Table saws are often the first thing any serious woodworker needs, aside from the lumber itself. As a combination of work surface and power saw, a good table saw will allow for easy and accurate trimming of your lumber and a place for more detailed tasks once the pieces are ready to be assembled or finished.
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There’s a lot of table saws out there, and selecting the right one means more than just finding something that will cut wood – or even cut well. The best Table saws for woodworking come with more than just the blade, adding features to make the workshop a better place – cleaner, safer, more efficient, or any of several other qualities that a woodworker will look to achieve.
Here are five of the best table saws for your next project, selected both for cutting ability and the other attributes they bring to a project. Each is reported exceptional by the professional community; choose the one that will take your woodworking to the next level.
Our Best Table Saw For Woodworking Reviews and Comparisons
PRODUCT | FEATURES | |
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TOP PICK | 1. Shop Fox W1819
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RUNNER UP | 2. DEWALT DWE7491RS
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3. Bosch 4100-10
| Check Price | |
4. SKILSAW SPT70WT-01
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5. SawStop Jobsite Saw
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1. Shop Fox W1819
Product Highlights
A fully outfitted cabinet saw with a complete suite of add-ons for better performance.
Features
- Three horsepower motor and triple-belt drive
- Cast-iron trunnions for improved durability
- Camlock T-glide fence
- Advanced blade guard assembly
The Good
This saw’s secondary features are designed for performance on par with the powerful cutting action, making for quality work at every stage of the cutting process.
The Bad
There is a fair amount of alignment and assembly work to be done before this saw will be ready for operation.
Pros
- Durable trunnions
- Camlock fence
- Twenty-nine-inch rip capacity
- Transparent blade guard for full control at all times
Cons
- Comes in several pieces and can be hard to assemble
- Considerably more expensive than smaller models
2. DEWALT DWE7491RS
Product Highlights
Easy on the back and budget both, this stripped-down model brings DeWaltès usual combination of performance and economy to your worksite.
Features
- Fifteen amp motor capable of up to forty-eight hundred rotations per minute
- Thirty-two-inch rip capacity
- Tool weighs only ninety pounds
- Included wheeled stand for easy repositioning
The Good
This saw is exceptionally versatile in a number of ways – the blade can handle even pressure-treated hardwoods, and the wheeled stand means you can bring it from one job to another in a hurry.
The Bad
The tabletop on this model is warped and has relatively poor dust collection.
Pros
- Highly portable
- Rips up to thirty-two inches
- Powerful enough for even the hardest woods
- Less than a thousand dollars
Cons
- Warped table surface can cause inaccuracies
- Shoddy dust collection
3. Bosch 4100-10
Product Highlights
Built around its cast-aluminum wheeled stand, this saw is made to move easily and quickly to wherever needed.
Features
- Four horsepower, fifteen-amp engine giving above thirty-six hundred rotations per minute
- Soft-start technology reduces the possibility of a short-out
- Aluminum construction makes the tool exceptionally light
- Gravity-rise stand makes setup and removal one motion each
The Good
Easily one of the most portable saws on the market, this model can be wheeled anywhere and collapsed in a flash for storage or the next job site.
The Bad
Rotation speed is somewhat less than comparable saws, and the aluminum is not as sturdy as other models.
Pros
- Lightweight in the extreme
- Exceptionally portable
- Soft-start circuits
- Twenty-five-inch rip
Cons
- Capabilities not on part with similar models
- Aluminum stand can buckle under excessive weight
4. SKILSAW SPT70WT-01
Product Highlights
A first in the construction world, this saw uses brass gears and a worm drive engine for maximum torque.
Features
- Fifteen amp motor spinning over five thousand rotations a minute
- Twenty-five-inch rip capacity
- Worm drive gears usually seen only in hand saws
- Gears are made of brass instead of iron
The Good
This saw uses a worm gear instead of a belt to provide confident and powerful cutting power without the vibrations common to similar machines.
The Bad
Considerable alignment work will be needed before use.
Pros
- Worm drive is extremely powerful
- Low vibration
- Brass gears are particularly durable
- Very affordable at slightly more than three hundred dollars
Cons
- Will need alignment out of the box
- No wheeled stand
5. SawStop Jobsite Saw
Product Highlights
SawStop once again includes its unique braking system to make your workshop accident-free.
Features
- ErgoLock fence can reposition and lock at the push of a button
- Twenty-five-inch rip
- SawStop braking technology stops the blade within milliseconds of touching a limb
- One and a half horsepower
The Good
SawStop has produced a tool with competitive performance and an automatic brake that turns deadly accidents into little more than paper cuts.
The Bad
The miter gauge is reported as subpar, and the brake can be activated by extremely wet wood.
Pros
- Smooth and powerful cutting
- Easily portable with integrated cart
- Fence is easy to adjust
- Electronic braking can save life and limb
Cons
- Far more expensive than similar saws
- Brake can activate by touching wet wood
- Automatic brakes will need to be replaced after each trigger, along with the blade.
Conclusion
The professional community has hailed these as the best woodworking table saws on the market, noting their cutting power and precise performance. On top of that, each has unique features that will endear it to a particular handicrafter, whether an attractively low price, extreme maneuverability or any of the useful features listed above.
Keep in mind that while these machines are excellent tools in their own right, there is always room for improvement with the many additional fixtures readily available to a modern woodworker. Improved blades, gauges, table inserts, and more can all be used to shore up weaknesses and upgrade your table saw without the expense of buying a new model.
Always remember to take proper safety gear and precautions while using these tools – although all of them have a guard system of some kind, there is no substitute for caution and care on the part of the user.
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