How To Buy A Portable Table Saw

by James Millner | 25th September 2009

by James Smith

There comes a time in every amateur do-it-yourselfer's life when he or she realizes that a table saw would make a job much easier. There are 4 kinds of tables saws to choose from though most amateurs will only want to use the smaller table saws. The kinds of table saws available are cabinet saws, contractors saws, hybrid saws and benchtop table saws.

A portable table saw can usually be moved from one spot to another and is often placed on a counter of some kind. The "benchtop" or "portable" table saw is often the best table saw for the basic woodworker who does not have a large area to work and will only use the portable table saw for small projects. Many portable table saws have extra legs with bases available for added stability.

Many portable table saws can use standard sized saw blades like other table saws, but there are still some downsides to portable table saws that you should know about. Portable table saws usually weigh anywhere from 30 to 70, so you can not exactly carry them around like a hammer. You can easily move portable them in and out of storage as needed.

Because portable table saws are lighter than normal saws they are not often as stable as contractor table saws. Benchtop table saws often have some restrictions on how large a piece of lumber they can cut. A lot of benchtop table saws also lack complex measurement tools that more professional saws have. In recent years manufacturers have begun making more heavy-duty portable table saws for the contractor market.

You may want to consider what kinds of blades you think you'll use, whether you'll need to change the blade height and whether you'll need to disassemble the unit and upgrade the rail system. When comparing specifications you'll want to compare weight, rip capacity, and motor size. You may how easy it is to adjust blades and add accessories. Table saws can be expensive, so you might consider buying refurbished tools that have been discontinued. As you can see, when you are trying to choose the best benchtop table saw for your needs there are lots of things to consider.

Portable table saws might not have the ability to use dado blades or advanced fence and rail accessories. If you're just starting out then a benchtop saw is the way to go because they are the least expensive of all the table saws and they can be moved fairly easily. There are lots of advantages to beginning with a benchtop table saw. Portable table saws can easily handle standard ripping and cutting but may be more difficult to use for more complex cutting.

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