What are your thoughts on “portable” table saws? I’m sort of in the market for a new tablesaw and would probably go with a portable one (as much as I’d like something more substantial).
I don’t have much space to work, so portable is defined as light enough for me to carry up from the cellar to the garage, to the deck, back down to the cellar, depending on the project, the time of year, my mood, etc.
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I've had a Bosch 4000 for about four years and it has served me well. It's on a Ridgid folding stand and is quite protable. Have ripped 2" oak and 3/4" dadoes in Brazilian Redwood. obviously lacks some of the capabilities of a good contractor saw, but where space and size are critical, it's a good compromise and worth the $500.
I'll second that Bosch 4000, I really like mine.
Doug
A portable saw should meet your needs. The Bosch 4000, Porter Cable 3812S, and the DeWalt 744 would be my top choices. Compared to a contractor's saw you'll give up about 6" of rip capacity- about 24" or so for the portable saws vs 30" of a contractor's saw and because of their smaller size and weight, some stability. For sheet goods such as plywood I'd recommend cutting them down to a more manageable size with a circular saw and guide especially if you're working by yourself. I wouldn't expect the longevity from a portable saw with their plastic/ aluminum construction and universal motors that I would from a contractors saw with their steel/cast iron construction and induction motors. I've got the PC 3812S and have been pleased with it. Soft start, electric brake, and a solid accurate fence. The Bosch is very nice in almost every respect but one; I was disapointed in the miter gauge- sloppy fit in several examples I looked at and no t-slot like the 3812 has ........ the miter gauge wants to fall out when you pull it back past the table. One downside to the 3812 is that it only comes with a folding stand- if you want a wheeled stand you'll have to go aftermarket- Rousseau makes one. There's a review of these saws in issue #172 of Fine Homebuilding June/July 2005. You might try posting in the Tools section of Breaktime; you may get more feedback. There's also a review in Journal of Construction online http://www.jlconline.com/cgi-local/view.pdf/3b2e34df4dbd37e00ad376dea2212efe/www.jlconline.com/cgi-bin/jlconline.storefront/439d973c0024d40327177f0000010564
The reviewer in the article mentions using a 7 1/4" blade in the 10" machine, and in another thread someone mentioned doing that in his saw. I'm not familiar with that trick. I'm assuming that it can help power up a saw to use a smaller blade. Any other advantages?
I haven't run 7 1/4" blades on the 3812........ haven't seen the need. For 3/4, 5/4, and 2x stock the saw has sufficient power. More important imho is to have the saw set up properly (fence aligned etc.), a sharp blade, and good support for the stock you're cutting, especially on the outfeed side-that goes for any saw but even more so for a portable saw with it's smaller footprint and less weight/power. I sometimes ran 7 1/4" blades on my old Makita 8" saw- in a pinch on a job with a dull blade. No problems but no discernable benefit to me over a sharp 8" blade.
Edited 12/13/2005 11:11 am ET by jc21
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