One of the main culprits in the attack against space is the pesky table saw. While it is an essential tool, the portable table saw takes up the largest chunk of real estate, whether in use or packed away. Most carpenters I know are always trying to find a smaller table saw—but we’re also loath to sacrifice quality. After all, a table saw isn’t worth a nickel if it won’t cut well or operate safely.

(Note: Click any image to enlarge)

This article will focus on two of the smallest table saws out there: the Bosch GTS1031 (52 lbs.) and the DeWalt DW745 (45 lbs.). I wanted to see if these saws were up to a real-world challenge on a jobsite, or if they were simply designed for the occasional DIY project. Ironically, a lot of the carpenters I’ve been working with, and we have a good-size crew, have been interested in the results of my head-to-head study; in fact, many of them participated in this review.

Most portable table saws these days are pretty much a standard size, and many manufacturers offer some sort of collapsible-wheeled stand as an accessory. Wheeled stands are great if you have a step-van or a trailer—and an endless amount of available space. But if you’re working out of a regular van or pickup truck, you’ll have to start making serious sacrifices with the tools you carry when you decide to load your table saw. And if you do load your table saw, you’d better have help!

Table saws mounted to wheeled stands weigh over 100 lbs., more weight then I like to lift twice a day, alone. Some carpenters still swear by these stands, and I suppose I might, too, if I worked on small jobs where my tool setup was always close to my vehicle. But I work on large jobsites, on high-end custom homes, and some days I see my truck only twice a day. My on-the-job shop varies from a basement wine cellar to a third-floor master suite. And the grounds are always torn up with trenches, concrete work, and landscapers. Wheeling a saw stand around is not an option.

At the same time, portable table saws are too small to really work on, even if you’re just ripping trim and shelving. And for cutting cabinet parts, they’re nearly worthless. That’s why, for this review, I tested both ‘compact’ portable saws using a Rousseau 2745 table-saw stand with an out-feed table.

A little about the Rousseau stand: right out of the box I had issues. First, of the eight screws that secure the table top, two fell out when I turned it right side up, and two more were stripped! Those aren’t very good odds. There was also welding slag left on the main crossbar that impeded the fence from sliding smoothly and functioning properly. In order to get the fence to work, I had to sand off the little metal beads under the powder coating, which, of course, removed the finish. I was not impressed to say the least, especially since the stand costs just as much as one of these saws.

To Rousseau’s credit, when I brought this to their attention, they sent out a replacement stand. In fact, my note to them sparked a full-on company meeting and review of quality control issues. They thanked me for criticizing their stand! I’d like to see more companies step up and take responsibility for their products the same way. Believe me, if you ever have an issue with a Rousseau product, you can expect to get good service.

Now, back to how this affects the saws and their levels of performance. Rousseau stands provide portable saws—especially these new compact saws—a much larger work surface, greater stability, and improved safety. The stands come with a shop-saw-style rip fence, and there are a multitude of add-ons and modifications you can also purchase to suit your needs. I used the Rousseau 2720 out-feed table to go along with my stand.

Blades

Now, on to the saws.

My first suggestion when it comes to these portable saws is to remove the factory-supplied blade and go buy a good blade! You can keep the original blade around for those times when you need a sacrificial blade—when you know there are nails or something that might ruin a good blade. And while I’m on the subject, never buy a thin-kerf blade. I know that saw manufacturers recommend thin-kerf blades for these saws because the motors aren’t nearly as powerful as a shop saw, but, honestly, most of the work we do with a small portable saw is ripping trim material—not a lot of 8/4 hardwood.

Both of these saws have more than enough power to run a full-width saw blade. If you’re running a thin-kerf blade to save material…well, I honestly don’t think you’ll ever save enough material to make it worth your while. The biggest headache of a thin-kerf blade is deflection. When I’m cutting hardwoods—sometimes even when I’m ripping softwood—and I want to rip off anything under 1/8 in., deflection really pisses me off. And I’m often trying to rip off less than 1/16 in.!

So for this review, I ended up using three different blades: I tried a Ridgid Titanium 50 tooth blade and a Forrest Woodworker blade on both saws, in addition to the factory supplied blades. I actually liked the less-expensive Ridgid blade in the Dewalt more than the thin-kerf Forrest. But, in the Bosch both alternate blades seemed to wobble more than the original blade so we used the factory-supplied blade in the 1031. 

Multi-purpose tools?

While I am on this rant, I’m also not a believer in making your out-feed table a multi-purpose Swiss-army knife. I see a lot of carpenters installing everything from router inserts to accessory clamps in their out-feed tables (sorry, Gary!). I may be the only one—and I apologize if I’m insulting all the other out-feed table fanatics—but maybe I’m the only unfortunate soul that runs into that open router hole, or that slightly proud lip or screw, while I’m making a delicate and expensive rip.

Hang-ups like that also create a dangerous situation when you have a spinning blade, binding material, and irreplaceable fingers. I know it’s tempting—after all, just look at all that free space! But unless you are extremely diligent about making everything absolutely flush, unless you use solid router inserts every time you rip, you could be putting yourself in a dangerous situation. Okay, that’s enough lecturing for today.

The Bosch GTS 1031

TiC has already examined the DeWalt 745, so let’s look closely at its rival. The Bosch compact saw has many of the same features—after all, manufacturers are beginning to recognize the importance of these details.

A large paddle-switch makes it easy to turn the saw on, and especially easy and fast to turn the saw off!

Like the DeWalt saw, the Bosch table extends to the right. Lift the lever to slide the table out, then lock the lever by pressing it back down.

On the DeWalt 745 the fence slides out on a cool rack-and-pinon gear, but relies on a Rube-Goldberg flip-over arm to support the stock. But on the Bosch extension system a small section of the table actually slides out. There’s no rack-and-pinion control, but there is good support for the workpiece. Of course, on our jobsite, we rarely used these fences because the saws were mounted in Rousseau stands.

Riving Knives

Riving knives are now required accessories on all saws—the days of having to remodel a saw guard and make your own riving knife are fortunately over. Like most carpenters, I’ve grown to like riving knives so much—and have learned to rely on how well they prevent kickback—that I’m reluctant to use a saw without a riving knife. You should be, too.

Both the DeWalt and the Bosch come with similar guard systems. The lever that releases the riving knife on the Bosch saw is slightly larger than the DeWalt’s, but it’s not painted yellow, so it’s harder to see in this photo.

The riving knife is really nothing more than the splitter, stripped of the guard and anti-kick back pawl, with the height adjusted to about 1/8 in. to 1/4 in. below the teeth on the blade.

Once the riving knife is lifted to its highest position, the guard slips onto the front…

…and the anti-kickback pawl snaps on to the back.

I’ll be the first to raise my hand and admit the truth: Like most carpenters, our crew rarely used the saw with the full guard in place. We like to see the blade—there’s no other way to make precise measurements. In fact, most of the time we put on the guard only when we heard the jobsite safety inspector was around the corner—and at those moments, it was nice that the guard installs so easily and so quickly. (Yes, on some of our jobs, there’s a safety inspector! For insurance and liability purposes, many large contractors have an OSHA-style inspector that will fine companies for frayed cords, not having guards on saws, pinned back safeties, etc.)

The guard stores beneath the saw. A flick of the finger releases it.

The anti-kickback pawl stores beneath the saw, too, and snaps in securely.

• • •

Accessory Storage & Handles

While we’re looking at the bottom of the saw, notice that the whole base of the saw is protected by a roll-bar cage. That may be the reason the Bosch weighs 7 lbs. more than the DeWalt, but it is good protection.

The cage provides a secure handle for lifting and carrying the saw.

Comfortable handles are also installed at the top of the saw, on both sides of the table.

Handy cord storage can be found beneath the back of the saw, inside the cage.

I really appreciate how saw manufacturers are thinking more about the problems we face with tool accessories. Even the miter gauge—which I never use—stores beneath the table, at the back of the saw.

And if you use the rip fence, it can also be stored upside down beneath the table. Unfortunately, in that position, the rip fence interferes with dropping the saw into a Rousseau stand, but hey, you can’t expect to win every time!

A stout push stick also stores on the side of the saw, within easy reach.

Head-to-Head on the Jobsite

Remember, we used these saws one at a time. And they were often the only table saw on the jobsite. So we used each saw a lot—sometimes asking a little too much of it. But that’s reality, right? My overall impression of the Bosch saw is that it’s okay. I’m not the type to bash anyone or anything, but I tried two different blades on the saw and they both had a serious wobble—and one of them was the blade that came with the saw. The wobble was especially noticeable on startup, and although it straightened out—or seemed to—I wasn’t happy with how it left the edges of the stock: rough, and often with saw marks, which meant extra work cleaning up edges that wouldn’t normally need that kind of effort. It was pretty disappointing.

The Bosch saw bevels past 0 and 45 degrees, which is very handy!

But the lock/unlock lever is a knuckle-buster at the 45 degree angle. You can’t release the lock without bashing your knuckles into the table saw extension release lever. I guess that’s another price we pay for compact portable saws.

I like the cool riving knife system, but more dust seems to fly in your face than out the back port, especially if you don’t have a vacuum hooked up—which is another thing to carry, and another reason why a wheeled saw stand doesn’t work for me. Overall, I don’t have a lot of great things to say about the Bosch. It’s a mediocre tool, a judgment reflected by the voices of my other crew members: They all asked if I could bring the DeWalt back. That about sums it up.

Top Pick – DeWalt

We started working with the DeWalt, and in the end we went back to it. I didn’t play easy with this saw just because of its size, and neither did the other guys on our crew. Like I said, it was often the only table saw on the job site, so it was used for everything from making custom plinth blocks out of 8/4 hardwood to ripping sheet goods down to size.

Overall, both saws are loud. Hearing protection is a must when using either of these tools. Gary tested the decibels and found that the Bosch was slightly louder.

Both saws have 15 amp motors and work just fine for what I would call “standard” ripping, but both struggled somewhat with thicker hardwoods. Their ripping capacities without the Rousseau stand are limited. You could, of course, supplement this with a track saw, but that means finding space for it. And that is what this article is about: finding tools that work within our confined spaces—both on the jobsite and in our vehicles. Do we have to sacrifice space for function? And what exactly is the sacrifice?

The truth is, I made both of these saws work for me on cramped jobsites for over a month each, and our work is demanding. In the end, the DeWalt won the war. For those of us with limited space, this saw is a viable option. But that doesn’t mean the DeWalt won with acclaim. The saw has some deficiencies that might really bother a fanatic. Two black metal tabs at the rear of the blade insert are not flush with the insert. I had to tape over those pieces to stop wood from catching on the proud lip.

The DeWalt has some serious plusses, too, like the rack-and-pinion fence, though unfortunately, because I used the Rousseau stand, I didn’t get to use the best feature on the saw—it’s very easy to make accurate adjustments in small increments with that fence!

But the DeWalt is a good little saw. It handled everything we threw at it. Sure, there were a few hiccups, like burn marks and chatter, and scant power at times—when we really pushed the little guy. And really, given the price, size, and weight of the saw, all of these complaints are minor; they should be expected. Call me a pessimist, if you will, but I don’t expect cabinet-saw performance from a portable unit. In my opinion, for the money (and for the size!), this little DeWalt saw performs just fine, even on the very demanding jobs where I work—where installations are often unacceptable if they’re off by 1/32 in.

And I have to say this in support of both Bosch and DeWalt: I think manufacturers are starting to catch on that people like us make our living out of the back of a pickup, a van, or half of a garage, and we need all the help we can get!

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Michael Inskeep is a foreman at Millworks By Design in southern California. As a young man he realized he had a talent for creating things, which grew into a love for building furniture, painting, drawing, and making music. As a professional carpenter, he cut his teeth building stairs. From there he made the transition to other aspects of finish carpentry. Along the way Michael had the fortune to work with some exceptional carpenters who taught him a few “tricks of the trade.” He also enjoys passing those “tricks” on to others who are willing to learn. His attention to detail, and ability to learn quickly, have led him to work on some of the largest and best projects in southern California. But, at the end of the day, his true passions are his two baby boys. The smiles on their faces make all the stress of deadlines and dust worthwhile!

Ever since portable table saws first appeared on jobsites, carpenters have been throwing away the guards, and for good reason: They’re difficult to remove and re-install; after they’ve been used for a few months, you can’t see through the plastic shroud, so it’s impossible to align the blade with a measurement mark; you have to remove the guard to make narrow rips or rabbets; and carpenters have always suspected that the splitters cause more kickback than they prevent. Those are a lot of reasons to set aside a saw guard.

Fortunately, tool manufacturers—prodded by governmental regulations—are upgrading the guards on portable table saws. Bosch was the first manufacturer to release a new guard system. On my website almost two years ago, I reviewed Bosch’s new Smart Guard System for their portable table saw. At the time, I learned that several tool manufacturers had been working on the same system together, so that every new portable table saw could be equipped with an easy-to-use guard system where the splitter converts to a riving knife. Up until then, the only way to install a riving knife on a portable table saw was by modifying the splitter, and that meant the shroud couldn’t be used again. But Bosch’s new Smart Guard System eliminates the need for modifying the splitter, allows carpenters to use the plastic cover or shroud, and converts easily into a riving knife simply by lowering the splitter down beneath the top teeth on the blade.

If you don’t know what a riving knife is, or how important it can be to your safety, pay attention! A riving knife acts just like the splitter on a table saw—it prevents the kerf from closing on the back of the saw teeth, which usually results in kickback. A saw kerf can close for a variety of reasons, either from pressure built up in the wood grain—especially in hardwood— or from a warp or twist in the board, which creates pressure between the rip fence and the teeth at the back of the blade. Kickback is one of the most dangerous things that can happen while using a table saw. Many carpenters have lost fingers—or worse—because of accidents due to kickback.

Like a splitter, a riving knife mounts behind the blade, but instead of projecting up over the blade, a riving knife is about 1/8 in. shorter than the top teeth of the blade. More importantly, a riving knife attaches to the blade carriage, so it travels up and down with the blade, staying at the same elevation, no matter how high or low you crank the blade. Some splitters don’t do that, which makes them impossible to modify. But the best thing about a riving knife is that it doesn’t have to be removed—ever, unless you switch to a smaller blade or dado set. Riving knives can save a lot of fingers. (For more on riving knives, read this article from Fine Homebuilding).

Bosch’s Smart Guard System revolutionized table-saw safety—mostly because it was the first easy-to-use guard that carpenters weren’t inclined to throw away! Bosch made the plastic shroud easy to see through, easy to remove, and easy to store right on the saw. They also made a splitter that converts into a riving knife quickly and easily: It takes only a few seconds to loosen the splitter and lower it into the riving knife position. If you’re not familiar with the Bosch Smart Guard System, the tool review article referenced earlier discusses the system in greater detail.

The guard system on the DeWalt saw is very similar to Bosch’s guard system, but there are many other benefits to this saw. First of all, the DeWalt 745 weighs less than 45 lb., while the Bosch 4100 comes in at 60 lb.! The Bosch saw does run much quieter and more smoothly, but the weight difference is so dramatic that many carpenters will be tempted by the DeWalt saw, especially considering that the DeWalt saw costs as little as $400, while the cheapest I’ve seen the Bosch is $550.

Because the DeWalt saw is so much smaller, I was able to get a smaller Rousseau Saw Stand, which saves on the overall weight and space. The only real compromise I’ve had to make with this saw is the noise: This new saw is a screamer.

I tried the saw with the factory blade from DeWalt, and also with a Forrest blade, and found little difference in the noise—although the saw cut beautifully and ran more smoothly with the Forrest blade.

Another problem I have with the DeWalt 745 is the blade elevation mechanism—it takes over 40 revolutions of the crank to raise the blade fully!

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At first, I thought the smaller gear teeth would be prone to sawdust buildup, but after using the saw for more than a year, I’ve found that the mechanism still works smoothly, if slowly.

Fortunately, the engineers who designed the Bosch and DeWalt guard systems paid a lot of attention to the way we use table saws. Both guards are split down the middle, so the operator can see the blade looking from both the front of the guard and through the top of the guard. Because you can see through the top of the guard, you don’t have to lift or remove the guard to check that the blade is hitting a measurement mark.

DeWalt has definitely improved on Bosch’s clumsy and difficult-to-operate guard latch.

The 745 guard slides easily onto the back of the splitter/riving knife—simply lift the front of the guard and slide the rear ring and pin over the hook in the splitter.

To lock the guard in place…

…press the large thumb latch down.

To remove the guard, lift the latch up.

Nothing could be simpler. The latch on the DeWalt guard operates smoothly and easily—a significant improvement on the Bosch latch, which is difficult to grasp, and it sticks.

DeWalt’s easy-to-use hardware for storing the plastic guard under the saw is similar to the Bosch, so storing the guard and keeping it with the saw is no longer an excuse for not using the guard.

Trust me, this is one table-saw guard you won’t throw away in frustration.

To adjust the guard and splitter/riving knife, you have to remove the throat guard. But DeWalt made that easy, too. The throat guard is secured with a tool-free lock, and a finger hole makes it easy to remove the insert.

Converting the guard from a splitter to a riving knife means lowering the splitter until it’s just below the top of the saw blade teeth.

Bosch uses a very small lever to release the splitter/riving knife.

On my Bosch 4100 saw, even in the locked position, the splitter/riving knife isn’t perfectly snug. I’ve tried tightening the lock nut to increase the pressure, but the bolt is so small, I worry that I might shear it off.

By comparison, the DeWalt splitter is secured with a T-knob that tightens and seats easily. You don’t have to remove the knob to lower the splitter.

Just loosen the knob about three turns, and push the knob in, so the splitter can slip off the retaining pins. Then lower the splitter into the riving knife indexed position.

DeWalt tried to think of everything with this saw.

They even ship it with a plastic push stick.

I guess, in a pinch, that’s better than nothing…

…but my advice is to make yourself a proper push stick, one that doesn’t push towards the blade but over the top of the blade.

That’s another great way to save fingers while working with a table saw!

• • •

And De-Staco clamps must be adjusted a lot. I have to adjust them to the exact thickness of the material, otherwise the clamping pressure is too strong and I can’t lock the toggle; or the clamping pressure is too weak and the workpiece isn’t held securely in the fixture.

Bessey’s Auto-Adjust Toggle Clamp (approx $20.00) is just that—a toggle clamp that adjusts to material thickness automatically, so carpenters and woodworkers don’t have to thread out or thread in the clamp pad to the exact thickness of the material. There’s a lot of wiggle room with this toggle clamp, which makes working with fixtures and jigs much easier and much faster.

• • •

When I started building, 20-something years ago, we were lucky to have had a ‘chop saw’ on the job site. No air-nailers, certainly no cordless drills, no portable table saws, no Festool. And we certainly didn’t have a small indestructible “idiot proof” gadget that told us the exact miter for a particular corner, so that when we cut our molding, or even our fascia for decks, the joinery would be perfect.

Nope, back then, we’d cut a few scraps, then eyeball it, check it, go back and cut it again and again until the scraps looked good, and then we’d know the right miter angle and cut the final material. What a waste of time and materials. If we thought an outside miter looked like it was 45°, we’d cut the first piece 22 1/2—we’d gamble to see if the next mate was going to look good at 22 1/2. Talk about trial and error.

I can remember temporarily nailing fascia or trim in place, purposefully making it extra-long. Then I’d take scrap material and lay it on top of the final material intersecting the first piece. I’d draw two parallel lines on either side of the scrap and go back to the monster Hitachi 15-in. chop saw (with a broken or missing miter gauge, I might add) and do my darnedest to intersect my pencil marks through that little plastic viewfinder. If you weren’t cutting with the saw locked in a detent at 0° or 45° it was a real crapshoot.

Not knowing what miter you needed, a single cut or miter cut could be troublesome. Get two carpenters going about the problem of using a protractor with a miter saw and forget it! You may as well take the day off. It was like each of us spoke a different language. Single cut, miter cut, 45°, 90° (are you talking about the actual angle of the corner or the ‘miter’ setting on the saw to cut a piece to fit that angle?)…. You could never take two guys that hadn’t worked together and put them on a job. While both could be great carpenters, they wouldn’t understand what or how the other was describing what the other needed. Is your angle 90° or 45°? My saw doesn’t have a setting for 90° so it must be 45°, right?

Fast forward to the present day

Today, miter saws are more precise, miter gauges on some saws have 1° increments, we have laser cut readings, and micro-fine adjustment knobs so we can dial in an angle just right. Great, right? Well, how do you know if you need to cut a 45°, 46°, or even a 50° miter for a corner that may be a little out-of-square. Even better, how do you determine the required miter angles for crown molding when it has to run around an oddly shaped room with unusual corner angles? Use a protractor, right?  Wrong. They’ve been around for years. But they’ve never worked with a miter saw! I’m a carpenter, not a mathematician. My miter saw has a different numbering system than a standard protractor (well, not really, but that’s a different story—see “Miter Angles and Miter Saws”).

(Click any image to enlarge.)

A ‘special’ miter saw protractor—like the Starrett ProSite—is the answer for a mathematically challenged carpenter like myself. This gauge is easy to use, needs no batteries, has no LCD that can break, and isn’t finicky in extreme temperatures, like a lot the of equipment we lug around. I should say that although the gauge is certainly very handy, it only gives you the miter angles you need—not the bevel angles. If you cut crown nested in position you’re fine. If you like to cut crown on the flat, or your material is simply too big to fit nested on your saw, be sure to buy the Starrett 5-in-1 Tool—it has a crown chart on it, too (see photo, right). Of course, the chart is only good for two types of crown—38° spring angle and 45° spring angle; but for off-the-shelf moldings, that simple chart covers a lot of territory. For anything else (like custom moldings and high-end crown profiles, you’ll need to use a Bosch electronic miter finder, or a construction calculator, like a Construction Master Pro or Build Calc (a great app for iPhone users!).

But the Starrett protractor is a very-easy-to-use tool. It has two scales: The red miter cut arrow and outer scale are for cutting miter joints; the black “Single Cut” arrow and inner scale are for cutting a single angle. At first, the tool might be a little confusing, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll love it.

The easiest way to explain how it works is to set the Starrett for a 135° angle (the same angle in “Miter Angles and Miter Saws”). Most of us look at that angle and think it’s a 45°, but, really, that’s just the Single Cut. Look closer at the Starrett scale and you’ll see what I mean. The Single Cut arrow is pointing at 45°. The red Miter Cut arrow is pointing at 22 1/2°. Those are the actual angles on your miter saw. There’s no thinking or math involved.

Of course, if you want to know what the real angle is, you can turn the Starrett 5-and-1 Tool upside down and read the “protractor” angles.

That scale reads 135. The red metal tab and indicator reads just like a normal protractor.

Using the Starrett is simple. To measure an inside angle, open the unit like a boomerang, place it in the corner you wish to measure, and spread both sides until they make contact with the wall.
The device holds a measurement pretty well. There’s some tension built into the hinge-point which stops the legs from flopping after you’ve fit it to the wall.

In some of these photos, I’m using my original ProSite Protractor, not the newer 5-in-1 Tool. But the scales read the same. The Single Cut for this corner would be 20° on a miter saw, but for mitering two pieces, like the crown I’m installing, I have to set the saw at the Miter Cut, which is 35°.

Remember, if you’re cutting miters, you’ll want to read the outer scale with the red Miter arrow. That gauge gives you the angle to cut BOTH pieces so that you have a perfect miter. If the corner is out of square, the gauge will give you the correct miter for your miter saw.

I’m sure many of you have had the same experience I’ve had. I used to look at a miter that wasn’t closing up tight, and I’d guess that I needed to cut it 46°, but 46° on a miter saw is really 44°. I’ve wasted a lot of time and material trying to understand that!

The Starrett solves all those brain twisters. It is available in a large and small size, both plastic and metal. While I personally own both the large and small in metal, I’ve been thinking of getting several plastic versions for the crew. The scales on the metal version are on an adhesive-backed material—be careful not to wipe the unit down with certain chemicals, as it will take the printing off and leave the device useless.

A while back, Dan Broadbelt wrote an article about a computer stand he built for his work van. It was simple, but seemed like an ingenious idea. One problem, though: I use an iPad. Nonetheless, the idea was planted, so I decided to try my own version.

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Oh, and if you haven’t read it yet, make sure to check out Bill Hillman’s recent article, “iPad for Carpenters”. He’s got some great tips in there.

Anyway, as a finish carpenter, I like to use natural wood whenever possible; this iPad stand project was no exception. I had a few offcuts of glued-up 8/4 cherry and a chunk of 3/4-in. cherry ply from a past project. I also picked up a piece of scrap 3-in. ABS from a jobsite, and grabbed a 45°street elbow and a toilet-mounting ring from the hardware store. Pretty basic materials list as far as projects go.

My plan was to make a stand that would hold the iPad so it would stay securely in place while also framing the screen, almost like a picture.

Construction

I started by ripping the glue-ups right down the glue line, jointed/planed everything square, and sanded everything down to 220. I figured I should make it a little nicer-looking than just simple square stock, so I decided to give everything a 1/4-in. round-over. My thought was to make some molding that wrapped around the screen, about 3/4 in. or so.

My dimensions are based on my personal setup. I use the Otterbox Defender for iPad case (without the removable cover/stand).

After all was said and done, my stand ended up being a bit thicker than I originally predicted. The molding has to run flush to the backside of the plywood and allow for the thickness of the iPad and case plus a little under 1/8 in., so things slide in properly. And, finally, it needs to have enough thickness to lap over the case and hold it in place (I chose 1/4 in.). Add all that up and you have 2 in. You could also use 1/2-in. ply and an iPad with no case, which would mean cutting the trim to just over 1 in. thick.

The molding was easy. I just laid out the cuts and plowed them out on the table saw (see photo, right). I originally intended to install molding on two long sides and only one short side. In fact, the first version I made was built in just that way. It worked just fine, but it looked like I forgot a piece during the construction process. This time, I decided to try something different.

I laid out a long, straight center line where I could bore out the bulk of the material with a forstner bit. Since my cutout needed to be 1 1/8 in., my 1-in. bit was the obvious choice.

The bit made quick work of removing material, but I ran into a slight problem when I went to bore two holes for the charging cord. First hole, no problem. Second hole, there was no material for me to index the center of the bit to, so I thought I’d just shoot from the hip. I plunged down and immediately felt the work piece grab and scoot a little. You can see in the picture to the right that I stopped early, but I was not about to try that again!

For cleaning everything up, I knew I needed to rout off the waste, so I pinned on a small ripping of the same plywood I was using for the project, which I had cut to proper height. My Festool screw clamps came in super-handy here. I thought I would need to clamp one end and rout the other, then vice versa. The top edge of the clamps was just under the bottom of the router. Sweet! I could rout everything without screwing around.

I just needed to free-hand along a short line on each end. That wouldn’t have been a problem if I had been able to see the spinning router bit on the MFK 700. Because of the sight problem, I ended up starting with one router and finishing with another. Although the longer mortise came fairly close to the ends of the piece, it was still surprisingly sturdy.

Assembly

Assembly was pretty straightforward: Miter saw, 1 in. pins, and glue.

I left everything set up, sanded again with 220, applied a couple coats of rattle can semi-gloss lacquer, scuffed with 320, and applied one final finish coat.

I used the toilet ring for the mounting plate and left it unglued so I could rotate the orientation from portrait to landscape whenever it suits my needs.

Luckily for me, my van has a cup holder that is just wider than 3 in. at the top, and it tapers to just under 3 in. at the bottom. I cut a 4-in. long piece of ABS and hammered it down into the cup holder. Since I can still drop a “no-spill” coffee cup or bottle of water inside the piece of pipe, I didn’t have to lose one of my cup holders to the iPad stand. Plus, the more things stay fixed in place, the less chance there is for me to lose them.

I tried to use some clear caulk to help keep the new stand secure, but, apparently, vinyl-to-ABS does not have the best adhesion (was sort of a gummy mess). It actually stays very firm just tapping it into the taper, but I think I may use my angle drive and sink a couple short screws through the pipe from the inside.

Beyond that, all I do is push in the elbow, and then attach the stand.

After using my first version for a little while, I realized I had overlooked having a place to store a stylus. Easy fix. I had a U-shaped clip for attaching coaxial cable to wood. My stylus fits perfectly.

All-in-all, I think it has worked out well. The only thing I’m considering changing is the street 45°to a street 60°; I think it might give me a better viewing angle. For those of you whose fathers are not career plumbers, a standard elbow has two female connection ends; a street elbow has one female end and one male end. I chose the “street” type specifically because the female end connects directly to the ABS stub, and the male end fits the toilet flange without having a short piece of pipe between the last connections. The angle is self-explanatory. There are many different configurations you could try when laying this out. My suggestion would be to pick up some miscellaneous parts and see what combination suites your specific needs.

Conclusion

My dash-mounted clipboard is now gone, and has been replaced with something much more efficient. I can read emails, go over bids, take notes…
…or read my favorite online publications.

I have yet to use the GPS capabilities while driving, just because I’m not sure about safety. Obviously, you have an interface that is at least five times larger than your average Tom Tom or Garmin, but I don’t trust all my connections enough yet.

I can also use a short 3.5mm cable to connect the iPad to my stereo, so now I essentially have the worlds largest iPod. Or I can turn the screen to landscape mode so my three-year-old helper can watch his favorite movie, or play Angry Birds, if he gets bored. I’ve found it a really handy accessory, not to mention the fact that it’s kind of sexy.

iPads? Really, Gary? I think that’s going a little too far. iPads are Apple products and Apple computers are for long-haired, tofu-eating, poetry-reading, and otherwise useless people who use them to design wine bottle labels, right? We meat-eating, boot-wearing, beer-drinking, hardworking types need real computers that can crunch numbers, run drafting programs and surf the web for—wait, it will come to me—yes, search the web for discounts on tools. Who needs an iPad, I say.

So, a few months ago, my brother Mike gave me an iPad in return for work I had done on his house. My first reaction was that I would have been happier with a case of Belgian ale. In fact, I gave it to my kids to play games on. Then one snowy night, out of boredom, I started playing with it. That’s when the light went on. This thing can do a lot more than show videos and play simple games. It can email, perform document management and data management, track expenses, and perform calculations.

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With its handwriting recognition and emailing capabilities, I could see myself jotting down trim measurements on the third floor and instantly sending it to my cut man’s phone on the first floor. Then I looked at my brief case filled with catalogs, scribbled job notes, and receipts sticking out of every corner. My smart phone and laptop—those guys are getting benched. In only a week, the iPad found a very important place in my tool box.

The contraction of the local remodeling market has forced me to wear all of the administrative hats at the same time, as well as return to wearing my tool bag daily. This means that my office needs to be wherever I am. This tablet computer has really helped that happen. It has increased the efficiency of the administrative side of my business akin to the nail gun’s effect on the production side.

What is an iPad?

For anyone who’s been under a rock for the last few years, the iPad is the big brother of the iPhone—without the phone. Think of it as the missing link between smart phones and laptops.

iPad with OtterBox protective case (www.otterbox.com)

The iPad is based on the same technology as the iPhone—commands are entered via a touchscreen.

The same iTunes program that you use to control and organize your iPod also controls and organizes the iPad.

The iPad comes in two versions, each with different levels of memory. The cheaper version has a wireless modem that allows it to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi networks. The other version has a 3G card, like the iPhone, that you can use whenever you’re not near a Wi-Fi network. And, like the iPhone, the iPad runs programs called “apps” (self-contained applications), which you download from Apple’s App Store.

iPad vs. a Computer

When I picked up the iPad for the first time, I was struck by its size and weight—10″ on the diagonal, only 1/2-inch thick, and 1.5 lbs. The iPad is very simple; it has no keyboard or mouse, and just four buttons—power, mute, volume, and a command/home key.

Then I turned it on. It came on instantly, like turning on a light. I love my laptop, but it takes forever to come out of hibernation. (I was also happy to learn that the iPad lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge.)

The iPad is menu- and icon-driven by way of a touchscreen. With the addition of a stylish pen (sold separately), the screen can be used as a note pad (see “Note Taking,” below). It understands my scribble and converts it into text. This makes it the perfect tool for taking notes on the job site—unlike my laptop, which  is kind of awkward for taking notes while walking around.

For email and surfing the Web, the iPad is friendlier to use than my smart phone. I can actually read the text without a magnifying glass. And the touch screen makes it really easy to surf the Web.

But I had one major concern with the introduction of another computer device: how would I track information across multiple devices?

Sync information between all of your devices!

Now with four devices—a laptop, a desktop computer, a smart phone, and an iPad—avoiding duplication of information was critical to me. Every time I added a new contact to my phone, I did not want to also have to separately add it to my desktop, and then try to remember to sync that to the iPad.

Likewise, if I added an appointment on my iPad while in the field, how would I know if my wife had booked a different appointment on my desktop at home for the same time?

Then there is the problem of tracking documents. Say I start working on a proposal at night on my desktop. My wife might edit it in the morning on her laptop. And I might have to change it again in the field on the iPad. This could be a total train wreck with too many devices, each with their own version of the same documents. So, I decided to look for programs (apps) that I could use to share information across all of my devices. (Note: with the upcoming release of iCloud and iOS 5, syncing between devices will be even easier.)

Programs for the iPad

Email and Scheduling: Microsoft Exchange Server

Last summer, I changed my email delivery platform to a Microsoft Exchange server. Exchange provides instant synchronization of contacts, email, notes, tasks, and calendar across all of my devices—phone, both computers, and iPad. An appointment entered on my phone instantly appears on the desktop and laptop computers, as well as the iPad. New customer contact information entered into the office computer now appears in the laptop, phone, and iPad contact lists.

Setting up the Exchange account was a snap. I simply went to my Web host’s control-panel Web page and pressed a button to transfer my email to an exchange server. (They charge me an extra dollar a month for this, which is totally worth it.) The instructions on their Web site walked me through the settings that I needed to change on all of my devices. (See additional information on setting up the Exchange service on the iPad: http://blog.fosketts.net/guides/ipad-exchange-activesync/ ) What a great relief and time-saver it is to have all of my devices sharing the same e-mails, contacts, etc.

Task Management: TaskTask HD (Exchange Tasks)

The iPad doesn’t come pre-loaded with work tools. But the iTunes App Store has a wide array to choose from. And many are free. The first thing I needed was a “task” or “to do” program.

Task management

After some research, I settled on TaskTask HD ($4.99 in the App Store) for outlining and tracking all of my job tasks. Since this app integrates with the Exchange server, it syncs with all of my devices.

If you are like me, you know that a lot of time is spent each day making and managing lists—projects lists, project task lists, material lists, customer product selection lists, punch lists, pending estimates, etc. I even have a list of lists. My phone is great for viewing lists but is poor at creating or editing them, mostly because I can’t work on its tiny keyboard. On the other hand, my laptop is great at managing lists but not very convenient on the job. The iPad is perfect for doing all three—creating, editing, and viewing. And it’s always at-hand and amazingly responsive.

Sharing documents across your systems: Dropbox

Dropbox

To share documents across all my devices, and with suppliers and subcontractors, I downloaded Dropbox. With this free service you create a virtual password-protected folder that allows you to consolidate all of the files on all of your devices to one central “cloud” location, and each of your devices connects to this “cloud.” Anything added to a Dropbox folder on one device automatically appears in the Dropbox folder on your other devices. Essentially, with Dropbox, you’ll never lose or forget a folder again. Even if your phone dies, the same file will be available in your Dropbox folder on your computer or iPad in your truck, or your desktop at home. I’ve set up a folder for each of our active jobs. All documents—from estimates and plans to job notes and purchase orders—are kept in that folder. What a game-changer this application has been for me. When a question comes up, I no longer fumble for files, or try to remember if the document or drawing is on my laptop or desktop computer. And, it no longer matters on which device I last edited them, they are always available for viewing on whatever device I have at hand.

Document Management: neu.Annotate PDF and Quickoffice Connect Mobile Suite for iPad

The next thing I decided to do was to download all my catalogs to the iPad. Since most catalogs, from hinges to molding, are available on the Internet in PDF, I went to the iTunes App Store to look for apps that would allow my iPad to view PDFs. Many of these are free. I selected neu.Annotate PDF which allows me to make notes on the documents. Now, I’m no longer lugging around a box of catalogs, or misplacing them. And the iPad is no heavier for all the catalogs it now contains. Adding new vendor catalogs, or updating existing ones, is as easy as a couple of quick taps on the iPad’s touchscreen.

The Quickoffice app ($14.99) allows me to view and edit Microsoft Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, and PDFs. So, now I can perform word-processing and spreadsheet functions on my iPad. But, don’t expect the same level of functionality on the iPad that you have on your computer. For example, as of now, Quickoffice cannot work with Office 2010/2011 documents.

Spreadsheets

Over the years I have developed several types of take-off spreadsheets (and in most cases, by “developed” I mean “stole”—thanks, Gary). The spreadsheets were fine for sitting at a desk with a computer looking at plans. But today, a majority of the work I do is in existing residential homes, not new construction. This means take-offs have to happen on-site, walking room to room. A laptop does not do that well, and I found myself going back to the paper pad. The problem with paper is that it gets lost, and, quite frankly, sometimes I just can’t read my own writing. The whole reason we use forms is to remove error, so writing the information in a notebook and then re-entering it—sometimes days later—on the computer is counterproductive. The slim iPad is perfect for walking around with, for and working on forms.

At this point, my laptop is getting jealous.

Note Taking: WritePad

WritePad ($9.99) is a writing app that turns my iPad into a note pad. I can write directly on the screen with a stylus, or even my finger, and the app converts my handwriting to text (something which no human seems to be able to do). The text can be saved and emailed, or sent to Dropbox. It is so easy to pick up the iPad, jot down a note to a supplier, press a button, and off it goes. No more playing with the tiny screen on my phone or waiting for the laptop to boot up. This was the first program where I really went, “WOW.” This is the app I use to jot down those measurements for trim on the third floor and send to the cut man on the first floor.

Construction Tools

Calculator

There are a number of construction calculators designed for the iPad. Calculated Industries makes several of them. For $19.99 you can get the Construction Master Pro calculator. This calculator works just like the hand-held units we all rely on.

I tried several other construction specific calculators available for the iPad, but found them all clunky and confusing. I think I’ll stick with what I know.

Cad Program

cadtouch R3 ($19.99) is the current drafting program I’ve been using on the iPad. To be honest, the iPad is not that great when it comes to drawing anything other than doodles. When it comes to drafting I still prefer the power and interface of a full computer.

XpenseTracker

XpenseTracker ($4.99) is a great little application I use to track my receipts and job expenses. Let’s face it, even with the greatest of intentions, no one jumps into the truck and waits three minutes for their laptop to fire up just to enter the purchase of one sheet of plywood. Most of the time, that receipt goes in your pocket and through the wash, which means it’s never entered as a job cost (which means lost money). Now, I’ll jump in the truck, grab my iPad and enter the receipt, because that only takes seconds, not minutes.

Sales Calls

When it comes to sales calls, the iPad is especially handy. First, it helps me get to the appointment. The iPad has a built-in GPS and map program that is a hell of a lot easier to use than the old 3×4 GPS that sat on the dashboard of my truck. Since the address and contact information is already in the iPad, I just tell it to take me there. No fumbling with the little GPS screen keyboard.

Easily present portfolio pictures and presentations

I used my Microsoft Publisher software to create several brochures of my work—kitchens and bathrooms, custom cabinets and millwork—and loaded all of them onto my iPad. I’ve also used that iPad on two recent customer presentations. The brochures are a great way to show off my work. If, at any time during the presentation, I want to show a specific photo on another project, I just navigate to the catalog on my iPad containing all of the project photos I’ve ever taken.

As I mentioned earlier in this article, the iPad contains all my product catalogs. Now, instead of sitting at the homeowner’s table with a bunch of paper catalogs and photo binders spread all over the place, my presentation is neat and clean. I also think the iPad has helped me appear both organized and professional.

The Future

We’re just beginning to touch on the functionality of the iPad. I’ve read that a thousand iPad apps are added to the iTunes App Store every day. Surely, more construction-specific programs will be developed for it. Here are my top picks for future iPad apps: I would love to see Intuit really beef-up their on-line “cloud” version of Quickbooks and make it worth the price. Then I could enter my expenses and checks on the iPad and have them sync to Quickbooks. I would also like to see suppliers make virtual catalogs and pricing systems geared towards the iPad format. PDF catalogs are okay, but they could be better.

I predict that, as cloud computing systems continue to develop and expand, the iPad and its like will become the main form of computing.

Conclusion

For a new tool to make it into my tool box, I have a few requirements. It must either perform a function that no other tool can do, or it must perform that function better than any other tool. It must make me more productive, and the increased productivity must justify its cost. I prefer my tools to be multi-taskers; I don’t like single-taskers.

The iPad surpasses all these requirements. Although many of its functions can be performed by my laptop or cell phone, neither can perform these functions as well. The iPad has replaced my binder of catalogs, reference books, calculator, and piles of scrap notes. It has almost replaced my laptop on the job site. If it saves you just two hours a week in organizing and tracking down misplaced information, the iPad will pay for itself in just a few short months.

But it is not just for construction. On long trips the kids use it in the back of the car to watch movies. Recently, my friend used his iPad with a marine app that has a GPS chart program to sail his boat from the Chesapeake to Atlantic City. And for the golfers out there, try the golf course GPS program—guaranteed to take a few strokes off your game. The list goes on.

This iPad has made me see the light; I’ve drunk its elixir and am a devoted fan. Now, I’m off to have some tofu ice cream and read Billy Collins’s latest collection of poems on my iPad’s iBooks app.

Justus Roe & Sons began manufacturing steel tape measures in 1865. A patent filed on July 14, 1868 by Alvin J. Fellows of New Haven, Connecticut brought an “Improvement in Tape Measures”—a spring-powered retracting mechanism. The spring-powered tape measure, which we’re all so familiar with, gained popularity in the 1900s, when it started knocking folding rules off the work site.

These days, I tend towards easy jobs: kitchens, baths, windows, doors, and trim. A 16-foot tape will handle 90 percent of the measuring I do. I have found that the wider blade allows for good standout, and has larger numbers for old eyes. My 25-foot tape and laser handle the “long” and “longer” distances.

This article will focus on the features of 16-foot-long blade tapes. Long-term durability will not be discussed because that kind of real life testing would take an extremely long time. Also, the variability of how tapes are handled on the job site would certainly affect their survivability. I have field experience with some of these tapes, but I’ll try to be as objective as possible. That said, this comparison should give you a basis for an informed purchase.

The Tapes

Stanley FatMax • 1 1/4″ x 16′ blade • www.stanleytools.com  This may have been the first wide type blade tape. 3/4 of the yellow plastic case is cushioned. It is somewhat fat (which you would expect, given its name) but it has a 1 1/4″-wide blade. It also has easy-to-read numbers. (Note: Click any image to enlarge. Hit your browser’s “back” button to return to this article.)

Tajima GP-16 • 1″ x 16′ blade • www.tajimatool.com

What can I say—candy apple red and chrome, this is the best looking tape I have ever seen! This is a 1” wide tape, so the case is smaller. The hook end is protected by the design of the case, and it has slotted surface protection. While a nice feature, this means you can’t “hook and edge” without first pulling the tape out. I am able to do this one handed without much difficulty, though. The belt clip is a weak point—it seems to bend very easily if the case catches while you’re working in tight quarters. My brake button broke after one of these falls. Overall, this is a good size for those who like a wide blade in a smaller format.

	Komelon 61416 • 1.06″ x 16′ blade • www.komelonusa.com  The Komelon has a rounded case, with a 3/4 wrap.
	It also has unique vertical markings on the convex side of the tape.

Malco T416M • 1″ x 16′ blade • www.malcoproducts.com
The Malco has magnets in the hook end for sheet metal and metal stud work. While this is a nice feature, it may start collecting metal debris if you carry it in your tool bag.

Bostitch 33-000 • 1 1/4″ x 16′ blade • www.bostitch.com  Similar in size to Fatmax, the Bostitch has a chrome case with 3/4 wrap. It also has an extremely large hook (see “Hook Ends” below).

Fastcap PS-16 • 1″ x 16′ blade • www.fastcap.com  The Fastcap is fully encased in a protective covering. The writing surface is a nice feature for those of us with memory issues.

Unique to Fastcap is a pencil sharpener, blade brake, and a levered belt clip:

Standout Lengths

Some tapes have claims for standout. I extended each tape two ways. First, I extended the blades until they bent only while holding the case (the first number below). This would represent when you are on a ladder and need to hold the tape with one hand. I then extended each tape supporting the blade about two feet from the case (the second number below). When the blades are at their full extension they have a severe bow. This would not let you really measure anything, unless you could hook and edge.

Standout length results:

Tajima – 8′ & 9′ 6″

Fastcap – 7′ 6″ & 9′ 6″

Malco – 7′ 6″ & 9′ 6″

Fat Max – 11′ 6″ & 13′ 6″

Komelon – 9′ & 10′ 6″

Bostitch – 12′ & 15′

Blade Width

The curve in the blade means the blades are actually narrower than their tape width. The edges of the wider tapes are also farther off the surface. Critical measuring would necessitate rolling the blade to contact the surface. I measured these with a General 6 inch steel rule. These are the actual widths and depth of curve, respectively.

Tajima – 7/8″ & 3/16″

Fastcap – 7/8″ & 3/16″

Malco – 7/8″ & 5/32″

Fat Max – 1 1/16″ & 1/4″

Komelon – 15/16″ & 7/32″

Bostitch – 1 1/8″ & 1/4″

Hook Ends

The hook ends vary from a simple L-shape on the Fastcap to the huge upper and lower hook on the Bostitch.

The FatMax and Bostitch are simply riveted, while Tajima, Malco and FastCap have plates on the underside. Komelon’s hook is sandwiched between an upper hook and lower plates. No matter what the design, they will all get caught in a seam. You know where: the gap between the flooring and the drywall, when measuring for base molding. So you will still have to pull up any hook so as to not kink the blade.

Blade Markings

Blade color and marking vary among the brands. Markings are somewhat similar, up to 12 inches, and all have 19.2 diamonds.
After 12 inches they tend to differ.

Blade Coating

The Bostitch (on the first 6 inches) and FatMax (on the first 5 inches) have “Blade Armor,” which appears to be a clear plastic tape covering:

Tajima has “Hyper Acry Coat,” which gives the blade a matte finish:

The others make no mention of blade protection. All of the blades have varying degrees of gloss.

Personally, I feel that if they don’t do the first 8 feet, why bother?

Inside Measuring

Back view of the Fastcap

The design of all of these cases would make inside measuring difficult, if not impossible. The Malco and Tajima have no case size markings. FatMax and Bostitch put theirs under the tongue of the belt clip. Komelon and Fastcap are readily visible. I would say that most of us just roll the blade in the corner and read the scale. When I need very accurate dimensions, pinch sticks are my choice.

Flat Surface Stance

I discovered something else when comparing these tapes: When extended to 12 to 18 inches, and set on a flat surface, some blades will sit on the surface and some won’t. This is obviously a result of how the cases were designed.

Spring Tension

Have you ever lost your grip on a tape while on a ladder, caught it by the hook, and then had to yo-yo it back? I held these tapes by the hook at a height of 42 inches (my waist height) and let go of the case.

I repeated this several times to “work” the spring before recording distances. Here are the results:

Tajima – Stopped at 38″

FastCap – Stopped at 19″

Malco – Hit ground and extended to 50″ for retrieval

FatMax – Hit ground and extended to 78″ for retrieval

Komelon – Hit ground and extended 39″ for retrieval

Bostitch – Hit ground and extended 50″ for retrieval

My Choices

If it had a better belt clip, the Tajima would be, hands down, my first choice. I give the Tajima and the Komelon a tie for first. If you keep your tape in your bag instead of on your belt, it’s a toss-up. FatMax comes in at a strong third, with a proven track record. Fastcap provides good bang for the buck—it may not take a beating, but you’ll get your money’s worth. The Bostitch has that giant hook that not only catches too much, but projects past the case. My last choice would be the Malco, with its angular case and magnet hook. I couldn’t get a comfortable grip on it, and the magnets—while beneficial for metal stud work—are also metal bit collectors.

Conclusion

I know there are many schools of thought on tools. While not looking for an heirloom to hand down through the generations, I think we’d all like to get some life out of a tape. You can buy a $5 tape and throw it away after every job. You can buy a $20 tape and get a year or two out of it. Conversely, you may have that $5 tape last a year, and accidentally drop the $20 one into an inaccessible stud bay the day after you buy it. The choice is yours, and it’s the luck of the draw as to how long they last. Hope this helps in your next purchase.

• • •

AUTHOR BIO

Steve Christopher got into the game later than most. Four years of painting jets for Uncle Sam in the Air Force after high school turned into—after being discharged—12 years of painting cars in body shops.

Steve’s wife, a nurse, kept after him to give up all that painting because of the fumes. Small remodeling jobs on nights and weekends led to “Steve Christopher Home Improvements” in 1985.

Decks, and kitchen and bath remodels were the main focus, but he also did trim, windows, and doors. 26 years later, now subbing out the demo and drywall, the business is still going strong.

Steve holds a State of NJ Construction Official license, a Building Sub code license and a HHS Inspector license. “Steve Christopher Home Improvements” is a NJ Registered Home Improvement contractor, and an EPA-registered RRP contractor.

Steve and his wife, Mary Lou, have two kids: a daughter, who has her own house in Lake Hiawatha NJ, and a son who lives in Chicago. Steve and Mary Lou are currently in the process of purchasing a vacation lake house in lower NY.

Why go green?

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I have had a Festool domino for a little while, and when Festool offered 10% off of their tracksaws and tracks, I had to take the plunge (no pun intended…well, maybe a little). Of course, these tools work great, but I’m constantly amazed at how much dust they can produce. Since this affects not only the life of the tool, but the life of my lungs, a dust extractor was the next logical step. This is probably the appropriate time to make a disclaimer: My blood does not run perpetually Festool green. My attitude is that if something works, it works. I don’t care if it’s green, blue, yellow, red, pink…actually I don’t think I’ll be buying any pink tools, unless it’s for breast cancer or something. But, I digress.

Quite a few carpenters I know like Festool and their products, but are put off by the initial price. I say that if it makes you more efficient and gives you a top-quality end result, it’s less about the upfront price and more about the costs associated with not owning it. Okay, that’s the end of my rant; back to the review.

Apples to apples

For the purpose of this review, I got my hands on a CT 22, just to compare apples to apples. Let’s do a side-by-side comparison of both models and see where things have changed.

CT 22 (left) and CT 26 (right)

In all the photos, you will notice that the optional hose garage is attached to the CT 22. I did this for two reasons. One, it allows for better comparison, since the the CT 26 has a hose garage integrated to its design; and two, if you do have a CT 22, I can’t imagine why you wouldn’t have the garage attached, especially if you are mobile. Unless I used it in a shop set up, where I wouldn’t necessarily “roll up” every night, it only seems logical to have a place to store the hose with the unit.

As far as size goes (and we all know size matters) things are pretty much the same, in the overall scheme of things. Same basic wheel setup. Suction control, manual/auto switch, and power connection for tool-actuated startup are all the same, just slightly reconfigured. The CT 26 is about 2 lbs lighter. The gasket seal along the dust collection bin is the same. The decibel levels are nearly identical; the CT 26 measured 71db(A) and the CT 22 measured 72db(A). Amps, power cord, and hose: all unchanged. One thing the 22 has that the 26 does not is a blower port. Underneath the 22 you could connect your hose and choose “clean air out” to clear off a work space. I really don’t think losing this feature is a deal-breaker, because I don’t know how many 22 owners actually used it. As for me, well, that’s why God made compressed air.

Now let’s look at the good stuff.

CT 22 (left) and CT 26 (right)

As I alluded to earlier, the integrated hose garage is fantastic. Also, the integrated carrying handle seems much more stout and robust. When you remove the lid, you don’t feel even a little flex in the handle.

The removable motor/suction unit is a real plus, and doesn’t require any modifications for using accessories, such as the handle, boom arm, and so on.

I did see, on the Festool Owner’s Group, where someone actually mounted the new one-piece cord-storage component on one side of the hose garage. This required some custom modification, but is certainly an option if you have a lot of onboard accessories. I don’t use the accessory handles on either of mine, but I know at least some of you do. I suppose it could get in the way a little when it comes to changing the filter bags on the CT 22, but the 2-part system of the CT 26 makes it a non-issue. I assume wet operations would be much less cumbersome with the new system, as well, since you remove all mechanical components when you take the lid off.

Let’s talk filters.

The CT 22 had two HEPA filters,

but with the CT 26 they’ve gone to one HEPA filter. And changing it couldn’t be easier. Lift the green “active” handle and pull…that’s it.

Some of the functional features have been refined, too. The connecting-clasps on the CT 22 were single-pivot-and-click. The CT 26 has two pivot points and is spring loaded. This may seem insignificant, but if the handles are not secured properly on the CT 26, the spring will throw them open—which means there’s no guess-work on whether or not the unit is sealed.

The hose port was moved from the front left corner to dead-center (see photo, left). It’s only a few inches, but I noticed a big difference—when vacuuming around my shop, the CT 26 just glided behind me. That’s not to say that the CT 22 performed poorly, but, moving from one to the other, you could certainly feel the difference in how they tracked. This also may be due to the fact that the new wheels on the CT 26 have a thin hardened-rubber coating. While it is an improvement, I would’ve liked to have seen all-rubber wheels instead of hard rubber over plastic. This was the only gripe I had with the entire system.

Wheel Locks

The wheel locking system was given a welcome upgrade. The CT 22 was fine, but the CT 26 is fantastic. Instead of setting the locks individually, the CT 26 has a single-motion system: just step on a lever, and the front wheels lift off the ground, locking the unit in place. Watch this video for a quick demonstration:

When I pulled on the hose of a locked CT 22, it slid a bit, and left some tiny scratches in the floor. I had to pull hard on the locked CT 26 just to get it to budge, and when it did, the rubber on the bottom of the brake gripped like a champ. The release couldn’t be easier, too. Tap with your toe, and the spring-loaded brake hops into the “up” position.

Capacity & Filter Bags

Capacity has been increased from 5.3 to 6.3 gallons. When you compare the cavities side-by-side, the CT 26 looks nothing short of gargantuan. I bet if you yelled into it, you’d hear an echo; it’s that big.

CT 22	CT 26

The filter bags have also been improved. I know that the CT 22 bags are pleated, but when you put them next to each other, it looks like three CT 22 bags could fit in one CT 26 bag. Not only was the size increased, but there were steps taken to make the design more efficient. The new bags are made of a “unique, pliable fleece,” which prevents caking on the inside of the bag. When caking occurs, you lose a significant amount of suction, even if the bag is not yet full, because the filter portion of the bag is essentially clogged. These new pliable bags still inflate while in use, allowing the cake to form. But when you turn the unit off, the bag deflates, breaking the cake loose. Once paper bags are inflated they rarely deflate. So the cake remains and grows during every use. This can cause undue stress on the motor, which can lead to mechanical issues down the road. Not to mention the fact that you are paying for bags that are half full. Who needs that? It should be noted that this occurs more frequently when you are dealing with fines from sanding.

Another important factor is “how” the bags are filled. I checked mine several times during use, and, without fail, the majority of the dust was in the back half of the bag. This is due to the massive amount of suction put out by the new motor. According to Festool’s specifications, the RPMs have been increased from 24,000 to 36,000, while slightly lowering the decibel level, and decreasing the weight of the motor by 2 lbs.

The max. suction force was increased from 134 to 137 CFM, but more importantly, the Static Water Lift (SWL) was increased from 90 in. to 96 in. What does that mean? I didn’t really know either, so I read for a few hours and learned a couple things. Now, by no means am I a scientist or mathematician, so I’m going to give you the “wood shop definition.” The greater the SWL, the more suction you feel. It’s essentially the power behind the air movement.

Real-world example

Here’s a real-world example of how well this unit performs: I was working with a friend on a remodel, and he had to sand a 1x8x16-in. wall cap that had been filled with spackle. This was in the middle of a nearly completed great room with dark wood floors. He had planned on masking and blah, blah, blah. I said, “Why don’t you try this and see how it works.” He hooked the CT 26 up to his 5-in. Porter Cable sander and started sanding away. I watched closely, and didn’t see any dust. I thought to myself, “No way this thing can be capturing everything;” so I got my head about 12 in. away from the pad. Looking into the light of a nearby window, I couldn’t see anything. Not a puff or wisp of dust. Even after he was done, you could run your hand on the cap and barely feel anything. And the floor? Nothing. The suction on this thing is nothing short of incredible—and remember, this was not a Festool sander he was using.

This is definitely a dust extractor, not a shop vac.

Conclusion

The long and short of it: this new unit is a definite improvement over its predecessor. However, if you’re reading this and you own a CT 22, I’m not suggesting you go out, tie it to a tree and bash it to pieces with a shovel. If you look at other companies that lead the way in innovation and high quality, like, say, Apple or Cadillac, the new products they release are always better, quicker, and smarter than the previous versions, yet the older models retain a lot of value, because they are still far beyond the competition. The CT line from Festool is certainly worth including in that category.

The Doctor

The Doctor isn’t for everyone. With a price of $465.00, most carpenters will shake their heads and roll their eyes. But if price isn’t as important to you as organization and ease-of-use, and if you’re strong enough to carry it, The Doctor is the ultimate Tool bag.

First Aid from Festool

You can buy a decent first aid kit for about $20.00, but it won’t come in a systainer, and it won’t come with just about everything you might need for a jobsite injury–except sutures and a scalpel. Of course, at $89.00 you might wonder if there’s a doctor in the box, too, but my hats off to Festool for encouraging safety on the jobsite and being the first tool manufacturer to provide a first aid kit. We’ll be giving away one of these kits at every Roadshow this year–and I expect quite a few carpenters will appreciate them.

•••

Since ThisIsCarpentry is an on-line publication, I’m making the assumption that anyone reading this review is internet savvy—most of you have probably checked out the specifications for this saw already; hopefully you’ve also watched the cool video on the Bosch site.  So I’m focusing this review on the real world issues we, as carpenters, face on the job. If you want technical jargon, read Popular Mechanics. In this story, I’m going to take a developmental approach and measure progress by comparing this saw—and its “improvements”—to its predecessor, which just so happens to be my workhorse miter saw.

I’ve used the new AGS on three different projects, providing a variety of experiences to test the saw in both my shop and on the jobsite. We did some heavy cutting building a redwood pergola; we performed some fine finish work on a fireplace mantel; and we chewed up more than a couple board-feet of Sapele for an entry door unit. I can tell you right away, this saw is a big step up from my old slider.

Out of the box

One thing I’d like to note before I get into the meat of this discussion is that—for the first time—I got a saw out of the box that was dead nuts (perfectly calibrated). Ironically, I’ve used two different saws for this review, and both tools came out of the box cutting perfectly square, plumb, and precise, which is critical if you’re a carpenter like me—on the clock all the time. Not many professionals replace a saw just because a new one came out.  Most of us replace a saw because something happened to our last one, usually right in the middle of a job; which means we’re buying a new saw to get back on schedule. That’s when it’s really nice to open up a fresh can of cut-straight without having to spend a bunch of time dialing it in.

Appearances

Having the latest and greatest may seem frivolous to some, but toting around a bunch of pounded tools gives customers the impression you don’t invest in your business. The value of the subconscious impression is often underestimated. Contractors can either reinforce their customers’ confidence, or get them thinking otherwise. When a client watches us roll out our tool setups, we set the tone for their job. We go out of our way to be sure our tools communicate the message we want our customers to hear: we pay attention to our industry; we keep up with technology in our profession. This saw definitely communicates that message.

Some pros

Click on any photo to enlarge the image; hit your back button to return to this article!

Visually, the AGS features a design that screams state-of-the-art, and that design offers some great benefits. First benefit: saving space. The AGS saves a foot of space behind the saw. The absence of sliding rails allows you to push this monster right up against a wall. Finally, a big boy saw that doesn’t gobble up half a room for setup. The AGS is also the smoothest sliding mechanism I’ve ever worked with.  Actually, it’s too smooth! Thankfully there is a resistance adjustment that allows you to dial a little friction in, otherwise there’s no resistance and the saw feels foreign! It floats there; you don’t feel confident that it’s going to stay where you put it. And while sawdust does have an impact on the axial arm, it has no effect on the smoothness of the glide.

I discovered early on that saw dust build-up on the back of the motor housing—inside the axial arm where a bump stop terminates rear travel—will prevent the saw folding back completely, and then the blade won’t cut all the way through material. We experienced this problem while cutting a lot of wet redwood on the arbor job, and no, we weren’t using a vacuum. Had we been, the problem might not have occurred (more on dust collection later!). So if you find that suddenly your saw is “bottoming out” and not cutting clean through your material—check that bump stop for saw dust.

Capacity

Beyond the value of the “wow” factor, this saw has the ability to get the job done—this beast handles framing and finish. With a 15 amp motor, the AGS cuts through 3X12 wet rough redwood without a hitch. Much like my earlier model, this 12-in. saw gives you the capacity to cut up to 3 1/2-in. thick material 11 1/2 in. deep, which means you can cut headers with it. You can cut boards on the straight up to 14 in. wide and base up to 5 1/4 in. tall. But there is a catch: tall material—like baseboard, can only be cut on the left side of the saw.

Anything over 4-1/2 inches tall extending off to the right will get caught up on the belt housing beneath the motor, which prevents the blade from reaching bottom. Bummer for those who like to cut base standing against the fence.

I also maxed out clearance cutting full dimension 2×12 at 45 degrees on the flat—and for the same reason: the belt casting on the right saw of the saw limits the cutting capacity.

Dust Collection

Festool has gone and thrown down the healthier-woodworking gauntlet, making dust collection a hot topic these days. Most manufactures are making an effort to improve dust collection on their tools, and Bosch is a frontrunner. This saw claims 90% collection. For my review, I thought I’d to try to validate the manufacturer’s claim. Huh? Yes, I devised a not-very-scientific but accurate testing method. Bear with me, and I’ll share with you a glimpse of my inner mind at work.

Before I describe this simple procedure, a fair warning: I am a carpenter, not a scientist. The results of my rudimentary yet painstaking test should be viewed with a splinter of Douglas Fir. I’m sure we’ll hear plenty of opinions about the validity of my procedure. I welcome all.

The procedure I devised was the best I could do—and frankly, I thought it was high time someone did something to test dust collection! I started by cleaning off my workstation in the shop. I blew off and vacuumed both the new Glide saw and the plywood workbench. Then I fabricated a simple plastic sheeting tent around the saw. I installed a brand new vacuum bag in my Bosch vacuum, hooked it up to the saw and put the tent around the saw, sealing it in. I reached inside the plastic barrier—like a nuclear scientist building a bomb—and made 20 cuts in 2×12 framing lumber. Then I removed the bag from the vacuum and installed another brand new bag.

I let the dust settle, tapping on the tent to be sure all remaining dust fell on the workbench. Next, I carefully tilted back the tent and vacuumed up all the dust not collected by the saw—both the dust on the saw, and the dust around it.

Hippie teens of the ’60s and ’70s will love this part: I weighed the bags on a hi-tech digital scale. First I weighed an empty bag—it came in at 4.0 oz. Next, I weighed the bag used on the saw, which came up to 12.7 oz.

Finally, I weighed the bag used to vacuum up the remaining dust—it weighed 6.5 ounces, netting 2.5 ounces of dust not collected. Are you still with me? Good.

I added both amounts of sawdust together to arrive at the total amount of sawdust produced: 11.2 oz. Dividing the 8.7 oz. (dust collected by the saw) by 11.2 oz. (total sawdust produced), provides a pretty good estimate of the AGS’s dust collection effectiveness—about 78%, pretty danged impressive for a do-everything saw. But a little short of 90% claim. Keep in mind, the test wasn’t rigidly scientific (and I’ll need to test my Kapex next!).

It’s important to note that dust collection performance varies depending upon the type of material you’re cutting and the technique you’re using—plunge cutting, “radial arm” cutting, or “reverse radial arm” cutting. These dramatically different criteria must drive engineers nuts! But there’s one thing I found very quickly that could be improved on the new AGS: The flexible dust shroud isn’t quite stiff enough. With my vaccum on hi-power it didn’t take many cuts before the shroud shut its mouth.

I solved the problem with a slight modification using wire and duct tape (no laughing, please—it works!). I trimmed the tape and the wire flush with the dust shroud. Now it stays open no matter how hard the wind blows.

Dust Collection Variables

I clamped a camera mount to the side of the dust "tent," pushed "Record" on my Flip Video Camera, and the rest was history.

With wide stock the blade must be “plunged” into the material at the beginning of the cut. When plunge cutting, the hook angle of the teeth is incredibly steep and a high-speed stream of sawdust is shot back at an angle that cannot be effectively captured. Once the blade has been dropped through the material—fully plunged to “blade bottom,” the sawdust stream is at an angle, which can be captured effectively. On the other hand, when cutting narrower material, you can start the blade fully plunged and enter the material at an angle that shoots the sawdust directly into the collection shroud—sort of. If you watch the video below, you’ll notice that the dust is also shot straight up and past the dust shroud, which means that even less dust is collected when plunge cutting crown in position. Oh, and if you’re wondering how I shot this video, see the photo to the left of this paragraph.

After watching that video clip, you might have the impression that the dust is coming up and out through a hole in the dust port, but it’s not. The dust is shot straight up past the dustport and strikes a depression in the dust port housing. And I already know what you’re going to ask! So what’s the dust collection effectiveness when cutting crown in position? You shouldn’t be surprised to learn that I tested that, too. Using the same testing procedures, I arrived at far less than 78% dust collection while cutting crown in position—less than 60% efficiency. Cutting crown in position is one of the most challenging chores for a dust collection system. However I’m not satisfied with those test results and will soon re-test the Bosch AGS, as well as my 4412 and my Kapex. I believe a “comparison test” is the only way to accurately judge which dust collection system is the most efficient. Look for those test results in a future TiC article.

New miter gauge design

Miter angle capacity is unchanged on the AGS: this saw swings all the way out to 50 degrees left and 60 degrees right. Detents are also unchanged, and are in the same popular locations for all the common crown cuts. But some of the standard features on the older 4412 have been tweaked on the new AGS.

While my older SCMS has detents cast into the table (above LEFT), the new AGS has a plate mounted beneath the table, similar to the miter angle plates found on top of other miter saws, but this plate is far more robust (above RIGHT).

The detent override is also new, with a plastic thumb button that allows free swing adjustments (above LEFT). Although this one is more refined than the simple metal lock on my original saw (RIGHT),  I still prefer the old setup—it seems more intuitive, the knob is more comfortable, and the trigger release easier to hold. But they both operate the same way: pull the miter angle release lever or trigger and the detent override snaps back. Maybe more use will get me past this thorny problem.

New Fence design

The fences are much better on this new saw. They slide smoother as a result of being machined to a higher tolerance, and they are easy to remove. The new cam lock insures you won’t lose a setscrew like I did once on my previous saw. I also appreciate that the sliding fences will lock anywhere along their range. This makes quick work out of finding a good flat spot for a clamp when clamping a stop for repetitive cuts. Bosch saws also come with scales cast into the fences, which is handy: I use those scales for repetitive cuts, or when removing a small amount of material—without having to fumble with a tape measure.

Upfront bevel control

One of the things I like most about the Bosch family of saws is the up front controls. It’s far more convenient to have the adjustment levers in front of the saw rather than having to reach around the back to adjust the bevel. One improvement I noticed on the new AGS is the paddle for the bevel lock, which now has a definite lock: rather than a soft friction lock, the new paddle actually “clicks” as you lock it down. I know—that’s a small detail—but it is an improvement. One thing missing from the new saw is the adjustable handle. If you prefer the pistol grip position, you’re S.O.L.

Handles…PLEASE!

Speaking of handles, one of my major complaints about this saw is the lack of carrying handles. As one would expect for a 12-in. SCMS, this tool is a heavyweight: at 65 pounds it’s a mother to lug out of the van and across the jobsite. But unlike my older model (which can be grabbed in several positions, once I fold up the arm on the AGS and lock the saw down for transport), there is no good spot to grab hold of this tank and wrestle it out of the van. A few trips into the wild with this tool have convinced me that it isn’t worth lugging for one-day jobs when something smaller will “handle” the task.

Blade guard

While mentioning what I don’t like about this saw, I’ll move onto the blade guard. I’m having a real hard time adjusting to it. The articulating arm places the blade high—it’s kind of “in your face,” so guard removal (never a good idea) is out of the question. It may just be that the guard could use an adjustment, but, as-shipped, I can’t sight down the blade through the view-window to my mark. I suspect that a minor “owner modification” could solve this problem, but it would require tweeking the saw—which some tool geeks aren’t comfortable doing. But there is room for improvement here. My older saw has a far better window in the guard, which allows me to look through the guard and sight down the blade to locate my measurement mark.

Also, the position of the saw on the arm creates a line-of-sight problem for me. At 6 ft. 1 in., I find myself crouching down to locate my line, and the guard is frequently in the way. Fortunately I’m a lefty, and generally work from the left side of the saw. This is advantageous in this case, as the left side has the best sight line. While I’m complaining I’ll mention the blade….

Supplied blade

This is an “out-the-box” tool review. I used the 60-tooth carbide blade supplied with the saw. Although it’s fine for most “general purpose” work (and some carpenters like David Collins will disagree with me), I think a saw of this caliber deserves a top-notch blade. Most snotty prima donna finish guys (like me!) will chuck this fuzz-maker in lieu of something with more teeth.

Also, the occasional on-site dado is not quite so easy with this new articulating arm. Why?  Because the arm flexes up and down just a little: I can get a full 1/8 in. of bounce on the blade depth while cutting a dado with this saw. I managed to improve the cut after figuring out that gentle, consistent cutting works, while slamming the saw back and forth with reckless abandon doesn’t work.

A new favorite?

All negatives aside—and seriously, there weren’t many—this saw really shines in the shop! With its reduced depth requirement (this baby sits comfortably on a standard 24-in. deep base cabinet), big cutting capacity (14-in. wide boards!), plus decent dust collection, I love using this saw in my shop. Coupled with Bosch’s legendary build quality, I expect the AGS will be a reliable workhorse for many years.

As you might have guessed, dust collection is a big issue to me. In fact, I modified my old Bosch SCMS and improved the collection capacity significantly. I’m putting together a story on the performance of that modification package, as well as some ideas I’m developing for improving the AGS. So keep your eye on TiC for that article–it will be coming soon.

While I don’t think there is a better saw on the market today for a shop set-up, for a mobile carpenter, this unit is a bit too cumbersome to deal with day in and day out. However, I expect a 10-in. version may come along before too long, and with a few refinements, the AGS design may take over the portable market, too.

•••

AUTHOR BIO

Robert “Robby” Myer  is 42 years old, married with two children, and calls Pleasant Hill, CA home.

Robby literally grew up in the building industry as the son of the owner of a Northern California chain of lumberyards, Piedmont Lumber. Robby worked for Piedmont for 23 years, heading up the Architectural Millwork Division before a tragic fire destroyed his location and showroom. Ever ambitious, Robby purchased the surviving door shop operation from his father’s company and decided the time was right for him to finally take on the industry himself—folding the door shop operation into his existing architectural millwork design and installation firm, Craftsman Collective Inc. As such, Robby created a custom woodworking operation specializing in building, finishing, and installation of custom doors and millwork.

Robby is currently expanding the new operation to add a 10,000 square foot showroom and retail store focused solely on finish carpentry. This store, set to open in March 2011, promises to be the destination for all things finish carpentry, featuring Festool brand tools, Kolbe windows, Robby’s first line of signature doors, over 400 profiles of molding, and tools and accessories for carpenters, by carpenters.

Robby has built custom homes of his own design, including his personal residence, as well as homes built on speculation. One home graced the cover of Residential Design/Build magazine, and was honored to become the “poster child” for Andersen Windows for the year 2006.

Robby’s installations have graced some of the most magnificent homes in the San Francisco Bay Area, and he has designed architectural details for over 500 homes and showrooms throughout his career.

Robby has been published in numerous magazines, including the Journal of Light Construction, a residential trade magazine. Robby produces internet content, is co-host of a weekly home improvement radio show, and teaches carpentry clinics, with a focus on helping homeowners and contractors develop their talents and keep up with the latest innovations in home improvement.