5 Reasons The Dewalt Dw745 Is The Best Portable Table Saw For Under $300
However, you may not work on larger site projects as the device is quite small when you compare it to the other models. The rip fence capacity doesn’t allow for larger materials to be used. As with many table saws, the included plastic miter gauge isn’t nearly as precise as the fence and so I made angled cuts on a miter saw. If you are hoping to use this saw in lieu of a miter saw, you’ll probably want to invest in a higher-quality third party miter gauge. You can also attach a vacuum to this saw’s dust collection port for easy cleaning. As the name suggests, portable table saws can be moved around more easily than a standard table saw, allowing you to take it where you need to go.
A blade brake helps to stop the blade once the power button is no longer pushed. This table saw will allow you to adjust the angle of the blade from 90-degrees up-and-down to a maximum angle of 45-degrees. It has blade adjustments that are easy to reach and allow you to make small adjustments to the blade’s height without straining yourself. That makes it easier for one person to carry, but it also means that some features and materials were left off the design. Hand me down table saws are a great way to get in, but buying your own just has that different feel of enjoyment where you’ll take good care of your own.
An idea for next time you do a table saw review – what’s most important to me is REPEATABILITY of adjustments. Same for the fence – I want to know that, wherever I set it, it’s ALWAYS accurate and straight. I’m OK if the saw needs some tuning up out of the box – most saws do – but I really want to know that I can trust the saw to HOLD its adjustments, especially if I’m moving it around a lot. This I find is the weakness of jobsite saws in general – they just don’t STAY accurate for very long as vibration and just moving them around jar things out of position.
On the other hand, the DeWalt can only be stored or transported in its upright position. While it may possible to rest the saw briefly on one of its sides, there is the potential to damage the power cord, plug, or the ends of the telescoping fence rails. To test the saws’ cutting prowess, we made a series of cuts on both the Bosch and the DeWalt with woods that homeowners and DIYers might use on a compact table saw. Both saws were almost equally quick to setup for use, with the DeWalt coming out slightly ahead.
The saws/stands range from 80 lbs with the Ridgid up to 114 lbs for the Makita. Another really nice value is the Ridgid that’s currently selling for $399 including the stand. Lastly, it’s hard to ignore the $499 price tag on the DEWALT which is a great contractor grade saw with great features, a great fence, and a really good stand. Pricing includes the cost of the stand and ranges from a low of $349 for the Hitachi to a high of $1,299 for the SawStop. The lowest price isn’t always the best in our opinion, we’re looking for the best value.
Using a saw blade that has any warping will not give a clear indication of blade runout. The results for the blade parallel to the miter slot are shown below. Again the SawStop had a perfect reading right out of the box and the Ridgid needs some extra calibration in order to get the blade more parallel to the miter slot.
However, the miter gauge is described, again, as being very flimsy and not particularly reliable. It’s also on the dewalt tools larger side, so you’ll need a little more space to work with. The arbor is the shaft that the blade is mounted to.