Best Job Site Saw

[Greg Heppeard]

I need to purchase a table saw that has the best mobility, best fence, and best all around table saw that I can load in my truck and take to a job site to get the work done quickly and accurately. Anybody have any ideas?

[pam eanes]

I purchased the Ridgid ts2410 for the same purpose. I have had it for only about 2 months but it seems great so far. Decent table and fence and has a stand with wheels. I hit a sale at Home Depot and got it for about $350. I have also heard good things about the Bosch portable. I have used a Dewalt and it was great also....solid fence that adjusts to cut large sheet goods.

[Burt Waddell]

I need to purchase a table saw that has the best mobility, best fence, and best all around table saw that I can load in my truck and take to a job site to get the work done quickly and accurately. Anybody have any ideas?


Greg,

I've tried most of the popular ones and for a table saw, the DeWalt is the best. The Fence is great, power is adequate, and cut quality is decent. My complaint with it is weight. That is true of all of the better "Portables" except some of the Makitas but then you hacve limited capacity and a poor fence.

About 2 years ago, I quit using a job site table saw and started using an "EZ Smart" rail system on site. It is easy to transport, highly accurate, good cut quality and just a joy to use. In fact I am using the rail system more and more in the shop.

Burt

[Dale Sudhoff]

Greg,

I've tried most of the popular ones and for a table saw, the DeWalt is the best. The Fence is great, power is adequate, and cut quality is decent. My complaint with it is weight. That is true of all of the better "Portables" except some of the Makitas but then you hacve limited capacity and a poor fence.

About 2 years ago, I quit using a job site table saw and started using an "EZ Smart" rail system on site. It is easy to transport, highly accurate, good cut quality and just a joy to use. In fact I am using the rail system more and more in the shop.

Burt

Same here.
Dale

[Jim Becker]

During our addition construction, everyone...and I do mean everyone...who brought a table saw on-site was using the Dewalt.

I do feel compelled to mention that the recent Bosch machine with the riving knife looks pretty interesting for this class machine, however.

[Matthew Voss]

Greg-

I've been using the Jet for about a year and a half and would recommend it. The saw is light at only 50lbs. I was using a bosch but prefer a lighter saw in and out of the truck. Also, this saw has a small belt drive so its a bit quieter than most jobsite saws and the cuts are smooth. The height and bevel adjustment gears are all metal as well, unlike a lot of these saws which have plastic components. I use the saw in a Rousseau stand but the saw's fence is adequate. I never really liked the R&P fence on the dewalts.

In a year and a half the saw has performed flawlessly.

[Matt Ocel]

NO DOUBT

The Dewalt.
No only lightweight, but powerful and accurate.

Don't get the Rigid -
Just try to drag that out of your truck into the jobsite, up the stairs, then down again at quittin time, by yourself.

[Scott Kilroy]

I've know people who swear by the dwalt, however after using the Bosch it's the closest you can get to a contractor saw in a portable.

[J. Z. Guest]

Well, as a Ridgid TS2400 owner, I can heartily recommend it. It has the best fence in the class. Better than DeWalt, better than Bosch. It has a soft-start motor.

You have to decide what your priorities are. For me, I wanted a really capable saw that also was mobile. I will rarely load it up in my car, for instance. I could do it, but it would not be quick or easy.

The DeWalt is much more mobile & light, but when looking at it in the store, I didn't see any way to tweak the fence adjustment with regards to parallel-ness to the miter slots and blade. On the flipside, lots of folks (mostly carpenters) are happy with it because it is so small & light.

The Bosch fence doesn't have as many locking bolts, and there are some reports of the table not being flat. Also, it is $100-200 more expensive.

Only the Bosch & Ridgid have soft-start, which is nice when you have to use the saw with an extension cord. (there's not much voltage drop during start-up with a soft-start design)

[Matt Ocel]

Jeremy -
Actually the main reason I went Dewalt was the fence.
I'm going to give this one the "different stokes deal"

[Bill Dunn jr]

I have the Dewalt and I like it alot. But, I was working on a job with a friend who had just bought the Rigid and it was way more powerful than mine. We were cutting 1" plywood, my saw bogged every once in a while, his never did. His saw had a wheeled base which made it a breeze to get it around.

[peter de tappan]

Saws not to get: Makita 2703. Useless fence, non standard miter slot that can't accept an aftermarket miter gauge, poor blade to miter slot parallelism (on my saw). I gave mine away. Dewalt, Bosch, or Ridgid are the best.

[Bob Slater]

No complaints with the Bosch I have. It seemed to be the one I liked most when kicking tires at Home Depo.

[jerry feagley]

I've had the bosh for about 7-8 years,love it!
About 2 years ago,i added the gravity rise stand,A MUST HAVE!
Never had any problem,exept for brushes and bearings replacment.
I've also used the dewalt,it's ok but not great. Under power,and i just could not deal with that fence.

[scott spencer]

I have the Dewalt and I like it alot. But, I was working on a job with a friend who had just bought the Rigid and it was way more powerful than mine. We were cutting 1" plywood, my saw bogged every once in a while, his never did. His saw had a wheeled base which made it a breeze to get it around.

Bill....I can't help but think that blade and alignment are big factors in the "perceived power" equation. The motor power should be fairly close.

As far best jobsite saws go....there are currently two different contractor crews working on two different houses in my neighborhood...both crews are sporting DW saws.

[Mike Heidrick]

I own the Bosch T4B gravity rise stand on my SCMS. If I bought a jobsite saw I would be looking at the new Bosch saw with the RK and a Bosch gravity rise stand for it. That would be a sweet setup.

[J. Z. Guest]

Jeremy -
Actually the main reason I went Dewalt was the fence.
I'm going to give this one the "different stokes deal"

Well, if I ever get the chance, I'm going to try a DeWalt. I sure liked the rack & pinion design, but it just didn't seem as adjustable.

Also, Bill Dunn Jr. has tried them both and said the Ridgid is more powerful. This makes sense, because the soft-start feature means that it is electronically controlled, and that control probably also means it maintains RPM better under load. (much like electrnically-controlled routers do)

[Matt Ocel]

Well, if I ever get the chance, I'm going to try a DeWalt. I sure liked the rack & pinion design, but it just didn't seem as adjustable.

Also, Bill Dunn Jr. has tried them both and said the Ridgid is more powerful. This makes sense, because the soft-start feature means that it is electronically controlled, and that control probably also means it maintains RPM better under load. (much like electrnically-controlled routers do)


Dewalt vs Rigid -
My partner has the Rigid and I have the Dewalt.
The Rigid definately has more power, but the Dewalt in no way is under powered. I used the Dewalt both on the job site and it was used in my shop until I got the PM2000, and I never had an issue with power, yeah it would bog when I ripped a 2 x 4, but big deal, make sure you are using sharp blades.

The rip fence though - thats where Dewalt is head and shoulders above the rest. The rack and pinnion is da bomb, Dawg!
You can calibrate it so it is dead nuts on. Thats whats so great about it.
Once you calibrate it you never need to pull out your tape. You roll your fence to 10 and 11/16" lock it in and cut. Your piece comes out 10 and 11/16".

The Dewalt rip fence is where its at Bro!

[Keith Outten]

I will also vote for the EZSmart guide system, especially for remote work. Nothing is as easy to transport, lighter, more versitile or more accurate in the field. I use one at CNU in our sign shop and when I need to work at various facilities.

When the OSHA Inspector is around they tend to look at mobile tables saws very close to make sure all of your safety stuff is installed properly and you are using them. They rarely give a guide system a second glance for some reason, this is a bonus since OSHA tickets can hit your personal pocket book and your companies real hard.

Any table saw that does not have a top quality and well adjusted fence is one of the most dangerous tools to use. I found it very difficult to keep mobile tools adjusted properly even if they have a good fence system, a guide system doesn't have those kinds of issues.

.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I ditched the TS idea at the jobsite since we don't rip much anymore and when we do we use rip guides on the saw shoe base or the EZ Smart rail when we cut doors.

I did have the original grey TS2400 and it was the best saw of it's day hands down. Since the swap over to the orange color I wouldn't touch one.

The Jet is a very nice saw as is the Bosch...both for different reasons. If I ever get another one, it'll be one of those two. The DW is not a bad saw but the motor bogs too easily for me [we cut treated pine all the time]. It is more suited to cabinet work and is dead on accurate in that arena.

[William OConnell]

We use the bosch after owning several. The gravity stand is really nice. It makes setup and take down a breeze wich is important because time is very important to me at work.
I really like the Ez smart system mostly the sacrificial table and own some of Dinos stuff. I also own a bunch of Festool stuff. I have three full time employees and although we all use everything the tablesaw won't be replaced by any of the guide rail systems. Its just a time saver for set up and multiple rips etc.
I don't want to make this a thread on wich is better because all of this stuff has its place in the proffessional contracting world but a tablesaw is a tablesaw and a guide rail system is a guided rail system.
So for us the Bosch has performed flawlessly and doesn't owe me a nickle

[Dan Lautner]

I would not buy any table saw without a RK. I own the new Bosch and like it a lot. When ripping heavy stock or critical work I clamp both ends of the fence. I have to read the manual to see if there is a way to make the fence hold better. The Gravity stand is nice but does make the saw very heavy if you ever have to lift it.

Dan

[John Callahan]

.......best mobility, best fence, and best all around table saw
imho the DeWalt has the best fence. As for mobilty, the Bosch Gravity Rise stand is a thing of beauty. I looked at both the DW744 and Bosch 4000 and wound up with the Porter Cable 3812S. I've had it four years- no regrets so far. From a price/performance standpoint it was tough to beat-less than $350 after the rebate. imho the saw itself is the equal of the Bosch 4000. Soft start, electric brake, and after using 4000's at work; equal in power. The PC uses a t-slot for the miter gauge, useful if you do much crosscutting and something the DW744 and 4000 doesn't have (the newer 4100 does iirc). Downside is the folding stand. Wasn't a problem at first. Then we started getting two and three story condo/apartment projects- all those flights of stairs and a folding stand doesn't cut it. I've added a Rousseau wheeled stand; not as easy to raise/lower as the gravity rise stand but rock solid (better than the gravity rise imho in that regard) and an Incra V27 miter gauge. If I were in the market again it would come down to either my current setup or the Bosch 4100 Gravity Rise.