# Hunting for a good Table Saw



## jon96789 (Mar 21, 2013)

I have been looking around for a decent table saw... I have built several speaker cabinets with only a circular saw and it is tedious. No matter how much you try to get an accurate cut, it is always a smidgen too small or large or the cut is rarely exactly 90 degrees or whatever angle you want. A table saw gives you the ability to make the same precise cut over and over. I figured my research might help others should they go shopping for a table saw...

My primary need is that the saw be able to rip at least 24.5" (to be able to cut a 4'x8' board in half (note that in real life, MDF is usually 49x97" in size). My primary use would be for building speaker cabinets from MDF and shelving... The saw must be able to accept standard size miter gauges (a lot of them don't, which means you cannot buy a more accurate or flexible gauge)...

_(Note that I live in Hawaii and the only stores that carry table saws are Sears, Home Depot and Lowes... I decided not to get anything from Sears because they were priced higher than the other stores... Plus the fact that the Sears store here have really gotten run down and are in a pretty sad shape. Also note that the selection in Hawaii is limited so models in your area may not be available here...)_

So here is my list:

*Lowes:*
*Dewalt DWE7480 Bench Saw* $380 
I ended up getting this saw. They had it on sale for $330, surprisingly for a brand new model. It had a very accurate and really nice rip fence, having a rack and pinion gear system which maintains a straight edge. One big disadvantage is that it cannot use dado blades. i have a router so this point is an inconvenience rather than a need. The DW745 (the previous model) had a soft start, this one does not. But the older model could only rip 14". If needed, I can get an optional stand for this one. The table itself is on the smaller side, i do not recommend it for cutting 4x8s... I usually have the store cut my 4x8s down to four 2x4s anyway so i can carry it in my small car...​
*Dewalt DWE7491RS Portable Saw* $600
Basically the DWE7480 on a rolling stand. One major difference, the 7491 can use dado blades and the 7480 cannot. Another difference is that the 7491 can rip over 30" vs. the 24" of the 7480 due to a larger table...I read somewhere that the shaft for the blades are longer on this one over the 7480, that is why this one can handle dadoes. The stand is pretty huge and sturdy It also uses the rack and pinion fence...​
*Bosch 4100-09 Portable Saw* $600
This one is one of the most popular models with the highest reviews but it is a rather old design. It apparently can do everything you want. The gravity rise stand is really easy to setup and dismantle. Drawback, the saw is a few inches higher than others because of the stand. Since i am quite short, this was a handicap for me. One nice feature is that this one has one of the largest tables, 29"... An inconvenience is that the stand uses tubed tires which can go flat. Another drawback is that this is the heaviest by far at 120 lbs.​
*Porter Cable PCB220TS* $335
I really wanted to get this one. Its cheap but seems well built. It has a decent stand. There is a sliding extension out the rear to support the wood as it is cut. The bevel adjustment is really easy to use, it is a crank on the side vs. the front "slide" on the others. The stand is wider on the back to stabilize the saw when cutting long pieces. The big drawback is that it is impossible to make or buy a zero clearance insert for this saw. The insert prevents narrow pieces of wood from falling between the blade and the opening on the insert which must be large to handle angled cuts. ZCI also reduces uneven cuts on the edges. another drawback is that this one has the smallest table at 19" and the fence is a bit sloppy.​
*Home Depot:*
*Ridgid R4510 Portable* $530
This saw looks pretty good on paper. It is cheaper than the Dewalt and Bosch. It has the largest table at 30". it has a limited lifetime warranty. But there have been a number of complaints where the table top is warped out of the box. Also, when stored, some users complained it was easy tip tip over on its end. A number of other users reported the motor burned out pretty quickly and that Ridgid's customer service is wanting...​
I nixed out any Ryobi because there were a lot of postings where the locking mechanism for blade broke off as it was made of cheap plastic.

Another alternative for people with limited space is the *Festool TS55REQ* track saw. If you do not have the room for a table saw, these are really nice. You draw your cut line, lay a rail or track next to the line and the saw is placed on a guide on the track and cut. But if you do a lot of repetitive cuts, a table saw is a lot easier...

*Pros:*

It is easy to use
The cut line is the same whether the cut is 0 or 90 degrees, unlike regular saws which are offset.
The cuts are virtually splinter free
excellent dust extraction
Precise depth control
Lots of accessories
*Cons:*

Expensive, $585 for saw and a 55" track
Accessories are expensive 
Can only use proprietary blades

I hope this will help whoever is looking into buying a table saw. i spent weeks researching on this. Remember, tables saws are one of the best tools for woodworkers and also probably the most dangerous. Make sure that you double-check alignment right away. Finally, when you buy a saw, buy a good blade. The blade that comes with the saw is usually a cheap and poor performing piece which will make the saw a lot worse than it really is.

onder:


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## Todd Anderson (Jul 24, 2009)

Nice post. Anyone that's ever looked for tools knows how frustrating it can be to look for the best balance of price and quality... and you definitely don't want to skimp on quality!


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## swatkins (Nov 26, 2013)

For cutting things like speaker boxes I think one of the "must have" and Safety First" items is a crosscut sled for any table saw. Easy to make and it really helps with crosscut accuracy when using a smaller saw. There are many designs and most are simple to make.. Just Google "crosscut sled for table saw" and pick out one that is easy for you to make...

After many years I scrapped my crosscut sled for a commercial version of one of these  Sliding table 

A word of caution... Table Saws are one of the most dangerous tools there are. I have used them for 42 years and I am afraid of them every time I hit the on button. I was also a Paramedic on a 911 ambulance in North Houston for 12 years and had an average of 6 patients a year that cut something off in their garage shop while using their table saw.. Please be Careful !


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

Years ago I bought a Rigid Table saw (not the portable one), and I loved it... nice smooth accurate cuts. I wish i hadn't sold it now! :crying:


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## fschris (Oct 31, 2009)

Safety First Safety First Safety First

So I am glad some other people bring up the fear of the table saw!!

I had this fear but not anymore because I bought a Festool track saw. yes it is pricey but you cannot match the safety component. 

just a couple tid bits...

You can cut a entire 4x8 sheet by yourself with extreme accuracy and do repetition cuts with the Festool parallel guides... look on you tube for what I speak of. I mean you can cut everything exact, by yourself with no fear. you don't need a feed out table, someone to help your wood as it dangles off the last 12 inches of table saw.

Yes festool stuff is a bit pricey but look up "ask woodman" on youtube on how to build your Own MFT (Festool multifunction table). plus Alan from ask woodman is Awesome to communicate with and I have done so on occasion. The Bessy rapid action clamps he uses are awesome he sells them too. Good price as well.

If anyone considers buying table saw you just cant beat the festool track saw. Im tellin ya!


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## fschris (Oct 31, 2009)

Festool MFT DIY

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL06ACC20F47E7FE39

parallel Extension guides





Bessy rapid action clamps


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## swatkins (Nov 26, 2013)

Yes I like safe 

I have a production type of table saw as I build custom cabinets. The saw is equipped with a large table and out feed area along with a sliding crosscut table so its pretty safe. Almost all of my former saws had the blade guards removed because they were just flimsy and I think they made the saw even more dangerous. I have final found a guard, Website link, that really works and even doubles as a vacuum port.. It's not that expensive and really works well.

The only time I remove my guard nowadays is when I need a dado blade installed..


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

the ridgid or the dewalt for $600ish are both great saws. my buddy has the Ridgid and it's what we use for all our speaker and sub builds


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## BD55 (Oct 18, 2011)

Another option to maybe look at are used saws. I originally found in the online classifieds someone giving away a non-working Craftsman 10" saw (not the decent quality ones - the ones with the universal motors and aluminum tables). Turned out the gravity switch had gotten jammed. Fixed that and saw worked great. The saw had an Align a Rip fence on it, which was the reason I took a chance at picking it up. A while later I picked up a 50s Craftsman (Emerson) contractor saw I got for trading a 2Gb mp3 player. It has cast iron everything and a good (original!) motor. I cannibalized the stand and fence from the other saw and now I have a very decent heavy table saw that cost me Free + MP3 Player + link belt + new bearings for motor and arbor. I can pass the "nickel" test with this saw, and I bet you could find a good table saw for much less than (and with better quality) than many of the saws you have looked at new. Sorry for my long winded 0.02.


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## Cleaner (Jan 29, 2009)

I'm not a rigid fan but my father picked up the rigid and it's been great! We have put many hours on the saw so far and it's been really good absolutely no complaints.


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I want one of those saws they use at Home Depot to cut sheets of plywood


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## swatkins (Nov 26, 2013)

tonyvdb said:


> I want one of those saws they use at Home Depot to cut sheets of plywood


They are called Panel Saws and work very well for what they do.. Good ones are not all that expensive but their accuracy and utility are nowhere near that of a good table saw. I always wanted one for framing houses as they would work well for roof decking and sheathing... Then I came to my senses and stopped framing houses


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## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

LOL, ya, I have an older cheap Craftsman 10" table saw that was given to me a few years back. I find as long as I have a good blade on it it cuts really well for what I use it for. One of these days I want to try building a sub.


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## NBPk402 (Feb 21, 2012)

One nice thing about Rigis is they have a lifetime warranty.:T:T


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## swatkins (Nov 26, 2013)

tonyvdb said:


> LOL, ya, I have an older cheap Craftsman 10" table saw that was given to me a few years back. I find as long as I have a good blade on it it cuts really well for what I use it for. One of these days I want to try building a sub.


I also have an old Craftsman  I think I bought it back in 1978, when they still used very good castings for the table top. My motor hangs off the back and uses a belt and pulley system, later models have direct drive cable that I find not as powerful. I still own my old saw and I use one of the newer direct drive models when we do repair work at a local buisness so I can tell the difference.. 

About 20 years ago I got really tired of the craftsman rip fence and installed a much better delta model that uses the one rail system and table extension on the right side so I could rip to 36" wide. Best money I ever spent! Of course the Delta fence is worth 3 times what the saw is but, hey it works  

In my opinion when you are looking for a table saw the most important feature is the FENCE! Almost all saws have the power to cut through MDF like hot butter, with the correct blades, so motor size is not really a concern for casual use. Table size is of higher importance than table composition, again for casual use. A easy to use and repeatable fence is the most prized feature of a homeowner quality table saw. 

When I built a bigger shop I also found a better table saw, a Powermatic 66... but thats another story


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## Dark Regent (May 24, 2009)

My father and I had the same dilemma about a year or so ago and decided to go with the Ridgid R4510. I was tired of using the circular saw and clamp guide method. We went to Home Depot, bought it and brought it home. As soon as we opened the box it was obvious that the box had been opened previously, the plastic base had been broken and everything was out of its specific bag. So, we immediately took it back and explained the problem to them, which they had a hard time believing, but apparently someone messed up and put it back on the shelf after it was returned previously. Eventually the issue was cleared up and they gave us 10% off on the replacement for the trouble, so that was nice. I've only used the saw for one project so far (two identical subwoofers) and it has been pretty nice. I was able to make the cuts with about 1/32" of accuracy. I didn't have any problems with a warped top, I don't see how it would easily being knocked over when stored as mentioned and I appreciate having the extra space between the fence and the blade that the R4510 provides over some competing models.


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## RAW (Feb 25, 2007)

RIDGID 13-Amp 10 in. Professional Table Saw
Plus get one of these 









The table will do great service for you and any issue you have you have HD for the customer service.
Now the blade yes the blade that may come with it will work, but it will not even compare to the Diablo series blades.Get a good 60 tooth and you will be set for some time.

I use to use a General table saw with a Biesemeyer fence and I built hundreds of cabinets over 12yrs with it.I use to rotate between blades and when I took one out I sent it out for sharpening.

Just my 2 cents









Al


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## swatkins (Nov 26, 2013)

Yes a good blade is a must have, don’t go cheap on this item! 

I mostly cut cabinet grade 3/4 inch plywood so I'm accustomed to the force needed to push a sheet through the blade. Everytime I cut MDF I am surprised at how easy it is to cut


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## Owen Bartley (Oct 18, 2006)

I'll second the idea of looking for a good old used saw. I recently got this old Rockwell Beaver (thanks Dad!) and it has been great for what I've used it for. Not my pic, but same saw...










Growing up, my dad had a Rockwell Delta in his workshop, which was very similar, so I'm pretty used to it, but the solid steel top is great. The fence it came with is... less great, but functional and fairly accurate if you set it up carefully. I bought myself a nice little Incra V27 Mitre gauge which fit perfectly.










The base and table are solid as can be. If you can get the saw without spending much money, you can dump your budget into a sweet rail/fence system like the Biesemeyer mentioned above and it will be a killer combo.

Finally, you can give it a tuneup to improve the accuracy... http://www.woodmagazine.com/wood/pdf/delta/ds-038free.pdf


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## Carbon13 (Mar 12, 2012)

I definitely recommend the tune-up as per that terrific woodmagazine article. Also recommend finding a copy of the user manual for any used saw, if you decide to go that way. When I got mine I found a bunch of stuff that was installed incorrectly (including how the motor was mounted). The difference in how smooth it runs is night and day. It's also a good exercise to discover exactly how your saw works and how to make little adjustments that can make all the difference in your accuracy.


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## John N (Jan 2, 2007)

Shortly after I read this thread a new commercial came on tv from http://www.tablesawinjurylawyers.com/


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## rdcollns (Oct 13, 2013)

If you have the space, I would buy a used cabinet saw vs a new portable saw. Either way buy a Freud blade as mentioned earlier (that was the first thing I thought when I saw the thread.) and take the time to set everything up perfectly, keep all of the safety features installed, use cross cut sleds, push sticks, etc. It took me a while to get wise, but I got sick of getting hurt and realized it was only a matter of time until something catastrophic happened.


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