Mighty Mite Mini Table Saw Good or Bad?

[DSiemens]

So I've been trying to find ways to mill planks and small parts and could really use a table saw.  Trouble is I live in an apartment with my wife and two kids so my work space is quiet literally a closet.  I've heard of an attachment to turn dremel into a table saw and ran into the Mighty Mite while looking for it.  

 

The size is perfect it would fit my space.  Most reviews I've read though say it's pretty weak but I imagine they are cutting bigger things then planking with it.  Has any one ever used this?  Or does any one have any ideas that would work better for my space constraints?  

 

Here's the link to the website in case you need more info.  http://www.harborfreight.com/4-inch-mighty-mite-table-saw-93211.html

 

   

[DSiemens]

That is a good thought.  I'll see what I can find out. 

[Yambo]

I can't see any information on how thick the blade is. You could end up turning a lot of wood into dust if the blade is quite thick. And that's another issue - does it have dust collection?  Have you considered the Proxxon KS230? It's a fair bit more expensive but the blade is about 2.5" dia (58mm) and only 0.5mm thick. You can also stick a vacuum cleaner hose on to keep the dust down and the wife happy. 

[captainbob]

I wasted my money on one.  It is underpowered and stalls out on anything thicker than 1/8 balsa and sometimes on that.  Also the height adjustment is hard to set.

 

Bob

[DSiemens]

Well I think that comment settles it.  I won't get the micro mite.  After some contemplation I'm thinking I may want to wait the one or two years it will take me to get into a house.  Then I can buy a more full size table saw put it in a garage and do some real work.  It's hard to be patient when you realize how nice building would be with a particular power tool.  

[mtaylor]

Daniel,

 

A "full-size" saw won't work for what we do.  Look at the Byrnes, Micromark, and Proxxons.  Those tools are made for modeling. 

[captainbob]

Sorry for any confusion caused by my earlier post.  I was typing when Yambo,s entry hit and I did not see it.  It is the saw pictured in the first post that I had trouble with.  I have since bought a Proxxon SKF/E and am happy with it.

 

Bob

[overdale]

Daniel,

I agree with the others, I have heard the mighty mite is very underpowered and quite crude.  The Dremel  table saw is not a bad alternative to the higher priced, but superlative Byrnes saw. They are no longer made but they are regularly on Ebay. If you can, get one with the custom fence. I have one for emergencies and it works very well.

 

Dan.

Edited April 11, 2013 by overdale

[Garward]

Daniel,

 

A "full-size" saw won't work for what we do.  Look at the Byrnes, Micromark, and Proxxons.  Those tools are made for modeling. 

 

I completely agree with Mark's opinion.

[DSiemens]

Thank you all for your comments.  I will look into the Byrnes, Micromark, and Proxxons saws. I will wait on it though. I figured 40 bucks I could swing for a saw but a hundred might drive the Admiral nuts.  Good to throw on the wish list though.    

[rtropp]

I am trying to decide on a table saw.  The choices seem to be between Byrnes($450), Micromark ($344), and Proxxons ($364 for the37070FET, or $125 for the KS115). While the Proxxon and Micromark are pretty close in Price the Byrnes is more.   This does not take into account accessories.

As a retiree on a budget, price is important, but considering the manhours put into this, quality would be even more important. I plan at some point to try my hand at scratch built so do not want to have to reinvest. 

The question is how much difference is there in quality and features between these saws for the ship model builder. For instance, does variable speed or tilting table matter that much?

Richard