charnwood W614 any good? - Woodworking Talk

dave323 · 12-28-2007, 09:27 AM

There is a charnwood table saw I am interested from theyre new 2007 range, charnwood W614. I have very little knowledge about tablesaws,
can anyone tell me if there is anything that stands out as bad or good about it? Or better still if they have used it.. there are no reviews at least I cant find any.
If you know what are the best budget table saws, top I want to spend is 200 really because im just a hobbier, and I know I cant get a quality saw for this.

aaronmi07 · 12-28-2007, 10:35 AM

Hi Dave, I did a LOT of research before buying my first table saw a couple years ago and I never came across Charnwood. I just googled it and I must say that is a very interesting saw and with a 2hp rating. All I can say, and I could very well be wrong, is do not expect things to work as advertised for that amount of money. But if you do get your hands on one let us know what you think. I'ld love to hear about it. Good luck and watch your fingers.

**TexasTimbers** · 12-28-2007, 12:29 PM

Welcome dave. I have to agree with aaron.

I will also add that even without getting my hands on it I can tell the fence is inadequate at best, and probably really sloppy. At 39kg (86 pounds), the machine is also extremely lightweight for a table saw of practically any HP. Even quality benchtop table saws weigh more than that.

Nothing that is that cheap can possibly be satisfactory even for hobby level woodworking, IMHO. I could be all wrong because it has happened a time or two before . . . .

dave323 · 12-28-2007, 01:37 PM

Thanks guys your opinions are valued. What sort differences are we talking about when it comes to cheaper saws over more quality/expensive ones, if you can pin point them?

aaronmi07 · 12-28-2007, 04:59 PM

I think the biggest difference asside from weight is fit (close tolerances). Cheap saws have lousy miter slots and lots of times they are not even standard size so you can't even buy a nice aftermarket miter gauge to replace the crappy one that came with it. If you go and look at new saws just grab hold of the miter gauge and try to move it side to side. Even good saws have crappy standard miter gauges but those cheap saws are even worse (if they are even standard size) and that will translate into bad cuts. The rip fence, as Texas was saying, needs to be easy to adjust to the blade and absolutely solid. Also, I would want a fence at least as long as my table. After reading Texas's thoughts and looking at that fence again that thing just looks dangerous. It also looks very difficult (if not impossible) to attach any kind of jig to, even a saccrificial fence for doing rabbets and such. A closer look at the handle to adjust and secure the blade angle and that thing just looks like it is ready to dissappoint you. You know what else I just noted about that thing. There is no blade insert. I would definately want to be able to use a dado set in my saw and I always use a zero clearance insert, they are safer (keep wood from getting jammed between the blade and edge of the opening) and keep the back of your material from chipping out. I just found a better website with a bigger photo and I really need to apologize to you for not giving you a better opinion earlier. That thing looks like a piece of crap IMO. I have a picture of my saw in my profile. As you look at my shop... that's what I call it, you can see I don't have much for tools. I have lots of hand/ power tools, and a tiny drill press you can't see. I paid $650 dollars for my Powermatic 64A and I still would not for the life of me go back in time and get a cheaper saw so I could by more shop tools. I am hoping to be able to buy my first thickness planer in a few months, but I won't skimp. And even though I would love to have a jointer along with it I will wait till I can get what I really want and will really be happy with. I think in a few years time I am going to have a shop that I can be really proud of and is going to serve me very well. If you are even a little bit seriously interested in woodworking you really do not want to skimp on this purchase. You will just be disappointed every time you use it. If you have to wait, you will be happy you did. IMO... try to save up 200 or more dollars and then try to either get a small jet contractor saw (new) or find a better contractor saw used. in the mean time read and learn all you can, ask lots of questions in these forums and go to the stores that sell them and look at them, feel them, compare them. Buy the time you are ready to make the purchase you are going to be so happy and confident that you got just what you wanted.

Disclaimer... I am still just a beginner and this is only my opinion. I hope you have as much fun as I am having!

dave323 · 12-28-2007, 06:29 PM

mm the handle/rip fence looks a bit short and doesnt look great but for the money I guess im not going to get a real quality. Im no furniture maker so I cant go and spend a lot on a saw. I've done level 2 carpentry and level 2 joinery at collage but ive not totally decided which way to go (if I can even get a job first ;O)but I do like making little furniture projects in the garage. Atm I have truly horrible portable circular saw. Erbauer it is the. The guide is so flimsy I could bend it with 1 hand and the laser guide line is about 5 degrees off straight to the saw blade! so I dont use it as I end up messing up wood :p So I end up hand sawing pieces of stock to make thing, but I guess thats what they had to do in the old days :)

Ill try and ask Charnwood if the slots are standard sizes. Can you tell me what the sizes available are for the fences?

rgds dave

BlockHead · 12-28-2007, 09:02 PM

I googled it and took a look. I'm guessing that saw won't cut through a 2x4 without stalling out and coming to a dead stop. Do what you want, but you'd be better off spending that much on a used table saw of decent quality.

dave323 · 12-29-2007, 06:36 AM

ok thx for the advice, I cant find any second hand ones on ebay. Im living in the UK anybody know of another place for 2nd hand gear?

BlockHead · 12-29-2007, 11:35 AM

I took a look at ebay.co.uk and I see what you mean, slim pickings at best. I do see a couple of decent choices but nothing in your price range that's not in need of repair. I see a few DeWalt, Bosch and Makita that will certainly serve you well, but either double or more what you plan on spending, or not working properly, which is why they are being sold.

http://business.search.ebay.co.uk/ta...sPageNameZWLRS

I didn't really think of it before, but when ever I sell tools on ebay I get a lot of inquiries from UK. Of course, I don't want the hastle of shipping overseas as it means I have to stand in line at the post office. Shipping local means I can pay the fee online and drop it off at the UPS store.

I wonder why the power tools market in UK is so limited? Makes one think there is potentially a huge market there for anyone willing to take the time to ship items.

dave323 · 12-29-2007, 01:45 PM

Yea maybe its cos the delivery cost is too high. I tried craigs list that I hear people taking about from the US but these is no tools on there locally and no table saws even the london area.

BlockHead · 12-29-2007, 02:02 PM

Yeah, I checked craigs list too. I think if you keep an eye on UK ebay something will eventually show up. That bosch listed for about 100 L seems like a good deal if you can replace the brushes.

dave323 · 12-29-2007, 09:19 PM

might be a bit much as I dont know the first thing about these saws. What do you think of the dewalt DW745? Its going as a factory rework, bid atm is 265 pounds. If you think its a good saw then I might go for it if it doesnt go above 275.

woodman42 · 12-29-2007, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dave323

might be a bit much as I dont know the first thing about these saws. What do you think of the dewalt DW745? Its going as a factory rework, bid atm is 265 pounds. If you think its a good saw then I might go for it if it doesnt go above 275.

If you are using it for craft items and not ripping heavy lumber you would probably be ok. If it has been reworked by Dewalt then it should be as good as new. I know from my experience with Dewalt, they are great tools. I have a work trailer and workshop full of them and have very few complaints.

You might give consumer reports a try. If I am looking for something that I am going to spend a good chunk of change on, I always see what they say about it.
http://www.consumerreports.org

BlockHead · 12-30-2007, 01:27 AM

I had one before my Bosch I was very happy with it. Power, precision, light weight, and I think it has a rip capacity of up to 16-1/2 inches wide, though I'm not sure how how that translates on your side of the pond. Also, I have ripped construction grade lumber with it and it handled the task well.

As for being refurbished, check what kind of warranty they offer and how replacement or refunds are handled. Also, be sure to check their eBay feedback rating. Basically, make sure they are well motivated toward complete customer satisfaction.

So anyway, the DW745 is a really good saw.

dave323 · 12-30-2007, 09:44 AM

That ones going up still, I found this Rexon BT2500AE http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Rexon-Table-Sa...QQcmdZViewItem
Its 2nd hand and going cheap but doesn't look too bad. What do you think?

dave323 · 01-02-2008, 06:36 AM

Can you tell me if this is worth bidding on? I am looking for my first table saw btw; http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.d...tab%3DWatching

Will it do rip cuts? There is very little information on the page and no model number. On the plus side I live 25 mins away from the location.

TomD · 01-02-2008, 11:14 PM

Dave,

That last picture looks similar to what we Yanks call a radial arm saw. You can rip, but witdh is limited.

Tom

dave323 · 01-03-2008, 06:57 AM

shame about that. Oh well Ill keep looking

dave323 · 01-03-2008, 07:09 AM

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dave323 · 01-19-2008, 05:46 PM

I went with a dw745 in the end. Got a rework from ebay. A bit more money than I was hoping to spend but it seemed to suit my needs best. Only had it a few days but it seems pretty good. It didn't come with a miter fence though.
Will the (dewalt) DW745 standard one be worth trying to look up?
Ive seen a few others:
Trend Mitre Fence Complete Alloy
Axminster Router Table Mitre Fence
Kreg Precision Miter Gauge

The slot of the table is 19mm wide which is the same as the axminster. What you guys think?

PS im living in the UK and I think there is much less choice here than in US for miter gauges/fences.. btw miter fence and gauge are the same right?

Something I noticed about the differences in these kreg miter gauges.. the bottom one doesn't have a very wide surface, might this cause problems?

Kreg Precision Miter Gauge System

Kreg Precision Miter Gauge