The table saw is arguably the most valuable and versatile tool for just about any DIYer, weekend woodworker, contractor, and commercial shop owner. Add in the convenience of portability only it only makes the table saw that much more useful. But what is the best portable table saw for you? Well, that all depends on your specific needs.
Our portable table saw reviews point out in a concise format, the pros, and cons of the top brands from the dozens we looked at. What you’re about to discover could make your decision a whole lot easier – in a tiny fraction of the time, it would take you to sift through all the choices on your own.
Dewalt DW 745 Table Saw
Dewalt DW 745 is a compact, 10 inch table saw you can pick up and take with you wherever your projects take you. The saw itself is protected by a steel roll cage – so it’s an ideal option for taking to various job sites and withstanding the abuse of moving it frequently between your shop, truck and job sites.
What’s In The Box?
Included with your Dewalt 745 -10 inch table saw is a miter gauge, push stick, blade guard, and 24-tooth carbide tipped saw blade. Also supplied is a parallel fence and two blade spanners.
Click here to see the latest price on Amazon
It’s ready to use straight out of the box and the surface of the table is coated, to reduce friction and allow materials to slide across the table much more easily. Built-in is a dust port reducer, so you can connect it to a shop vacuum and improve your dust collection capability significantly. This is a huge help, particularly in a small shop or when working indoors on site.
More Than Capable Power
The 15 amp motor cranks up to 3850 RPM, so this Dewalt workhorse should easily be strong enough for most cutting requirements you can throw at it. It stated a rip capacity is 20 inches – which is larger than some and smaller than others. It can also cut bevels up to 45°. Cut capacity is 3 1/8 inches at 90° – and 2 1/4 inches at a full 45° bevel.
Although the DW745 is a portable table saw, there is still a bit of weight to it – and that’s a good thing as it provides the necessary stability to make any cut smoothly and safely. This saw weighs in at about 48 1/2 pounds and while it can be picked up and moved single-handedly, it’s much easier with two people.
Well Engineered
Dewalt is a favorite in many different power tool categories – including portable table saws – and it’s easy to see why. One big advantage is that the DW745 is engineered for convenience with onboard storage that allows you to keep all the necessary pieces like wrenches and push stick within reach. You’re never at a loss wondering where something is when you need it – which can be a problem on some competing saws.
Dewalt offers a strong, three-year guarantee, as well as one-year free service, plus a 90-day money-back guarantee if you’re not satisfied.
A Well-Built Accurate Saw
The Dewalt DW 745 is a simple design that gives you what you want in a portable table saw. It has plenty of power to produce good quality cuts -quickly and efficiently. It’s a capable and accurate saw whether you’re doing ripping or cross cutting. But as far as crosscutting goes, you’re always better off building a crosscut sled that’s super accurate, supportive and safe instead of using the cheap miter gauges manufacturers provide.
If accuracy is of first and foremost importance to you, the Dewalt is one of the better portable saws on the market. It can rip just about any thickness of woods, plastics, MDF, and more with the proper 10-inch blade installed. With a sharp ripping blade, 2 inch thick solid hardwoods was no challenge at all for this beast. Rest assured the fence stays solidly in place and adjustments are easy to make with precision.
The Pros
– Affordable – a solid table saw at a reasonable price means superb value
– Easy to set up right out of the box
– Easy to lift and move around, or to put away in storage
– Can be built into a table for cutting large sheets of plywood
– Rack and Pinion fence allows you to make tiny adjustments with perfect accuracy (may be the best fence on any portable table saw on the market today)
– Blade turns freely and smoothly with no wobble
– Plenty of power means it cuts through wood quickly and easily
– Excellent design and build quality
– Tubular roll bar frame that surrounds the saw is built with slide resistant feet, so it gives you a sense of stability on any solid floor
– Occupies a relatively small footprint (good for working in small shops and areas)
the rack and Pinion fence
The Cons
– Weak at channeling dust – only a fraction of the actual dust exits through dust extraction port
– No flat surface on the bottom of the table – so clamping feather boards or other jigs is difficult
– The miter gauge is complete crap (as it is on most table saws)
– Cannot use dado blades thanks to the shorter arbor
– Rip capacity is limited to 20 inches (24 inches – or half a sheet of plywood would be better)
– Table is relatively small and therefore difficult to use when working with larger pieces of wood.
Skil Table Saw 3410-02
Skil table saw features a 120 Volt, 15 amp motor with 5000 RPMs. It also boasts a 20″ x 26″ tabletop that’s mounted to the included table stand – something most competitors don’t offer. If a branded stand is available – it almost always is going to cost more. But not with the all-inclusive Skil 3410-02. So that’s a huge plus – right out of the gate.
There are many things you can do with this Skil model saw. It’s perfect for do-it-yourselfers, home renovators, small contractors (like fence and deck builders) – and shop owners too. The 90° cut capacity is 3 1/2 inches – so you can cut a 4 x 4 in a single pass. Blade alignment seems perfect too, with no noticeable wobble during various test cuts made with the blade raised and lowered.
With most 10 in table saws, you would need to cut 4 x 4’s in two separate passes. So being able to do it in a single pass is a huge advantage (if you plan to cut lots of material of this thickness) that saves time and gives you a cleaner, more accurate cut. This can also accommodate dado blades up to 13/16 wide, making it useful for building furniture like bookcases and medicine cabinets, or crafts like breadboxes or birdhouses.
Click here to see the latest price for the Skil 3410-02 table saw on Amazon.
What’s In The Box?
Included with the 10 inch Skil table saw is the folding heavy-duty steel stand, blade wrenches, 10-inch carbide tipped saw blade, self-aligning rip fence, and miter gauge. The Skil 3410-02 comes complete with a three-year warranty.
Intelligent Design Features From Skil
One of the things I like most about this saw is that Skil product designers had the insight to allow a maximum rip on the right side of the bade of up to 24 1/4 inches. This makes it ideal for getting a clean edge on slightly oversized four by eight sheets like Melamine. This saw is more than capable of ripping through a variety of woods, plywoods, and other sheet materials.
Both the saw and stand are well engineered and quite sturdy. You get that solid build feel when using the Skil portable table saw. Of course, when working with large sheets, you’ll need some additional support, like that provided by a table that sits beside and behind the saw.
The way the saw mounts to the table base with toggles is another brilliant design feature that makes set up and disassembly quick and easy.
The Skil Table Saw 3410-02 makes for a capable starter table saw. It offers a balance between affordability, quality, and functionality. It’s ready to use right out of the box and can easily meet the needs of most do-it-yourselfers, home-improvement enthusiasts and beginning woodworkers.
Pros For The Skil
– Expanding table works well
– Powerful and capable
– Sawdust extraction is easier to manage with this design that on others
– Blade hoist mechanism is solid and strong
– Surprisingly, it’s not as noisy as a lot of 10-inch table saws
– 28-tooth carbide blade supplied is of good quality
– Table fold-down process is well designed
– Solid and well-built tool
– Decent power – more than enough for most home uses
– With a smaller kerf blade, it can rip through most any material
– Fairly lightweight and more transportable
– Useful onboard storage for accessories
– Tabletop is stable and expands, making it easier to handle larger pieces of stock
Cons We Found
– Adjusting the fence and making measurements just right can take some time
– Fence has a slight bit of play in it
– Channels cut into the top of the table are nonstandard size, making it impossible to replace the miter gauge with a better one (you’re better off building a sliding table crosscut jig anyway)
– Can be a little awkward to move around as you need to detach the saw from the stand
– Start-up sound volume is quite loud
– Base may need to be stabilized when working with heavier wider boards
Makita Portable Table Saw 2705
Makita portable table saw – the 2705 model – is a favorite among small shops and independent contractors. Build with a 15 amp motor that delivers 4800 RPM – the Makita is a workhorse that can cut through most anything.
While it can’t compare to a solid, cast-iron tabletop that’s machined to perfection, the Mikita tabletop saw is precision- machined and remains remarkably flat and true – allowing for more accurate cutting of all kinds.
It also comes equipped with a right extension table that allows for greater cutting capacity and the ability to work with larger sheets – even 4 x 8 foot sheets of plywood. This feature is one of the things that makes the Makita so versatile – and useful.
Click here to see the latest price of the Makita 2705 Table Saw on Amazon
What’s In The Box?
Included with your Makita portable table saw is a rip fence, miter gauge, wrenches, and saw blade. It’s ready to roll right out of the box.
The Makita 2705 can be used on any job site – or in the shop – with equal effectiveness. Makita has a large legion of fans due to the practical and durable design of their many tools. And that design excellence is evident in this portable table saw. It’s perfect for use by cabinet installers, furniture makers, finish carpenters, remodelers, decking, and flooring contractors – and general contractors too – thanks to its power and versatility.
With its larger than usual depth capacity, you can rip 4 x 4’s in a single pass. Only this saw and the Skil gives you the ability to cut such thick stock with a single pass. And with a 24 inch wide ripping capacity, you can easily manage 4 x 8 sheets on this little saw.
Right out-of-the-box, this beauty delivers quick and accurate cuts. But it’s a good idea to take your time to set everything up properly to make sure it’s accurate.
Considering it’s lightweight the Mikita is a remarkably stable saw that gives you clean and on-the-mark cutting capability – wherever you are and whatever the task. Yet you can move it around on the stand quite easily – making the Makita portable table saw 2705 a winner.
It Does Almost Everything A Large Saw Can Do
While the Makita is not a true replacement for a heavy-duty cast-iron cabinet shop grade table saw -it can certainly help with a variety of wood cutting tasks for any small shop, contractor, or home renovator. Where the Makita really shines is that it’s great for both job sites and shop use. So it’s a practical tool for pros. So you just know that it will easily be up for any do-it-yourself project you can throw at it. See the full review here.
Makita has a reputation for building quality tools and equipment and this saw doesn’t disappoint. It’s very powerful for its size and can handle pretty much any kind of softwood, hardwood or plywood.
Makita 2705 Pros
– Good built-in storage function to hold most accessories when not in use including an extra saw blade, power supply cord, miter gauge, and push stick
– Rip fence (built from a sturdy piece of solid aluminum) is both strong and accurate – solidly locks into place too and slides evenly and smoothly across the table top
– Blade height adjustment has a solid sturdy feel to it
– Bevel adjustment lock is indicative of quality build Makita is known for
– More than an adequate amount of power
– Riving knife is excellent and can be easily adjusted – which helps eliminate any pinching and binding of the blade
– Stable and portable saw
– True and accurate tabletop and fence
– Performs equally well in the shop and on job sites
Cons We Discovered
– Base stand is not included – so it will cost you extra unless you set it into or onto the bench top
– It’s relatively expensive compared to some brands
– Tabletop is not as strong and deadly accurate as a cast-iron top
– Fence is not as smooth as it could be
– Inadequate dust collection
– Out-feed table extension must be purchased separately
-Owners manual is useless – text is too small – as are the illustrations and it lacks information
Rockwell Blade Runner X2 Table Saw
something completely different in a tabletop saw. It’s the Rockwell Blade Runner X2 – which essentially serves as an inverted jigsaw. It produces a similar effect to mounting a router under a table and freeing up your hands. But in this case, it gives you the added flexibility of getting jig-saw like cuts from a tabletop operation.
The Rockwell Blade Runner sets up quickly and can cut wood, tile, metal, plastic, and even aluminum. It’s not a huge, heavy-duty saw – it’s actually quite compact. But with small pieces in a variety of materials, it can be a helpful additional tabletop saw to have on hand.
Included with the saw are a steel rip fence, five-piece starter blade set, and miter gauge. It also comes with a three-year warranty. Power output is much lower than it is with portable table saws. But the 5.5 amp motor seems adequate for simple jig-saw work. Any compatible 4 inch T Shank jigsaw blades can be used and changing blades can be done in a matter of seconds.
For multiple, light-duty cuts the blade runner can be a worthwhile tool – although we don’t recommend it as your only shop saw – no matter what kind of work you doing.
Using it frees up both hands so you can control the stock as it’s being fit into the blade – unlike on a handheld jigsaw. So this can be a helpful alternative and a cheaper option of buying a band-saw or stationary scroll saw.
Click here to see the latest price of the Rockwell Blade Runner X2 Amazon
Ideal For Hobby And DIY Projects
Choosing quality blades of the right type for the material is the key to getting the most out of this saw. It‘s designed more for the hobbyist and do-it-yourselfer. Clearly, it’s not a high production shop tool, as you would assume at the low price point. It simply doesn’t have the advantages or the accuracy of a table saw. But it is much easier to use, less powerful and more portable – since it’s ultra light.
The Rockwell Blade Runner is probably ideal for making small crafts, cut-out frames and birdhouses. But it can also be useful for cutting laminate flooring around the various nooks and crannies of a room.
The Pros
– Very inexpensive
– Simple to operate
– Useful for specific functions like trimming flooring to fit
– Lightweight and easily portable
– Good for working with small pieces
– Easy to set up and use
– Easy to move around or to store away when not in use
– Can work fairly well for non-precision cuts
Cons
– Not a heavy-duty piece of equipment
– Not very precise cutting (much like what you’ve get from a hand-held jig-saw)
– Can vibrate quite a bit and the base can move around of it’s not anchored in place
– Difficult to cut straight lines
– Mostly made of plastic as the low price would indicate
– Tiny miter gauge makes it almost useless
– Rip fence is secured in e locations – but if one is off even a slight amount, you won’t get a straight a line as you would like
Bosch GTS1031 Portable Table Saw
Heres another powerhouse portable table saw that’s excellent for contractors of all kinds – as well as shop use. So it’s clearly a more premium saw for the do-it-yourself or weekend warrior market. But it’s an excellent table saw to have at your disposal – whatever kind of work you’re planning to do.
It’s compact design and the built-in handle makes it easy to take from site to site. As with all Bosch products I’ve used, this one is strong and durable – with an all steel base to provide the stability you need for accurate cutting.
Click here to see the latest price of the B++ocsh GTS1031 table saw on Amazon
What’s In The Box?
Included with the Bosch GTS1031 portable table saw is a rip fence, miter gauge, 24 tooth carbide-tipped blade, push stick, and blade changing wrenches.
Quality From Bosch
It’s a well-built table saw with a strong rigid frame and a powerful motor. It’s a 10 inch table saw with 5000 RPMs – more than most competitors offer. What’s great about the Bosch is that it features a self-aligning rip fence that locks solidly and securely in place.
The 20″ x 22.5″ tabletop offers an 18-inch rip capacity. Maximum cut depth at 90° is 3 1/8 inches and at 45° it’s 2 1/4 inches. Cuts are quick, clean, and smooth. The riving knife is an added plus that works quite well on the Bosch GTS1031.
You’ll need an adapter to use the dust collection port and your shop vac. However, once connected, the dust collection port does work quite well on the Bosch.
Bosch is well-known for its quality tools and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit if this one held its value quite well. So if you’re looking for something that will still have some value that you can sell down the road – consider this one.
If you’re looking for a saw that will give you the cut you need when you need them it doesn’t bog down and yet is small enough that you can travel into various locations and use it this is an excellent choice. With handles on both sides, it’s somewhat easier to load this saw in and out of a vehicle or to move it around the job site.
Pros
– Small and compact – fully capable table saw in a lot less space
– Plenty of power to rip hardwoods
– Dust collection system works quite well
– Legendary Bosch quality
– User manual is actually useful ( a rarity with any product)
– Reasonable price
– Versatile and useful
– Can accommodate dado blades
– Set up is intuitive and fast
– Accessory storage under the table is a clever idea
– Factory settings are accurate
– Rip fence is easy-to-use and true
– Large on/off switch the can be locked in the off position when the side is not in use
– Surprisingly sturdy for a portable saw
– Power cord is easily stored and put away and not left dangling when the saw is not in use
Cons
– Finish lacks durability as it scratches quite easily
– Quite noisy
– Even when using the dust collection port and a shop vac – lots of dust remains
– Getting the fence properly aligned can be challenging for some people
– Table surface is not as smooth as it could be
The Overall Verdict
A portable table saw can be one of your most valuable assets for various work – in the field and at home. But it’s important to check out the details and choose a saw that’s recommended only after being examined in detail. Most importantly, you want a quality piece of equipment. Our top recommendations – the Makita and Bosch – give you maximum use value for your money. But if price is your main concern we recommend the Dewalt or Skil models. Either way, you can’t go wrong.
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