Choosing Your First Table Saw

The table saw is what I consider an essential tool for woodworking. It’s also one of the most dangerous tools in woodworking. Many experienced woodworkers can only count to nine because of one careless moment or a freak accident.

Used properly, with a healthy fear/respect for the tool, a good table saw will be one of the most important tools you own. This is not a post about safely using a table saw, but rather my completely biased opinions on what you should consider when buying a table saw.

Jobsite vs Cabinet Table Saws

There are two broad categories of table saws; Jobsite saws which are small and mobile and Cabinet Table Saws that are big, heavy, and meant to be stationary in a shop.

There’s a third category known as “Contractor Saws” or “Hybrid Saws that fall in the middle but these aren’t really made anymore as jobsite style table saws have increased in popularity.

I own both a jobsite table saw and a professional grade cabinet table saw. I like both and both serve me well.

Why you should buy a Jobsite Table Saw

A QUALITY jobsite saw will do everything a hobbyist woodworker will ever need. When I say quality I mean “Stick with a professional-grade brand.” Brands like Dewalt, Bosch, Sawstop, and Ridgid will have higher quality fences, parts, and motors than Hitachi, Kobalt, Ryobi, etc. You’ll be able to see this as you play with various models in the stores. You’ll also be able to find replacement parts easier.

The best thing about a Jobsite saw is the mobility

If you have a small shop you may not have room for a dedicated table saw workstation. Having a table saw that you can easily set up and roll away is a huge plus. I’ve dragged my jobsite table saw all over my area, setting up in yards, garages, and even inside houses.

For example, my neighbor has the DEWALT (DWE7491RS) in his small garage. He will roll it out into his driveway when he’s working on a project then roll it into the corner of his garage when he’s done with it.

Which Jobsite Saws do I recommend?

I currently have the Ridgid 4513 that I’m happy to recommend. Ridgid has now upgraded to the Ridgid 4514 which has a few upgrades, such as a blade brake but is essentially the same saw. Below is my review of it from a few years ago. It’s still going strong.

One Jobsite style table saw I will 100% tell you not to get is the Hitachi/Metabo 10” Table saw. Everything about the Hitachi/Metabo seems very well designed and I wanted to love it. But I went through two of them within the 90day return window. Here’s what happened.

The best I can tell this table saw is a cheap knockoff of the DEWALT (DWE7491RS) which has excellent reviews and a few friends in the trades own and enjoy.

The Saw Stop Jobsite Saw is definitely the best portable saw on the market and the safest but I do not have personal experience with it.

Here is my friend Josef Millis sharing his thoughts on the Dewalt and the Sawstop Jobsite saws.

Be sure to subscribe to his youtube channel. He publishes great real world tool reviews and shares his insight as a professional carpenter/contractor.

Why You Want a Big Cabinet Table Saw

I love that I am fortunate enough to have purchased the last table saw I’ll ever need. That is my Grizzly 10” 3HP 220v Professional Cabinet Saw. It’s a 500lbs beast that is a pure joy to use. I’ve been very pleased with all my Grizzly equipment.

If you have room and a dedicated shop space, you’ll be very happy with a table saw like this. The biggest downside is that it is a pain to move, even with the mobile base. If I was in a much smaller shop, I would cry greatly and go back to a job site model for space savings. Let’s pray that never happens

While I’m happy to recommend Grizzly Cabinet Table Saws, there are many more GREAT professional grade cabinet saws out there. There’s Powermatic, Laguna, Jet, and a few others. Expect to pay $1600+ for a good cabinet table saw.

And of course, there is SawStop with the added safety feature of the blade that retracts on contact with skin.

Once again here is my friend Josef reviewing his SawStop PCS

Advice for Buying Used Table Saws

Since Josef got great deal on his used Saw Stop. This is a great time to share some tips about buying used table saws

Make sure you’re getting a good deal. I’ve seen junk table saws come up for $300-$500 on Craigslist etc. Why when you can get a brand new, quality jobsite saw for the same price range. And if you have to buy parts for the used saw it may not be a great deal.
Make sure it has a good fence OR that a replacement is available. The fence of the table saw is the most critical part of a table saw. Without a good well functioning fence a table saw is useless. A bad or poorly designed fence on a table saw is frustrating and can be dangerous.
Make sure it has a Riving Knife. I’ll probably get pushback on this but this is my completely biased opinion. I personally won’t use table saws without a riving knife. A riving knife or splitter is a simple yet critical safety feature that prevents (minimizes) kickback. Kickback on a table saw can be very bad and cause serious injury.

A little pre-purchase research can save you a lot of money and frustration.

120 volt or 220volt

Every job site saw I’ve ever heard of is 120v and has a direct drive motor. (Note: I’m in America so am only speaking on this market). Some of these saws, mostly consumer models, are not designed to handle a dado stack. This is another reason I’m trying to steer you toward more “Professional grade” job site table saws. More on this shortly.

Some Hybrid saws can be wired for 120 or 220

Most full-size cabinet saws are 220volt only.

Why does voltage matter?

First, if you don’t have access to or the ability to wire a 220 circuit. You’re limited to 120v. Nothing wrong with that, and there are plenty of great table saws wired for 120v including some cabinet style table saws.

220-volt saws are simply more powerful and will last longer. The power is easy 220 volts is more than 110, as for longevity it’s more of a “That’s what I’ve heard” thing.

You can build great furniture with either so just be aware of the differences.

Dado Stacks?

One absolute I would advise is, get a saw that can handle a 3/4 dado stack. Even if you rarely use one.

Almost every “Hybrid” or Full-size cabinet saw I’ve ever seen or heard of can handle a 3/4” dado stack. Whether they are 120 or 220v

You have to pay close attention when shopping for job site or portable saws. Not all of them are designed to accept a dado stack. So make sure to use your “google-fu” before making your decision.

The Ridgid, Dewalt, and Saw Stop saws reviewed above all take 3/4” dados

Should you go cordless?

The cordless tool revolution is upon us. You can get almost any tool in a cordless version and some of them are pretty darn good. My buddy Rich at the Renovations and Repairs Youtube Channel. Is a general contractor and home remodeler that only uses cordless tools to maximize his efficiency on a jobsite. While I don’t think a cordless table saw is right for most recreational woodworkers, they are an option that may interest you.

Rich did have some issues with his Milwaukee cordless table saw, but Milwaukee did warranty it buy sending him a new model.

What did I miss?

This isn’t the “Ultimate Guide to buying a table saw” but if I missed something critical leave a comment and share your knowledge with others.