Table Saw?

[Charles Jackson III]

Hello guys how are u? Its time now to upgrade my benchtop table saw. I have a small 10x12 shop I am looking for a saw that will fit well in there I am looking at a Delta 36-980 or a Jet Supersaw, I mostly do simple projects I am looking to improve my skills enough to open my on cabinet shop one day. I was going to get a 14'' bandsaw first but I change my mind I am going to upgrade jigsaw for now to a Bosch 1590EVSK jigsaw and put the money I was going to spend on a bandsaw toward a new table saw. What do u guys think?

[James Hebert]

find something used like a contractor saw......then upgrade later to used....or new cabinet saw when you go pro. contractor saw will do everything you need.

[mark page]

If going new on a contractor saw, the Rigid TS3650 is a decent saw for the price. A very quiet running saw too.

[Bart Leetch]

Have you considered something like Festool or EurekaZone (EZ-Smart System) I would go with one of these guided circular saw systems probably the EZ Smart system for a shop as small as yours. When not in use the parts to the system can hang on the wall out of the way.

[Doug Kelly]

I agree with Bart that a guided rail system might be worth looking at. My space is bigger than yours (12x16), but still pretty small. I have been using a Jet contractor saw, but it's simply not particularly efficient in such a small space. Smaller saws (I went with a Ryobi BT3000) certainly help, but by giving up size you do make working with larger pieces more difficult.
I decided to go with the EZ system, but the Festool setup is also one to consider. For cabinetry work where you're using sheet stock almost exclusively I really think that one of these would be the best way to work efficiently in limited space.

Having said that, if your primary motivation is to 'learn' table saw technique for future efforts rather than produce good results now in your existing space, then maybe a TS makes sense. I just don't personally see how a full-size TS shoe-horned into a 10x12 shop will work well enough to allow you to learn well after you account for wood storage, a work bench, DC, router table, assembly and finishing etc and all the other things that go along with having a useful shop.

[Charles Jackson III]

Hum, are the pro benchtop table saws anygood, maybe I can get my benchtop table saw to work pettry decent.

[Jim Becker]

Charles, the newer Bosch job-site saw has a riving knife and might be worth a look...Fine Homebuilding said nice things about it. I don't know about the fence, however...and fences are often the big downfall of the "benchtop" type saws. Something like that combined with a guided system for larger materials could be a good combination for your given your small shop space.

[Charles Jackson III]

Could be Jim, but down I would still have to upgrade agian.

[Craig D Peltier]

In case you go this route.I saw at a woodshow last weekend Ridgid was there and was selling it for $311!!! I paid 549 and its still that price at the HD.So Maybe you can get that rpice from ridigd somehow.
As far as the saw goes I like it.I think the stock fence works great on it.Very accurate no tilt when you go to lock it or corrections, the whole length slides evenly.Too small of DC chute though.

If going new on a contractor saw, the Rigid TS3650 is a decent saw for the price. A very quiet running saw too.

[Charles Jackson III]

The Delta 36-979 Contractors Saw seems like a good saw and plus it comes with wheels so I can move it out the way.

[Bart Leetch]

Just remember you'll have a table top 27" deep by ? what 48" plus the motor hanging out the back so call it 3'x4' or maybe 5' & what about out-feed support? I've been there done that in a shop the same size as yours. I'd go with the guided saw system & keep you little table top saw for after you've cut things down to size with the guided system. This is what I did but my table top saw was an old Sears tilt top saw that was my Dad's first table-saw & my guided saw system was a shop built system.

With the new guided saw systems like the EZ you can also get accessories to use it with your router.

To be honest if the EZ had been further along & I had known about it when I purchased my old Unisaw I would have purchased it instead. Why? My shop is not much bigger than yours at 13'5" x 24'5" so the room saved would have been welcome. My saw is about 27" x 8' with the router table in the left wing & my work bench as an out-feed table. So the out-feed table always has something on it when I need to use the saw.

[Charles Jackson III]

Ok, thanks I think a hybrid or cabinet saw would fit better.

[Jim Becker]

Could be Jim, but down I would still have to upgrade agian.

Yea, you likely would want to upgrade again sometime, but I was trying to answer your specific question about a bench top saw. There are a few "decent" job-site machines available. But despite their good features they all suffer from compromises that usually include the fence, motor and table size. Many don't work with "standard" 3/4" wide miter accessories, either.

If space is a problem and you want a table saw, consider one of the hybrids. As Bart points out, contractors' style saws actually take up more room than a hybrid or cabinet saw due to the way the motor is mounted.

And I'd still recommend a guided system of some sort, even home-made if necessary, for breaking down sheet goods safely and easily.