I use them anytime I dismantle anything. Just lob the screws in the tray and they stay there even if you upend the whole lot.
Hi from 5 miles down the road.
I have the Axminster Hobby Series TS-250M-2, which suffers from many of the same issues - I actually used a load of foil tape to cover all the gaps in the body. As well as this I did exactly what you did and only attached my vac to the crown guard to improve dust collection.
Like you ive found the measuring a bit naff - that said, I'm not doing much high-end work, so i tend to simply measure it out with a tape.
Past those niggles though, I'm pretty happy with it, and for a "hobby" saw its miles better than a site saw. Plus it also has an induction motor :)
Edit - one other thing I did was to cut up some rubber washing gloves and gaffa tape it to the back of the crown guard so it looks a bit like a cape! Its an obvious short term bodge, but it stops a lot of the dust flying out of the back and allows for better dust collection. And It doesn't get in the way of cutting at all.
Im thinking about a better long term solution, but for now, this bodge does help.
Great review. I resently purchased the 315mm version of this machine and had most of the same problems. Mitre slots and bow in top. My side door doesn't line up great either.
When it came I had an issue with the motor constantly triping the rcd. Axminster has a better than most aftersales and sent an engineer out and replaced faulty motor.
My riving knife was not set up and is awful to adjust.
Like you these small niggling faults aren't enough for me to regret buying the saw as the others at a similar price point will have similar issues.
I have a number of trade Axminster machines and the only one I cant recommend is there drum sander. In my opinion it isn't up the the job. But they accepted it back at no cost to me. I then got the laguna drum sander
Nice table saw indeed, mate, congratulations on the upgrade. 👍🏾
Save your old table saw blades and make riving knives from them, then you'll have perfect match fit for each differing blade you run. 👌🏾
Keith, good review.
I've clicked the Axminster link, hope this helps and look forward to future reviews.
Couldn't agree more! I had the exact same minor problems with the saw and made the same inprovements. Nice to see that its not just me being to precise. Can't wait to see you make a crosscut sled, i made one but had many problems with the mitter slots. Good luck!
The custom riving knife idea was superb.
yeah, Im going to do the same for my saw I think
@@matthewdartford9501 I did it for the SIP version of this saw a couple years ago, works grand, no real downside as far as I can see.
I took the alternate route to you and bought a old rusty fox f36-529 10 inch cabinet saw from gumtree. The motor stalled when I test cut at collection and ended up give the guy £80 for it thinking it was worth it for the body and cast iron table.
Long story short, I dismantled the whole thing replaced 2 bearings, the belt and gave it a really good clean. Put it back together, painted it and bought a new blade. And much to my surprise it works a treat!
I too am going to upgrade my table saw but will be going for the Laguna fusion 3 . not being a snob but i recently bought a Laguna extractor and it is exceptional so hoping for the same quality from their saws but anything would be better than my Naerok antique which has a fence that needs locked from both ends , has no motor brake and makes so much noise that i have had complaints from Gatwick airport
Not often I see a true honest review with sponsorship / discount above head.
Excellent review! I have also picked this saw and after watching your video I am more than confident that it is the correct choice for me. Thanks!
I’m from Italy and a woodworker like you. I had same issue with my old 0.75kW dust extractor and any other improvement I found over web are really expensive. Finally I hook down this one from Cormak, a good Polish manufacturer, and now I solved any dust problem.
Cormak FM340 230V Portable Dust and Fume Collector & Extractor 3200 m3/h
Oh. I decided to add a paper filter from Charnwood I found on Amazon for few bucks. Great improvement.
I’m nor sponsored by them.
Regards.
Marco Zamarco Malaspina.
Welcome to the club Keith. I've had this saw for 4 years and its still going as strong as the day it arrived. Just FYI you can run the saw off a 13amp plug socket with a 10 quid adapter from Amazon, its the 12inch that demands 16amps
Didn't realise that !
Hi Keith, I have had the 315mm version of this saw for just over 3 years now and I love it, I had the same issues as you and have done most of the same improvements as you. My biggest issue was the dust extraction, I taped up any and all gaps around the saw but one of the biggest improvements I did was to remove the dust chute from underneath the saw blade then I fitted a big mouth plastic dust extraction fitting I git from Axminster, I fit some thin plywood to guide the dust to the big mouth the fit a 100mm hose to it, it took a bit of work but it has improved dust extraction greatly, I still use a separate extractor for the crown guard. As stated, I think it's a great saw and I'm sure it will give you many years if pleasure using it.
Ive purchased an exact same table by another Brand (but obviously still coming out of China). The video was really helpful for the extra points in setting up the machine. The guidebooks for setting up the machine are somewhat difficult to wade through given the quality of photographs and the translation in the instructions.
Nice review, if you didn't need to upgrade your power supply, which table saw would you have preferred ?
Hi, i have a sip 12" saw of very simmilar design. You mention not being happy with the 'Micro adjuster'. On mine i couldnt even get the rack and gear to even engage with each other. I checked the booklet that came with it but not a mention of how to install it, no mention on youtube either. On removing the micro adjuster i noted that it was fitted with a grub screw, i loosened it up and found that it released the round carrier and found it was in fact an excentric adjuster. I now have adjusted it and the rack and gear mesh perfectly allowing easy micro adjustment. May be of help to someone with a problamatic fine adjuster mechanism.
I use a rigid 16 gallon shop vac for my sealed up contractor saw and I am more than happy with the performance, Andy.
Nice review Keith I have just bought the craft model and I am well pleased with it
I'm watching this waiting for my TKS 80 to be delivered. We don't have Axminister in Denmark. Looks pretty solid. Hope you'll get god use of it.
When I attached the wings to my saw I clamped the straight edge to the main table, overhanging where the side tables go. Then put the side tables in place and clamped them to the straight edge and bolted them on. Easy Peasy for one person.
Nice level headed review :D I do love the quick release riving knife on my tiny DeWalt 4785 though. Looking forward to seeing you use your new saw a lot in the future videos. Cheers.
Hi I have got the AW10BSB2 had it for about five years now the only main trouble I had was when i set the blade at 45 Deg and made a cut
the timber used to jam on the riving knife , it turned out that you have to recheck the slot to the blade at 45 Deg and if out of parallel you have to either pack the front two or rear adjustment bolts to make it parallel and then check again at 90 Deg and once both are ok
your good to go.
I bought the same wall mounted dust extractor when I bought my trader bandsaw. It works great with the bandsaw. The guards across the hose attachment (if that makes sense) are a pain when I use it with my thicknesser. It clogged all the time and I was constantly having to remove the hose and remove the chips. I removed this using a jigsaw and it is great now. No more clogging and plenty of suction.
Hope this is useful.
Thank you
@@RagnBoneBrown no probs
Hello Keith, I have the Itec saw and it is almost exactly the same and comes with 2 cast iron extension tables as standard. Not surprising as they all are made in e same place! I have had it for about 2 years and it is quiet and cuts very accurately so I am sure yours will too. Re mitre gauge I saw a video on this and all you need to do is use a centre punch to put 2 or 3 "dimples" on each side of the slide bar to take up the slack, will not be absolute but near as dam it. I use mine sometimes but mostly the cross cut sled that I made. I don't bother screwing the blade guard down as mine is a stiff fit and needs a tug to get it out so swapping from it to my zero clearance, which is also a tight fit is quick and easy. Like the idea of the riving knife I think I will give that a go.
Alan, I also have recently purchased the itech equivalent saw and as you say it comes with the two cast iron extensions which makes it a much better deal compared with the Axminster.
A great review Keith and I was especially interested as I went for another site saw (Bosch GTS 10 XC) rather than this. I should say the chap in Axminster Basingstoke did point out the need for a HVLP dust extraction on the saw. I do wonder if you're seeing a lot of dust fall straight through the saw and collect under it.
Cheers Karl, the amount of dust underneath the cabinet was unbelievable until I hooked up the other extractor. It's not bad at all now but I'll definitely be upgrading to something quieter and lvhp... Just struggling to figure out where to put it
Hi Keith. Enjoyed your review, the holes in the machine housing that are reducing the effective extraction are easily blocked
using upholstery foam pushed in where needed. Your always better having a bigger extraction than what's needed by the
manufacturers, the more suction the better in my experience. The saw look a really nice tool with the cast iron extension tables
and substantial fence and guide set up. The fold down handles on the hand wheels is a good feature, saves the bruises. Tony
I have the original saw from Axminstet I bought about 15 years ago.Mine comes with the heavy duty sliding crosscut table.Only changed the drive belt on it once,it's still going strong.When it was delivered the fence WA bent slightly,but they sent me a new one witching 2 days.
Hope mine lasts that well
Great review. I'm looking at getting a used one of these and for my needs it seems a good purchase. Pity about the riving knife though. I like your particulate measurer will have to get one of those.
I had the same problem with the 'key' missing for the turning handle. I cut off a section from an oblong cross section clout nail. Must be a regular Axminster problem. Love your channel!
I had seen a video (maybe on youtube) where the keys were taped to the packing the wheels came in, so easy to discard in error !
The handiest place you will find suitable stock for a woodruff key is from the head of a bolt.
We have found that you need a high flow low pressure to the body and a high pressure low flow to the crown guard. We have a Henry hoover performing the latter duty and an ancient monster machine outside the building so that we don't have to worry to much about filtration. I agree - no real thought or understanding of air flow went into the design of this tool. On this set up we pass a professional inspection each year.
Great review. You need captive screws for the insert plate. If there is any space under the plate where it screws down, they could be fitted, but as you said should have come from the factory with a better system.
I have been considering replacing my Dewalt DW745 with an Axminster for at least a year now, so your review is very useful to me. The minor dip in the table surface I could probably live with but it is a shame that the mitre slots have that amount of wobble, that the arbour will not take a dodo stack, that the insert is screwed in, and that the dust collection is so poor. The much quieter motor is a big win but if that is the biggest gain I might have to save up for another year or two, and aim for something that resolves the other issues too. I will be following your development with upgraded dust collection but that is of course an added expense too. Thanks for sharing.
Very good review Keith. Funny thing to mention here, I have a scheppach table saw and had pretty much the same issues as yourself but I had a cheap saw before this one and the odd thing is, it had a quick release riving knife where the one I have now, doesn't. But to be fair, I'm still learning a lot about these saws in general and in all honesty, it's been quite good. Great video mate
Awesome! Glad for you and looking forward for new projects!
Hi Keith, grate review. I'm almost committed to buying the updated version of this saw, AP254SB. I need to get a 16amp supply sorted for my workshop and I just wondering if you can tell me the approximate cable length provided on your saw. thanks, Shane.
Hi Shane, the ap254sb shares nothing in common with the saw that I have as far as I can tell. It's best to contact axminster if you need the cable length
I feel your pain Keith. I spent a lot of time and money to get the dust collection up to par on my Powermatic 64A. I added a Shark Guard to the saw for both safety and for "above the blade dust collection". It helped a great deal. I used expanding foam insulation (rattle can) to seal up all of the gaps in the base. I also created my own dust collection chute below the blade to capture as much dust as possible. The stock version was terrible. I hate to say it but you made need to upgrade to a better (more CFM's) dust collector. I know you said it wasn't in your budget but it can make a big difference having a properly sized blower. Bill Pentz has some great information on his web site. I learned a ton from it. I'm not sure what systems are available in the UK but I'm sure you will work it all out. It will be fun to see where you wind up. Take care and stay safe!
Might be a bit late Keith but my Charnwood w619 extraction wasnt great so I enclosed the cabinet using mdf in a fashion that runs down toward the dust port. Extraction is massively improved.
Had one for 10yrs...still going strong but had exact same issues back then too! I machined the slots and installed some incra t-track nice and square to the blade. Incra mitre guage fits a treat now.
Sounds like a neat solution
Hi Keith, I use AT50C the extract you commented on in the vid coupled with the axminster craft cyclone ACCIH. They work very well.
Bonjour Merci pour cette vidéo qui permet d'en savoir plus sur cette scie je souhaiterais savoir à quel vitesse tourne la lame, et quel diamètre de lame sur cette belle machine? bien à toi Michel
I recently purchased Proma 250, I belive same like yours, and the worst things I discovered was the tilt mechanism is on pins not trunnions. Every time, you tilt the blade, you have to adjust the fence. The truth about brushless motor is a fact. Power is astonishing. After couple of years of using the brushed table saw I chopped off my finger just in first 5 minutes of ripping boards. I paid about 600 euro for 2 hand one.
Nothing better than watching a bit of Rag ‘n’ Bone Brown with some thatchers cider on my 19th birthday
Congratulations
steenfraosterbro thank you
Happy birthday!
Rag 'n' Bone Brown thanks
Congrats Harry!
Thanks for a good review - very comprehensive. I have an 8" Axminster Hobby table saw that shares some of the things you have noted: easy to set up for accurate cuts, nice quiet induction motor, good overall performance. Dust extraction is very poor - aside from filling the workshop with dust, dust gets into the screw threads of the tilt and height mechanisms inside the cabinet that need frequent cleaning to stop them gumming up over time. That wouldn't be such an issue if they were easier to access. I also modified my riving knife like you. I can't understand why it would be designed to sit above the height of the blade - seems bonkers to me. I also find it very awkward to adjust the tension of the drive belt from the motor to the blade, but I've only had to do that once in 3 years. Would I buy it again: yes.
Great review Keith, very thorough.
A very honest review. Shame about the dust extraction and other minor problems. Looks good though.
Great review! 🙌🏻 love the folding handles, that a neat feature. Glad they sent out the keys for you without any issues. Id love to upgrade to a workshop table saw but I don’t have the ability to upgrade my electrical supply to support 16amp machines. In the future though I’ll definitely be coming back to your vids to help me choose the right one for me. Thanks for sharing 😊🙌🏻😁
Thanks for the honest review Kieth. Isn’t it a shame that when choosing a table saw of over £1000 you still get parts that let it down. Glad you are happy with it though and enjoy. I wonder what price point you would have to spend to get better and more thoughtful quality. Regards Adrian
I prefer the look of Badger's cheaper version. I would not expect these issues at this price.
GuranjiNoHamusuta can you send me a link to that machine so I could take a look please. I have never heard of Badger tools.
Adrian Brewer It's Badger of Badger's Workshop, RUclips channel. He quite recently did assembly and build of another table saw. He's done about 4 now! But he's happy at last.
I brought this table saw a year ago. I concur with your review. In general a good saw but there are a few niggles with it especially the extraction!
G'day Browny, I have also just purchased the same saw (in Australia) and like you have identified the same floors. I am interested to know what you made the zero clearance insert from. I have already lost a screw as you spoke about. I do have the larger HLVP dust extraction and find it is awesome as i don't use the above blade guard often. The riving knife is frustrating and i will do the same as you have and modify mine. I see you have put the fence rails further to the right. When installing mine the manual said to centre the rails. What is you maximum cut now you have it further to the right?
Thanks for you RUclips content i watch often.
Cheers Wooffa.
ruclips.net/video/NOeYv5s-Y8A/видео.html here is the zero clearance video 👍 can't remember cut capacity, maybe about 700mm from memory... Cheers Keith
Nice video. Not sure I’ll be going for this table saw, makes sense to save a bit longer and get something a bit more refined. Out of curiosity, what’s your spanner set on the wall there?
Great review as always, I own a SIP table saw which I think is the same I purchased it second hand but after a lot of problems I decided to upgrade to the Laguna Fusion 3. Currently waiting on delivery. Are you looking to upgrade your planer thicknesser I'd like to hear your thoughts on the current options available
Yes been waiting for this
congrats on new saw. I'm currently doing my homework for here in canada.
That dust collector you're looking at looks fine. My two cents worth of advice are to avoid filter bags like the plauge! They let waaaaay too much fine dust through.
I agree. A cartridge filter will catch _much_ more of the fine dust than even the best filter bags. Here in the US, even the "premium" bags are 99% efficient only down to 1 micron. A good cartridge filter is 99.9+% efficient down to 0.3 microns. It's those tiny particles that are the most dangerous to your lungs.
In the US, a good source for cartridge filters is Wynn Environmental. I'm not sure if they sell to the UK, but if not they'd probably be able to recommend someone who sells equivalent filters there. Their web site has good instructions on converting existing bag-based filters to use cartridges.
That is an excellent review; the good, the bad and the ugly. I guess that in order of priority: is it accurate. yes; is it powerful, yes; dust extraction, meh; is it quiet, yes. Could it be improved, absolutely. I would like to think Axminster actually listen to their users feedback and feed your comments into their product management process. Given that virtually every table saw owner makes a zero clearance insert, it does surprise that manufacturers don't supply them, even as an addition.
Great honest review Keith, loads of positives, a few negatives and could do better idea's.... Not sure I like your "Flappy Paddle" seems a bit small and hard to find... but you do have a large table top so i don't suppose you have the same issues as with the DW745.. Must be great to have that saw in your lovely looking shop.
Nothing compares to your flappy paddle Paul! 👍
I'm glad you got this saw for a bit of deal as axminster have just released a 10 inch version of their craft saw the AC254TS. Bet they didn't mention that when you spoke to them so they could up sell you. It's only £200 more than your saw so maybe it's a good upgrade anyway.
It's £200 less than my saw... And it doesn't really fit my needs as the rip capacity is too small
@@RagnBoneBrown sorry I meant less. I've always been disappointed by the rip capacity of axminster's saws. Based on your recommendations previously I have recently bought a dw745 for the 10 inch blade and the greater rip capacity.
Great video, helped me when buying my table saw! Do you have a link to buy an additional riving knife from axminster?
I really appreciate the transparency on the affiliate links with Axminster and love your honest review but the best part is how excited you are to get your new tool out and setup. Curious as soon as it was plugged in did you do a test cut or first try and dial it in?
Hi Mate, I have that same saw (differently branded here in NZ) . It will work great with a proper HVLP dust collector. I have a 2HP on mine.. They need air flow (to provide the "high volume") so all the gaps are in your favour unlike with a vacuum system (HPLV) where it wouldn't work. My miter slots ain't consistent either. My cross cut sled binds on the front. Enjoy the saw! 🤙
Nice video. Have you any new thoughts on the table saw, things you like, things you don’t like, things you have changed or upgraded. I would love to hear your thoughts. Cheers Martin.
do they supply a short fence for natural timber?....much safer.
Hi Keith, regards your dust extraction- I have a very similar setup (inspired by you!) and I think our cyclones are bottle-necking the flow with c50mm inlet and outlets. I’ve been looking for a larger cyclone at a reasonable price but nothing seems to be available in this country. I designed a 3D-printable modular cyclone with 75mm inlet/outlets to suit my 68mm ducting however when I calculated the cost/time of the filament to print everything it was not viable. Happy to discuss further (and if you need 3D printed custom pipe couplers a relief valve then give me a shout!) - thank you for the videos!!
Thanks Colin. I believe Axminster released a 100mm cyclone recently
@@RagnBoneBrown thanks Keith, yeah I have seen that however it's a bit of a monster - although with the RnB affiliate discount it may just be something I can sneak past my better half ;)
In regards to the dust collection, does most of it just fall into the cabinet of the saw? I wouldn't mind that personally, it just means opening the cabinet door at the end of the day and giving it a quick clean. Or are you saying that most of it ends up in the air? which is of course a much bigger problem.
How long is rhe fence rail? Do you have any idea if it can be mou Ted on a Bosch GTS 10 XC? My fence is realy accurate, and I am happy with the saw, but I would like a little extra rip capacity. Thanks, and keep up the good work.
Thank you for great review! It is funny. I opened it and said, hey where do I know this guy from? Ah! I saw video about dewalt 7492 upgrade. It is funny for me, because I want some accurate saw in this price range, and I was thinking about 7492 - I tried it, it is a great job site saw. But. Still job site saw... And then I found this saw and I see that you switched from dewalt to this axminster :)
Nice review.
Where you showed the mitre slots not being accurate along there length does this affect checking the blade alignment when measured from the mitre slot?
Thanks. Technically yes, but by such a small amount that it doesn't worry me
you could use black foam to seal up some off the gaps for better dust collection
do you intend plugging any of the holes around the blade housing to improve the dust collection keith?
I'd like to try that, although when you look inside the body of the saw it seems like quite a daunting task, and I'm not sure if slapping some gaffer tape in there will do enough to improve things... I'm open to ideas! Thanks Peter
@@RagnBoneBrown I tried that on an Evolution trade saw I adapted for the workshop, there are more air ways in than you can block, especially when you get to the tilt mechanism. :-(
Those small screws are m4 countersunk. You can buy longer ones. Hope that helps, regards Paul.
Cheers, they're actually M5, I bought some on eBay and aside from the heads being a bit large for the purpose they fit
@@RagnBoneBrown your welcome, i had the same problem on my makita table saw. Regards Paul.
Looks like a pretty nice saw! It's looks a lot nicer than the Delta contractors saw I had before I bought my current one.
You're right about how big an improvement a quick-release riving knife would be. When I bought my current saw (a Sawstop), that was my favorite new convenience feature compared to the old Delta. That plus a quick-release table insert make it super easy to change blades, to switch from the riving knife to the blade guard and back, etc. (Unlike your Axminster, on Sawstops the blade guard has its own, separate riving knife. I really like the way your saw's guard just clips onto the riving knife; that makes it easier to take the guard off and on, and making a safety feature easier to use is always a good thing.)
All saws are different, but on mine I've found that having good dust collection around the blade under the table is better than just having it on the blade guard. Having both is of course better if your dust collector has enough airflow. I ran a separate duct along the ceiling to a spot above my saw so I can run the hose from the blade guard straight up to there and it won't be in the way. When I'm not using it I hang the blade guard (and hose) from a hook on the ceiling and close that blast gate.
I can't give you much advice on more capable dust extractors. Aside from being in the US where the market is different, I have a "franken-cyclone" I made from a 2HP blower I bought off of Craigslist for $50, a Super Dust Deputy, and a good cartridge filter. So my only advice there is that before you go out and buy a new extractor, search the used market for extractors or parts you could use to make one.
Only 1 of the Axminster links work.
You may want to update them.
Nice vid. Thanks
Cheers, think the product has now been discontinued
Excellent review.v few reviews on this saw too.thanks
Great video. I came to the same conclusion for which saw to choose (although a little too late to avoid the £100 price increase). I’m hoping to add a router table to the end as well, so very much looking forward to that video. How’s the planning coming on for that?
3:00 i always keep neodymium magnet on any machine that takes screws to be removed and put back on regulary or on an ocacion. My drill press cover is basically a fridge door - there are hundreds magnets for all kinds of stuff.
Shame you had to do some fettling but looked good in the end
The last thing @BadgerWorkshop needs to be watching is videos about table saws..........just kidding!!
Lol Rob.. I actually thought the same poor Matt 😁😁
That's a Beast of cabinet saw. You'll need to be more selective what you do , don't try treating it same as your DeWalt site saw. Posh work only !!Love the mod to the riving knife, I would have tried extending the slots on the original, but your £8 fix is a winner !!
I would definitely encourage you to try the HVLP route. For me it was a revelation for bigger, messy machines such as planer/thicknessers and table saws. The LVHP extractors are great for router tables etc.
Keith I'd recommend a minimum 1.5hp dust extractor. Every dust extractor is overrated on its specs. I run a 2hp extractor on my AW12 and that works a treat and I dont even use the crown guard.
Hi mate, I got the same saw about a year ago & I’ve also got the Axminster trade wall mount dust extractor with the cartridge filter. Dust extraction for the main saw is great but I ended up using my trend m class vac on the crown guard as it struggled a little when doing both I think it best for single machine use so if you were replacing your current central unit with HVLP I’d go at least 2HP of keep the wall mount just for table saw/planer. Keep doing the vids pal 👍
Thank you, good to know
I second that! You can get a sip 3 hp dust extractor with the charnwood filter upgrade for around 500. I've just set it up all with 150mm pipe (cheap from screwfix) and wow what a difference compared to 100mm pipe, it's a rabbit hole dust collection but bigger pipe is essential to get the air flow. I made a lean too to house it out of wood I had laying around, all in i think I spent 590 including pipe and blast gates, I had a record dx1000 and it drove me up the wall. There is the argument about lose of heat in winter though....
Hi Jack, can you confirm is it the Charnwood CF1519 or CF2024 that is compatible with the SIP 3hp 01954?
@@RagnBoneBrown its the 2024 mate.
@@jackastbury thank you
Re: Rip fence parallel to blade.
It's quite common for these to be set 'toe-out' to reduce the chance of kick-back. If this was the case here, it may of been intentionally factory set so (certainly quicker from an assembly line perspective ). Personal preference which way you go.
What would be considered a step from this saw - around the £1,500 to £2k range?
Does your rise and fall locking arm sometimes prevent you from lowering the blade by dropping on?
Thank you for a very thorough review.
Hi, just a thought but can you attach the magnifier from below rather than above, this would get you closer to the tape and if it works like that you may even be able to add washers to that and get it even nearer.
Worth having a look, but I don't think there's enough space unfortunately
In addition to needing an HVLP extractor, you may need to upsize your shop's piping as well. As you said, disappointing. Glad you found a working short term solution, though. She's a beautiful unit!
Hi Keith,
I have the same saw, and overall am really pleased with it too (hobby woodworker, not a pro!). I notice all the same gripes you mentioned in this review, but have gotten some really useful ideas and tips from this video, so thank you very much in advance (the riving knife idea in particular will have to be done!!)
I though you might be interested to know, I also have the Axminster Craft AC153E 2.0HP Dust Extractor, which is really good, generally speaking (defo need to upgrade the filter bag though......). However, it makes little or no difference to the collection on this saw, which remains terrible. Unfortunately, I dont think upgrading your extractor is going to help with this? While the one you mentioned (Axminster Trade AT50E, i think it was), may better than the craft version i have, i cant help but think the dust collection on this saw will not benefit much from a better extractor. While I would be very interested in seeing how that works out, if you decide to go for it, seeing how hard you have worked over the past few years, i dont like the thought of seeing you wasting your money if it isnt going to improve matters. I hope this helps, either way.
Thanks for all the great videos, looking forward to the next!!
I had the S.I.P 10inch cast iron table saw very similar to this table saw, it served me well, at 3hp its powerful enough but the fence is poor, the design allows for saw dust to enter where the fence locks down and thus inaccurate fence settings sadly are created. The castings are incredibly good, nice and flat, for the money it's a table saw that's affordable but the fence really is poor, I decided in the end to upgrade.
How did you find going from a left tilted saw to a right? I do alot of 45deg cuts and as I'm right handed a left tilted blade seems right to me but like you were I'm looking to upgrade my table saw but all the saws I have my eye on which are around the same price bracket you had are all right tilt. I was wondering how you find yours and if you have any pros and cons for both left and right tilt tables?
Cheers
As the fence can go on either side of the blade, it really doesn't make much of a difference
Hey Keith, big fan of you channel! I actually have the exact same tablesaw, and after a few months of use have found that the fence goes periodically out of the square, sometimes by more than 2 mm. I was wondering if you had experienced something similar and, if so, did you find a fix for it?
I have found the same problem. Frustrating isn't it? No fix for it unfortunately...
I wonder if it may have to do with the clamping of the router table fence, as that is the operation I perform that exerts any real pressure on it. Otherwise I am at a loss as to why it is happening. Very frustrating indeed.
I've just bought the same machine, Keith, and the blade is not perfectly aligned to the miter slots. Do you know if this is fixable. There's no mention of how to do this in the manual! Cheers
Yeah there are some bolts that you can undo to release the top from the cabinet, and then straighten it up 👍
Hi. I have a 2007 aw10bsb2 (since new) and the blade when raising or lowering will tilt a degree either way. Does your one do this at all? Thanks Mark
I've had this saw for a few years now and I run it on normal UK 13 amp outlet without any problem, all I needed was a 13 amp to 16 amp adaptor which I got from screwfix.
Did you not have any problem with the blade height adjustment? On mine whenever I change the blade height the blade goes out of square so I have to adjust again.
Also the fence is not perfectly straight. Overall it is a good saw for the price.
I heard about that fault with the blade rise and fall on older versions of the saw, but it has since been corrected fortunately, mine is fine for that
Brilliant video but what u going to do with your old hikoki gear ? 🤔
I'm giving away some to family and friends, some I'm keeping in the house for renovation work so I don't have to keep moving tools in and out of the workshop. Eventually once I no longer need them I'd like to do some giveaways/donations
Great review - on the Axminster site someone has commented the mitre slots aren't a standard size i.e. not deep enough for things like Incra. Do you agree?
No idea, haven't tried as I don't own any incra stuff
No it won't fit, the US brands have mostly standardised things like mitre slots. You'd have to build something to fit your table, Incra sell a "build it" series of things. Otherwise there's Axminsters UJK jig making accessories
Great stuff as usual Keith, Aussie 19yo here
just listening to your comment about the mitre slots not being universal - surely you would expect a cast iron top to be dead on? did you contact Axminister about it, it would do my head in lol. By the way it would have some effect with a sled - you could end up with pieces .1mm in difference from each end on how you push the sled. I had an evolution table saw, jeeeeeez the slots were really crap i could be out by a mm or more (actually yours now in comparison to my old one is much better) - i just got rid of it and for now i am building around my circular saw to compensate not having a table saw (proper track with adaptor, mft top, bench dogs and so on) and use my router also to make certain cuts like notches . I think one has to spend like 2k plus to get a 'proper working table saw., hence trying the cheaper alternative above.
For me it's all about levels of tolerance, and while I'd expected it to be better, it's within tolerance for me and the work I do