entry level table saw

[MassiveJim]

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

 

[MassiveJim]

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.

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.