Table Saw help needed.

[koenbro]

Hello, I need help choosing a mobile table saw. I work out of one bay in a 3-car suburban garage, and my woodworking centers on an MFT cart. I currently have a Bosch 4100 TS on a cart I made, but am unhappy with its fence (not easy to repeatedly set up parallel to the blade)  and the dust extraction on this saw. Have been looking at a DeWalt DWE7485, and after playing with it a bit at the store, I am impressed by the fence adjustment system. Also like the dust extraction above the blade and inside the "cabinet". I know it's a smaller blade but I mostly use sheet goods so am not deeply concerned about it. When not in use, I can park it on a shelf in a storage room adjacent to my garage, so light weight is a plus.

Any experience with this particular saw? Is it easy to find good cross cut blades in this size. Is the fence good? Is the dust extraction effective? Any other portable light TS to consider. Thanks.

 

[squall_line]

I see that you have a TS 55 and a bunch of other Festool gear. 

Is there something specific that you do with your current saw that you would like to do with a new one, or that you would like to do better with the new one? 

Are there things you use the table saw for that you can't do (or perhaps just don't want to do) with the TS 55?

That might help guide people's answers.

 

[rst]

I use a Metabo 36/18 saw on DeWalt's collapsible stand.  Ten inch, dado capable.  Largest table available in portable, with T slot miter slot, given miter gage is crap, I use Incra 1000.  Battery powered or corded transformer. Great saw, outstanding fence, I use 50mm hose for dust collection

 

[cpw]

I just bought a DWE7485 to supplement my track saws (HKC55) and used it for trimming out a porch that I just finished completing.  In my shop I have a saw stop, but as a small lightweight job site saw I am happy with it.  There is decent provision for dust collection above and below the blade.  The fence was easy to adjust with the rack and pinion.  The storage of the various accessories is well thought out, the guard, miter guage, fence, etc. all fit well below the table.

For fun I decided to rip a small section of 1.75" thick white oak and it had no problems with it [admittedly if it was a longer thicker cut it probably wood have, even the 3hp saw stop can have problems if the wood closes on the blade].  For the PT, PVC, and composite decking I was cutting I had no problem with the power.

 

[Michael Kellough]

I use a Metabo 36/18 saw on DeWalt's collapsible stand.  Ten inch, dado capable.  Largest table available in portable, with T slot miter slot, given miter gage is junk, I use Incra 1000.  Battery powered or corded transformer. Great saw, outstanding fence, I use 50mm hose for dust collection

Metabo. Or Metabo HPT?

 

[rst]

The 36/18 is HPT, I didn't realize this but got free battery and charger, then hunted discounted extra batteries, think I have six or eight now.  First job I split 12 2x6 for purlins, cut great.

 

[tsmi243]

I've got the DWE7491.  Highly recommend it.  Major differences with yours-

1. 10" blade
2. Dado
3. Quick-change riving knife
4. Folding stand

Dust collection on mine is really pretty good.  Not great, but as good as you're going to get from a MFG.  Lots of room for improvement if you like to tinker.  If you have the luxury of running TWO vacuums, you can get great results right out of the box using the port on the riving knife.  I've got a homemade attachment for edge-shaving cuts.  It's really simple, and turns even that job into a clean one. 

The fence is also just as good as you think.  It's plastic and aluminum, so don't let careless people use it.  But I've had mine for 6 yrs with no issues at all.  Repetition is really good, but not perfect.  It's not any more accurate than the Bosch- you still have to eyeball the scale- but the knob is so convenient that the eyeballing is fast and effortless. 

If you like to use stop blocks on a table saw, you won't like doing it on this one.  Can't use magnets (aluminum top) and the rack n' pinion gets in the way of clamping something to the front edge of the table.  Featherboards will need to be the miter-slot mounted kind.

The fence adjustment is really similar to an MFT. 

Miter slot on mine is a regular 3/4" open groove.  It is NOT a T-track.  I had a tiny bump inside one slot that had to be filed off.  It didn't hurt the mitre gauge at all, but some tight-fitting oak tracks I made for a jig would stick at one spot.  It was super easy to use a mill file to straighten that out.  I have not needed to adjust the blade relative to the miter slot, so IDK if that's possible on these or not. 

Blades- mine is 10", so I can't help you there.  But a 7.25" handheld blade will probably fit the arbor.  So there's your worst-case scenario on blades. 

The stand on mine is VERY stable.  But the legs splay out, taking up a ton of room in my shop.  I really never take it anywhere, so I've mounted it on a plywood cabinet on casters.  Much better. 

 

[Birdhunter]

I have a monster SawStop cabinet saw yet use my TS55 for most of my plywood breakdown so I am a little confused by your desire for a table saw.

Unless a table saw has a very accurate fence, very little vibration, and strong power; it is not very useful.

 

[cpw]

I have a monster SawStop cabinet saw yet use my TS55 for most of my plywood breakdown so I am a little confused by your desire for a table saw.

Unless a table saw has a very accurate fence, very little vibration, and strong power; it is not very useful.

I use a TS for for plywood breakdown, but a table saw; even a small one is far better for rips either thin rips or repeated rips.  I know there are parallel guides available, but that doesn't make them better than a fence.

Certainly, people are going to have different preferences as far as work habits.  Sure you could do everything with a track saw, but that doesn't mean everyone wants to.

 

[Packard]

I have a table saw (with a good fence), a radial arm saw (Craftsman), a 12" chop saw and a Festool track saw.  Each gets used for different applications. 

But only the table saw can do all the cuts.  The other saws may make the job easier, but the table saw can do it all.  It can miter, crosscut, dado, cut tenons, make finger joints, splines and step in as a jointer. 

Initially, I used the track saw for breaking down sheets of plywood, but it cuts much cleaner (especially with a reversed scoring cut) than either the table saw or the radial arm saw, so now I use it for my cutting list.  But it is not faster for repeated cuts,  it just makes cleaner edges.

So it is each piece of equipment for its strength, as it should be.

 

[squall_line]

I use a TS for for plywood breakdown, but a table saw; even a small one is far better for rips either thin rips or repeated rips.  I know there are parallel guides available, but that doesn't make them better than a fence.

Certainly, people are going to have different preferences as far as work habits.  Sure you could do everything with a track saw, but that doesn't mean everyone wants to.

That's why I asked what I did/how I asked it.  Obviously if the OP is working mainly with sheet goods and he/she has a TS 55, there's either something about their current setup that they like if they're asking for a Table Saw replacement.

That said, I also asked it because perhaps they don't know about some of the features or techniques for using the TS 55 or Table Saw that someone can help them understand a different way to do things.

 

[twistsol]

In the shop, I have a Ridgid R4512 and the fence is pretty good, it's  larger and heavier than a benchtop saw, but reasonably mobile with a built in mobile base and a lifetime warranty.

Dust collection is the major drawback and even with a shark guard it doesn't match my old BT3000.

I have a TS75 and a variety of tracks and a pair of MFT/3. The tablesaw is easier for narrow rips, basically creating parts for face frames, edge banding, and drawer sides. It hasn't seen sheet goods since I bought it.

 

[Michael Kellough]

The 36/18 is HPT, I didn't realize this but got free battery and charger, then hunted discounted extra batteries, think I have six or eight now.  First job I split 12 2x6 for purlins, cut great.

You still have a bunch of Metabo stuff too?

 

[Birdhunter]

My point was not to suggest using the track saw in lieu of a table saw for every task. Sorry if it came out that way.

My point was that a poor table saw (poor fence, low power, heavy vibration) is worse than no table saw and can be very dangerous.

 

[rst]

I use regular Metabo 18v low profile grinder, tapper/drill and vac.  I also have their corded track capable concrete saw and their surface grinder.  Metabo is fanous for their range of grinders.

 

[koenbro]

Thank you all for the meaningful answers. I mostly use sheet goods and rely on the TS55 with the various tracks (one or two of the 1400s). When I try to rip repeated strips of ply (eg. 4" wide strips for drawer boxes), the track saw is not convenient. Also cross cutting to repeated lengths is sometimes tricky with the MFT and its accessories depending on length ( I replaced the factory hinge with an 8020 profile), so I definitely need a table saw but feel I can get by with 2 of three (no chop saw). I also cut aluminum sheet with the TS55 and a dedicated Alu blade, while using the table saw for 8020, Alu tube or angle.

My current Bosch 4100 is plenty powerful for what I need it, but its dust collection is terrible, and the fence is not parallel despite multiple attempts to tune it.

I liked that the Dewalt has a rack-and-pinion fence -- but not sure how stable/durable and how parallel it really is in actual use. I also very much liked that it has a dust extracion port over the blade and a second one under the table from the blade enclosure. I have a 2-stage Jet DE with 4" inlet I can connect it to (or the Festol 26), so that is very tempting. Eve tried to block the Bosch front and back openings for tilt, dust collection was still poor and am sick an tired of it.

Several of you mentioned various Hitachi (now Metabo HPT) saws. After looking on the web I don't see how the DE works, and without good DE it is a nonstarter. I am invested in the Milwaukee 12 and 18V battery system, and even have one Festool Drill, and would rather not get another battery product. Corded is OK.

I  realize a heavy and powerful TS is a pleasure to work with -- my current constraints do not allow it however. I am trying to see what compromise solution (light, great DE, good, even if not excellent fence) will work. Thanks again to everyone who answered.

 

[Bertotti]

Use 8020 to make a new fence for your saw.

 

[pixelated]

The Dewalt is a pretty popular job site saw, and the fence is highly praised in all of the reviews I’ve read. So my guess is that it probably holds up fine.

FWIW, my saw is the Bosch, and your experience differs from mine with the fence, keeping it parallel hasn’t been an issue for me. Better dust collection would be nice though.

If I were going to buy a new job site saw, I’d likely get a cordless DeWalt, or else spring for a Sawstop. My shop space is pretty limited electricity-wise, so anything that doesn’t need a cord is helpful. Sawstops are expensive, but much cheaper than orthopedic surgery, should the unthinkable happen.

 

[koenbro]

How's the dust extraction on the SawStop?

 

[nclemmons]

I have a DWE7491 on my farm.  My son has one.  And my son-in-law has one.  Very nice saw with large rip capacity and a very good fence system.  Folds compact.  Dust collection is not great, however.  It does accept a 10” blade and a dado set.  Mine DOES have a t-slot miter slot.

At home I have the Sawstop Job Site Saw.  I really like it.  Not as much rip capacity as the Dewalt, but much better dust collection.  I wanted the SawStop for safety considerations as I live alone.  It’s about 3x the money of the Dewalt, but it’s very accurate, handles a dado set, folds compactly. 

In either case, consider an aftermarket miter gauge as neither saw comes with a great miter gauge.