Getting equipped

[NickC]

Hi folks!

Just joined this evening, having come across your very useful website whilst researching what table saw to buy. What I read on the forum has pretty much confirmed my preferred choice, which would be a Metabo PKF255 V8 running on 240V. I plan to use it for a variety of things from cutting MDF display bases for my laser cut acrylic displays, right up to sawing large sheets of 651 modelling board for use as vac forming moulds. I also need to cut laminates so the scoring blade makes the expense worthwhile, I think...

My first proper purchase of suitable kit was a KREG routing table in which I put a Hitachi M 12V2 router - I found this very useful for cutting slot car guide tracks out. I'm very pleased with the Kreg so far.

The cheapest I've found the Metabo table for is just over £1,300 and any advice on my choice would be much appreciated. I have looked for a used one but have been unsuccessful so far, so guess it will have to be a new'un. They recommend paying extra for installation - has anybody tried this themselves? Dare I try it??

Thanks and best wishes,
NickC

 

[Woody Alan]

They recommend paying extra for installation - has anybody tried this themselves? Dare I try it??

I recall a member having one of these who pointed out that it needed setting up carefully, and if the saw was moved at all, the setting would go out of wack.
I'm not trying to put you off, but I reconsidered buying one on that basis as my saw gets pulled around the workshop from time to time.

Alan

 

[NickC]

Hi Alan (love the Woody tag!),

Thanks for that. I wonder if it's because of the aluminium construction? If it was cast iron I suspect it would have more stability? If I still went for this model I guess I'd be better off sorting a permanent place for it to live.

I was hoping that SIP would make a similarly priced model with a scoring blade.

Nick

 

[Fergus]

I have recently got a Elektra Beckum PKF255 V8 and so far (touch wood) have found it great..havnt used it that much yet as I have been routing and filing out one of the tracks to standard mitre slot size so I can use my incra guage. It may be ali but still seems very solid and stable to me-I am not sure whether the newer ones are quite as solid as I have not seen one in the flesh,but they look fundermentally the same.

It does seem very well put together with some ncie little touches(like tiny brushes that keep the tracks clean etc)..and the scoring blade is useful.

It's a fairly large saw when setup ,so really would want to be left in one place anyhow .

 

[OLD]

If you are prepared to work in a unsafe way (just you not an employe) most any table saws can have a cut down riveing knife, so no safety cover to the blade. Set low to give a scoring cut then run along same fence to full depth the use of zero clearance plates and tri cut blades should give minimal chipping . The unsafe bit is when cutting to full depth and you could arrange guarding or put back the crown guard .

 

[NickC]

Thanks for that

This may save me a bit of money as I was only intending to use it myself anyway. I have a lot yet to learn about woodworking!

Cheers,
NickC

 

[markwuzere]

i bought the same saw about 6 weeks ago from a company called tool-stop via ebay cost me £945 delivered and was new with full warranty etc, set up took a full day and was quite a lot of work but since then the saw has staid perfectly true, although i dont move it, the scoring blade is a god send and for the money it was a fantastic buy. and i also changed the blade guard for a home made steel and perspex model that suspends from the cieling and is easy to move out of the way if needs be.

 

[NickC]

Ahh yes, I have been watching that and it is currently on sale with them at a not-so-fantastic £1461.95. I wonder why it has gone up so much in just 6 weeks?? I'd jump at it at the price you paid!!!

Thanks & best wishes,
NickC

 

[markwuzere]

Ahh yes, I have been watching that and it is currently on sale with them at a not-so-fantastic £1461.95. I wonder why it has gone up so much in just 6 weeks?? I'd jump at it at the price you paid!!!

Thanks & best wishes,
NickC

i only got it because i watched a second hand 5 year old 1 sell for 800 on ebay and it came up at the top of the page as a featured item, it took me about 10 minutes reading to make sure i had it right then i went 2 there web site and bought it direct from them for same price as the ebay price but free shipping instead so was cheaper again

 

[NickC]

This is interesting. I went to their home website and sure enough there is the product listed if you do a search for Metabo:

Metabo PKF255 V8 Prec. Panel Saw Pack inc Base Unit, Traversing Saddle 1.8 m, Long Support Rail, Base Carrier System & Side Ext
Ex VAT Inc VAT
List Price: £2,100.00 £2,415.00
Our Price: £822.57 £945.95
You save 61%

So to buy it you click the heading or 'view product' and up it comes as this:

Ex VAT Inc VAT
List Price: £2,100.00 £2,415.00
Our Price: £1,271.26 £1,461.95
You Save 39%
240V - £1,461.95
400V - £1,586.95

I think I'll give them a call in the morning and ask to buy it at £945 just like you did!!!

 

[markwuzere]

This is interesting. I went to their home website and sure enough there is the product listed if you do a search for Metabo:

Metabo PKF255 V8 Prec. Panel Saw Pack inc Base Unit, Traversing Saddle 1.8 m, Long Support Rail, Base Carrier System & Side Ext
Ex VAT Inc VAT
List Price: £2,100.00 £2,415.00
Our Price: £822.57 £945.95
You save 61%

So to buy it you click the heading or 'view product' and up it comes as this:

Ex VAT Inc VAT
List Price: £2,100.00 £2,415.00
Our Price: £1,271.26 £1,461.95
You Save 39%
240V - £1,461.95
400V - £1,586.95

I think I'll give them a call in the morning and ask to buy it at £945 just like you did!!!

give it a go i found them very easy to deal with, excellent customer service

 

[NickC]

I'll let you know how I get on

 

[NickC]

i bought the same saw about 6 weeks ago from a company called tool-stop via ebay cost me £945 delivered and was new with full warranty etc, set up took a full day and was quite a lot of work but since then the saw has staid perfectly true, although i dont move it, the scoring blade is a god send and for the money it was a fantastic buy. and i also changed the blade guard for a home made steel and perspex model that suspends from the cieling and is easy to move out of the way if needs be.

Hi Mark - I said I'd let you know how I got on. Well it seems you got very lucky! They said Metabo had given them the wrong price about 6 weeks ago and somebody (you) bought one at this price and when the invoicing went through the system they realized their mistake but had to honour it. Metabo picked up the cost of that but now 6 weeks later it was Tool-Stop's fault for not updating the search page. However they say that clicking on that takes you to the buying/info page where it is correctly priced so if I wanted one I would have to pay that.

Shame that - I would have bitten their hand off at £945 so well done mate - you got a cracking bargain!

 

[NickC]

Mark - something I am not clear about on the Metabo which I wonder whether you could tell me? On their blurb it says:

"The V8 is Metabo’s flag ship panel saw with scribing blade to help ensure clean cuts top and bottom of the board, particularly important for laminated panels."

Does that mean it has two scribing blades so as you feed the laminate in it scribes both top and bottom then cuts with the big blade?

I thought all such saws only did one side at once.

:?

 

[Woody Alan]

Nick,

It's referring to the fact that all saws will give a clean cut on the top surface as the leading edge of the blade cuts down into it. The sribibg blade cuts a shallow groove underneath before the main blade makes the full cut in the same place so the main blade exits it's cut underneath through an already cut surface...so no breakout of fibres.

edit: here is a typical blade and scoring blade example
http://www.dimar.co.il/pdf/Sawing/Scoring.pdf some scoring blades will be driven by a belt from the main saw motor ..some have their own motor to power them.
Alan

 

[NickC]

Hi Alan,

I understand now - that was very helpful so thanks

I now see that Metabo's offering is much like the equivalent Axminster one, the Axminster SS-1600MH which is a couple of hundred quid more. It doesn't look like the Metabo can be beaten at this price.

Cheers, Nick

 

[markwuzere]

Hi Alan,

I understand now - that was very helpful so thanks

I now see that Metabo's offering is much like the equivalent Axminster one, the Axminster SS-1600MH which is a couple of hundred quid more. It doesn't look like the Metabo can be beaten at this price.

Cheers, Nick

i spent months researching saws and umimg and ahing about what to buy and in the end it came down to soley getting a saw that was on my list as possibles at the right price at the right time :lol:

 

[NickC]

With luck and judgment like that you should have done the lottery that week too :lol: