Hafco Woodmaster SB-12 table saw review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 31 ก.ค. 2024
- It was about time I did a review on my 'new" table saw. It has been 10 months now since I got it. I forgot to mention in the video that this is a totally independent review based on my use of the saw, I was not paid or sponsored by Hare and Forbes.
www.machineryhouse.com.au/W452 - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
Just wanted to say thanks for the review. Im about a month out from buying my first tablesaw and I was seriously looking at this model. Cheers mate!
No worries, happy shopping and happy woodworking.
Thanks for the concise, objective review. I've been trawling through all the tool shops, Bunnings, eBay and so-on for weeks trying to find a reasonably good table saw for under a grand. They all seemed to be a mixed bag between "works ok" and "total shit" - especially the worksite (semi-portable) models (Makita, DeWalt, etc...). So I was lost with nowhere to go, and didn't want to part with what seemed to be the "cost: sweet spot" where the reviews seemed to begin to lean towards being a reliable unit at around $1,500+. So as a last effort I put up an Ad asking my local Buy/Sell group about what they had out in the shed collecting dust and someone came through with of of these Hafco units - a google search later and I ended up at your video, now I'm picking it up on the weekend. So thanks for taking the time to run us through it - one thing a lot of online reviews lack is experience with the unit - that's certainly not the case here and that fact alone lends much more valuable insight than some bloke unwrapping a Makita for the first time and pointing at all the accessories (not having a clue how the bloody unit works over time)! Subbed.
Litch Hi Litch, that's cool that you managed to find one 'pre loved' in the classifieds. If it's been looked after then you'll get great use out of it. Thanks for the sub too mate.
Thanks for your review of the SB-12, it was interesting and I think you covered everything I needed to know, mainly that after 10 months you still have the same feelings as your un-boxing video. Well done and look forward to your next video, you really do a good job.
Hey thanks very much Max, hopefully it won't be too long. I will be posting a very short thank you video though because I hit 1000 subs today. :-)
Wow, thats awesome, when I subbed, you were about 500 i think, doing well mate !! Congrats to you !!!
Thanks again Max, thanks for your support and great to have you on board.
@@DownUnderWoodWorks Only 1,000?
Just got the exact same saw. Thank you for the assembly tips.
My fence is perfectly true on all faces and parallel to the blade BUT neither is parallel to the T track so will have some fiddling to get it all sorted
Its a great saw for the price and I'm sure you'll be happy with it. Set the blade parallel to the track first and then do the fence. Check out this video on how to align the blade th-cam.com/video/ZwfPxAJnOYE/w-d-xo.html and check out this video on PALs th-cam.com/video/O9OeVk8-Y3M/w-d-xo.html. You can easily make them yourself using some angle iron.
I bought the same SB-12 Saw (Although with a different name on it) here in the Philippines. Everything identical to yours except the name. I have been running it alot for the past few months and I absolutely love it. The best part is the price here PHP26,000 which is about AUD750.
Hi Dave, thanks for sharing that mate. Its a great budget saw, that price you got it for was a steal. Glad you like it
Great review Vic. Picking up a near new used one today. Biggest concern for me is no Riving knife, but it has the splitter I suppose. All the best mate.
Thanks Scott. I know many think the riving knife is a big issue but the splitter mostly does the same job. i've operated mine for about six years without either, however, i have installed a low level splitter on my insert plate
I have had this saw for 3 years, My main gripe is that the body has a lot of gaps around it (mainly where the belt enters) so getting the dust extractor to draw properly is impossible, I tried covering the gaps with pieces of magnetic sheet, but only helped with blade at 90 deg. the body fills up with dust too,,, also my motor is not even close to being aligned, but the belt takes up the difference. Figure into the cost a new blade as the supplied blade is rubbish. Other than that is is an ok saw. Great Review, Thanks
I know what you mean mate, I made a dedicated video about improving the dust extraction on the saw th-cam.com/video/bRTXu_oQtcE/w-d-xo.htmlsi=aqpuWvm_8gXtXX-7
G'day mate,
Regarding the moving adjustment wheel.
I've just bought the same model,its adjustment wheel for the tilt didn't hold in place.
I've fitted a rubber washer behind the wheel and this has cured the problem 😁😁
Hey Cameron, thanks for sharing that mate. I will definitely try it
Great review was looking at buying one of these saws. There seems to be only a few saws like this at the $1200 mark
Yeah, that's right mate. its a great saw for the price with plenty of power.
My saw is probably made in the exactly same factory and branded to "Toolshed" here in NZ. First thing I did was change the blade, then sled, incra sled and incra mitre gauge.
The guard you have is slightly different as is The dust collection port (by the looks) is a bit different as well... but the basic saw is similar
Yeah, the blade wasn't much chop (pardon the pun).
Nicely done, I bought this one a few years ago as well, actually also did a review on my own channel ;-)
Just subbed, but now I'm scared to click on your next video as it is about the saw blade coming loose on you?! Haven't had that happen to me yet, sounds scary!
Welcome Mario and thanks for the sub. It sounds scary but all worked out well in the end.
Thanks for the video, it was a big help in setting up. My extensions are also a washer short of a length, but they are also bowed 1mm along the length in the center - having got them level at front and back with the cast table, they are both low in the center. Tell me, am I missing something or is it just the weight of the motor that keeps the belt tension, or was there a tensioner missing from my box?
No mate, nothing missing. The weight of the motor keeps the tension. Sorry to hear about the bowed wings though. Cheers.
greetings
I have the same saw, I agree with all your comments, I just have a couple of mods that i have done that may interest you, I purchased the wheel kit from mr forbes and it works well I also have problems with the huge amount of saw dust, what I did was to put a base on the trolley and fill in the legs as to make a box to capture the dust, also filled in the large void in the rear, this seems to work well, I just vacuum the box out as needed
also I didn't like the opened (slotted) side wings, sick of tools dropping thru, so I filled them in, much happier
all in all am very happy with the machine
mick
Hey, great ideas Mick. I can totally see your point about the side wings. Cheers mate.
Hi, thanks for the video. I have purchased a 2nd hand SB12. No guard or riving knife. Noticed you have a splitter on your table. I don't want the guard so was wondering if I can insert something to the existing set-up to act as a splitter. Had a couple of kick-backs already and not fun.
Hi Shaun, without going back and watching the video I'm pretty sure you can attach the original splitter without the rest of the guard assembly. If not you may notice in some of my more recent videos i have made my own splitter out of aluminium angle that is fixed to the insert plate.
I've heard of people using the magnetic calendars politicians send out to cover the rear air gaps near the motor. Although I'm sure you've come up with something by now. Also is there a reason that your fence has equal ripping capacity on both sides? Could you mount the fence over to one side to increase the capacity?
I did do that on the front mate, here is a video on the improvements I did th-cam.com/video/bRTXu_oQtcE/w-d-xo.html
The blade indicator on the rip fence leads me to believe that the original set up was not quite right.
I have a Craftsman Contractor Series table saw with the Exact-I-Rip rip fence that is almost a duplicate to yours except for the webbing in the table extensions.
After the initial setup no other adjustments were needed even after 15 to 18 years of use.
Keep in mind that I am the only user & whenever it was moved I packed it in the original packaging. It is pristine & makes no noise other than the quiet whistle of the blade. One precautionary measure would be to consider that the depth of cut is 3 3/8".
That's 3/8" taller than the height of the fence. Be careful!
Thanks Mike. Sounds like you have a great saw there mate. Cheers.
Thanks for the great review,
I have a 2003 model sb12 saw that I picked up from a garage sale and I was wondering if you could help me?
I have replaced the A46 belt as the old one had developed a flat spot from sitting so long and not being used.
Found that when I put the belt on it rubs on the bottom edge of the cutout where the belt goes through the body and I can not find any info on how to adjust the belt or motor to stop it , could you help me at all?
The motor or belt has no adjustment as it relies on gravity to keep belt tension. i can only think that the replacement belt is too long letting the motor hang down too far. Hope that helps
hi
i have the same saw and really get along well with it. I was hoping you might have a good trick for blade changing because you can't lock the blade to loosen the nut Cheers
Yes, you're right Richard. I used to use a thin screwdriver layed flat on the table and in between two teeth. I realised that the nut doesn't need to be as tight as you may think. Now i just hold the blade by hand and tighten the nut until i can't hold the blade anymore. I find thats enough.
I just spoke to the rep from forbes and he said that the tilting wheel that you where having trouble with has a locking knob, which when I look closely in your video you can see in the center. Does this work I am interested in this saw if this works. Did you compare this saw to the equivalent ledacraft saw?
Hi Willem, you're right there is a locking knob. It works on the front wheel (the blade height adjustment) but has to be fully tightened to work which requires a lot of force and is very hard on the hands. The locking knob on the side wheel (blade angle adjustment) doesn't work. I currently have it fully tightened and the wheel still rotates.
I can't remember which other saws I looked at when I was shopping around but I was pretty much set on a 12" model so if any other saw was 10" I didn't look at it any further.
The spec for this on H&F website states a 10A supply. Does it come with a 15A plug? Thanks, Dave.
This particular saw is sold as a 15A with a 15A plug.
Hi there mate. Just found your channel out as I was looking for a reference before buying a new table saw. If you don't mind me asking, what's the size of the Arbor of your table saw and did you get the diablo blade with the appropriate bore? Just making sure I will get the blade easily once I decided to buy the similar table saw as yours. Cheers.
Hi Jono, glad you found my channel. The arbor on the saw is 5/8 or 16mm. The diablo blade has a larger bore and needs to be fitted with a spacer. Although its not ideal I really like the Diablo blade and not sure how common 12" blades with a small arbor are.
DownUnderWoodWorks I did a bit of a research on the blade and basically I gave up on finding a 12" blade that will fit the arbor, lol. But since I really like your setup, I will proceed in buying a table saw similar to yours. Thank you for your kind response and also for confirming my thoughts. I am a beginner in woodworking, so videos like yours tremendously help me. 🍻
Hi mate. Seriously considering this saw. My only issue is that it is much bigger than my current makita mlt100. As space is at a premium would it be possible to mount this on castors? Or do you feel the regular movement would cause issues with accuracy?
Fantastic videos as always. Really appreciate the effort you go to.
tonyflynn25 you can buy a wheel kit
Sorry for the late reply tony. You could definitely mount it on castors IMO. The only issue i could see is that the stand legs at the base where the castor would bolt to may be a little thin and could probably do with some reinforcement.
@@DownUnderWoodWorks cheers mate. I appreciate you taking the time to reply
Thanks for your video. I think i'll get the same saw as you.
No problem ken, enjoy mate
Hi. thanks for the video. i understand this has been long time ago. but if you or someone who knows could give me answer, can we move front and rear rails to the right for wider cutting capacity only on right side. Also i want to build and fit a carriage on LHS in which rails are in the way. Thanks
Hey mate, without having done it myself I think you could do that. The rails are just bolted to the front and rear edge of the table so don't see why you couldn't move them to one side. Let me know how you go.
Great review. You've had it for a few years now how do find it now days after all the great things you've made with it? I've heard bad reviews about the fence being a bit crappy and also not square to the table?
Thanks
Hey Geoff, the saw is actually great. The fence is not that big of a deal, i fixed mine by making the fence that slips over the original. I actually love that the fence locks at the front and rear. Lets not forget that its a $1000 saw
@@DownUnderWoodWorks thanks for the reply. Can I please ask how making another fence tht slips over the top makes it square to the table, and do you have a vid of that being made? I'm a fairly new viewer of your channel. Thanks
hey mate nice review, just purchased one. Is it possible to remove the legs and sit it on a bench or something similar? Cheers
The table saw main section and wings are very heavy so it would have to be a very strong and sturdy bench or base that you put it on but i suppose its possible. One other issue i see is that the saw is open at the bottom for the dust to escape and that is also where you would connect the dust extraction.
I have purchased one of these saws 2nd hand, and it came without the legs but on a box the original owner has built for it out of MDF. Does a dual job of support and dust extraction. I also made a base-for-the-base so I can roll it around my garage and out of the way, as it's a 2-person lift otherwise.
Hi Thanks for the step by step review. i 've just bought one of these saws but can't get the fence lock to operate. the front handle is in a 45 d down position out of the box and nothing happens when i lift it up, but i notice your demo model is in the 45 d up position when unlocked. would appreciate your comment on this.
Hi Trevor, at the back end of the fence there is a nut on the threaded rod that runs the length of the fence. You should be able to tighten that up so your fence locks in place.
@@DownUnderWoodWorks Thanks for your reply - much appreciated. is working perfectly now.
I wonder how much it would cost to get the fence machined square on the side and top at a machining place?
probably not cheap. :/
John, I had thought of doing that but think it will be fairly simple to make a Biesemeyer style fence over the top of the current one. I will definitely do that one day
G'day mate,
any suggestions for a first time woodworker (I'm a Chippy) but looking for a decent table saw that will fit in a standard garage space. Could you give me any suggestions on brands?
Mate, that really depends on how much you want to spend. What's your budget?
I have the same saw which I bought 2nd hand and the pulley has come off twice and I hope it never happens to you as it is a pain to get back on
Hey Steve, thats no good. Which pulley is it that comes off, motor or arbor?
hey mate....does this have a riving knife?
No. It comes with a splitter that does not move up and down with the blade height.
I am in the market for a new saw I am considering this saw is it hard to change blades and can you take the fence off?
Nick, the blade change is very easy and simple through the opening in the top of the table where the insert sits. the fence lifts straight off the table when the locking handle is not engaged.
DownUnderWoodWorks thanks buddy I'll consider this saw and am I hope it's not much longer before I get one
Timbecon sold this as a Sherwood MJ2331.
I haven't used mine in years as my sight wasn't up to it. Seems better now, but I need to realign it.
Above the height adjustment wheel, there's a crank handle. What does this do?
Don't know John, mine doesn't have that.
Bloody saw blade is 1.5mm out of square to mitre gauge channels, not an easy job to rectify, did you come across this problem, if so how did you fix it. No adjustments in table top to move and then square to blade, mongrel thing
Hey Lindsay, I did a video about realigning the blade th-cam.com/video/ZwfPxAJnOYE/w-d-xo.html and here’s a great article about a set of PALs to make the job easier www.in-lineindustries.com/products/contractor-saw-pals/
whats the arbor size for the blade ?
5/8"
is this 3 phase power? if so what's the cost of running 3 phase in?
tgese are on offer this weekend for $995.
Thats a great price for this saw Paul. its single phase but has a 15 amp plug. i'm running mine on a regular circuit with no problem.
what do you mean on regular circuit? not 15amp?
Also is the top flat?
thank you
No, the saw motor is a single phase 240 volt motor. It comes with a 15 amp plug. i replaced one of my regular power points (10 amp) with a 15 amp outlet and it runs fine. hope that explains it.
it does, so you main is still wired for 10amp but the outlet is 15amp so plug can fit?
Was the surface flat out of the box?
thank you
Does anyone have a riving knife for this table saw? I'm after one...
Hi, this saw never came with a riving knife because its not designed to have one. It has a splitter which is slightly different to a riving knife. You can make your own splitter by making your own insert plate and adding a piece3 of 3mm material to it.
Build a splitter into a zero-clearance throat plate
Hi, thanks for the review. I have a different model Carbatec saw I purchased second hand that has the same fence. Mine is practically diamond shaped in cross section - thought it must have been abused but perhaps it came like that. Next addition for me will be a piece of melamine on the side of the fence, attached to the T track in it, and shimmed to be vertical / square. Other than that issue I have been able to shim/adjust everything else into submission.
For those looking to tune up their table saw, check out this video from the Wood Whisperer - best all round TS tune up instructions I have found, it worked for me really well: th-cam.com/video/lxRSarTJLMU/w-d-xo.html
I hope to do something similar one day to my fence. The plan is to make a biesemeyer style fence that goes over the original.
на регулировке вылета пилы зажимной барашек, а он струбцину намастырил
.
I dont think one dam thing was straight and square in my kit of this saw. I have bought it from the place you did and putting togther even the legas was a nightmare. It didn't matter where I adjusted anything, I could only get the legs near enough. Then aligning the motor was a bigger nightmare, shimming the motor up to be somewhere near square to the trunion was a huge mission and fitting the bottom vaccuum plate involved a lot of swearing and 3 screws in being close enough. I haven't even measured the blade being square or not yet, not really looking forward to it. Those locking knobs on the adjustment wheels are useless too, just like yours.
Really sorry to hear that Shaun. I bought mine quite a while ago now so maybe they’ve made changes to the manufacturing process. Who knows!! I hope you told them about the issues you had.
@@DownUnderWoodWorks So you think I should tell them then? I wasn't going to bother because I bought It so long ago and only just got around to putting it together. So I thought any feed back now would just be ignored.....
You've no need to apologise mate, I didn't buy the saw on your advice. I just liked it and found the price acceptable. Your video's on the saw being available is just extremely handy. Keep making great content and I will be an avid watcher. A little more info on what you may have done since the last video to remedy the fact the bloody handle locks dont lock at all might be nice.
@@DownUnderWoodWorks I decided to take your advice and messaged Hare and Forbes about the issues, they couldn'y give a fuck, not one single fuck (as predicted). Just saw the message and completely ignored it, not a syllable back. Hare and Forbes can kiss my ass from here on out. I'll pay more and go to Carbatec and metal working can come from Paramount Brown.