I knew there were jobsite table saws on the market for less than $250, but I never thought they were good enough to get my recommendation. Sure, the SKIL 3410-02 is not a professional saw and may not be versatile enough for contractors, but the stand, power, accuracy and build quality of this table saw are much better than I thought possible in this class.
It is safe to say that we live in a DIY era. Think about it. When was the last time you went on YouTube or anywhere else online and looked for something that tickled your fancy, a guide on how something is made or done, or maybe a tutorial. Indeed, we do it very often, so why should woodworking and home improvement be any different? With the prices of table saws constantly dipping and the insane number of choices on the market, you can get one for yourself and save thousands of dollars by doing things yourself instead of hiring contractors.
bosch portable table saw
A table saw is the centerpiece of any home workshop, and it’s often the very first power tool to be cranked up at the start of any woodworking task. They’re essential for the necessary task of sizing wood for each project – whether narrowing the width of boards, cutting plywood sheets, or tackling specialized cuts like grooves, slots, and tenons. Because of their important role in DIY and professional construction, choosing the right table saw is critically important. At BestReviews, we’ve researched table saws in depth. We’re here to help you decide which type of table saw will best meet your needs.
Porter-Cable comes in as the most expensive of the value group, but also with the best overall performance in it. Of the three saws in this class, it had the best cutting power and also came in the top spot overall for height and bevel adjustment thanks to independent wheels. This may seem like a small consideration, but when you actually need to cut accurately beveled pieces, the adjustment wheel is a huge benefit over sliding the front height adjustment around.
My intention with this website is to provide you with everything you need to know about table saws. I have tried to remain as objective and as informative as possible, and I hope you will be able to tell that when reading the reviews. Hopefully, you will find them helpful when it comes time to choose a table saw for your workshop or home. Good luck and take care.
Bosch’s REAXX and SawStop were neck and neck with near perfect cleanup at the collection point and only a slight amount of dust coming out toward the user. What did make it out was even less coarse than the other Pro level saws. Both saws have narrower throat openings for the blade that reduce the amount and size of material that can make it out. In the end, SawStop produced less top dust than Bosch did to earn the win.
I know this is old, but this is a solid comparison not only in its sheer breadth of information, but also in its encompassing of many price ranges and for judging each model within its competitive set, not compared to something that costs 2-5x more. Too often I see table saw reviews that are all about the fence and nothing else. While a good, easily squared fence is essential, there are other features that some may find very important. I really appreciated your in depth look at the gear-based bevel adjustments on the Ridgid and Porter-Cable. I think this is… Read more »
All the articles on this website are short and punchy without much filler, but because there is so much to learn about table saws it will still take you the better part of an afternoon to read through them all. For those who don’t have that kind of time, or those who already know a great deal about table saws, this is the section that will take you to the best table saw for your needs.
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.
All the articles on this website are short and punchy without much filler, but because there is so much to learn about table saws it will still take you the better part of an afternoon to read through them all. For those who don’t have that kind of time, or those who already know a great deal about table saws, this is the section that will take you to the best table saw for your needs.
The SKILSAW SPT70WT-01 is truly a woodworking marvel, packing a 15-amp Dual Field motor into a surprisingly lightweight yet durable 49-pound frame. Whether you’re an amateur carpenter or a contractor with years of experience under his toolbelt, SKILSAW’s workhorse of a table saw is an invaluable addition to your repertoire thanks to its raw torque and unparalleled 25" ripping capacity, meaning tearing through thick sheets of plywood has never been easier.
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.
More power is also associated with more control. More control also gives you the ability to cut tougher materials. Furthermore, more control allows you to use bigger blades with ease. For instance, a 1500W of the motor will result in swift movement of the blade as it spins. High RPM of the blade gives the user a greater chance of achieving accurate and precise cut. So, when shopping for a table saw, look out for a skill saw with the higher motor rating.
Robert Bosch Tool Corporation is aware of questions raised about the power of its REAXX™ Jobsite Table Saw. We are taking this feedback seriously and we’re working with product and engineering teams to answer these questions. Flesh-detecting Bosch Active Response Technology™, which comes on board every REAXX Job Site Table Saw, is unrelated to the questions raised about the saw. The REAXX table saw remains one of the safest and most-advanced table saws available today.
The SKILSAW SPT70WT-01 is truly a woodworking marvel, packing a 15-amp Dual Field motor into a surprisingly lightweight yet durable 49-pound frame. Whether you’re an amateur carpenter or a contractor with years of experience under his toolbelt, SKILSAW’s workhorse of a table saw is an invaluable addition to your repertoire thanks to its raw torque and unparalleled 25" ripping capacity, meaning tearing through thick sheets of plywood has never been easier.
Ryobi’s RTS21G comes in as the only table saw in the group under $200. It’s lightweight, reasonably compact, and we got acceptable jobsite cuts with the upgraded Diablo blade. The throat plate uses magnets to hold it in place while leaving it easy to remove for blade access. Using a threaded rod to push the height adjustment up, you’ll notice it’s easier and smoother on the way down. The stand folds up and can be Velcro-strapped to the back, though it’s a bit wobbly compared to the others when ready for action.
Meanwhile, the most updated Ridgid table saw boasts of a heavy duty portable body with stand. This has a 15-amp motor with 4000 rpm. This is an updated table saw that provides a single-point release for simple assembly and disassembly. This Ridgid table saw offers an onboard storage system for your miter gauge, blades, rip fence and other important accessories. This is a handy, compact and portable power table saw you just might need in your workshop or worksite.
Balancing heavy-duty durability and lightweight design, this machine proves that good things can come in small packages. While buyers are overall happy with their purchases, they do seem to all agree on one thing: the DEWALT DWE7480 may be an overall investment, but it could seriously do with a miter gauge replacement. Buyers report replacing its inaccurate, plastic gauge for a solid, more detailed one.
A table saw can be classified in many ways, and I’ve come across terms like contractor, folding, featherboard, hobby, induction, sliding and zero clearance. However, I will conform to the most basic and clear classification and range the tables accordingly. That means I’ll order them by benchtop table saws, jobsite table saws, cabinet saws and hybrid table saws.
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
The DWE7490X is a great table saw that guarantees convenience and flexibility thanks to its scissor stand. It has been exceptionally designed with a stand that makes the job easier when setting it up. Also, it combines portability and power into one very convenient table saw. Unfortunately, some will find the 87 pounds a bit of a stretch in terms of carrying it around.
The professional level saws saw a separation as well and all were well ahead of the cutting power we saw with the value group. A middle tier of cutting performance started with Makita and Bosch’s 4100 while DeWalt was significantly better. Entering the fray with the only worm drive system, we had high hopes for Skilsaw’s entry. It was solid and smooth—definitely at the Pro level— and close to what the 4100 delivered.
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An avid endurance athlete, Kenny has competed in triathlons (he's an Ironman) and various other fitness activities. Still, his passions lie with his faith, family, friends, and his love for well-designed power tools. With a background in science, you'll often find Kenny chatting up engineers at media events to get caught up on the latest tool technology.
Kobalt’s KT1015 Table Saw features value pricing with a decent rolling stand. We initially had questions about its dual-locking fence, but found that it actually worked quite well. There’s plenty of wobble in it, but if you follow our Pro Tip on adjustments in the fences section, you can lock the front end in square then stabilize it with the back lock.
IMPORTANT REVIEW UPDATE (10/4/2016): After doing some additional testing with pressure-treated lumber and heavier stock, we [initially] found some issues with the Bosch REAXX saw that we couldn’t explain—except to say that it didn’t have the power we expected for cutting through denser wood. The blade exhibited a significant drop in speed during many common ripping cuts, and it even stalled out entirely at other times. We contacted Bosch and worked directly with them to determine the nature of the issue (which appeared to have to do with the saw’s electronic speed control). Here is the initial statement from Bosch on the matter:
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.
The DeWalt DWE7480 is a 10-inch compact job site table saw with the Site-Pro Modular Guarding System. It is a portable saw made in Taiwan with good features to be used on the field or in your woodworking shop at home. It has onboard storage for easy access to the Site-pro guarding components and pushes stick. It has a rack and pinion telescoping fence rails to make adjustments smoother, accurate and fast. This DeWalt table saw has a larger rip capacity to let you cut larger stock, shelving and trim materials as well.
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.
With a 32½" rip capacity and motor capable of up to 4800 rpm, the DWE7491RS is more than prepared to effectively deliver 3⅛" deep cuts to thick slabs of wood. Happy customers sing this machine’s praises, reporting that it’s as sturdy as a table saw can get — plus, it’s easy to use, and assembling it is a cinch. They do however note that workers looking to produce finer cuts should seek out a replacement blade since the one provided is more suited for fast, rough work.
Pre-calibrated right out of the box, Kreg’s miter gauge is a blessing for the impatient among us. The folks at Kreg know their customers don’t want to waste time preparing their tools — they want to use them! That’s why the KMS7102 boasts positive stops at a variety of the most common angles: so you can begin using your brand new miter gauge straight away.
A table saw is among the most dangerous power tools in your workshop. If not operated correctly, table saws can cause lots of harm. Different types come with varied safety measures and features like flesh sensors, auto-reset switches, anti-kickback pawls, among others. Finding one with all these features comes at a price, but what is cost compared to your safety?
