Table Saw Reviews
If you’re serious about putting together a real woodworking shop, you’ll need a great table saw. These tools are considered to be the foundation of a great shop, so you’ll want to make sure that you buy the right type of table saw for your personal or professional needs.
These power saws range from small, portable models to full size cabinet saws, so it’s important to make the right purchasing decision to get the features & cutting power that you need in your shop. This table saw buyer’s guide was put together to help you make a smart purchase for your shop.
Size Matters with a Table Saw
As we mentioned earlier, you’ll have lots of different sized to choose from when purchasing your table saw. And while there are sizes that run the gamut, table saws can usually be categorized as either a portable table saw, a contractor table saw or a full cabinet table saw. There are a couple of other variations in the mix, but these three types of table saws make up the majority of sales every year.
Portable Table Saws
If you plan on being on the move a lot, either around your home or on the job, you may want to purchase a portable table saw. These types of table saws can be easily moved around and mounted to virtually any type of bench or table top. They aren’t as powerful or full featured as some of the larger table saws, but they are great for taking care of small, everyday cutting tasks.
Contractor’s Table Saws
The big brother to the portable table saw is the contractor’s table saw. These table saws typically have an open, attached stand, and can be set up on any job site; as long as you have someone to help you out. Most contractor’s table saws weight 200+ pounds, so it takes a friend to help get one set up or moved around. These table saws are more powerful than portable saws and are good for small to medium sized cutting tasks.
Cabinet Table Saws
With a tough cabinet to protect the saw’s motor, this kind of table saw is for the serious carpenter or do it yourself-er These saws are very big and have huge, built-in cabinets and cutting tables. You can take care of any kind of cutting job – big or small – with a cabinet saw.
Additional Table Saw Features
Now that you understand the basic difference between the major types of table saws, you’ll want to know about some of the additional features that you should look for. Table saws are used to make a variety of cuts on a wide assortment of building materials. As such, you’ll find that the higher-end models offer more useful features for those specialty cutting jobs.
Here are some additional features to consider:
While these aren’t all of the features that you’ll find in today’s best table saws, they do compromise some of the most sought after features. If you work with wood regularly, you’ll undoubtedly have your own preferences, but keep these features in mind to get the best table saw for your money.
Table saws are the work horse of any woodworking shop. With the help of Table Saw 101′s table saw reviews, you are now prepared to get the saw that will become the foundation of your at-home, or professional shop. And once you have your table saw set up, there’s no telling how many great projects you’ll be able to finish, in record time.