Benchtop Table Saw Reviews

When you’re first considering buying a table saw you’re faced with several different types of saws, one of which is the benchtop, or portable, table saw. These are often the best table saws for a beginner woodworker who does not have a large work area or workshop and will only use the table saw at certain times. The terms benchtop table saw and portable table saw are generally used interchangeably.

As the name implies a portable table saw is designed to be light enough to carry from one spot to another and it generally is made to be used on a bench or counter. You could place it on the floor but using a table saw on the floor is usually not the safest way to cut or rip wood and you increase your chance of knockback due to the low angle you’re working with. Some benchtop table saws come with table saw stands or legs and some offer support bases separately. Some of the more professional (and slightly more heavy) benchtop table saws actually have wheeled bases. In reality these table saws are meant to be used, you guessed it, on the top of a bench.

Portable table saws usually weigh anywhere from thirty to seventy five pounds, so you they aren’t really meant to be carried all over the place, but you can fairly easily move them in and out of storage as needed. Most benchtop table saws can use standard 10-in.-dia. blades like other table saws, but there are still some drawbacks to using them. The different cuts and abilities of these benchtop table saws is also limited partially by their size and partially by the way their durability is sometimes sacrificed for decreasing the weight. Don’t expect to use a benchtop table saw to do all the work you’re woodworking friend did with his large cabinet table saw.

Most benchtop table saws are made with the amateur handyman in mind, though in recent years several of the more established tool companies have come out with some very strong and durable portable table saws which are being used by more and more contractors and professional wood workers in a pinch.

When trying to choose the best benchtop table saw for your needs, consider what kinds of blades you think you’ll want to use, whether you’ll need to change the blade angle or blade height and whether you’ll need to disassemble the unit or want to upgrade the table saw fence and rail system. When looking at specifications you’ll want to compare weight, rip capacity, portability and base configuration and the size of the motor. Also consider the ease at which various adjustments and blade changes can be made. For some people this is important, but for some the basic features of a low-end benchtop table saw are just fine.

There is a wide range of prices and options in the benchtop table saw arena, but there are clearly some stand-out favorites among reviews. While we can’t endorse any particular portable table saw we can tell you that the DeWalt DW745 Portable Table Saw is a professional grade benchtop table saw that gets rave reviews from almost everyone who has used it. It combines a good balance of power features and usability features and it is one of the bestselling benchtop table saws available.