View Full Version : Ryobi vs Skill?
Al Bokolor
02-22-2001, 02:25 PM
Looking to buy either a basic Skill table saw ($200) or a Ryobi BT3000SX table saw ($350). I'm wondering what the exact advantages are for me as a rookie woodworker to pay the extra money for the Ryobi? I know very little about woodworking but that will soon change!
TIA
Ziggy Diaz
02-22-2001, 03:56 PM
Word from a rookie to a rookie,
From my short exposure to these beasts, a 200.00 buck table saw, is probably a bench saw with a stand and some extension wings, and the ryobi 400.00 buck saw is a more serious piece of machinery, from the postings I've read in this forum, it is a good choive for a serious begining in woodworking.
Not meaning to demininsh Skil or others, but go for the Ryobi TS.
Ziggy.
PS, I'm sure Mad Mark & the guy from the Ryobi cult can elaborate more on the subject.
Ziggy Diaz
02-22-2001, 03:58 PM
Word from a rookie to a rookie,
From my short exposure to these beasts, a 200.00 buck table saw, is probably a bench saw with a stand and some extension wings, and the ryobi 400.00 buck saw is a more serious piece of machinery, from the postings I've read in this forum, it is a good choive for a serious begining in woodworking.
Not meaning to demininsh Skil or others, but go for the Ryobi TS.
Ziggy.
PS, I'm sure Mad Mark & the guy from the Ryobi cult can elaborate more on the subject.
Haligan
02-22-2001, 04:14 PM
Please God don't let this turn into another blood bath. :-)
I own the Ryobi and I am very pleased with the results. I have no personal knowledge of the Skill so I will refrain from commenting on it. The Ryobi has some great features like the sliding miter table and the overall work surface it provides. It has always made clean accurate cuts. It has a great dusk collection system and comes with everything you need to start cutting. The setup is fairly easy, (mine came with a good video to walk me through it.)To top it all off it was reasonably priced. All that being said my best advice is research the saws and compaire the features to what you expect the saw to do for you.
Good Luck and Stay Low
Hal
Dennis C.
02-22-2001, 07:29 PM
I've had a BT3K for over three years (after about 20 with an old Craftsman) and, IMHO, its got more bang for the buck than any table saw on the market. Accurate, plenty of power for hardwoods, excellent fence and blade. It's a little fussier than most saws, but it's performance more than makes up for it.