10" Jobsite Saw opinions?

[Greg Parrish]

Just purchased a Sawstop PCS last month for my home usage, but need something for our farm that can cut outside and in varying wood, including fresh/wet wood. Don't want to spend sawstop prices here but wondered if there is a better option than the Dewalt DWE7491RS for the money. The first usage will be ripping 100 sheets of 3/4" plywood that are currently approximately 14.5" x 48". We are making some initial stickers for our portable sawmill and picked up a pallet load of plywood cutoffs for what amounts to around $12 per whole 4x8 sheet. Problem is, to make stickers somewhere between 3/4 to 1 1/4 inch wide, we are talking about 1,000 to 1,600 rips. Also, the sawmill is in a different location around 2.5 hours away from my house so cutting them on the new Sawstop PCS is not a valid option.

So, any thoughts on a decent 10" jobsite saw that could handle this task as well as provide a general purpose carpentry grade saw for use around the farm when needed? Needs to be one of the plastic and aluminum style for lower weight purposes but also so it won't rust since it will be stored in a barn. Thank you.

[Bill Space]

Sounds like you have already written off the saw stop option.

Good with that. As far as what might work best for you, I do not know.

Are you planning to leave the saw out in the rain? I doubt that, but a coat of wax on a table saw can work wonders...especially if the saw is under cover...and in your case a heavy coat of wax, even if transferred to the first cut or two may make no difference anyway.

Just a couple thoughts...

As far as a recommendation...have no clue...

[Greg Parrish]

Thank you. Problem with my Sawstop is that it's here at home and our sawmill is 2.5 hours away. No easy way to bring wood here to cut and return it back there all the time. This one needs to be portable to go in a barn for storage and drag out on the dirt/ground during use. For what we are using it for, I don't want to buy a second sawstop given the cost. I honestly don't really want to spend the money for the dewalt either but need something sturdy enough to handle the task and flexible enough to do some basic carpentry when needed also. Some of the really cheap models, like the $130 Ryobi and Craftsman units just don't look to have enough features and capabilities, but I honestly don't know how the other 10" jobsite saws compare. Heck, even Harbor Freight has a 10" Hercules model that looks like a copy of the dewalt, but again I don't know how it compares. Hoping someone has some insight with these type of saws specifically.

Sounds like you have already written off the saw stop option.

Good with that. As far as what might work best for you, I do not know.

Are you planning to leave the saw out in the rain? I doubt that, but a coat of wax on a table saw can work wonders...especially if the saw is under cover...and in your case a heavy coat of wax, even if transferred to the first cut or two may make no difference anyway.

Just a couple thoughts...

As far as a recommendation...have no clue...

[Dave Roock]

Bosch Jobsite saw =great saw for value.

[Jim Becker]

DeWalt, Bosch, Milwaukee and Makita all have decent jobsite saws as long as you stick with the higher end models of the same. Some of them have nice foldable stand systems that are very helpful. Pay particular attention to the fence setup. There's some good creativity there, too. DeWalt has an adjustable rack and pinion setup on at least one saw that registers back to accurate when you remove and reinstall the fence, for example. 3X3 Custom (Tamara) recently did a video on it...she's actually using it as a shop based saw.

[johnny means]

I would think that ripping that much plywood on any dinky jobsite saw isn't a valid option. The small fence and unstable work surface don't lend themselves to hours and hours of material processing. I just don't like the idea of doing repetitive work on a machine that requires a little extra concentration to use safely. I'd figure out a way to move that task to the shop, if it meant doing a limited number of sheets before every trip out to the farm. That being said, I've got an old Rigid that sits out in the rain and snow for months at a time, yet starts up any time I need it to.

[Michael Schuch]

I helped my girl friend install hardwood flooring. There was no way I was going to cart over a cabinet saw. I picked up a $30 Ryobi table top saw off of craigslist and it did a great job after I mounted it to a workmate bench. Personally I would start with seeing what is available on CL.

Some of the old Craftsman contractor saws are stout and capable of heavier use than a table top saw. They can usually be picked up for cheap for a used saw.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I had a Hitachi 10".

The miter slots are some goofy metric size & they have these little tabs in them which prevent you from making your own runners - so, things like sleds are out.

They are also extremely light and prone to tipping over if you try to feed a full sheet of plywood through one. It does make for an exciting experience though.


If you decide to go the used route, avoid the Hitachi.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I'm a fan of the top end Dewalt jobsite saw. It's a nice saw for it's purposes. Ripping a couple miles of plywood in one setting isn't its purpose. It'd probably do it, but I don't think any jobsite saw with a universal motor is designed to run for hours at a time. I'd personally find a used contractor saw, probably a 20 year old Delta for this task.

[Greg Parrish]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. Think we've decided to try using the mill to cut the stickers. The pieces of plywood we have are 48" long which will fit across two of the bunks. With some clamps to hold about 25 sheets together on edge, we should be able to give it a try. Worse case scenario, we will try building a tray as a jig to hold them during the cut. It's worth a try since it's already there and 25 at once would be much faster and safer than 1000 cuts on a table saw.

[Bryan Lisowski]

Greg, I was going to suggest using the sawmill, think you could make short work of this versus using a benchtop table saw.

[Steve Demuth]

Jobsite saws really aren't built for continuous duty cycle such as you describe for your first job, so I question whether you're going to be happy with any of the obvious options.

[Mike Kees]

Have any of you guys seen the Skilsaw jobsite saw ? Has a worm drive motor just like the worm drive handheld Skilsaws. It is supposed to be nearly unstoppable ripping 2x lumber.

[Maurice Mcmurry]

I have tried several "Portable" saws The only one of mine that would meet the OPs needs is an old Craftsman motorized, 4 leg saw with the legs removed and some modifications. I do keep a small cheap saw in the van. The current one is a $99 Ryobi. It is just like its predecessor (a $99 Delta). I only run a 7 1/4 or 8 1/4 blade in the little saws. I also take my old Delta Homecraft to larger projects. I just got it out of the shed and am sad to see that moles and partially buried it.

DSCN1885.jpg DSCN1886.jpg DSCN1887.jpg DSCN1888.jpg

[Keegan Shields]

Personally, I would rather do 2,000 rips on a cabinet saw. Rent a utility trailer, load it with your plywood scrap, rip it at home over several days, then transport it back.

No way I would want to do that many 48" rips on a Dewalt jobsite saw. Don't get me wrong, its a great jobsite saw when used within its performance envelop.