Table Saws - Table Saw Reviews, Best Table Saws

Best portable table saw

*Est. $820 Compare Prices

Reviews give Bosch the lead among portable table saws, and say the newer Bosch 4100 saws are the best ever, with an improved blade guard system plus a riving knife to prevent kickback. This top-rated Bosch table saw adds… a digital rip fence for extra precision. Reviews praise the Bosch table saws for accuracy, convenient scales, easy blade changes, onboard storage and dust control. The soft-start 15-amp motor has electronic torque control to regulate the output to match the workload. The wheeled stand snaps open or folds flat in a single lever-activated motion.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

GaryMKatz.com: This detailed single-product review by a frequent contributor to Fine Woodworking magazine includes photos of the new blade guard ...

Fine Woodworking: This brief review reports that the Bosch 4100DG-09 contractor saw handles 1.75-inch hard maple nearly as well as 0.75-inch ...

Popular Woodworking: Editors name the Bosch 4100 table saw one of the best new tools for 2007, noting that it's "powerful enough for most woodworking ...

Amazon.com: The handful of owners reviewing the Bosch 4100DG-09 portable table saw here give it rave reviews - rating it higher, on average, ...

Taunton Tool Guide 2007: This review, based on earlier comparison tests in Fine Homebuilding, is too old to cover the Bosch 4100 but gives top ranking to ...

ConsumerReports.org: This review doesn't cover any saws in the Bosch 4100 series, but compares the Bosch 4000-09 (the forerunner to the 4100DG-09) ...

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Budget portable saw

Ryobi BTS21

*Est. $250 Compare Prices

Reviews recommend Ryobi portable saws as the best budget brand. The Ryobi BTS21 portable table saw lacks a riving knife (to prevent kickback) and the blade guard is less convenient to use and hence, less safe. It's also… noisier and less accurate than the more expensive Bosch portable saws. However, the Ryobi saw does have a dust port, plus a larger cutting and ripping capacity, a two-year warranty and conveniences like onboard tool storage. A folding stand is included.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

HomeDepot.com: Nearly a dozen owners review the Ryobi BTS21 table saw here, giving it a near-perfect average rating and recommending it as an ...

Fine Homebuilding: Based on objective testing, this detailed review compares and rates seven 10-inch portable table saws that come with folding ...

ConsumerReports.org: This review is newer but less detailed, comparing the Ryobi BTS20 - now the BTS21 - with nine other portable table saws. Based on ...

Woodworker's Journal: This comparison review tests five benchtop table saws that come with rolling stands, recommending the Robyo BTS20R - now the ...

Popular Woodworking: In this buyer's guide, tool expert David Thiel notes that the Ryobi BT3100 table saw combines features of benchtop and contractor ...

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Home Depot

for $249.00

Best contractor saw

SawStop Contractor Saw CNS175-SFA30

*Est. $1,600 Compare Prices

This long-awaited table saw incorporates the SawStop flesh-sensing blade brake that prevents losing a finger, plus a riving knife and excellent blade guard. These are the same safety features found on the top-ranked… SawStop cabinet saw (*est. $3,470) but on a more affordable open-legged contractor saw. Reviews say it runs and cuts smoothly, with excellent dust collection through a 4-inch port. Cast iron wings (*est. $190) cost extra. A mobile base (*est. $160) or handled jobsite cart (*est. $200) are also available. The warranty is for two years.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Woodworker's Journal: Comparison tests of eight contractor saws give top ranking to the SawStop (based on a preproduction model), not because of its ...

Taunton.com: This long, detailed single-product review is accompanied by a video tour of the SawStop Contractor Saw. The review praises the ...

Toologics.com: This review of the SawStop Contractor Saw compares it with the SawStop Cabinet Saw, based on hands-on use of both. Though the ...

PopularMechanics.com: Based on a preview model, editors name the SawStop Contractor Saw one of the best products because of its flesh-sensing blade ...

Popular Woodworking: This coverage of the new SawStop contractor saw is the most recent we found, but only documents in detail how it's assembled. An ...

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Budget contractor saw

Ridgid TS3660

*Est. $550 Compare Prices

The Ridgid TS3660 lacks the safety features found on the SawStop saws, and the 2.5-inch dust port is smaller. However, the Ridgid contractor saw has accumulated good reviews, with high-end features for its price. It comes… with cast iron wings and trunnions for stability, accuracy and low vibration. A Poly V-belt running on machined pulleys also reduces vibration. The three-year warranty converts to an outstanding lifetime warranty as soon as it's registered.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Taunton's 2006 Tool Guide: The Ridgid TS3650 (the forerunner to the TS3660) is the budget choice in comparison tests of nine midsized table saws, all of ...

Woodworker's Journal: Tests of eight contractor saws lead to the conclusion that all these saws are much better for woodworking than the contractor ...

Benchmark: This detailed, well illustrated single-product review praises the Ridgid TS3650 contractor saw as a budget choice, because of its ...

HomeDepot.com: Only one owner reviews the Ridgid TS3660 contractor saw here, while another reviews a reconditioned TS3650 - a similar model. ...

Ridgid Plumbing Forum: This detailed owner-written review documents problems with realigning the blade on the Ridgid TS3650. Another owner comments that ...

Lumberpost.com: This single-product review recommends the Ridgid TS3650 - now the TS3660 - for light-duty work, praising the fence parallelism ...

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Best hybrid saw

Steel City 35900G

*Est. $1,350 Compare Prices

This is the first hybrid saw to incorporate a true riving knife plus a heavy granite table top that's more stable than cast iron. This new saw keeps all the features that reviews praise in earlier Steel City table saws,… like a tool-free blade guard and excellent dust control. Reviews also praise it for ease in cutting sheet stock. This 1.75-hp saw could easily be the centerpiece of a workshop devoted to precision woodworking. The saw carries a five-year warranty, and ten years on the granite top. It's also available with a precision-machined top as the 35900 (*est. $1,250).

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Wood Magazine: This review compares the Steel City 35900G with nine other hybrid saws and two cabinet saws, giving each model very detailed ...

Popular Woodworking: This brief review praises the Steel City 35900G table saw for its riving knife, convenient blade guard, smooth height adjustments ...

Woodworker's Journal: This brief preview of the new Steel City Model 35915G table saw notes that its unusual granite top and extension wings means that ...

Popular Woodworking: This article on table saw safety describes new UL regulations and compares new safety systems, noting that the newest Steel City ...

Taunton 2009 Tool Guide: The annual survey of readers of Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking doesn't include the newer, safer Steel City 35900G, but ...

Popular Woodworking: This detailed comparison review gives top ranking to the Steel City 35601 (now the Steel City 35670), after testing six hybrid ...

Tools of the Trade: This review compares the Steel City 35601 with seven other hybrid saws. The Steel City comes with the best blade alignment, but ...

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eBay

for $1,249.00

Best cabinet saw

SawStop Cabinet Saw CB31230

*Est. $3,470 Compare Prices

Cabinet saws provide more power and precision than other table saws, and this 3-hp table saw earns top ranking partly for its unusual safety features which include a flesh-sensing blade brake to prevent cuts, plus an… excellent blade guard and riving knife. But reviews also say its performance, ease of use and dust control are unsurpassed. The only drawback (besides its price) is that it lacks castors. It's also available in a 5-hp version, but reviews say a 3-hp cabinet saw is powerful enough for almost every user. The warranty is for two years.

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Expert & User Review Sources:

Taunton's 2008 Tool Guide: The SawStop CB31230 shares top ranking for performance with the Powermatic PM2000, based on earlier tests of 11 cabinet saws at ...

Workbench Magazine: Here too, the SawStop shares top ranking with the Powermatic PM2000. Workbench also provides an online video of the SawStop blade ...

Popular Woodworking: This article praises both the SawStop CB3230 and Powermatic PM2000 for their riving knives, but favors the Powermatic saw overall.

Tools of the Trade: Six heavy-duty cabinet table saws are run through objective tests here, with the SawStop sharing top ratings with the Laguna TS ...

Woodworker's Journal: This woodworking instructor tests the SawStop cabinet saw in his own school, and also interviews other SawStop owners about their ...

Woodcraft Magazine: Both amateur and professional woodworkers agree here that the SawStop safety features alone make it far superior to other table ...

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Table Saws: Reviews

Best portable table saw

Budget portable saw

Best contractor saw

Budget contractor saw

Best hybrid saw

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