The Jet JWTS-10JF table saw is pretty decent right out of the box, but it can be better. Here I show the upgrades I took to make a decent saw into just about a perfect "cutting machine".

The first upgrade is a product from In-Line Industries (Web Page), called "PALS" (Precision Alignment and Locking System). It is designed to allow micro-adjustment of the saw's trunion assembly - which determines the front-to-back straightness of the blade. If your saw tends to burn or score the wood when you are ripping, the trunion is probably out of adjustment.

While the idea is good, the product was not made well at all. You might see how the upper bracket has a crooked screw protruding out of it - it came that way from the company. I think they are probably a "cottage industry" type of company. At any rate, it did work, but I had to trim part of the bracket to fit the saw, as the bottom bracket shows.

The idea behind the PALS is that the brackets fit under the rear trunion bolts, and the side screws allow adjustment in very small increments. It did work pretty well in spite of the sloppy machining of the parts. At $20 per set, its probably worth the easier adjustment capability. Even then, I found that I had to adjust the trunion several times; as just tightening down the bolts did change the alignment a bit.

Another $130 spent for a premium Forrest blade and damper ensures a good cut. I believe that Forrest blades are the best you can buy, and it is probably reflected in the $100+ price tag. But you get what you pay for, and here is no better.

Before performing the next upgrade, every time I would start the saw motor, the whole thing would jump a bit. The 1 1/2HP 18Amp motor develops a lot of starting torque, and when simply hanging on by the belt, it does jump. I believe this can contribute to eventual mis-alignment over time.

This problem was solved by another product from In-Line Industries - their Contractor Saw Performance Pack. This product consisted of two machined pulleys and a cool V-belt. The idea with the machined pulleys is that they run truer than the stock cast pulleys. The cost of this upgrade was $50, so it was cheap enough to try it out. Unfortunately, as with the other product from In-Line Industries, the machining on the pulleys was sub-standard. I had to file the keyway on the motor pulley to get it to fit, and the arbor pulley was not the right size. OK, I'll not fault them on the arbor pulley, because the saw manufacturer likely changed specifications, but again, the sloppy machining on the pulleys does irritate me. Since the arbor pulley would not fit, I ended up only using the machined pulley for the motor.

The other component of the kit was a "Power Twist Plus" belt by Fenner Drives (Web Page). My advice here is to buy the belt from one of Fenner's suppliers and pass on the pulleys.

The result of this upgrade was that tt not only stopped the jerking, but is also cut down on the vibration while the belt was running. I believe this is due to alleviating the flat spots that can occur in the standard belt over time.

The next upgrade was to an Incra 1000 SE miter gauge (Web Page), which I was able to obtain for $130. The miter gauge that came with the saw was of the standard OEM variety, and worked good enough until it could be replaced. However, this would be one of the first upgrades I would suggest be done. While there are several aftermarket miter gauges, I like the Incra gauges due to the adjustment teeth they have. You can read the details on their web page, but basically, the gauge has a rack with teeth 1/32 apart that the stop block rides along. These teeth are supposedly accurate to within 0.001", and to adjust the stop block only requires repositioning to the next tooth needed. I was able to create precision cuts with this system, so I am very happy with it.

The last upgrade can result in a dangerous situation, so you may not want use it. However, I am very careful and have some skill at using a table saw, therefore I used it. You alone are responsible if you do this with your saw. The upgrade was a zero-clearance fence, which although requires defeating the anti-kickback mechanism and guard, actually results in less likelyhood of small pieces getting trapped or thrown out.

The primary reason to use one of these is to prevent or at least minimize tearout. The product I used is made from Big Horn Corporation, and I also had to rework this part to fit. The supplied depth adjustment set-screws were too short, and the stabilizing pin would not work, so again, it is another marginal product from a small industry. The product cost $18.

For around $350, the table saw's performance has really been improved. The saw doesn't vibrate hardly at all when running, I fixed the start-up jerking, I have a precision miter gauge, and the Forrest blade really cuts like butter. I know, that is almost a cliche' bit it is really true. While $350 is a significant cost, and was about 60% of the cost of the saw, you really cannot include the $130 for the saw-blade, because you need a good blade regardless of what your saw is like. So, in reality, the cost of the "improvements" were about $220, which isn't really that bad.

My only issue is that when I purchase a product, I really expect it to be made well, and work as advertised. While the latter was true for both In-Line and Big Horn products I purchases, the former was not.

The other upgrades I am considering is an Incra TS-3A replacement for the stock fence, and an off-saw guard and sawdust collection system.