Welcome to the heart of this website – my selection of the best table saws for several specific needs. You see, it’s impossible to select only ONE as the best for all purposes because a table saw should be carefully tailored to your needs. There’s no point in buying a complex cabinet saw if you’re a beginner, you’re probably better off with a solid benchtop saw. The same goes if you’re a professional, only the other way around.
This article is the place to start, and then you can take it from there. My table saw buying guide has all the essential information on table saws you will need, like their classification based on size, portability, motor type, blade size, and the features they come with. You will encounter each of these terms in all the product reviews, which is why you shouldn’t skip reading it.
You should test the cutting depth of a saw when it is not cutting a bevel. This aspect helps in determining accurate and maximum cutting at 0 degrees. In considering bevel cutting, you should ensure the base plate is adjustable. Look out for adjustment allowance that your saw offers you such as 45, 50 or 90 degrees. The table saw should also be a feature with the flush housing so as to allow the table saw to cut very close to the edge of the wall. It is necessary to look out for this feature as will allow you to cut flooring to size at ease
Ridgid notches a third place finish as the only saw to include an independent blade height lock. The adjustment wheel raises and lowers with multiple full turns like most saws, but integrates a lock into the center. For the bevel adjustment, the outside of the height adjustment wheel turns a rack and pinion style system to accurately change the blade angle – a feature Makita shares.
Bosch’s Gravity Rise Stand was the best portable design of the group. While several stands share the basic principles, Bosch stood out with large diameter tubing that improves durability, the ease of set up/take down, and the larger pneumatic wheels that helps over less than ideal terrain. SawStop was right behind with slightly narrower wheels while Ridgid wrapped up the top 3 most impressive.table saw bench
We put our hands on 10 of the most popular table saws and tested them for accuracy, power, and functionality. It took some time, but we have some fairly conclusive results. Table saws are undeniably the kings of rip cuts on the jobsite and in shops. The concept is simple: Place a motor below a solid table to turn a blade somewhere in the 4000-5000 RPM range through the surface and watch the sawdust fly. The idea may be simple, but the reality is much different. How big should the table be? What size blade should you use? How heavy can you get away with making it? For this shootout, we’re looking specifically to find the best portable jobsite table saw.
Bosch’s Gravity Rise Stand was the best portable design of the group. While several stands share the basic principles, Bosch stood out with large diameter tubing that improves durability, the ease of set up/take down, and the larger pneumatic wheels that helps over less than ideal terrain. SawStop was right behind with slightly narrower wheels while Ridgid wrapped up the top 3 most impressive.
table saw bench
You should test the cutting depth of a saw when it is not cutting a bevel. This aspect helps in determining accurate and maximum cutting at 0 degrees. In considering bevel cutting, you should ensure the base plate is adjustable. Look out for adjustment allowance that your saw offers you such as 45, 50 or 90 degrees. The table saw should also be a feature with the flush housing so as to allow the table saw to cut very close to the edge of the wall. It is necessary to look out for this feature as will allow you to cut flooring to size at ease
At first glance, the Bosch 10-Inch Worksite Table Saw may seem to be nothing exceptional. However, it's powered by the best motor in its class, and it does everything well. True, the motor is a 15 amp unit like the others on our list, but it produces 4 HP where the others produce only 1.5 to 2 HP. This is a noticeable step up in a vital area! The wheeled frame is extremely helpful for moving around your shop or garage, but keep in mind that those tires aren’t heavy-duty; you have to be careful with them on a worksite littered with nails and screws.
If you’re looking for a machine with high capacity, the SKIL 3410-02 has a 3.5-inch cut height with the ability to cut through four times the material on each pass. The consensus among reviewers is that, for such a low price, you end up compromising on miter gauge and saw blade quality. Luckily both of those things can be replaced if you so choose.
Ridgid’s fence is outstanding for its design. Its large front plate helps stabilize it and the whole thing just feels solid. There’s very little play compared to some of the others and we were consistently able to lock it down perfectly square. We like the pinion style bevel adjustment. It’s not quite a good as a separate adjustment wheel, but a great improvement over simple sliding. We also like the independent locks for both height and bevel. It’s not often that a height lock would be required, but there’s an element of confidence that comes from knowing it won’t be going anywhere.
You will agree that your ability to hold, controlling and manipulating the saw largely depends on your strength. Since small table saws are lightweight, you should go for a powerful table saw so as to avoid fatigue during small jobs. This also means that if you are working in a forest for a whole day the light weight is of great importance it also helps reduce fatigue. When shopping for chainsaws ensure the saw balances well in your hand. You should also ensure that you can easily shift the saws grip from hand to hand without losing its balance.
Choose table saws that come with complete accessories and not just purchase a bare tool. Although this is cheaper, it would cost you later because you need to purchase additional accessories and parts. Common accessories included in a table saw kits are blades, on and off switches, wrenches, wheels, onboard storage, and dust collection attachments.
A little unusual for Bosch’s larger tools, it comes in reasonably light weight at 60 pounds – only Skilsaw and Ryobi posted lighter weights. Like Milwaukee in our 18V impact driver shootout, the Bosch 4100 didn’t really stand out from the crowd in features and performance. It’s solid consistency in every area we tested earned it the top spot in the class.
You can’t talk about the best portable jobsite table saw without talking about portability. Portability boils down to a couple of important features. First and foremost, weight has a huge impact on how easily you can transport the saw, especially if it has to go into the bed of a truck rather than a trailer. If you’ve got a trailer, then a wheeled stand becomes your best friend. We looked at both.
SawStop has an excellent stand and they’ve cleverly hidden the tool/miter/riving knife storage box under the side extension. Move the table extension and the box presents itself. Like DeWalt, two riving knives come with the saw—one with safety guards and one without. This keeps you from wondering how the pawls and guard go on the riving knife. Blade height fully adjusts with only one turn of the wheel. Not everyone was on board with this, citing less accuracy for dado and rabbet cuts. In the end, we showed we could be as accurate on the height as any of the other saws, so it’s a win.
I decided to do the very same thing a while back. I thought it would take a few days to figure out everything about table saws and then just buy one. I was dead wrong. While table saws are simple in their construction, they are complex because there are so many factors, so many aspects, and so many different features to consider. After spending a large amount of time doing my homework, I decided to share what I learned with you, in the shape of table saw reviews and informational articles. Before you actually go and read them, let me take you on a quick walk through the website so you know what there is and where you can find it.
