The table saw is the heart and soul of most work shops. I thought it appropriate to share with you a review I recently ran across on ConsumerSearch.com. The review is quite comprehensive in that it review table saws that should meet all needs – from the most basic to the most accomplished.
You will also find that the prices for table saws on this site are considerably below the estimated price listed in the review. So feel free to shop.
Best Portable Table Saw
Bosch 4100DG-09
*Est. $820
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 true riving knife to prevent kickback. The most full-featured table saw in the line, the Bosch 4100DG-09, adds a digital rip fence for extra precision. Reviews praise the Bosch 4100 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. Owners love the wheeled "gravity rise" stand that snaps open or folds flat in a single, lever-activated motion. The only safety feature missing on this portable saw is the flesh-sensing blade brake found on the more expensive SawStop Contractor Saw CNS175-SFA30 (*est. $1,600), but SawStop is the only company that offers this, and its contractor saw costs twice as much.
Fine Woodworking contributor Gary Katz provides the most detailed review of the Bosch 4100DG-09 contractor table saw, including photos that show how the new blade guard system works. Popular Woodworking, a publication with several articles about table saw safety, also tests the Bosch table saw. At Amazon.com, owners review and rate the Bosch 4100DG-09 as well as the less expensive Bosch 4100 and Bosch 4000-09 table saws. Earlier reviews at Consumer Reports and Fine Homebuilding cover the Bosch 4000-09, which lacks the improved blade guard.
Best Budget Table Saw
Ryobi BTS21
*Est. $250
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.
Best Contractor Table Saw
SawStop Contractor Saw CNS175-SFA30
Est. $1,600
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 four-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. If you can't invest this much in a contractor saw, the portable Bosch 4100DG-09 (*est. $820) has the same safety features except for the flesh-sensing technology.
Many comparison reviews of cabinet saws praise the SawStop safety features, but the SawStop Contractor Saw is too new to be included in tests of contractor saws – with the exception of an excellent review at Woodworker's Journal which includes a preproduction model of the SawStop. We found the most detailed single-product review of the final version of the SawStop Contractor Saw at Taunton.com, which also publishes an online video of the saw in action. The review at Toologics.com is by an experienced woodworker who's also used the SawStop Cabinet Saw. Earlier, Popular Mechanics gave the SawStop an award for safety features unique among contractor saws.
Budget Contractor Saw
Ridgid TS3660
*Est. $550
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.
Best Hybrid Saw
Steel City 35900G
*Est. $1,350 Compare Prices
The Steel City 35900G 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 table 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. Though expensive, reviewers say the 1.75-hp Steel City table saw could easily be the centerpiece of a workshop devoted to precision woodworking. The saw carries a five-year warranty, ten years on the granite top. The only safety feature lacking is the SawStop flesh-sensing blade brake found on the more expensive SawStop Contractor Saw (*est. $1,600).
Wood Magazine is the first to include the Steel City 35900G hybrid saw in comparison tests, even comparing it with the cast-iron-topped Steel City 35670. Single-product reviews of the Steel City 35900G in Popular Woodworking and Woodworker's Journal highlight new safety features as well as the granite top, and an article on safety features at Popular Woodworking makes note of the riving knife and blade guard system. Earlier comparison tests in Fine Woodworking and Tools of the Trade Online cover the Steel City 35601, now the 35670.
Best cabinet saw
SawStop Cabinet Saw CB31230
*Est. $3,470
Big and heavy cabinet saws provide more power and precision than other table saws. The three-hp SawStop cabinet saw earns top ranking partly for its unusual safety – with the 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 five-hp version, but reviews say a three-hp cabinet saw is powerful enough for almost every user. The warranty is for two years. The same blade brake is now available on the less expensive SawStop Contractor Saw (*est. $1,600).
We found the best comparison tests of the SawStop cabinet saw in Taunton's 2008 Tool Guide, which includes results from the annual survey of readers of Fine Woodworking and Fine Homebuilding. Workbench, Popular Woodworking and Tools of the Trade Online also include the SawStop cabinet saw in excellent comparison tests. Detailed single-product reviews in Woodworker's Journal and Woodcraft magazine evaluate the SawStop saw not only for its unique safety features but for performance, ease of use and build quality as well.
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