It’s tough to be completely objective when choosing the best portable jobsite table saw since the stock blades vary so widely. Skilsaw comes with a 30-tooth Diablo blade and Makita’s stock 32-tooth blade are both excellent while others could use some help. To make this shootout about the saws and not the blades, we turned to Diablo to outfit each saw with the same accessory.
When using the side extension, a tape moves along so you won’t have to remember what measurement to lock the fence on or read a double marked measurement guide. It’s an innovation we like, but there are questions as to the long term durability of the tape itself. Like Ryobi, Ridgid uses a magnetic throat plate to secure it while leaving access simple.
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.
Measuring 30.31" x 17.32" x 41.81", this powerhouse boasts a heavy duty 10" blade that can cut up to 4" x 4" of material in a single pass. For the handyman who likes to keep all of his tools within arm’s length, RIDGID’s table saw comes with convenient onboard storage so swapping out blades or accessing your tools is just a short reach away. Buyers are crazy for this table saw, and they report that it easily fits into the corner of their garages. Plus, quick and easy assembly means you can get to work straight out the gate.
It’s tough to be completely objective when choosing the best portable jobsite table saw since the stock blades vary so widely. Skilsaw comes with a 30-tooth Diablo blade and Makita’s stock 32-tooth blade are both excellent while others could use some help. To make this shootout about the saws and not the blades, we turned to Diablo to outfit each saw with the same accessory.
There were really two major performance considerations we wanted to look at to help determine the best portable jobsite table saw: cutting power and dust collection. Power is an obvious choice. We want to make clean, straight cuts, but we don’t want to spend all day making them. Any saw can be calibrated to be straight and accurate, but some have to be babied more than others to get professional results.
Built on the 4100’s foundation, The Bosch REAXX exhibits similar performance with a few improvements. Despite what we’ve seen online, the REAXX did seem to have better cutting power than the 4100. (see Editor’s Note above) The narrow throat plate opening also gave it much better dust collection, allowing only the finest material to make its way out. It shares the top ranking gravity rise stand with the 4100.
If you want to have a quick and accurate cut of wood, look no further than a table saw. When buying a table saw the main thing you put into consideration is its power. A good table saw should have enough power to cut through wet timber as well as hardwood. However, there are certain features which help in foreseeing the overall performance of a table saw.
Another excellent choice for the hobbyist or at-home handyman, the SKIL 3410-02 10-Inch Table Saw is a great value, giving you a durable build and quality performance at a wallet-friendly price. It doesn’t have the same brand recognition as some of the more expensive options on this list, but reviewers love this machine and say that it’s perfect for woodworking and DIY projects.
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.
Size If you’re working out of your garage, you may not have room for a full-size, standalone table saw. There are several tabletop models available that provide a smaller (and typically less expensive) alternative with the same wood-cutting capabilities. However, if you do have room for a full-size model, these are generally more versatile and powerful.
If height adjustments were standardized, we could expect each saw to make them nearly identically. Taking a look under the hood, we discovered several different methods—each with their own effect. Most of the saws employ a bevel gear system that provides smooth and reliable performance. We noticed that many used solid metal gearing, but Bosch used plastic for both the 4100 and the REAXX.
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.
I do not which is the best table saw, but I can tell you which is the worst. The rigid portable saw is a piece of garbage. I have purchased two in the last 4 years and the motor has failed in both, only to find that they do not sell a replacement motor. The Rigid customer service will not respond to any questions associated with the saw or replacement parts. I will not buy another Rigid tool and currently planning to try the Bosch table saw.
From there, the rest of the saws created a top tier of cutting power that wasn’t mind-blowingly better, but definitely noticeable. It took many cuts back and forth between saws to determine which came out ahead of other because they are so close to each other. Bosch’s REAXX took third place overall with SawStop ever so slightly ahead. Part of that simply came down to the fact that SawStop was a little bit smoother cutting. Coming out on top was Ridgid. There was noticeable vibration compared to Bosch and SawStop here, but it was able to muscle through each cut a little bit better than the other two.
None of your woodworking projects will go wrong if you have the best table saw for your individual needs. Hopefully, with the above table saw reviews, you now have enough info to find your right fit. Although a comparison between the DWE7480 vs DW745 shows almost the same great features, our top pick is the DW745. Although it is small for some people, it is durable, has good speeds, is powerful, and most importantly, it is budget-friendly.
