Home Use Tablesaw?

[MGW]

I've been out of buying woodworking equipment for a while, so I'm looking for some advice on what is currently available. Many years ago, I worked in a custom cabinet shop. We built full custom kitchens the old-school way. Solid core 3/4" plywood boxes, hardwood raised panel doors that were made from our own blanks...we even made our own drawers. Now that I have a new house, I want to return to doing some light woodworking. Nothing crazy like building full kitchens. Just lightweight hobby work. The heaviest work I can think of is to be able to rip up a half sheet of 3/4" plywood and cut dado joints with it.

Are there any decent table saws on the market that would handle this kind of work? I really don't want to go to a full cabinet saw. Something more portable. I'll probably build a mobile infeed/outfeed table or two to go with it. The only other requirement I can think of is that I would like it to work on standard home 110v power. I haven't set a budget yet.

[DDTSGM]

I have two buddies that have these, which is one of the reasons I still have a Craftsman jobsite saw

https://xdcdepot.com/product/ridgid-...xoCUDoQAvD_BwE

They both have tricked them out a little with side extensions, but in my non-educated opinion they are very nice.

Home Depot usually has them in stock.

[Oldherkpilot]

Consider the Bosch table saws. I have two, one that I keep in my handyman trailer and the other to augment my Delta contractor saw in my shop. The only shortcoming I have found is that (on my two) I can't get a full 3\4" dado stack. But I always use a 1\2" dado and tongue for consistency, anyway.

[Borderland]

I have an old DeWalt 745 with a stand. I think this is the newer model.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B08ZH...f-36e8a80f221d

I don't do enough wood wood working to justify a $800 saw. This one does what I need it to do. With that said, most all of my power tools are Ryobi. They have a service center near me and I've used it.

[MGW]

I have two buddies that have these, which is one of the reasons I still have a Craftsman jobsite saw

https://xdcdepot.com/product/ridgid-...xoCUDoQAvD_BwE

They both have tricked them out a little with side extensions, but in my non-educated opinion they are very nice.

Home Depot usually has them in stock.

I like that it’s a 10” blade.

[MGW]

Consider the Bosch table saws. I have two, one that I keep in my handyman trailer and the other to augment my Delta contractor saw in my shop. The only shortcoming I have found is that (on my two) I can't get a full 3\4" dado stack. But I always use a 1\2" dado and tongue for consistency, anyway.

What limits the use of a 3/4” dado stack?

[Crazy Dane]

I have two buddies that have these, which is one of the reasons I still have a Craftsman jobsite saw

https://xdcdepot.com/product/ridgid-...xoCUDoQAvD_BwE

They both have tricked them out a little with side extensions, but in my non-educated opinion they are very nice.

Home Depot usually has them in stock.

I have an older version of this and it does everything a hobbyist wood worker needs. I have run a full stack dado on it with no problems. my only complaint is the room it takes up when not in use.

[frozentundra]

For jobsite type saws, I think this is a must watch comparison video that's probably mostly still relevant today. I needed a portable jobsite saw some years back and wound up with the Skillsaw worm drive. I prioritized power, cut depth, and terrain portability for things I was doing at that time. I don't like it for precision and ease of use. I would rather have the DeWalt or even Hitachi for the kinds of things you are talking about. I've used both on jobsites and liked the DeWalt the best for trim applications. Either of those saws can be purchased on sale at Acme Tools with free shipping right now.



For the price, if you don't mind the increased size/weight, I've heard good things about this saw, but I've never used one myself. Probably lots of YouTube reviews on it. It's probably a little bit more like a dedicated shop saw for not much more money. Edit to add: I think this Delta and the Ridgid above may have shared DNA if I remember correctly, but it's been a long time. Worth doing a little research on both.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/DELTA-Contr...Saw/1001385562

[Spartan1980]

I "built" a Delta Unisaw. Tore it down cleaned the trunnion, replaced the bearings and belts, built it back with a complete Incra Wonder Fence joinery fence system. I built a chute to add dust extraction and put the router in an Incra Cleansweep for dust extraction there. It's a single phase 240V motor. They are industrial level heavy duty and are out there used at very reasonable prices if you want to be patient.

If you go with a jobsite saw the Bosch is king. You will probably be disappointed though, especially when cutting dados.

That Ridgid saw and this competing Delta would be a solid choice for your stated use.

DELTA-Contractor-Saw

[EricM]

What limits the use of a 3/4” dado stack?

Short arbor, typically. I use a Freud box joint set on my Dewalt 745 jobsite saw when I have dado-type needs and don't want to use a router. Overall, I've been happy with my 745 after making a better fence for it. There are occasions I've thought a full-size table saw would be nice to have, but it's not a high priority for my needs.

I'd rather break down a large sheet of plywood with a track saw. A sheet of XPS insulation works well to cut on, laid it on top of a workbench or just on the floor.