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- Best table saws: At a glance
- How to choose the best table saw for you
- The best table saws you can buy in 2024
- 1. Einhell TC-TS 200 Table Saw: Best-value table saw
- 2. Evolution RAGE5-S 255mm Table Saw with TCT Multi-Material Cutting Blade: Best multipurpose table saw
- 3. Makita MLT100/2 240V 260mm Table Saw: Best high-power table saw
Whether youre ripping down large sheets of wood into more manageable sections, cutting mitres, bevels, joints or grooves, a table saw is a tool that will really make a difference. In fact, a large table saw may well be at the very centre of a professional woodworkers workshop, such is its versatility.
For the home DIYer, a huge cabinet saw is probably excessive, so here were focusing on the more compact bench-top table saws. They might lack the outright punch and cost of larger versions, but theyll still make short work of long sheets of timber, giving straight, accurate cuts every time. Whats more, youll have a fighting chance of actually fitting one in your workshop, and many are mobile enough to be carried outside for bigger jobs.
Pretty much every modern table saw will come with a range of safety features, most notably a blade guard. Look for table saws with a splitter or a riving knife: both help to prevent your workpiece kicking back and causing injury. Outside that, common sense rules apply, so always wear suitable safety equipment, use a push bar when working on smaller pieces to avoid bringing your hand close to the spinning blade, and keep clothing well away.
Best table saws: At a glance
- Best value table saw: Einhell TC-TS 200 Table Saw
- Best multi-purpose table saw: Evolution RAGE5-S 255mm Table Saw
- Best high-power table saw: Makita MLT100/2 240V 260mm Table Saw
How to choose the best table saw for you
What kind of table saw do I need?
There are three main types: the worktop table saw, jobsite table saw and the cabinet table saw.
For the overwhelming majority of home projects or DIY jobs, a reasonably portable worktop table saw will be ideal. But if you regularly need to cart your cutter around if youre cutting floorboards around a house, for example a jobsite table saw on wheels may be the better bet. Unless youre a pro, ripping and cutting wood all day long, you probably dont need a cabinet table saw.
A word of caution, though. Size does matter when it comes to rip capacity the distance between the blade and the cutting fence because that could be a limiting factor on the size of pieces youre able to cut accurately without utilising a custom fence guide.
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Are more powerful table saws better?
The simple answer is yes; the more helpful answer is that it depends on what youre cutting. Generally speaking, youll pay more for the extra power, which will be a waste if you only ever cut down plywood or the occasional length of decking, so something in the 800-1,000 watt range should be fine. Of course, if youre cutting tougher wood such as oak or teak, or youre cutting thicker pieces, then more power is better. And remember, the faster a table saws blade spins, the cleaner the cut you can expect.
What kind of table saw blade do I need?
As well as looking at the size of blade a table saw has, its worth looking at what its best suited to. Choosing the correct blade for ripping (with the grain), crosscuts (across the grain) will ensure a cleaner cut. Combination blades can do both; what they often lose in outright cut quality, they gain in convenience changing blades frequently can be a pain.
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The best table saws you can buy in 2024
1. Einhell TC-TS 200 Table Saw: Best-value table saw
Price: £90 | Buy now from Amazon
As a compact, low-cost table saw, the Einhell is pretty much unbeatable. Its the saw to choose for the compact workshop or the hobbyist looking to take their first steps, and offers a good degree of portability. It measures a little over 50 x 37cm, and has helpful storage for the cable and push stick.
Its ideal for lightweight work, and is well suited to woods and fibreboard up to 45mm in thickness when cutting at 90 degrees, and up to 27mm at 45 degrees, while the 800-watt motor has overload protection should you push the saw too hard. The angle of tilt is adjusted by turning a knob on the front, and theres a handy scale for increased accuracy, while a splitter behind the carbide cutting blade should help to prevent kickback.
An adjustable parallel stop ensures accurate cuts, while an angle stop can be moved between +/-60 degrees, and the dust extraction outlet seals the deal on an impressively priced, yet capable, table saw.
Key specs Weight: 11kg; Power: 800W; Cutting depth: 45mm (90Ú); Blade speed: 2,950rpm; Tilt angle: 45Ú; Blade diameter: 20cm; Accessories included: 45-degree stop, parallel stop, carbide blade, push stick, blade changing tool
2. Evolution RAGE5-S 255mm Table Saw with TCT Multi-Material Cutting Blade: Best multipurpose table saw
Price: £309 | Buy now from Amazon
Multipurpose is the name of the game with the Evolution RAGE5. Despite its heft, its easily portable around the workshop or job site with a collapsible frame on wheels that looks a little like a sack barrow when folded. But best of all is its large Japanese tungsten-carbide-tipped blade, which will cut ferrous and non-ferrous metal, plus plastic and wood, even with embedded nails yet despite its rugged nature, its equally suited to cutting thinner workpieces.
It will cut bevels at up to 45 degrees, at which angle it will work to an impressive 58mm. At 90 degrees its cut depth is 83mm and can be adjusted through 80mm; happily, the 1.8mm-thick riving knife adjusts up and down as well, to reduce the chances of kickback. And with a 605mm rip capacity to the right of the blade and 305mm to the left, its capable of cutting down some pretty large sheets.
Key specs Weight: 28.5kg; Power: 1,500W; Cutting depth: 83mm (90Ú); Blade speed: 2,500rpm; Tilt angle: 45Ú; Blade diameter: 22.5cm; Accessories included: Dust extraction hose, riving knife, adjustable rip fence, push stick, blade changing spanners
3. Makita MLT100/2 240V 260mm Table Saw: Best high-power table saw
Price: £500 | Buy now from Amazon
Theres a reason that so many professionals use Makita tools: theyre well-specced and feel pretty much unstoppable. That alone justifies the MLT100/2s not insignificant price. But a 91mm cutting depth at 90 degrees and 63mm at 45 degrees, a mighty 4,300rpm non-load speed and an electric brake that cuts down the time taken for the blade to stop all combine to form an impressive package.
Unlike the other saws, which can be moved around easily, the heavyweight Makita needs to be bolted down to a workbench, meaning youll need space around it to cut larger workpieces. Assuming you have the room, the Makita will provide accurate cuts time and time again. The bevel angle operates easily, but theres a solid locking function, and there are large extension tables left, right and rear. Best of all, though, is the feeling of solidity; the Makita feels as though it could last forever.
Key specs Weight: 34.1kg; Power: 1,500W; Cutting depth: 91mm (90Ú); Blade speed: 4,300rpm; Tilt angle: 45Ú; Blade diameter: 22.5cm; Accessories included: Triangular rule, rip fence, blade-changing wrench, push stick, mitre gauge
