It's only 5 years old or so, but it is truly falling apart. I don't use it much, and I certainly haven't abused this table saw, but you can see how it is failing. First off, the cheap aluminum table is so thin, the bolts holding the mechanism underneath are breaking out.
Where this el-cheapo aluminum table top mounts to the base, the plastic is falling off in chunks. Two of the 4 corners are having this problem.
What a hunk of junk - look at that big crack:
Thank God for Craigslist. Last night, I loaded up the family and we headed off to Monticello for the Craigslist deal of the century. I bought an old Craftsman table saw from a guy looking to reclaim some room in his garage. This thing is a real tank. No plastic parts here.
I got a rolling stand, complete with caster wheels that don't roll,
and multiple slides and fences,
and the saw itself. It is a Model 100 from Craftsman. It must weigh 100 pounds.
With a little research, I believe it to be mid 1950s vintage.
That electric motor is huge. It is a 220V beast, so I will need to add a breaker and outlet to my barn, but that is a quick and easy job.
I bought all this stuff for less than half of what I bought my junky $99 plastic table saw. This one should last for my lifetime, I'm sure. I'm also curious to see if I can clean in up a bit and restore it to it's former glory. It is a good candidate for a wintertime restoration.
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