PutnamEco

They are saving you the trouble of having to deal with an extra non digital fence, that's got to be worth something, doesn't it?

Of course I would like a decent radial arm saw, I don't know which I like better the Original Saw Companies 20" Super Duty Series or Northfields Uni-Point. They both have points I like and points I don't. 7

I would love to have a nice 5 axis CNC router for my dream shop, I like the MultiCam 8000 With this machine alone, I'm sure I could run a profitable business, sitting in my shop all day playing with wood working equipment and computers.... http://youtu.be/Z49hJsO-QHE

I have the previous version of the Bosch, it has held up well. The newer version has a few worthy improvements, like a much better blade guard and an improved miter gauge. I think you will be happy with this choice.

I would guess if you added a few options we would be talking low 20s, When you buy a machine of this caliber they usually come and set it up for you too. Altendorf also makes a drool worthy slider. The F 45 Elmo

When you dream of purchasing tools, what tools are you dreaming about? Some of mine would be the Martin T75 PreX. I believe that saw might extend my capabilities a little bit..... I would pair that up with a #4 Northfield for small work and Hendrick VSa ACM Duo vertical panel saw for when I wanted to cut my sheet stock vertically. I'll put the vertical saw over by the door, so I can process larger sheets when they come in.

I think you may have misunderstood what I said, A couple of the portable saws don't have soft start, the Makita being one of them.

How about a portable router that can correct its position? Portable CNC router....

Wish I could get away to the IWF it starts today and runs from Aug. 22-25 in Atlanta.

If your into reading tests, Tools of the Trade has a good one, they ranked the Bosch 2nd and the Makita 4th. I wouldn't be to worried about how much they weigh, a few extra pounds won't make that big a difference unless you will be moving it around all day rather than using it. I'm starting to develop an aversion to stationary tools without soft start. if you can, wait for a sale, you can often save big bucks if you don't buy it when the price is high. Here is a tutorial on finding the deal you want from The Simple Dollar

It can be really interesting if your working with a few different people when your tape measures don't sync. If I'm playing cut man for the day, I'll compare tapes against one leg of a framing square, both inside and outside measurements need to be checked, doubly so if your trimming.

It is not the saw I would be worried about, often tape measures are off. A bent or loose tip on a tape will leave often leave you with 3/16 or more off, especially when transferring between inside and outside measurements, it is often best to measure what you cutting then set up your saw with the same tape so you know the measurement is the same regardless of the tape measure being true or not. With two different rules, you always have to make sure they match up.

I guess I'm old school and don't really trust all this electrickery. I would always be checking it against the tape measure I had used to measure for the cut, knowing how often tape measures are off....

They could be handy if the what your working on is small, I don't imagine cutting full sheets of plywood on them would be much fun. Then again full sheets on just about any portable table saw isn't really that much fun either. The Gravity rise stand is is what sold me on the Bosch. It just sets up so quickly. If you end up with the Bosch make sure you get the accessory side and out feed supports TS1002 and TS1003 they really extend the range of the saw.

You have broken Knipex pliers? How about Kleins or Snap-ons? Speaking of which have you ever run across NWS tools and do you have an opinion on them? They appear to be well made.

I believe you can get the Knipex pliers wrench in three different sizes and in your choice of hard or soft grips.

I suspect it would be some house brand like Craftsman, Husky, or Kobalt.

Good to hear the operation went well, I hope they find some pain meds that will work to keep him comfortable. Wish him a speedy recovery from the forum.

Time to get my fix. The Latest Tool Guide from Fine Homebuilding is out.

Yes, through the Taunton webstore and Amazon

Good discussion on the price differences between countries going on over on Slashdot.com a relevant quote from the discussion.

Don't they list on the packaging which pliers are good for cutting hard wire? I wouldn't really count on linesmans type pliers for much of that type of use, they are meant to cut copper wire predominately.

Sorry, I can't really help other than to say that the Gravity-rise stand is not half the trip hazard you might imagine it to be. The only one I know who has a Makita table saw, has the last generation in a Rousseau stand. It is a sweet set up with the optional outfeed and router tables, I wish I had one of those stands and have been considering purchasing one for my Bosch but have a hard time justifying it with how handy it is to have the Bosch on the Gravity-rise stand. I have been seeing a few of the compact tablesaws (Bosch GTS1031 and Dewalt DW745) popping up here and there, they do look interesting if all you have is smaller stuff to work on. They certainly are a lot more portable than dragging a saw and stand around.

That is one of the reasons I like the For Pros by Pros series, they don't really dumb down a lot of the info like they do in most of the DIY type books.

You owe it to yourself to try a pair of Knipex plierswrench IMHO they are a lot better than Channellocks smooth jaw offering. Channellock does not offer anything like the Knipex mini bolt cutter. Most of my small precision pliers are Snap-on again Channelocks offerings in this area are pretty slim.