The first thing you should consider is the size of your selected table saw. If you are going to use it in the same place or only at your workstation, size doesn’t matter. But when you want to move it from jobsite to jobsite, it is essential to have a product that has a lightweight and minimal design. Also, check if there are wheels or carrying base with it.
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.
Contractor saws weigh quite a bit more than portable saws, averaging between 150 and 350 pounds, but are still somewhat portable. They have a heavier, cast iron table top, and a motor that is usually more powerful than a jobsite saw. Even so, they’re within prices affordable for more committed hobbyists. Contractor saws can range between $800 and $2,000. They’re good for basic cutting tasks, as well as making home furniture and cabinetry work.
Not everyone needs to use the miter gauge on a table saw since there’s typically going to be a miter saw around. If you do, you’ll like the positive locking detents at common angles. This saw felt like it was the weakest when pushing our 2x PT material through. Despite the ranking, it doesn’t feel under-powered – you just need to take your time. You won’t find a lot of bells and whistles on this model, but for $279, we don’t have many complaints.
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 have to know the amount of money you are willing to spend for the right saw. The truth is that the price will vary significantly depending on where you are buying the saw, the brand and the features it comes with. However, with a good budget, you can easily narrow down the options you may have. You will have a smaller range to work with and you will know what features to expect within that price range. Always be willing to spend a little more on the table saw you want in your workshop especially if you work on wood every day.
To get the feel of the cut, we used a two man team to feed from one end of the saw and catch on the other. This helped us reduce the friction that comes from one person trying to hold a board flush against the fence while also keeping downward pressure to keep it level on the table. There was definitely some hesitation at the beginning of each cut that was alleviated once the board was received by the second man on the other side. It was during this middle section that the table/fence friction was at its lowest point and we made our determinations about each saw’s power and cutting speed.
The stand strays from the idea that jobsite stands need to be wheeled. We can attribute this to its light weight. While it loses points for portability, Skilsaw’s design created the most stable stand of the entire group. Another benefit to going with this simple stand design is that it is certainly responsible for dropping the price point. Skilsaw is definitely the table saw you want to go with if you’re having to move your saw in and out of a truck bed rather than being able to wheel it up in a trailer.
The blade is adjustable from 0-45 degrees for a variety of bevel applications. This DeWalt Table Saw has a 15-amp motor for cutting hardwood and even pressure-treated lumber. This will let you make cuts to a depth of 3- 1/8 inches at 90 degrees and 2 – ¼ inches at 45 degrees. Other important features include a coated table surface and a metal roll cage to protect the tool. This weighs 45 pounds and therefore it is easy to lift and take to your workspace or at the worksite.
The blades are the primary factor to consider when shopping for a saw as they hugely determine the performance of your table saw. The blades will only be effective if they are set at a correct depth of cut. The table saw will also perform best if only the correct blade for the cut is fitted, as a proper blade will enable you to achieve a precise and smooth cut. When purchasing a blade, go for the one with a correct setting blade. Consider the cutting depth also as this will determine its suitability for the job. You should also ensure that the table saw is equipped with splinter guard as this will help in minimizing splintering of the board’s top surface. Splinter guard also enhances accuracy because when it is lined up at the start and finish mark the saw will cut with precision. A suitable table saw should also have a 20mm arbor as this guarantees the stability of the blade and hence, safety in the workplace.
From there, it’s all about flesh detection. The REAXX wins out over SawStop in this category thanks to quicker recovery, a two-shot activation mechanism ($99 per cartridge, $49.50 per shot), and keeping the blade from damage. The initial saws to go out also come with a code to get an extra cartridge for free when you register the REAXX. Like I mentioned earlier, the unknown is still the actual reaction time compared to SawStop.
Regular table saws usually have powerful motors that can give you of 3 to 5 HP at 240V. Powerful benchtop saws such as these can take larger materials like wooden flooring, logs, and lumber. On the other hand, smaller and more compact table saws have direct-drive motors that run on 120 V power at 2 HP. This kind of saw will work with thinner materials like wooden panels, vinyl, laminates and thin metal sheets.
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.
