Axminster Craft AC216TS

[boschboy]

are there any members any reviews on the above saw table am only a hobby user was after the ts250 but now not sold anymore info please is it any good as space in workshop limited thanks

 

[Bodgers]

are there any members any reviews on the above saw table am only a hobby user was after the ts250 but now not sold anymore info please is it any good as space in workshop limited thanks

As mentioned, I own one. Had it a few days and so far I am happy. I used to own a TS200.

It is a good machine. Significant improvements over the old TS200/250 design:

- "Proper" trunions mean the blade tilts correctly, making zero clearance plates more viable
- better dust collection
- standard sized mitre slots
- smoother blade height\tilt adjustment
- significantly improved fence over pre-2015 TS200/250
- larger table with support on both side of the throat plate

It's designed around being a mini cabinet saw for the UK single garage sized workshop, and I think it does a decent job of it. I have mine in a single garage space. As long as you don't buy the slider it is a great size.



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[boschboy]

thanks for the info did you buy the stand for it or make your own I was thinking of making my own also regarding the fence does it lock at both ends or just at the front thanks

 

[Bodgers]

thanks for the info did you buy the stand for it or make your own I was thinking of making my own also regarding the fence does it lock at both ends or just at the front thanks

I made my own. It starts to get pricey if you add in the stands and they aren't very efficient with space.

The fence locks at the front. I think only some site saws have the locking at the back and front.


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[Toasty]

Hi,

I'm considering a purchase of this table saw myself and am wondering whether a couple of months with it has thrown up any issues or perhaps more smiles?

Or maybe there are alternatives I should consider for around the £500 mark. I will only have a small workshop but would like an induction motor and cast iron top.

Thanks

 

[Bodgers]

Hi,

I'm considering a purchase of this table saw myself and am wondering whether a couple of months with it has thrown up any issues or perhaps more smiles?

Or maybe there are alternatives I should consider for around the £500 mark. I will only have a small workshop but would like an induction motor and cast iron top.

Thanks

No issues here.

I've done a fair amount on it now and it has been excellent.

I got a CMT Flat Top Grind 150mm grooving blade for it recently with a 4mm kerf - it is amazing how quiet it is with this small blade.

I made a zero clearance insert for it as well, so no complaints at all.

The only very minor critism is that the safety stop lock sticks out a lot and with the front angled out I have knocked it off without realising a few times.

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[MikeJhn]

The only very minor critism is that the safety stop lock sticks out a lot and with the front angled out I have knocked it off without realising a few times.

That's better than the original, as the safety lock out was so far under the fence rails you had to look for it, not a good safety measure when you are holding a piece of timber near a spinning blade.

 

[Emstuv]

I have now been going back and forth on which saw to get.

The DW745 is still a contender. Plenty of power and a sturdy fence.

The AC216TS, cast iron top allows for some more stability, however is the fence sturdy enough for say tenon jigs that rely on using the fence? Will the fence allow for Jessem Clear Cut Stock guides?

 

[Toasty]

Thanks Bodgers and co. If I was to get one of these (main unit only), what would you say are the priority customisations (e.g. any dust collection fixes needed, own extension tables, etc.)?

 

[Bodgers]

Thanks Bodgers and co. If I was to get one of these (main unit only), what would you say are the priority customisations (e.g. any dust collection fixes needed, own extension tables, etc.)?

If you have a shop vac that will suffice to begin with if you have a port adaptor. Having a high volume dedicated extractor would be better though (and quieter).

First task is to make a zero clearance insert (the supplied insert, although actually good in that it has built in leveling screws, has a gaping wide throat that allows things to drop in and get stuck).

Other than that, the good thing about this saw over the old TS200 is that it is ready to roll without any tinkering out of the box.

I haven't replaced the extension table yet. It is serviceable as it is, but I will do it, just debating whether to put a router slot in it.


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[Bodgers]

I have now been going back and forth on which saw to get.

The DW745 is still a contender. Plenty of power and a sturdy fence.

The AC216TS, cast iron top allows for some more stability, however is the fence sturdy enough for say tenon jigs that rely on using the fence? Will the fence allow for Jessem Clear Cut Stock guides?

Can't say that the Jessem thing would fit, but it is a substantial fence, much more so than on a site saw like the Dewalt.

 

[MikeJhn]

I fitted the Jessem guides to my TS250-2, so if the fence is the same or similar they should fit, needs a bit of work, but they are worth the work, had to fit an angle to the back of the fence to get the width necessary to allow the guides to be raised and stored on top of the fence, in hindsight this would not be needed if you just removed the guides/arms, there is also a packing piece of aluminium to adjust the fence to have a level top, pic below shows how I did it, overhead guard omitted for clarity.

 

[ScaredyCat]

The DW745 is still a contender. Plenty of power and a sturdy fence.

The DW745 is *loud* I sold mine when I got the draper cts200 which is so much quieter and so, much nicer to use (for me and my neighbours). Milwaukee do the M18FTS210 which is a battery powered clone of the DW745. It has the same fence and top but has a brushless motor and tool free riving knife removal.

 

[Bodgers]

I fitted the Jessem guides to my TS250-2, so if the fence is the same or similar they should fit, needs a bit of work, but they are worth the work, had to fit an angle to the back of the fence to get the width necessary to allow the guides to be raised and stored on top of the fence, in hindsight this would not be needed if you just removed the guides, there is also a packing piece of aluminium to adjust the fence to have a level top.

Having looked at this TS250 fence I'd say the AC216 has a thicker fence and it has multiple t-track slots running on the top so it might actually be easier to fit it.



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[MikeJhn]

Probably will be easier, the long black piece on top of my fence shown in the pic above is just to put a T track on top, not beyond the whit of man to make the guides fit, the only problem could be the length of the fence it does not reach the far side of the saw table, this may not allow the far guide to fit between the end of the fence and the riving knife.

The TS250-2 fence supplied with the extension table is much bigger and thicker than the supplied fence with the AC216TS.

 

[Emstuv]

I agree that the fence shown there (TS250-2) does seem larger (both width and length) than the one on the AC216TS so it may not be possible due to the shorter length of the fence to fit the Jessem.

This has been the one concern with the AC216, that it is so small. I have no intention of ripping sheet goods with it, for that I use a track saw.

But with a cut depth of 65mm it should (?) be able to handle 2" thick hardwoods.

 

[MikeJhn]

With the Jessem stock guides fitted you can only cut at the maximum depth of the space between the table and the underside of the stock guide arm, so the height of the fence is a deciding factor unless you extend the height in some way, you are then restricted to the length of the arm, which is extendable, don't get me wrong, I would not be without them and think that any modifications required would be worth the effort, lots of suitable aluminium profiles available with T track slots that could be bolted/screwed onto the fence.

 

[Bodgers]

I agree that the fence shown there (TS250-2) does seem larger (both width and length) than the one on the AC216TS so it may not be possible due to the shorter length of the fence to fit the Jessem.

This has been the one concern with the AC216, that it is so small. I have no intention of ripping sheet goods with it, for that I use a track saw.

But with a cut depth of 65mm it should (?) be able to handle 2" thick hardwoods.

No, my point was the reverse.

I think the AC216 has a chunkier fence with more T-Tracks, so it is possibly easier

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[MikeJhn]

Looking at the TS250 fence compared to the dia of the blade the fence looks deeper than the AC216 compared to the smaller blade on that machine, yes it does have T track on the top surface, but the limiting factor as I said above is the much shorter length of the AC216 fence that will probably not allow the Jessem guide to fit beyond the blade which kind of defeats the object of having two.

 

[Bodgers]

Looking at the TS250 fence compared to the dia of the blade the fence looks deeper than the AC216 compared to the smaller blade on that machine, yes it does have T track on the top surface, but the limiting factor as I said above is the much shorter length of the AC216 fence that will probably not allow the Jessem guide to fit beyond the blade which kind of defeats the object of having two.

The fence without the detachable sub fence (which you don't have to use, slides on and off on the T-Tracks, and typically I don't) is the full length of the top which is over 600mm I think, it is pretty long.