Home Workshop In Thailand: Saw

Stanley Table Saw.

*** Please check out the update below for some safety issue with the miter gauge.***

After a bit of the usual research and searching around, I decided on the Stanley Table Saw. As this particular unit seems to be only sold in Asia, finding readable information was limited. Here is a bit of a review of my new purchase.

Out of the Box:

The unpacking went well, but the assembly didn't go as smooth as one would like.

No parts missing, but the Mitre Gauge Slide was slightly bent. A little brute force, and all is well.

The Manual and Assembly:

The supplied manual was lacking in a quite a few areas. English and Thai languages are supported.

When attempting to assemble the stand, the instructions didn't line up with reality. It talks about parts "1" and "2" etc. Actually, the stands parts were stamped with "A" and "B", and these didn't seem to line up with the "1" and "2".

Another major shortcoming are the photos are way too small and extremely poor quality black and white shots. The text refers you to these photos during the assembly process, and it is next to impossible to see what items they are referring to.

More things to exasperate the assembly. When fitting the Anti-Kickback Pawls, the manual also states that item it should be inserted into slot 1 on the Splitter. There are 3 slots on the Splitter, and NO markings to be found as to which is which. The Blade Guard was installation was just as vague. This was confusing to say the least.

A bit of head scratching, trial and error, it all went together.

I added some spring washers to the stand attachment bolts to help alleviate issues with the normal saw's vibrations.

A quick check of the blades raise, lower and tilt functions, proved all seemed well.

So, let's have a look at it.

It comes with a stand.

Operation:

After checking the blade was firmly attached, which it was, I switched it on. The noise level wasn't too loud. I suppose hearing protection should be worn, but I didn't feel it necessary.

The on / off button is a bit too small for my liking. Something larger would allow for quick stops without having to search around under the table top.

Summary:

I was happy the unit came with a 60 tooth blade. I thought I would be up for a replacement.

It operated as a mid price range table saw would. You must be ready to accept some of it's shortcomings as you get what you pay for.

Check the "Issues" section below for any problems found. This area could be updated as I use the tool more.

Issues:

The Anti-Kickback Pawls score the surface of the wood as it passes through.

The Blade cannot be raised to full height with the Blade Guard fitted.

During the first use, one of the plastic thumb screws hold the extension support cracked and came away from the screw.

Update:

During my latest project, I wanted to use the supplied miter gauge. I hadn't even tried it during the unpacking or review process. My bad.

Anyway, when placing it in the tables slot, I found the side to side movement was excessive. I tried to overcome this by pushing it firmly down into the slot. This helped a bit.

When I tried to cross cut a piece of pine, the saw blade jammed due to the side movement, and tried to throw the wood back towards me. Luckily my hand were far from the blade at the time. Just a scare.

Have a look at the photos....