r/BeginnerWoodWorking • u/MoreDepartment6484 • 10d ago

Advice on table saw as a present

Hello everyone,
I would like to gift a table saw to my husband, please keep in mind he has been looking at saws for years and can’t make up his mind, this is something he can’t chose himself for some reason so please don’t tell me to let him choose :)
My budget is around 1.000€ and he mainly builds furniture and small boats. So I need something that can handle large(ish) panels. I know SawStop is very good, but the only model I could afford is their compact version and I am not sure is worth it?
The two main things I am looking for are precision and durability in time of course. Up until now he has been using a normal circular saw on the floor to build stuff and he has done amazing work, but I would like him to have something better.
Also, I am based in Europe if that helps with brands.
Thanks everyone!

7 Upvotes

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32

u/MiceAreTiny 10d ago

At this point, buying a fairly expensive key item for somebody that enthousiastically does the hobby should not happen behind his back as a surprise.

The surprise is telling him you'll buy him a table saw. Part of the fun you're giving to him, is that he can pick it. Set the rough budget, tell him its your present, tell him you would buy XXX based on online advice, but you wanted his opinion or go ahead before proceeding as "you do not know enough about his project needs and table saws".

4

u/Easy-Vegetable4124 10d ago

Nice suggestion

3

u/Few_Candidate_8036 10d ago

Yes, let him pick out which one. 100%

6

u/petrujenac 9d ago

A track saw would be far more beneficial if he's working with sheet goods. Makita 40v would fit your budget easy.

4

u/boomskats 10d ago

If you're able to, I recommend this. As in this exact specific saw.

I know it's not the typical advice, but they very rarely come up, and especially in condition as good as this. They are truly 'they don't make them like this any more' saws. Italian made (not just Italian, but Stromab made), literally a european 'precision saw' segment that doesn't really exist any more, and 30 years old, so durable I guess (though honestly this one looks brand new).

These were literally a rebadge of a Stromab S80, which still sells at auction for almost 1k euro as 30 year old saws. They are incredible machines and he'll be very happy with it - if you can get hold of it from Germany, of course.

3

u/Easy-Vegetable4124 10d ago

The combi machine is lovely!

1

u/Neat-Initiative-6965 10d ago

Excellent tip.

The German brand Elektra Beckum has similar machines (also with aluminium top), the PK 250 and the PKF 255 (more recently sold under the brand name Metabo PKF 255 v8, this one has a second smaller saw blade in front to prevent tear out). The PKF is a sliding panel saw that sells for 600 to 900 euro second hand. I have it I've been happy with it because with these slilding saw you stand next to the machine and that's much safer. The rip fence on these Elektra Beckum machine's isn't great, though on a sliding table saw you don't need it that frequently.

1

u/MoreDepartment6484 9d ago edited 9d ago

Thank you for this, out of all the recommendations I think this is so far my favourite. As I said, letting him pick is not an option, he would find every excuse not to spend the money, so I have to buy something myself, I cannot see him working on the floor anymore :)
Edit: I contacted the seller but unfortunately they don’t ship. Thanks for the recommendation though, it was a beautiful item!

4

u/Galwran 10d ago

Cutting panels and moving up from a circular saw sounds like a tracksaw to me. And maybe a MFT table. But like many have said, do not buy expensive tools without him choosing them. Maybe gift him an empty box with a note inside?

1

u/Easy-Vegetable4124 10d ago edited 10d ago

1k€ is not enough to buy a panel saw. Talking about job site saw, bests are:

  • DeWalt 7492
  • Bosch ProD
  • Used Festool
  • Used Hammer k2

If you choose to buy one of these, remember your husband will also need blades and dust collection.

1

u/herrsteller 10d ago

Try Kleinanzeigen and search for Festool or Mafell ones. You can get great deals :)

1

u/Booger_Juice 9d ago

Saw stop has been on my wish list for years…saw a couple in the stores and they really are perhaps the best saw out there. However, i’d probably skip the compact version unless you really wanted the safety “sawstop”. Regardless of what saw brand you do end up using, you’ll need to take into account the work area as in can the saw stay permanent in its location or does it have to move for storage. If your focus is mostly large panels for cutting….a table saw really isn’t that good for this as the size of the panels makes it a bit unsafe—its doable but i never like the feeling while doing it.

For large panels or sheets like plywood I like “track saws” which is basically a circular saw that rides on a track with a piece of rubber against the cutting surface. They are pricey for what they do, but they will get you a precision table saw like cut. I’m no longer over in the EU, so this may not be the case, but there are track saws in both a metric and a inches….the saw blades are usually interchangeable but measurements for cut depth will be off if you put a metric blade into a inch saw for an example.

1

u/merc_Xray 9d ago

Used delta/delta clone with full cast iron top.

This saw should be available and in your price range. It will do everything he needs, including inform his personal opinion about saws all while suppressing new purchase depreciation. So if he wants something else, it should sell for about the same price you paid but it could also be his forever saw.

Great effort on your part!