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Ever since the Industrial Revolution, when scientists, engineers and inventors harnessed energy to powerful tools, craftsmen, woodworkers and builders have been using powered table saws to build, repair and create a wide range of carefully-shaped pieces of wood and other durable materials.
Because table saws by definition come mounted on a sturdy and level support base, they can use more powerful and accurate rotating saws to perform clean, precise cuts at a wide variety of angles into even the thickest pieces of wood and other durable materials.
What is a Table Saw?
Contents
A table saw is a special saw designed to be used almost exclusively with wood or wood-based materials such as laminated sheet stock and composite paneling. As expected, a table saw uses a flat, well-stabilized base referred to as a table to secure the saw blade and support the piece to be cut.
The saw is designed to lift up from the table to cut into the precisely-placed wood or other material supported on the table above. While many saw cuts performed with table saws are at precise right angles to the cutting surface, the angle of the table can be adjusted to modify the cutting angle of the saw blade.
The material that is to be cut is often pushed towards the cutting blade of the saw either by using manual control or by using secondary pushing blocks for increased safety. To help guide the piece towards the saw blade, a special guard strip known as a rip fence is included, which can be precisely aligned for all cuts.
Carpenters, builders and home workshop owners know that table saws are well-designed to handle even larger pieces of stock, such as plywood, sheetrock and paneling. By using extremely sharp cutting blades rotated at high velocity, table saws can give builders and carpenters the ability to make precision cuts at a wide variety of angles. To protect against potentially dangerous accidents and injuries, table saws feature advanced security features and safeguards. A table saw empowers home builders and inventors to quickly and accurately size, measure and cut precisely into wood, wood-based and other durable materials.
What are the different types of Table Saws?
Today’s modern table saws are divided into four general categories: benchtop table saws, meant to be more lightweight and portable, contractor table saws, heavier but still portable and often including a base equipped with wheels, cabinet table saws, difficult to move but far more durable, large and stable, and hybrid table saws, expensive models designed for sophisticated building projects.
Larger table saws come with more durable and heavyweight base stands, while smaller table saws offer better portability and mobility for jobs on active construction sites. Larger table surfaces make working with larger pieces of sheeting or plywood simpler, and different manufacturers offer different methods to adjust, rotate and align the cutting blade of the saw.
What are the advantages of owning a Table Saw?
Anyone wishing to work with wood to build, repair or complete renovations around the house will benefit from owning a quality table saw. By having a high-powered cutting tool able to make precisely angled cuts through even larger pieces of wood, paneling and sheeting, home carpenters, builders and restorers can benefit tremendously from owning their own table saw.
Instead of wasting time asking large commercial home repair stores cut pieces of wood to order, anyone who owns a table saw can quickly and accurately make those same cuts at home in a fraction of the time. Any carpentry or woodworking job ranging from a simple repair job to complex builds can benefit from owning a high-quality table saw. Even longer boards can be accurately cut on the miter or bevel, and self-aligning rip fences give users greater control and stability with every cut.
Which models are the contenders for the Best Table Saw?
SKIL 3410-02 120-Volt 10-Inch Table Saw – This elegant red, black and aluminum table saw from one of the premiere manufacturers of power tools comes with a heavy-duty steel stand that is simple and fast to set up or break down for transport. The lightweight but durable cast aluminum table measures a generous 20 inches by 26 inches, allowing carpenters, builders and crafters to easily make precision cuts on larger sections of paneling, sheeting and boards.
DEWALT DWE7491RS 10-Inch Jobsite Table Saw – This powerful and versatile table saw from DEWALT is powered by a large 15-amp motor to blast through even thick hardwoods. An advanced proprietary rack & pinion rip fence makes it easy to make extremely precise cuts on even longer pieces of trim or shelving. A generous 2-1/2-inch dust collection intake port allows home carpenters, builders and crafters to efficiently extract sawdust and airborne particles from the blade.
Powermatic PM1000 1791000K Table Saw – This top-quality cabinet saw gives unparalled power and stability while drawing only 115 volts of current. With a sophisticated blade shield and particulate removal system, the razor sharp 10-inch diameter blade has an unobstructed path as it slices through even the thickest of hardwoods. Able to cut to a generous 3-1/8 inches by adjusting the convenient flywheel handles, this big table saw can easily handle even longer boards, trim work and paneling pieces.
Considerations for Choosing the Right Saw For Your Job
- Saw Size & Cut Capacity – The total diameter of the saw blade as well as the maximum height it can rise up to cut from the surface of the table determines the depth of each cut that the table saw can make.
- Table Design & Size – The larger and more secure the stable, the simpler it is to work with bigger and bulkier pieces of wood, sheeting, boards and paneling.
- Rip Fence – Each manufacturer offers a unique design for their rip fences to allow home builders, carpenters and inventors to accurately and safely make cuts.
- Additional Features – Today’s modern table saws come equipped with a wide range of additional features such as power-efficient motors, dust collection systems and precise adjustment knobs to make miter and bevel cuts with ease.
Saw Size & Cut Capacity
The SKIL 3410-02 – This powerful table saw from SKIl comes equipped with large 10-inch diameter saw blade that can make precisely angled cuts as deep as 3-1/2 inches. The total weight of this saw is 67.5 pounds, making it the perfect balance between solid stability and ease of portability.
The DEWALT DWE7491RS – The DEWALT DWE7491RS benefits from a razor sharp 10-inch diameter saw that is powerful enough to cut through even the hardest woods up to 3/18″ deep. The DEWALT DWE7491RS has been specifically engineered with a lengthy Rip capacity of up to 32-1/2 inches to allow carpenters and woodworking enthusiasts to make precision cuts on molding, baseboards and other trim material. The total weight of the DEWALT DWE7491RS is a solid 110 pounds.
The Powermatic PM1000 – The Powermatic PM1000 1791000K comes with a large 10-inch rotating blade that can make precision cuts as deep as 3-1/8″ at straight angles and as deep as 2-1/8″ deep on angled miter or bevel cuts. This is a full-sized cabinet table saw that weighs 417 pounds.
Table Design & Size
The SKIL 3410-02 – The SKIL 3410-02 comes with a pure cast iron table measuring 20 inches by 26 inches, making it simple and safe to make cuts on longer boards and bigger pieces of paneling, sheeting and plywood.
The DEWALT DWE7491RS – The table on the DEWALT DWE7491RS measures 21-7/8″ by 26-3/8″ inches to give every home builder, carpenter and woodworking enthusiast the ability to work with larger and longer pieces of trim work, sheeting or shelving.
The Powermatic PM1000 – This professional grade cabinet table saw stands a generous 34-1/4″ inches from the floor and gives home carpenters, woodworkers and builders a big 20-inch by 27-inch cast iron table surface to work with even longer and heavier boards and bigger pieces of paneling, sheeting and trim work.
Rip Fence
The SKIL 3410-02 – This powerful table saw comes with a self-aligning rip fence, allowing carpenters, builders and home improvement enthusiasts the ability to make highly accurate measurements before initiating a cut.
The DEWALT DWE7491RS – The patented Rack & Pinion fence system on the DEWALT DWE7491RS can be rapidly adjusted to extremely precise increments to ensure a perfect cut every time. The fence rails can be retracted and lifted to makes special miter and bevel cuts.
The Powermatic PM1000 – The Powermatic PM1000 1791000K comes with the manufacturer’s patented AccuFence technology for ultra-precise cuts and better stability. The Powermatic PM1000 1791000K can be precisely angled to handle a maximum rip of 12 inches to the left of the cutting blade and a generous 30 inches to the right of the cutting blade.
Additional Features
The SKIL 3410-02 – The manufacturer’s patented Quick-Mount system allows the heavy-duty steel stand to be set up or broken down easily and quickly. Able to precisely make cross cuts or angled cuts on the miter or bevel. The manufacturer’s special EZ View measurement system gives woodworkers an extra level of precision on every cut with this powerful table saw.
The DEWALT DWE7491RS – The DEWALT DWE7491RS comes with a heavy-duty wheeled transportation system for moving this contractor-grade table saw between job sites. The DEWALT DWE7491RS also includes a special storage system on the unit that can hold small items like a riving knife, miter gage, and push sticks when not in use.
The Powermatic PM1000 – The big 7-inch flywheels make adjusting cuts and angles simple, intuitive and far more aesthetic than smaller knobs and levers on other table saws. A hinged motor cover allows quick access to the inside of the cabinet.
Conclusion: Our Table Saw Reviews Are In
The SKIL 3410-02 120-Volt 10-Inch Table Saw – Best Cheap Table Saw
With a big 10-inch blade capable of making precision cuts on the miter or bevel up to 3-1/2 inches deep with extreme accuracy, the SKIL 3410-02 table saw allows any home builder, carpenter and crafter the ability to cut even larger pieces of wood and paneling with ease.
With a heavy, secure base that is simple to set up or disassemble and a big cast aluminum table, any home workshop can benefit from the SKIL 3410-02 table saw.
Pros:
Takes just seconds to set this table saw up yet it is rock solid once locked in place. Making cross cuts on even smaller pieces is simple, and the self-aligning rip fence and EZ View system make guaranteeing accurately placed cuts nearly guaranteed every time.
Cons:
The SKIL 3410-02 table saw is a powerful and versatile table saw, but it is a benchtop table saw and not suitable for large-scale professional builds or home construction tasks.
The DEWALT DWE7491RS 10-Inch Jobsite Table Saw – Best Table Saw for the Money
This powerful contractor table saw from DEWALT comes in the company’s signature bold black and yellow look, and is powered by a large 15-amp motor and 10-inch saw blade to quickly and easily slice through even the hardest pieces of wood. Ultra sturdy stand can be broken down in seconds and transported by a handy wheeled system to the next job site.
Pros:
Rip fence system is intuitive and easy to understand, making it super easy to get precisely accurate cuts.
Cons:
While the DEWALT DWE7491RS comes equipped with a generous 2-1/2-inch dust collection port, a shop vac or vacuum cleaner must be purchased separately to power dust extraction from the table saw.
The Powermatic PM1000 1791000K Table Saw – Best Table Saw Overall
Simply put, this full-size professional-grade cabinet saw is capable of handling any woodworking, carpentry and building assignment around the house. A powerful dust collection system and blade guard ensure that the razor sharp 10-inch diameter saw blade always has an unobstructed path to its target. The Powermatic PM1000 1791000K can handle miter cuts up to 60 degrees on either side, allowing home carpenters and builders to make precision cuts on trim work, molding and shelving boards.
A heavy cast iron table design and poly-V belt drive work to almost completely eliminate vibrations and greatly reduce noise.
Pros:
Simple, easy and intuitive to safely and precisely make straight or angled cuts on nearly any kind of piece of wood, trim, molding, paneling, sheeting or shelving. Extremely heavy duty once installed, and the cast iron table design is very stable.
Cons:
This cabinet table saw is a powerful piece of carpentry and woodworking equipment and requires a power source connected to a 20-amp fuse to be operated safely.
In Conclusion
Carpenters, builders and woodworking enthusiasts know that the ultimate power saw to add to their workshop is a top-quality cabinet table saw that can make precision cuts on even the longest pieces of boards and trim work. Built with permanent, durable stands that are engineered to absorb and reduce vibrations, powerful cabinet table saws can easily make precise slices through even the densest pieces of hardwood materials. A high-quality cabinet table saw can give any owner the opportunity to stimulate their creativity and productivity, as this versatile tool lets them shape and integrate wood to its highest potential.
While portable and smaller table saws are perfect for occasional repair jobs or remodeling foreclosed homes, a high-quality cabinet table saw is powerful and advanced enough to handle nearly any carpentry cutting need. The Powermatic PM1000 comes with a rock-solid cast iron table and intuitive 7-inch” flywheel adjustment handles to allow carpenters and woodworking enthusiasts to make precise angled cuts every time. With a rugged design and well-engineered motor assembly with advanced dust removal system, the Powermatic PM1000 1791000K is durable enough to give users decades of precision woodworking cuts.