Craftsman 21833 Contractor Tablesaw

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WOOD magazine rating

Heavy saw, easy-to-use power switch

4.0

out of 5

Average reader rating

4.3

out of 5

Brand:

Craftsman

Model:

21833

Price:

$650

Description

Craftsman 10" contractor saw features a solid cast iron table with stamped steel extensions to give you a large 27x40" work surface. The 1-3/4 HP motor can operate at 110 or 220 volts (prewired for 110, 15 amps). Features a 10" left-tilting blade, aluminum fence with front/rear lock, 4" dust port, and mobility kit.

Includes:
10" 40-tooth blade
Blade guard
Dust chute
Extension rails
Miter gauge
Rip fence
1-3/4 hp, 3,450 RPM motor

Weight: 265 lbs.
Some assembly required

• The dual locking fence can easily be adjusted parallel to the miter slot and perpendicular to the table.
• The blade guard system with anti-kickback pawls is designed with a quick release mechanism for easy removal and replacement.
• Riving knife system used on this saw can be set at 3 different positions:
1. Through cuts, such as ripping or crosscutting (riving knife positioned above the blade);
2. Non-through cuts with the standard 10" blade, such as rabbet joints (riving knife positioned just below the top of the blade);
3. Dado cuts with 6" or 8" dado blades, where the riving knife is positioned below the table surface
• The blade tilts to the left from 0 to 45° to permit cutting long bevel rips on wide boards with the finish work surface in the correct position.
• The blade is supported by a cast iron trunion system for accuracy and consistent cutting performance for the long term.
• The heavy-duty dual caster system can be easily set with the front and rear foot pedals.
• The saw includes storage for all of the accessories: rip fence, miter gauge, blade, blade changing wrench, blade guard system, and push stick.

WOOD magazine review

Heavy saw, easy-to-use power switch

Reviewed by: WOOD Magazine

Review Summary

This is a well-made contractor saw (with just a few minor setbacks) that would anchor a woodworking shop for many years. It's got a reliable 110-volt induction motor that supplied the blade with power to rip 8/4 white oak, with a slight reduction in feed rate. Its rip fence and miter gauge proved accurate, and the fence has T-slots for mounting accessories and auxiliary fences.

…

The power switch mounts on the fence rail at a convenient spot to bump it off with your leg (or hip, depending on your height), allowing you to keep both hands on the boards you're cutting. The built-in mobile base worked well without incident. With a cast iron top with nicely rounded edges, it weighs nearly 300 lbs, and that equates to stability and less vibration. Although the blade guard assembly does its job at protecting your hands and preventing kickback, it's fussy to remove and install, and the guard lock sticks out 1" farther than on similar saws, getting in the way of pushsticks on narrow rip cuts. Rather than a dust shroud around the blade, this saw has a plastic bottom with centered 4" port for a dust collector. It worked well at removing dust that settled into the bottom. This saw comes with a dado insert plate, a $20-or-so option on most saws.

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Detailed Ratings

4.0

out of 5

Performance

Features

Ease of Use

Value

Reader Reviews

Craftsman 21833 vs Rigid R4510

Reviewed by: 13473617DW

Review Summary

I've had this saw for about a year and a half now and it's a great saw. I was baffled by the latest review in Issue 213 where workshop tablesaws were reviewed. Although the Top Tool picked was the Rigid 4510, it scored lower in several categories as compared to the Craftsman. The Craftsman and Rigid are both made by Steel City and both have Leeson motors with the Craftsman having a 1 3/4 hp motor where the Rigid has a 1 1/2 hp motor.

…

The only advantages I saw in the article was the warranty, blade, and price. I bought my saw new for just under $500. Most new saws come with cheap blades and I only use the supplied blade for rough cuts in unfinished lumber. The saw performs well with a wide range of woods, including 3x3 oak. I'll probably rewire the saw for 220v in the future to increase it's performance.

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Detailed Ratings

5.0

out of 5

Performance

Features

Ease of Use

Value

Hind sight is always 20/20

Reviewed by: jcveltre

Review Summary

The first part of this review is one that I had done on the Sears website on 3/29/2012. ---------- I bought this saw about 2 years ago. The price was right as I was just getting back into woodworking after a 20 year hiatus and needed a new table saw. Although the saw has been OK. I definitely wish I had researched more and spent more money or a better quality saw. Assembly, though time consuming, was not that difficult. The only issue was with the rear fence rail attachment to the table.

…

The bolts were too short to get the nuts threaded on with the lock washers. Nylon insert nuts resolved this. As with most of the others, alignment of the blade to the miter slot was difficult, but after several hours of frustration and some bloody knuckles, it's aligned. When I decided to do some dado work I discovered that instead of the regular and dado inserts that were supposed to come with it, I received two regular ones. I have still not be able to get Sears customer service to resolve this. The poor design of the opening in the table makes it difficult to find/make a zero-clearance insert or a dado insert. I just recently found that Leecraft now makes a zero-clearance insert specifically for this saw. It is model CR-4 and you can find it at forrestsawbladesonline.com. I just purchased 2 of them for $53 with shipping. For the most part this saw will do for now, but I would not buy it again.--------- 1/17/2013 - I am again trying to realign the blade to the miter slots. I was able to get it to .001" but when I tightened the trunion it moved back to .02" I will make another attempt to get it closer. Many of the reviews on the Sears site talked of trouble with getting the blade alighned with the trunions and some suggested that the other resolution was to have the bolt slots machined to allow for more movement. I also found that the T-slots on the fence are not wide enough to handle standard T-bolts or even 1/4" hex head bolts so unless you grind down the heads of the bolts these slots are just dust collectors. The plastic end caps on the fence rails pop off if you hit them at the right angle. The split fence rail also prevents you from sliding the fence from one side of the blade to the other; you have to remove it and place on the rails again. The mobile base is great. The riving knife is a nice feature but the knife itself is not straight and the clamping systems for attaching the blade guard to the riving knife is cumbersome. The miter gauge is...well...not used. I opted to upgrade to an Incra Mitre-1000HD. In summary it is a nice saw but the short-comings make it a questionable buy.

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