# Table Saw Reviews



## Oahunative (Dec 28, 2006)

Howdy Group,

I've been thinking about buying a new table saw, my shop is not huge so it seems like the "Benchtop" saws that are mounted on stands with wheels would be the best bet.

The reviews I've read suggest the two models below, your feedback and suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Bosch 4000-09
Makita 2704X1 

Thanks everyone!


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## LEAP (Dec 28, 2006)

I've had a Ridgid for about three years and have been extremely happy with it. The gears and trunions are metal compared with plastic on alot of similiar models. The saw came with the stand from HD. I read alot of reviews  and looked at alot of table top saws before choosing this one and for the money it was the best deal going. The Bosch is a nice saw and was probably #2 on my list. I did not like the Makita I have used them in a construction setting and just did not think it lived up to its reputation. The only thing I was not 100% satisified with was the stand. It has a little side to side wobble and there is no way to tighten it. Its not noticable on small stuff but if you try to rip some sheet material it is definately there. Other than the wobble the stand works well. Its not as light as some of the other brands but is worth the extra weight. 
Phil


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## Oahunative (Dec 28, 2006)

Hi Phil,

Thanks for the info, I have a Makita Compound Miter saw and absolutly love it ... Your feedback is valuable and encourages me to think this through. The saws I'm looking at are in the $500.00 range. For that amount I expect to be extremly satisfied.

Thanks again,
Tim


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## tas2181 (Dec 28, 2006)

I have had the Bosch for about 3 years and am very happy with it. For a contractor type saw it is very good. Only thing is that the table is not real large but you would have to go with a cabinet type saw to get that.


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## Gadget (Dec 28, 2006)

I have a pro wood shop and own 2 delta contractors saws and a ridgid portable. The ridgid is the best value for the money by far. I have burnt up the smaller saws with normal use. The ridgid is a little larger but the collapseable stand really helps with storage. The motor is much stronger and as leap said the trunions are strong like bull!! I use this saw for site work and used to use it in the shop before i bought the deltas.

Matt


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## LEAP (Dec 28, 2006)

Completely different animal there. The Makita CMS is a good tool I would rate it third after the Bosch then the Hatachi. The Bosch for the controls and the Hatachi for the power to weight ratio. If you have to lug it around go with the Hatachi. My brother in law has the Makita CMS and he loves his. I think the Makita stand sucks with a capital SUCKS. If you are going to bench mount it there are few saws its equal. Whe I bought the Ridgid table saw it came with the stand for 500 dollars and a life time warranty. I'm sure thats changed a little by now. Fine Woodworking Magazine has an annual issue on tools that usually comes out this time of year. Thats a good place to start on reviews but there is nothing compared to going to the store and peeking under the hood so to speak and see what you are getting for your money. Most manufactures have a web page where you can download the owners manuals. Check these out and see how the specs compare and how hard it is to adjust the alignment of all the parts. Don't be surprised if you end up going a little over budget when you find the saw of your dreams which is "just a little bit more" than you had planned on spending. To 
adlib a little "He who dies with the most tools wins" Good luck and have fun shopping.
Phil


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## BigRob777 (Dec 28, 2006)

Tim,
I can't help you my friend.  My table saw weighs almost as much as I do.  I am a big grizzly fan.  I'm getting my 3rd grizzly tool.  First the table saw, then the band saw and now a lathe.  The lathe is the lightest at about 300 lbs.  I don't think you can go wrong with Bosch.  I'm not a makita fan.
Rob


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## rgundersen (Dec 28, 2006)

If you have enough room that you are not having to really store the table saw I would say to look at the newer hybrid saws from Delta, Jet, and Dewalt.  This is of course assuming that money is not as much a driving factor as space is since the hybrids are going to be twice the price I would guess.

The benchtops are portable as it were but they look to me like it would still take a fair amount of storage space.  

Though I also will say I am not much at optimizing shop space right now and the table saw I have is huge so most anything looks smaller to me, for better or worse I guess.


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## beamer (Dec 29, 2006)

At $500 - I'd hesitate to suggest buying ANY benchtop saw and expect you to be as satisfied as you could be with a contractor's or hybrid model. The $500 price range is almost perfect for the Rigid contractor's saw, and there are a couple Grizzly options, too.

The reason I say this are due to the materials used in these two types of saws.

<b>Motor</b>
I don't know of any benchtop saw that uses an induction motor. Induction motors invariably run quieter and smoother and usually have more accurate power ratings. Most benchtop saws use universal motors that are lightweight but loud and have quite a bit of vibration. They also lack accurate horsepower ratings.

It's pretty involved, but you can get a better measure of real power by calculating wattage instead - watts = amps * volts. A true horsepower is somewhere around 734 watts. I wouldn't believe any rating that claims to pull more than 2hp yet draws somewhere under 12-13 amps.

<b>iron</b>
Since benchtop saws are designed to be portable, they have to be lightweight. This usually means their tops are made of aluminum. A cast iron top is almost always found on contractor saws. This iron lends TONS of weight (literally!) and that keeps vibration to a minimum. Vibration is the enemy to a decent cut.

There is a Rigid contractor saw that fits your price range and it gets incredible reviews by everyone I know who owns one. They have a nice heavy cast iron top and use a nice beefy induction motor. Space is some consideration, but you mentioned putting a benchtop model on a stand and those stands generally take up nearly as much space as a contractor model might. Hybrid models tend to have a smaller footprint, due to burying the motor inside instead of hanging it off the back, but they can be more expensive.

I'd also check out Grizzly. I have their G0586 jointer and absolutely love it. My next big tool will probably be a Grizzly, too 

Remember, you only cry once when you buy a good tool 

Good luck in your search!


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## Oahunative (Dec 29, 2006)

Thank you Jason, your feedback is quite detailed and logical. Exactly what I had hoped to get from this group ...  thanks to everyone that has taken the time to reply! 

Tim


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## jaywood1207 (Dec 29, 2006)

One other thing I would recommend is depending on what you are intending to do with it make sure it has a good fence.  If you are only using it for cutting blanks or doing crosscutting then it doesn't matter as much.  If you are going to get into flatwork that will involve ripping and more accuracy then a good fence is a must.  I have an old (about 30 years) Rockwell Beaver that I was ready to trash cause I couldn't cut straight on it with the stock fence.  I upgraded the fence as a last resort and now it works great.


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## sandking (Dec 29, 2006)

My $0.02 is to pass on the Makita.  Unless they've changed things, I had one and sold it b/c the miter slots were not standard and you couldn't just upgrade your miter gauge or use other accessories.  Again maybe that is changed but I decided to sell.  Also the fence on that saw was terrible.  It was a workhorse but seemed better on a jobsite than for woodworking.

I have the Ridgid 2400LS and like it.  If I had the room and could do it over I would have gotten their contractor saw.  The other nice thing about the Ridgid is if you fill out the paperwork correctly and register it online you get a "Lifetime Service Agreement".  Take it for what it's worth, but I have a local repair shop and they told me the have replaced motors and other parts for customers without any problems.


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## Chuck B (Dec 29, 2006)

I have a very small shop also & I bought the Rigid folding contractors saw. Its absolutely great. rock solid saw


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## keithz (Dec 29, 2006)

What's a tablesaw?  Oh yeah, I remember.  I had one of those once.  I left it when I moved out prior to my divorce.  There just was no room for it in my apartment.

keithz


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## jscola (Dec 29, 2006)

I have the Dewalt hybred & love it But it is a little pricey.  I got lucky at a casino in Canada for once in my life! so spent the money on a saw.   Joe S.


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## Oahunative (Dec 29, 2006)

Thanks again everyone for your input, suggestions and reviews.

I stopped by the Lowes and Home Depot at got up close and personal with their respective offerings .. the Bosch with the roller stand is a very nice machine as is the Rigid line. I must admit I was not expecting to be impressed with the Rigid quality and design but I was, they do seem to be simply sturdier. 

Thanks again, still looking.


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## GBusardo (Dec 30, 2006)

Just my two cents.  To me, 500 bucks is a lot of money. Especially to spend on a portable saw. I have only used the Makita and I was not impressed. If it were me, I would seriously consider getting one of the better Grizzly  contractor saws with an upgraded fence, and put wheels on it. For the record, I have a Jet for ten years and its doing great. (knock on wood) 
Good Luck, Buying a new tool is always fun.


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## GBusardo (Dec 30, 2006)

Just got this in Email this morning. If you absolutley have to get a portable, check this out
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005JDNM/105-2892676-3226008


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## stevers (Jan 3, 2007)

I also have a Grizzly, the GO444Z. Love it, could be portable if ness. Accurite. Also have Griz band saw. I would reccomend Grizzly to "anyone". Great value.


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## BigRob777 (Jan 4, 2007)

Yeah Steve, 
Another Grizzly fan.  I looked it up as G1023SL (left tilt).  Best thousand bucks I ever spent.  There's a benchtop that I was looking at before I chose the grizzly.  It's the Ryobi with sliding mitre table.  It's like having a built in panel cutting jig.  It did pretty well in the woodworking mags.
Rob


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