EmailBest Reviewed
Table Saws
- 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
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Budget portable saw
- Price
- Dust port
- Large capacity
- Two-year warranty
- Lacks safety features
- Noisy universal motor
- Fence goes out of alignment
Reviews recommend the Ryobi BTS21 as the best budget-priced portable table saw. It has a dust port plus a large cutting and ripping capacity (27 inches), a two-year warranty and conveniences such as onboard tool storage. Tradeoffs for the low price include a noisy, less durable universal motor, some loss of accuracy, and the lack of important safety features. If you can afford it, experts recommend a Bosch table saw. Even the low-end Bosch 4000-09 (*est. $460) has a better blade guard system, but the Bosch 4100DG-09 (*est. $600) is even safer, with a true riving knife to prevent kickback.
Most reviews cover the Ryobi BTS20, the similar but preceding table saw, rather than the Ryobi BTS21. However, at HomeDepot.com, owners review the current Ryboi BTS21. We found the best comparison tests at Fine Homebuilding. Tests at Consumer Reports are more recent, but much less detailed. Earlier comparison tests at Woodworker's Journal also cover the Ryobi older BTS20, as does the buyer's guide at Popular Woodworking.
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Our Sources
Nearly a dozen owners review the Ryobi BTS21 table saw here, giving it a near-perfect average rating and recommending it as an excellent value. One owner reports cutting 2x6 maple without the saw bogging down.
Review: Ryobi 10 In. Table Saw W/ Transp Stand Model BTS21, Contributors to HomeDepot.com
2. Fine HomebuildingDetails/Subscribe
Based on objective testing, this detailed review compares and rates seven 10-inch portable table saws that come with folding stands and extension tables for ripping sheet stock. The Ryobi BTS20 - now the BTS21 - earns top ranking as the best buy or budget choice, though it lacks the safety features that help make the Bosch portable saw the best overall.
Review: Best Portable Tablesaws, Daniel S. Morrison, July 2005
3. ConsumerReports.orgDetails/Subscribe
This review is newer but less detailed, comparing the Ryobi BTS20 - now the BTS21 - with nine other portable table saws. Based on objective tests, each table saw gets ratings for accuracy, speed, ease of use, rip precision, and edge finish, but not for safety features.
Review: Miter & Table Saws, Editors of Consumer Reports, June 2007
4. Woodworker's JournalDetails/Subscribe
This comparison review tests five benchtop table saws that come with rolling stands, recommending the Robyo BTS20R - now the BTS21 - as the budget entry-level saw. Though its fence goes out of alignment easily, the maximum rip cut of 27 inches is the best of all the saws tested.
Review: Benchtop Table Saws with Rolling Stands: How Do They Stack Up?, Rob Johnstone, Apr. 2005
5. Popular WoodworkingDetails/Subscribe
In this buyer's guide, tool expert David Thiel notes that the Ryobi BT3100 table saw combines features of benchtop and contractor saws, since it has a stand. However, the Ryobi uses a universal motor - noisy and less durable than the induction motors used on better saws.
Review: Choosing the Best Saw, David Thiel, July 2004
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