Record Power TS2 Sliding Table Saw

[Bristol_Rob]

Is there any interest in hearing my thoughts and having a thread on Record Power's new TS2 sliding Table Saw

I've decided to get a slider and was looking at the Hammer K3 Winner
But once you add all the extras you want the cost was near 5 grand

D&M Tools had a promotional offer going on their website for the Record Power TS2 which I believe is comparable. The only thing stated it doesn't do that the K3 does is accept a dado stack. With the K3 you have to pay extra for a special abor in prep from the factory, you can't add it later.
However, whilst Record Power firmly states their Saw doesn't accept a dado I'll have a look at that later. But I've bought it accepting that this won't be possible.

The saw retails for £3,673.99 + delivery charge Inc of vat.

I paid £3,300 with free delivery.
And did get D&M Tools last promo machine

I wanted a strong solid slider with scoring blade (included) for ply.

I wanted the little rear extension table (included).

I wanted the glide extension arm and out rigger (included) with fast removal ability. As I will add as needed due to space issues.

I wanted the heavy duty mitre guage and stops (included)

I wanted a solid rip fence (included)

The table comes with a right hand extension table and the guide arm to suit.
I won't be using this and I'm going to cut the bar to suit and store that away. I'm going to buy another bar and store that away for future use/sellability.
Not expensive - circa £60
I'm OK for length, just tight on width.

Any questions, let me know and I'll do my best to answer them.

I believe this new TS2 was only realesed onto the market in April 2020 so there are no YouTube videos, and no one is talking about it.
So I've taken a leap of faith based on my experience of owning the Record Power 350 Sabre Bandsaw.

I'll be building over the weekend and the 16amp power cables come Monday so will make my first cut next week.

But it is worth noting that the cast iron top and the slider was factory fitted. I wasn't expecting that pleasant surprise

So far so good.

The only thing that has surprised me is the weight
Thankfully I have great neighbours as it took 3 of us to get it off the pallet

 

[Doug71]

Nice saw.

I think that saw has been around a good few years sold as a Startrite TS1. Startrite was Record Powers professional range but they scrapped the Startrite name and now paint them green and market them as part of the Record Power range.

https://www.dm-tools.co.uk/extraimages/F&C252-TS1-review.pdf
Now you just need to make yourself a Fritz and Franz jig

 

[Bristol_Rob]

Nice saw.

I think that saw has been around a good few years sold as a Startrite TS1. Startrite was Record Powers professional range but they scrapped the Startrite name and now paint them green and market them as part of the Record Power range.

https://www.dm-tools.co.uk/extraimages/F&C252-TS1-review.pdf
Now you just need to make yourself a Fritz and Franz jig

Nice one, I didn't know that.
They look identical.

I hope they have a good rep

 

[Doug71]

I am pretty sure they are a good saw, I was looking seriously at getting one but ended up getting a used Minimax SC4 which is similar specs apart from mine has a longer slider.

Similar to yours mine has a massive table extending to the right which I was going to shorten as I thought I wouldn't use it, I never got around to it and glad I didn't as it has proved quite useful.

Regarding the weight I always thought that weight meant a good solid build quality. Think my Minimax weighs about 400kg which I thought sounded good compared to some of the other mass produced rebadged stuff. I got a shock when I removed the inspection panel to find a massive block of concrete inside which I guess accounts for the weight suppose it adds mass and cuts down on vibration. Would be interested to know if the TS2 comes complete with added concrete or if the weight is all saw?

 

[Skydivermel]

Wish I had a workshop big enough.

 

[Bristol_Rob]

I am pretty sure they are a good saw, I was looking seriously at getting one but ended up getting a used Minimax SC4 which is similar specs apart from mine has a longer slider.

Similar to yours mine has a massive table extending to the right which I was going to shorten as I thought I wouldn't use it, I never got around to it and glad I didn't as it has proved quite useful.

Regarding the weight I always thought that weight meant a good solid build quality. Think my Minimax weighs about 400kg which I thought sounded good compared to some of the other mass produced rebadged stuff. I got a shock when I removed the inspection panel to find a massive block of concrete inside which I guess accounts for the weight suppose it adds mass and cuts down on vibration. Would be interested to know if the TS2 comes complete with added concrete or if the weight is all saw?

354kg of all saw. No concrete slabs. (Very thick steel everywhere)

To be honest like you, it's apart of its appeal. Solid with no vibration. (Well that's the plan, I'll know more are powering it up)

 

[Bristol_Rob]

Wish I had a workshop big enough.

Wish I had one wide enough to add the extension wing

 

[JobandKnock]

I still don't understand this obsession with dodo stacks on table saws. Want to rebate safely, quickly, cleanly? Use a spindle moulder or a router

 

[JobandKnock]

Sorry, meant to write "dado" stacks. Slip of the finger?

 

[Bristol_Rob]

OK guys, what is your thoughts on this

I've put my straight edge on the sliding Table and found Record Power has set the sliding Table 0.25mm above the adjacent cast iron Table.

Right, wrong, indifferent

 

[Doug71]

It's right

It should be slightly higher so what you are cutting doesn't drag on the cast iron table.

 

[TheTiddles]

I still don't understand this obsession with dodo stacks on table saws. Want to rebate safely, quickly, cleanly? Use a spindle moulder or a router

You’re on a roll this weekend, let’s see you put a 20mm wide housing joint down the middle of a 2.4m sheet of ply with a spindle moulder.
Yes there are other ways of doing it, but for certain operations they are highly effective.

 

[Bristol_Rob]

It's right

It should be slightly higher so what you are cutting doesn't drag on the cast iron table.

Sounds like the factory got it right then

I have heard people say it should be level.

 

[JobandKnock]

You’re on a roll this weekend, let’s see you put a 20mm wide housing joint down the middle of a 2.4m sheet of ply with a spindle moulder.
Yes there are other ways of doing it, but for certain operations they are highly effective.

I'd possibly do it with a router, a guide rail and a guide rail adaptor, but only because I've just bought the adaptor this week... In the past I actually have done stuff like this out on site with a router, a straight piece of 3 x 2in PAR and a couple of clamps. Next!

Dado heads were always downright iffy and in many cases always will be because of the tendency of people to use them without guarding

 

[TheTiddles]

I'd possibly do it with a router, a guide rail and a guide rail adaptor, but only because I've just bought the adaptor this week... In the past I actually have done stuff like this out on site with a router, a straight piece of 3 x 2in PAR and a couple of clamps. Next!

Dado heads were always downright iffy and in many cases always will be because of the tendency of people to use them without guarding

Dado head faster, you lose.

 

[JobandKnock]

Having used them in workshops, I can assure you that for one or two items, unless the saw is ready set up and the dado stack is already on the arbor and set to the required width, then the router will be faster. At least if you have 2200/2300 watts of 1/2in router to play with, that is (I'll be a fan boy for a sec and say that I have a Festool OF2200 ).

At least with a router you don't have to faff about taking the crown guard and riving knife off, taking the blade off, loading the stack with it's' washers, rigging up an overhead guard, making a test cut, having to add or remove shims, setting up some form of outfeed table at the back of the saw (because the sliding table isn't 2.5 metres long, nor does it have a 2.5 metre stroke), setting up an infeed support and then, finally, making the test cut. By that time I'd probably be finished my cut and either be well on with the installation - or I'd be on my second cup of tea... and at that stage you still have to put your saw back into a working state before you can have your saucer of milk...

Yes indeed, faster...

BTW, never seen a spindle top like the one Felder sell to allow router cutters to be used on the spindle moulder of their combi woodworkers? These beasties:

Wadkin (and many other machinery manufacturers) did something similar back in the day to allow the use of a dovetail jig on a spindle moulder with a router cutter held in a collet chuck.

So more than one way to skin a cat, as they say

 

[JobandKnock]

On a more serious note, dado heads can be fast for some repeat work in a production setting (where they are left set up constantly on the sae spindle at the same width). I am thinking about their use on a radial arm saw to cut shelf unit sides where there is a flip stop system in use and the saw head is both adequately guarded and has an automatic return to home function incorporated. That can easily outpace a CNC router, but it is hard work. The thing that slows down dado sets us having to check, adjust and recheck every time you need to change the groove/housing width

But I'm sure that as an experienced dado head user, you already knew that

 

[Spectric]

Sorry, meant to write "dado" stacks. Slip of the finger?

I think they are basicaly dodo stacks in the UK, I think it was good old Norm who showed us brits how to cut rebates without a router.

 

[TheTiddles]

Having used them in workshops, I can assure you that for one or two items, unless the saw is ready set up and the dado stack is already on the arbor and set to the required width, then the router will be faster. At least if you have 2200/2300 watts of 1/2in router to play with, that is (I'll be a fan boy for a sec and say that I have a Festool OF2200 ).

At least with a router you don't have to faff about taking the crown guard and riving knife off, taking the blade off, loading the stack with it's' washers, rigging up an overhead guard, making a test cut, having to add or remove shims, setting up some form of outfeed table at the back of the saw (because the sliding table isn't 2.5 metres long, nor does it have a 2.5 metre stroke), setting up an infeed support and then, finally, making the test cut. By that time I'd probably be finished my cut and either be well on with the installation - or I'd be on my second cup of tea... and at that stage you still have to put your saw back into a working state before you can have your saucer of milk...

Yes indeed, faster...

BTW, never seen a spindle top like the one Felder sell to allow router cutters to be used on the spindle moulder of their combi woodworkers? These beasties:

View attachment 114683

Wadkin (and many other machinery manufacturers) did something similar back in the day to allow the use of a dovetail jig on a spindle moulder with a router cutter held in a collet chuck.

So more than one way to skin a cat, as they say

Gosh, it’s almost like there’s so many facets to a problem, above “I don’t understand the obsession”, maybe someone who wants one needs that facility?

…especially if they’ve spent thousands on the machine for it!

 

[Spectric]

So what is the difference in running a board through say an 18mm dado head cutter on a table saw and running the board through a router table with an 18mm router bit costing less than £30 ? 1/2" Shank