Best portable table saw Bosch 4100DG-09 *Est. $820
Budget portable saw Ryobi BTS21 *Est. $250
Best contractor saw SawStop Contractor Saw CNS175-SFA30 *Est. $1600
Budget contractor saw Ridgid TS3660 *Est. $550
Best hybrid saw Steel City 35900G *Est. $1350
Best cabinet saw SawStop Cabinet Saw CB31230 *Est. $3470

See All Table Saws

Ridgid TS3660

*Est. $550

Budget contractor saw

Lifetime warranty
Stiff cast-iron trunnions
Poly-v belt
Induction motor

Blade alignment problems
Small dust port

Our Analysis

The Ridgid TS3660 is the most-recommended budget choice among contractor saws, 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 Ridgid warranty converts to an outstanding lifetime warranty as soon as it's registered. Some owners report problems keeping the blade aligned on the Ridgid TS3600, and the dust port is sized for a shop vac rather than a true dust collector. Safety features are even better on the Bosch 4100-09 (*est. $600), but this portable saw has only a minimal table.

Contractor saws aren't the most popular type of table, so the comparison tests are fairly old – covering the Ridgid TS3650, similar to the newer TS3660. The Ridgid TS3650 is the top budget choice, based on thorough comparison tests, both at Taunton's 2006 Tool Guide and in Woodworker's Journal. Woodworker Phil Bumbalough provides a more detailed single-product review at Benchmark.com, and we did find one owner-written review of the newer Ridgid TS3660 at HomeDepot.com. Owners provide some useful criticisms of the Ridgid TS3650 at the Ridgid Plumbing Forum and at Lumberpost.com.

Our Sources

1. 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 which prove to perform well, with good fit and finish. The Ridgid earns praise for its stiff cast-iron trunnions and poly-V belt.

Review: Tool Test: Midsize Tablesaws, Roland Johnson, Tim Snyder and John White, Dec. 2005

2. Woodworker's JournalDetails/Subscribe

Tests of eight contractor saws lead to the conclusion that all these saws are much better for woodworking than the contractor saws that were available a few years ago, with only minor differences among them. The highest rating goes to the Ridgid TS3650, but it would have gone to the SawStop CB31230 if it had been in full production at the time of the review.

Review: Tool Review: Raising the Bar on Contractor's Saws, Rob Johnstone, Oct. 2005

3. Benchmark

This detailed, well illustrated single-product review praises the Ridgid TS3650 contractor saw as a budget choice, because of its mobile base and high-end features for the money - including cast-iron extensions, poly-V belt and machined pulleys.

Review: Ridgid TS3650 Table Saw, Phil Bumbalough

4. HomeDepot.com

Only one owner reviews the Ridgid TS3660 contractor saw here, while another reviews a reconditioned TS3650 - a similar model. Both reviews give the saws the highest possible rating, with praise for both accuracy and ease of use.

Review: RIDGID 10 In. Cast Iron Table Saw Model TS3660, Contributor to HomeDepot.com

5. Ridgid Plumbing Forum

This detailed owner-written review documents problems with realigning the blade on the Ridgid TS3650. Another owner comments that he's experienced similar problems.

Review: Ts3650 Table Saw Review, Contributors to Ridgid Plumbing Forum, April 2007

6. Lumberpost.com

This single-product review recommends the Ridgid TS3650 - now the TS3660 - for light-duty work, praising the fence parallelism and table flatness but criticizing the two-inch dust port as inadequate.

Review: Ridgid Contractor TS2650 10 Inch Table Saw Review, Contributor to Lumberpost.com, Nov. 2006