My wife has decided to give me a new table saw for Christmas. I do not currently have one and am just now trying to build me a small shop. Space (and money) are limited. What I have decided on is either the Ridgid r4560 or the Dewalt dwe7492rs. I do not necessarily need the portability as much so if I got the dewalt I would build a different stand. There is nothing in the forums about the r4560 but the reviews that I have seen seem to be favorable. I do like that it is a cast iron top. Not sure which would do me better. I want to stay under $700 if possible so both are right in my budget. I would rather buy new than used just for the warranty. Thanks for any advice.
New table saw advice
- Thread starter Jay A
- Start date
Jobsite saws have their limitations. Whether you reach that depends on what kind of ww'ing you're doing. AFAIK, the DW will not take a dado.
Between the two, the Rigid looks like a bigger saw, other than that I have no idea.
Understand about new vs. used, but there is little debate that a used cabinet saw is going to be 5X the machines you have there. Not really much can go wrong with them other than arbor bearings.
The trade off is portability. If you're only using it occasionally and don't have a dedicated shop, you.
My advice is always that table saws are all about 1) the fence and 2) power. I know people with those machines are building fine furniture.
Between the two, the Rigid looks like a bigger saw, other than that I have no idea.
Understand about new vs. used, but there is little debate that a used cabinet saw is going to be 5X the machines you have there. Not really much can go wrong with them other than arbor bearings.
The trade off is portability. If you're only using it occasionally and don't have a dedicated shop, you.
My advice is always that table saws are all about 1) the fence and 2) power. I know people with those machines are building fine furniture.
If there is any way to swing the money, get the Sawstop Jobsite Pro. It is an excellent saw for $1499, and you will keep your fingers.
Have you considered the Delta at Lowe's?
Would be under your budget. it's a larger saw than the Rigid or Dewalt, so your space constraints might come into play, but it has a mobile base to move around your shop area. I have it's older sibling, the Delta 75-325 and it has been a great saw for me. Bought it new probably 8-ish years ago. Lowe's still has the 75-325 for about $80 less, but it's out of stock.
There have been reports of it on sale depending on the store (and if you can find it) for ~$350. Screenshot is from the NCWW facebook page of someone confirming they got it in Winston Salem just yesterday.
Would be under your budget. it's a larger saw than the Rigid or Dewalt, so your space constraints might come into play, but it has a mobile base to move around your shop area. I have it's older sibling, the Delta 75-325 and it has been a great saw for me. Bought it new probably 8-ish years ago. Lowe's still has the 75-325 for about $80 less, but it's out of stock.
There have been reports of it on sale depending on the store (and if you can find it) for ~$350. Screenshot is from the NCWW facebook page of someone confirming they got it in Winston Salem just yesterday.
Delta or Rigid they look the same and they are the same. Delta is now making the Rigid saw.
Anyway, it is about 600 bucks. It is probably the best inexpensive saw you can get. These saws cut straight and true. That said, if you are willing, think about the 1500 dollar range will get you a much better saw.
Anyway, it is about 600 bucks. It is probably the best inexpensive saw you can get. These saws cut straight and true. That said, if you are willing, think about the 1500 dollar range will get you a much better saw.
I have an older model Delta 36-979 (essentially the same as the 36-725) that I bought used last fall for around $350 with a lot of extras. While it is a really good saw for the price, I agree with Oka that you would be better served by saving for a cabinet saw on the cheaper end. I outgrew the Delta after close to a year and am now saving/looking for a better saw.
If you want to do any serious woodworking in the next couple years, bite the bullet now and get the better saw or else you will be upgrading soon. But on the other hand, any saw is better than no saw!
If you want to do any serious woodworking in the next couple years, bite the bullet now and get the better saw or else you will be upgrading soon. But on the other hand, any saw is better than no saw!
On the NCWW Facebook page. Not sure how close it is to you.
Lowes is doing a clearance on these 330-340 per but you goty to look in the stores to find it. That is a good deal
The things that surprised me the most about the Sawstop saws:
1. The quality of build. They truly are the best built saws currently available. Which - was surprising because if a company offers something in the features that no one else has - you generally do not get top notch quality of construction. Sawstop is the exception. The gauge of even the sheet metal is good, and the fit/finish outstanding.
2. The instructions - are absolutely the nicest, most easily understood you will find. On the cabinets saws as a n example, the the instructions are spatial bound books that are worth keeping for future reference.
3. The hardware packs - color coded , bubble packs that are of easily identified as the instruction book is color coded as well. The hardware quality is excellent as well.
4. The support - unlike many other companies today - Sawstop has REAL people that you can call - and generally very short hold times - and talk to a well trained native - English speaking person in the USA. Refreshing, at least.
And...BTW...it is the only saw brand that you will never lose a finger to......
T
1. The quality of build. They truly are the best built saws currently available. Which - was surprising because if a company offers something in the features that no one else has - you generally do not get top notch quality of construction. Sawstop is the exception. The gauge of even the sheet metal is good, and the fit/finish outstanding.
2. The instructions - are absolutely the nicest, most easily understood you will find. On the cabinets saws as a n example, the the instructions are spatial bound books that are worth keeping for future reference.
3. The hardware packs - color coded , bubble packs that are of easily identified as the instruction book is color coded as well. The hardware quality is excellent as well.
4. The support - unlike many other companies today - Sawstop has REAL people that you can call - and generally very short hold times - and talk to a well trained native - English speaking person in the USA. Refreshing, at least.
And...BTW...it is the only saw brand that you will never lose a finger to......
T
Long story short...
I originally bought a DeWalt jobsite table saw. I think I paid new, about, $500. The model right below the one with the rolling wheels.
1 - Aluminum top (eh), really good fence for what it was, but still not precise
2 - Extremely pita for blade alignment
3 - Not great in the way of dust collection
4 - Noisy motor (which is expected from these types of saws)
5 - Lacking any real cutting capacity. I once flung an entire piece of 4'x8' plywood on it and ripped it down. OMG! Not sure how I ever thought that was going to be a great idea. Then again, DeWalt makes it look so easy in their ads.
6 - Not very stable
7 - Scared me to death, numerous times, when I used it
I can probably run off several more things, but overall, it served me decently for the very short time I owned it. My biggest accomplishment, with this saw, was building a desk for my gf.
Nothing extremely fancy, it wasn't 100% accurate, but she was happy and that is all that mattered.
I sold the saw and quickly upgraded it to a SawStop PCS (3hp). The overall quality is extremely night & day. Other than the severe issue I had with the saw, from day 1, it is a great table saw. SS's customer service, overall, has been good. Their instructions are phenomenal, too. Let me just say, they eventually sent me a brand new table saw, since I had problems with my first one. Not sure what other manf. would have done that.
Anyways...
Point is, if you are seriously going to invest yourself in woodworking, and your money, I'd highly recommend buying something like a hybrid, or cabinet saw. Sure, it might be slightly past your current budget, so either buy something used or save a few more dollars and get something that you'll have & love for many more years to come.
Best if luck.... Rory
I originally bought a DeWalt jobsite table saw. I think I paid new, about, $500. The model right below the one with the rolling wheels.
1 - Aluminum top (eh), really good fence for what it was, but still not precise
2 - Extremely pita for blade alignment
3 - Not great in the way of dust collection
4 - Noisy motor (which is expected from these types of saws)
5 - Lacking any real cutting capacity. I once flung an entire piece of 4'x8' plywood on it and ripped it down. OMG! Not sure how I ever thought that was going to be a great idea. Then again, DeWalt makes it look so easy in their ads.
6 - Not very stable
7 - Scared me to death, numerous times, when I used it
I can probably run off several more things, but overall, it served me decently for the very short time I owned it. My biggest accomplishment, with this saw, was building a desk for my gf.
Nothing extremely fancy, it wasn't 100% accurate, but she was happy and that is all that mattered.
I sold the saw and quickly upgraded it to a SawStop PCS (3hp). The overall quality is extremely night & day. Other than the severe issue I had with the saw, from day 1, it is a great table saw. SS's customer service, overall, has been good. Their instructions are phenomenal, too. Let me just say, they eventually sent me a brand new table saw, since I had problems with my first one. Not sure what other manf. would have done that.
Anyways...
Point is, if you are seriously going to invest yourself in woodworking, and your money, I'd highly recommend buying something like a hybrid, or cabinet saw. Sure, it might be slightly past your current budget, so either buy something used or save a few more dollars and get something that you'll have & love for many more years to come.
Best if luck.... Rory
With all due respect, I disagree with the advice above that says, basically, to double your budget and buy a bigger, better saw with more bells and whistle.
Buy one of the lower priced entry level saws you’re looking at and build stuff with it, enjoying yourself all the while. Then, when you’re ready to upgrade and have a bigger budget, sell your current saw and get something that better meets your needs.
Of course cabinet saws are better. They also cost more and take up more space and power. Would my initial woodworking have been easier on the Jet I have now than the $200 Craftsman I started with? Yes, but I don’t regret that purchase at all. Part of the fun of this hobby is the journey.
Buy one of the lower priced entry level saws you’re looking at and build stuff with it, enjoying yourself all the while. Then, when you’re ready to upgrade and have a bigger budget, sell your current saw and get something that better meets your needs.
Of course cabinet saws are better. They also cost more and take up more space and power. Would my initial woodworking have been easier on the Jet I have now than the $200 Craftsman I started with? Yes, but I don’t regret that purchase at all. Part of the fun of this hobby is the journey.
W/o any TS experience I bought a used Delta contractor saw - 25 years ago. With a 52" fence it is (still) too large, but I have never regretted that purchase - only saw I have owned and used. You can buy a used cab or contractors style saw within your budget - and likely never have issue with it (unless it is a Crapsman, which I personally avoid). A smooth and accurate fence is important.
Dis-ad of many cabinet saws is the need for 240V (or 220 or whatever it is) power. You ultimately may end up there, but like Drew the journey will inform you. Some experience will inform what your real needs (wants) are.
Dis-ad of many cabinet saws is the need for 240V (or 220 or whatever it is) power. You ultimately may end up there, but like Drew the journey will inform you. Some experience will inform what your real needs (wants) are.
It depends some on how big a piece of wood you need to cut but in general I think it is better to start with a track saw, not a table saw. I have both but I do not cut large pieces of wood on the table saw. I use the track saw. I also do not cut little pieces of wood with the track saw. Either will cut both but big pieces, like a sheet of plywood, are very challenging on the table saw. There is no really accuracy or quality of cut difference.
For your budget you could get a Makita or DeWalt track saw with long and shorter track, I think. They are kind of mid level saws. I have the DeWalt. You can also get into track saws cheaper by getting a Wen or Evolution track saw and Wen or PowerTec track. I got a saw and a couple 50 inch sections of track and some clamps last year at Christmas time for our church volunteer group for about $250. I've been pleasantly surprised with the quality of cut with a Freud 60 tooth 7.25 inch blade (only on the Evolution). I don't like the circular saw blade guard but for the price it works surprisingly well. You can also spend more like $1500 on a Festool saw and track.
Track saws store far easier than table saws in a limited size shop. I think they are also significantly safer to use. For cutting up sheet goods there is no contest, the track saw is much, much easier to use. I cut the glueup ready edges on my 10 foot long dining room table with my track saw. I would not attempt that on my table saw (a Sawstop PCS).
For years my table saw was a Ryobi BT3100. It is not sold any more and was not much larger than a job site saw. I built a lot of furniture using it. I like my PCS and it is easier to do accurate work with but "lesser" saws can still do good work.
For your budget you could get a Makita or DeWalt track saw with long and shorter track, I think. They are kind of mid level saws. I have the DeWalt. You can also get into track saws cheaper by getting a Wen or Evolution track saw and Wen or PowerTec track. I got a saw and a couple 50 inch sections of track and some clamps last year at Christmas time for our church volunteer group for about $250. I've been pleasantly surprised with the quality of cut with a Freud 60 tooth 7.25 inch blade (only on the Evolution). I don't like the circular saw blade guard but for the price it works surprisingly well. You can also spend more like $1500 on a Festool saw and track.
Track saws store far easier than table saws in a limited size shop. I think they are also significantly safer to use. For cutting up sheet goods there is no contest, the track saw is much, much easier to use. I cut the glueup ready edges on my 10 foot long dining room table with my track saw. I would not attempt that on my table saw (a Sawstop PCS).
For years my table saw was a Ryobi BT3100. It is not sold any more and was not much larger than a job site saw. I built a lot of furniture using it. I like my PCS and it is easier to do accurate work with but "lesser" saws can still do good work.
All of this is good information.
Depends on your budget, needs, application, etc.
I too have a track saw, Makita corded, and all 3 of their different length tracks. VERY useful tool to have, imo, the track saw. I love it!. Just like JimD mentioned, about cutting large sheet goods. IMO, I'd never again use a table saw to cut down large 4'x8' sheets of plywood. Too massive and unwieldly. Not "safe", imo.
Neighbor recently purchased a used Delta contractor TS. He said he loves it a lot better than his jobsite TS.
Found it on CL/Facebook for $250? Doesn't need 220, so maybe something like this would be a good option? If you can find something, like this, maybe you can use the "extra" money for a track saw, too?
My Makita track saw can work with Festool tracks, Powermatic, and I THINK 1 more. IMO, unless I was making a living with my track saw, I wouldn't buy a Festool track saw. Too rich for my blood
Just ideas/options to think about.
Best of luck... Rory
Depends on your budget, needs, application, etc.
I too have a track saw, Makita corded, and all 3 of their different length tracks. VERY useful tool to have, imo, the track saw. I love it!. Just like JimD mentioned, about cutting large sheet goods. IMO, I'd never again use a table saw to cut down large 4'x8' sheets of plywood. Too massive and unwieldly. Not "safe", imo.
Neighbor recently purchased a used Delta contractor TS. He said he loves it a lot better than his jobsite TS.
Found it on CL/Facebook for $250? Doesn't need 220, so maybe something like this would be a good option? If you can find something, like this, maybe you can use the "extra" money for a track saw, too?
My Makita track saw can work with Festool tracks, Powermatic, and I THINK 1 more. IMO, unless I was making a living with my track saw, I wouldn't buy a Festool track saw. Too rich for my blood
Just ideas/options to think about.
Best of luck... Rory
I worked for a company in California and ran about 200 carpenters. During that time, we had a few projects that we were installing about 4-500,000 bd ft of Hardi siding per month.
Anyway, we went through table saws and chop saws like ice cream on a hot day. Our average burn on those two items varied between 5-6,000 a month.
Because of this, I discovered that : The Bosch, the Delta and DeWalt were the best contractor saws out there, with the Bosch lasting the longest (about a week longer). Any of those will be good for a contractor accuracy.
All of these will get you started. But, if you know you will be sticking to woodworking for any duration, then a better table saw is essential. You skills will improve faster because your cuts will be more accurate.
I have said this before:
As a rule, no tool is better than a bad tool. Bad tools can be frustrating and dangerous.
Being on a budget is all of us. However, I bought a used Milwaukee drill in 1972 (25 bucks) and it still performs nearly the same almost 50 years later. Point being, good tools last and help you improve. Bad tools make things hard.
What we all learn to get good at is - buying used and getting finding tools at a great price. Very few of us have 50k just to spend on a whim. So, it is a necessity to get knowledgeable to what is good quality and then, get keen on hunting those down.
Anyway, we went through table saws and chop saws like ice cream on a hot day. Our average burn on those two items varied between 5-6,000 a month.
Because of this, I discovered that : The Bosch, the Delta and DeWalt were the best contractor saws out there, with the Bosch lasting the longest (about a week longer). Any of those will be good for a contractor accuracy.
All of these will get you started. But, if you know you will be sticking to woodworking for any duration, then a better table saw is essential. You skills will improve faster because your cuts will be more accurate.
I have said this before:
As a rule, no tool is better than a bad tool. Bad tools can be frustrating and dangerous.
Being on a budget is all of us. However, I bought a used Milwaukee drill in 1972 (25 bucks) and it still performs nearly the same almost 50 years later. Point being, good tools last and help you improve. Bad tools make things hard.
What we all learn to get good at is - buying used and getting finding tools at a great price. Very few of us have 50k just to spend on a whim. So, it is a necessity to get knowledgeable to what is good quality and then, get keen on hunting those down.
Thank you all for the responses. I would love a cabinet saw but do not have 220 available and not going to add it to my garage. I plan on building a dedicated shop in about 2 years and will add it then. I am pretty much set now on either the delta or ridgid. Seems that they have the best reviews and best responses. This is not my first time around table saws. I worked for some time running a table saw in a Drexel heratige plant. It has been years though.
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Almost everyone starts with a job-site. Then sells it and gets a contractor saw. After a few years, they buy a cabinet saw.
I had an older Ridgid and it was decent. Not sure about the newest model. As usual, the newer Delta sounds great IF you get a good one. I know of no company quality worse than Delta and their service rivals LG and Samsung. With both, you can get them from the bix box store so yo ucan take a bad one back and swap, so that does minimize the risk.
You already know, the blade does the cutting, not the saw. I like Amana and CMT.
Might look for a used contractor as long as it has a riving knife. Get a set of decent thin kerf blades and wait for the new shop.
If you were not building a shop, I would have said the 2 HP Harvey Alpha. I will not use a saw without a riving knife.
I had an older Ridgid and it was decent. Not sure about the newest model. As usual, the newer Delta sounds great IF you get a good one. I know of no company quality worse than Delta and their service rivals LG and Samsung. With both, you can get them from the bix box store so yo ucan take a bad one back and swap, so that does minimize the risk.
You already know, the blade does the cutting, not the saw.
I like Amana and CMT. Might look for a used contractor as long as it has a riving knife. Get a set of decent thin kerf blades and wait for the new shop.
If you were not building a shop, I would have said the 2 HP Harvey Alpha. I will not use a saw without a riving knife.
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