New Sawstop Compact Table Saw

[jerry pepper]

I thought Derek’s was the jobsite pro - I’m waiting to see some more reviews, trying to decide between the two myself

[Prashun Patel]

It appears to have decent precision. I like the fence. I like the ergonomics and size of it. I like the full sized blade.

I read one complaint about top flatness and there appears to be an issue with flex in the fence rail when fully extended.

Am not concerned with power.

[Kevin Adams]

I am definitely interested and may either sell or gift my current Dewalt to get the new compact Sawstop. The Dewalt is a fine saw for what I need (I’m primarily a hand tool woodworker) and buying the Sawstop is purely for safety as I get older. I’ll be interested in any first hand reviews here.

Thanks.
Kevin

[Prashun Patel]

Kevin, I also am looking for a "sometimes" saw.

Which Dewalt do you have? Is it the DWE7491RS? That looks like a comparable saw. For $300 less, it comes with a nice rolling base and several years of pretty much universal praise.

The CTS Sawstop does not allow dado blades. That's not a show stopper for me, but I do miss it. I am considering that Dewalt...

[Kevin Adams]

Hi Prashun,

Not sure what model I have, but I’ve had it for quite a few years and it only has 16” rip capacity, not the full 24”. It’s been a very nice, dependable saw. The fence is great especially. I’m not crazy about the splitter, not because it doesn’t work, but because you have to adjust it to a lower position in order to make a non-thru cut. Not a big deal and the safety between the guard and splitter and good fence works well. I used to have a tilting top Inca, which was a very precise, small saw, but to do bevel cuts, the tilting table was not safe. I never use a dado so having that function or not doesn’t matter to me.

Anyway, I highly recommend the Dewalt to you. As you said, it’s been around for a while and is always at or near the top of tool reviews for compact table saws.

Thanks.
Kevin

[Jim Becker]

Prashun, the Dewalt that Tamara (3x3Custom on the 'Tube) used to use before her recent upgrade to a SS in her new home/shop seemed to be pretty capable and had, I believe, a rack and pinion fence. She had it embedded in a bench at the old place. I think she did a good video of it, if I recall clearly.

[Prashun Patel]

Oooh, have any of you seen this one? SKILSAW SPT99-11??? More torque, better base.

Hmmm, I am definitely leaning to one of these 3 saws...

[Jim Becker]

Prashun, it comes down to...the fence...in many respects. That's one of the biggest risks with these small saws.

[Bob Betker]

Prashun: I own the DeWalt DWE 7491RS, I've had it for little over a year now. It's a nice dependable accurate saw. I really like the ease with which I can set it up and disassemble when I'm done. The fence is very nice, the rack and pinion system is accurate and easy to use. My only complaint is the lack of space in front of the blade, it's only about 8 inches. There was a discussion on the 7491 back last November/December timeframe, do a search and you can review it. Dick Mahany distributed a set of PDF plans for an auxiliary fence, in-feed and out-feed tables to those who inquired. I just haven't gotten around to make the in-feed table yet.

[Keegan Shields]

The two biggest limitations with my Dewalt were the small table, especially the area in front of the blade, and the small motor. The Dewalt rip fence was great, and I used an auxiliary fence which fit around the stock fence to extend its length. That helped a ton with accuracy when ripping longer pieces.

The small motor necessitates using a thin kerf rip blade for ripping and a thin kerf crosscut blade with a crosscut sled.

Overall, it’s a good choice if you don’t have room for a hybrid cabinet saw.

[Prashun Patel]

I wonder if the Skilsaw is better. It has a higher torque. I've used worm drive circ saws before and they do cut thicker stock a little easier.

[andrew whicker]

The bummer is that the legal stuff is taking so long. Can't wait for other options that don't damage the blade

[Pat Germain]

I can see this saw appealing to construction business owners who want to limit liability. Replacing a cartridge and/or a blade is a lot cheaper than losing an employee for a while and paying medical expenses after he slices his hand or removes a finger or two. Of course, that doesn't mean business owners will have the foresight or be willing to spend money on SawStop saws for their employees.

For the hobbyist, I can see this saw as a good option for smaller projects. But no matter how accurate the fence or flat the top, I would have a hard time making larger projects with a smaller saw like that. Likely better than a Shopsmith anyway.