entry level table saw

MassiveJim · 15 Mar 2023 at 14:59

I am in the market for a table saw, but not really wanting to spend £500 on the Dewalt one that everyone seems to recommend.

Main use for it will be ripping sheet materials down, however I am sure once I have it I will soon start doing cross cuts and mitre cuts with it.
And for that reason a good rip fence is a necessity.

I already have a bench that i can modify to take a bench-top saw, so not 100% necessary for it to be a model with a full stand

tomw92 · 16 Mar 2023 at 12:27

I was also in your position a month ago and in the end I stumped up the extra for the Dewalt (paid £420). I'm a firm believer of buy cheap, buy twice....

It's a cracking bit of kit, was set up correctly out of the box (blade was square to the table) and the fence is rack and pinion so it's exceptionally accurate and easy to adjust.

All in all, I have zero regrets and would highly recommend it after considering the cheaper alternatives.

jaybee · 16 Mar 2023 at 12:29

Which "Dewalt one" please?

tomw92 · 16 Mar 2023 at 12:30

Here's the one that I bought.

jaybee · 16 Mar 2023 at 12:41

I have a chop saw and a skill saw. The main reason I would ever want a table saw, is for times when I want to do wider/bigger cuts. These are almost always achievable with a skill saw, if you can be bothered to either:

a) Use the built in guide which is limited to say 1.5 feet wide cuts
b) Clamp down a long straight edge and run the saw along it
c) Or get a track saw or guide combo for your skill saw

100% a table saw is awesome and much quicker/accurate/easier to use but....they take up space and cost £££. When I look at the one you linked to above, I feel like the benefit of having a large table saw with a nice sliding adjustable guide is instantly not there because it's so small? If you are going to get a table saw, surely you get a TABLE saw.... i.e. a large beast with a nice big platform to fully get the benefit? The above linked Dewalt one offers not much more than a skill saw with a modified longer guide?

pastymuncher · 16 Mar 2023 at 19:54

I have had a Titan (Screwfix own brand) table saw for what must be 14-15 years now and it is still going strong. That model has been replaced on Screwfix by a newer version but it goes to show you don't need to spend a fortune on one. I would be looking at the Evolution Rage 5 if I was buying one now. The ability to cut multiple materials with a single blade is a great feature and it seems to be pretty good value for money. As mentioned above though, table saws do take up a lot of room.

Sin_Chase · 16 Mar 2023 at 21:22

I have a Dewalt one and its a great bit of kit.

Other than that I cant offer any alternative option advice but will say this:- Watch LOTS of tablesaw safety videos from reputable content creators.

There area 100 and 1 ways you can maim or kill yourself with a table saw. Of all the tools I own the table saw is the one I offer the most respect. You can do some things which seem quite reasonable but are fraught with danger.

itsallaboutyou · 17 Mar 2023 at 18:54

Genuine q. I’ve got both - but I’ve got naff all workspace. I use an old piece of king span on the floor and a track saw. Doesn’t need an outfeed table and works perfectly!

Is that an option?

If I had the space (hopefully 2024) then I’d deffo build the table saw into my workspace properly - but for now my track saw does all of the above!

MassiveJim · 20 Mar 2023 at 13:46

jaybee said:
I have a chop saw and a skill saw. The main reason I would ever want a table saw, is for times when I want to do wider/bigger cuts. These are almost always achievable with a skill saw, if you can be bothered to either:

a) Use the built in guide which is limited to say 1.5 feet wide cuts
b) Clamp down a long straight edge and run the saw along it
c) Or get a track saw or guide combo for your skill saw

100% a table saw is awesome and much quicker/accurate/easier to use but....they take up space and cost £££. When I look at the one you linked to above, I feel like the benefit of having a large table saw with a nice sliding adjustable guide is instantly not there because it's so small? If you are going to get a table saw, surely you get a TABLE saw.... i.e. a large beast with a nice big platform to fully get the benefit? The above linked Dewalt one offers not much more than a skill saw with a modified longer guide?

I have built a guide to use with my circular saw to make long cuts quicker and easier, but the cuts are never perfectly straight, might be down to the circular saw itself being cheap (its a Dewalt which cost about £120)
But from what I understand having looked online, a skill saw or tracksaw will never be as neat a cut as a table saw with a decent fence.

pastymuncher said:
I have had a Titan (Screwfix own brand) table saw for what must be 14-15 years now and it is still going strong. That model has been replaced on Screwfix by a newer version but it goes to show you don't need to spend a fortune on one. I would be looking at the Evolution Rage 5 if I was buying one now. The ability to cut multiple materials with a single blade is a great feature and it seems to be pretty good value for money. As mentioned above though, table saws do take up a lot of room.

that is only £100 cheaper than the dewalt, I would just pony up the extra £100 for the dewalt if that was an option to be looked at.

katie279 · 20 Mar 2023 at 18:16

MassiveJim said:
I have built a guide to use with my circular saw to make long cuts quicker and easier, but the cuts are never perfectly straight, might be down to the circular saw itself being cheap (its a Dewalt which cost about £120)
But from what I understand having looked online, a skill saw or tracksaw will never be as neat a cut as a table saw with a decent fence.

My other half uses a festool tracksaw and I can assure it's finish is beautiful and finer than a table saw - table saws are more about repetitive cuts of the same size, much harder/slower to do with a track saw

Guitarcarfanatic · 20 Mar 2023 at 18:19

I made the error of buying the Evolution - it was massive, noisy, had an awful fence and made so much dust, it could only be used outside. Sold on FB marketplace at a loss and I ended up getting a track saw, but the have my eye on the dewalt table saw.

pastymuncher · 20 Mar 2023 at 19:24

Table saws are messy and noisy, it's to be expected. That's why proper workshops have them connected up to dust extraction systems. I wouldn't even consider using my table saw or mitre saw indoors.

Guitarcarfanatic · 20 Mar 2023 at 19:43

pastymuncher said:
Table saws are messy and noisy, it's to be expected. That's why proper workshops have them connected up to dust extraction systems. I wouldn't even consider using my table saw or mitre saw indoors.

I had it connected up to dust extraction - I have a pretty well furnished wood working shop but the Evolution table saw was dire. Should have learned from the mitre saws (sent two back due to too much bearing slot cutting mitres at full extension). I try to buy Festool these days where possible!!

My point is, something like the Dewalt is useable in a workshop with a decent extractor and has a really good fence. The evolution was terrible.