Table saws are a versatile tool serving a variety of purposes and are considered a premium wood cutting tool by almost every contractor. You can never have enough space to fit all your power tools, so space is of premium value in every workshop, even more so in the smaller ones.
Just because you have a reasonable size shop, doesn’t mean you’d have to compromise on the quality or the power of the saw. You would find a number of cheap under performer saws in the market, however finding a perfect one can be super difficult, but you wouldn’t want to waste your bucks in buying an unworthy product.
Continue reading to learn more about different types of table saw options available for your small shop and the excellence they offer.
Top 10 Table Saws For Small Shop Reviews 2022
Fitting a giant table saw in your small workshop is not an option, that’s why we are presenting you the top 10 best table saws that have the capacity to easily adjust in your small shop without having to compromise on its powerful features.
Here is my list of the Best Table Saws For Small Shops Projects in 2022;
1. Grizzly G1023RLWX – With Built-in Router Table
This 5HP classic saw is a premium choice cabinet saw with a built-in router that can also be used as table extensions to handle longer wood pieces. When you are done with the cutting, place the extensions back in and clear the extra space, this feature makes it ideal for your small shop
It might look intimidating to a beginner but they have provided a detailed instruction manual for you to smoothly set up and run the machine. A steel cabinet style saw with enclosed ball bearings and a perfect 32-inch floor to bench height with a 20-1/2 x 20-1/2-inch footprint will fit right in your small shop.
Grizzly, exactly as its name sounds, is a powerful 23 ampere saw with its 4800 RPM speed to smoothly rip through various materials. You wouldn’t have any issues moving this heavy-duty outside the shop with its large hand wheels.
Grizzly elegantly places everything in a single package, along with extensions, the router having a T-track clamping system together with the Shop Fox Classic Fence which doesn’t make it a typical router table, but more like a router table fence. It is a solid, out-of-the-box accurate saw providing simple solutions to all your woodworking needs.
2. Shop Fox (W1819) – With a Wide-Span Fence
Every part of this saw speaks quality and resilience, a heavy performer with a 3 horsepower and a 3 belt drive for efficient cutting capacity. Whether you want to cut bevels, miters, or even chamfers, the tilting blade with the adjusting tilt lock will allow you to get your desired cuts.
A contractor especially a beginner wouldn’t have to worry about getting himself hurt with its awesome safety features such as the blade guard clear polycarbonate, the riving knives, and spreader to prevent kickbacks. A perfect to fit 34 inch floor to table height with a compatible blade height provides a safe and reliable working environment.
A hefty saw with a solid wide-span smooth glide fence for working on longer pieces, the miter fence has various flip stops for greater material support and multiple wood cutting. You can easily achieve your cutting width by flipping the fence out for longer pieces cutting and back in if you want to make any additional cuts.
Also offers an optional mobile base for convenient transportation, you can either put it on a stand at your shop but if you are a professional contractor who works from one job site to another then it is feasible to buy the mobile cart to easily move it around.
3. DEWALT (DW745) – With Site-Pro Modular Guarding System
A 22 kg lightweight saw with an optimized footprint makes it an apt choice for your workshop. Suitable for a tough job, the 10 inch blade spins at a powerful 3850 rpm with no load to deliver impressive outcomes. All in all, Dewalt DW745 is a compact, great functioning saw that can easily be incorporated into your small shop.
The cast iron top reduces friction across the board that further improves the accuracy, creating a quality cutting experience. The onboard storage system help saves extra space on your small shop by providing easy access to a unique Site-Pro Modular Guarding System that not only offers quick, tool free adjustments but protects you from any injury.
High performing motor with a unique rack and pinion fence system provides an optimized ripping capacity, and the sturdy all-steel metal cage provides endurance against worksite drops and impact. Obviously, one wouldn’t want to waste heavy investment on the saw just because it failed to withstand the job site hardships.
4. Milwaukee 2736-21HD – Great Power Capacity
Want to use a table saw anywhere, however without the worry of having a power outlet? Something that works equally as powerful as the corded ones? The solution is pretty simple, buy the Milwaukee 2736-21 HD, a battery operated power Table Saw that runs at an awesome 6300 RPM providing a corded cutting experience.
Plus, a lot of users say that the battery charges pretty quickly, so you wouldn’t have to waste hours waiting for it to get charged so you can get on with your work. Also, the safety is incredible, and the advanced Redlink intelligence ensures optimum table saw performance while protecting it from overload damage.
Not every tool has the capability to be compact and powerful at the same time. With all the modern features, at a reasonable price, this saw will perfectly fit in your small workshop, without giving the expression of being cluttered.
The 55 pounds, along with 24-inch height, onboard storage provides sufficient space and the ability to conveniently move it from one location to another makes it ideal for every woodworker, be it a beginner, hobbyist, or a professional. The saw is designed so that the blade is set back giving enough space to easily cut longer pieces, without messing with the limited space.
5. Grizzly G0691 – Powerful for this size
Solid heavy duty construction with cast iron stable tabletop reduces the friction and enhances the cutting capabilities maximizing productivity. Incredible construction with adjustable legs and extended wings to accommodate longer pieces, pop the wings back in when you are done with longer pieces to save the space.
The triple V belt smoothly drives the saw and the t-style fence with the nylon runner knob offers quick, easy adjustments for optimum outcome. The saw also features a quick-release spreader guard, motor guard, riving knife that smoothly moves and tilts with the blade, and also the splitter assembly.<
The solid T-slot miter gauge holds your workpieces at the desired angle for you to carefully cut through the material with adjustable screws inside. A 4-inch dust port for maximum collection of saw debris, necessary to keep your tiny shop tidy. Every part of this saw speaks quality and performance.
6. Delta 36-5152 – With Great ripping capacity
Let’s be honest, who gives this much value at such a low cost, you could be suspicious of it feeling like a fraud, how is it humanly possible to fit everything in a compact saw, which further would easily be mounted in your shop saving you a lot of space.
The specially designed tubular stand offers great stability during cutting and if you want to move the saw around you can easily enjoy the mobility with the built-in wheels. A solid Biesemeyer fence has dual rip windows that allow precision with every cut you make.
The majority of the users were quite impressed with its performance citing everything from great cutting power to accuracy and easy assembly. The cast iron table with extendable wings not only improves stability but further enhances the cutting performance.
7. SKILSAW SPT70WT-01 – Exceptional Power
This beast has outstanding torque and the motor is situated in just the right place where it directly transfers the power to the blade maximizing its efficiency. It is a small size saw with an extendable table to accommodate longer pieces that can be stretched in and out as per the project requirements ideally leaving space for other needs.
The worm drive table saw with an internal spiral gear mechanism features a powerful no-load 5,300 RPM speed and a solid dual-field motor that not only enhances the saw’s cutting performance but extends the saw’s life too.
Another great feature especially for small shop owners is the on-board tool storage that not only saves excess space but provides easy access to the required tool and if you want to move from location to location, you wouldn’t have to worry that you missed any tool because each component has to be securely placed inside the storage compartment.
8. SKILSAW SPT99-11 – With Maximum Portability
Try navigating a super heavy table saw without any trolley or stand around the worksite, that believe us it’s fatigue, I can easily say it is the most portable option in our review with its heavy 16 inch wheels that can be easily maneuvered on the stairs and uneven job sites.
All in all, they offer outstanding power, great ripping capacity without getting the motor to heat-up, a compact size to leave sufficient space in your medium size shops to accommodate other tools, and an incredible fence system with quick adjustments for true, accurate cuts.
You must be wondering what about the dust collection system as it not only poorly affects your health, but also if you own a small shop without much ventilation it could have really serious consequences. Skil has tried to cover it by creating an outstanding dust-collection mechanism with a dust port that can easily absorb most of the dust generated during cutting.
9. Rockwell RK7241S – Ideal for small shops
Its great 4800 RPM under load speed along with an outstanding ripping capacity make it just as much popular with the professionals. Rockwell is a versatile table saw that combines power, portability, and precision in one package along with easy storage that can be easily mounted in an overcrowded, restricted space.
Its 30-inch extra-long foldout fence further increases the ripping capacity, and you can retract the fence back in when you are done with the cutting providing sufficient storage, so can easily be accommodated in your confined shop without having to compromise on the power or ripping capabilities.
The enclosed motor and balanced saw structure create a very low level of noise that is a treat for your ears. It also offers effortless transportation with built-in wheels and uses the extended leg like a pull handle to easily carry it from site to site.
10. Genesis GTS10SB – Ideal for Homeowners
You wouldn’t hear a lot about Genesis power tools, it is a very underrated company but seriously when its 15-ampere motors start spinning the blade at an exceptional 4800 RPM, it does wonder. It is powerful enough to easily rip through treated lumber and hardwood.
It has self-aligning rip fences that automatically locks the material from front and back and can make easy, quick adjustments along the way. It is a lightweight, easy to carry tool for DIYers or a beginner who is hoping to get some home renovation projects done in a classy way.
An onboard storage facility to facilitate those who have restricted space in their small shops. The extendable extra-large die-cast aluminum table further enhances this saw’s capabilities, it might look small but has large cutting capacities, making it ideal for small shops.
Types of Table Saws Perfect for Small Shops
Generally, the larger and heavier cabinet saws take too much space and thus are not very suitable for a small shop where compactness and portability is the prime factor.
Therefore, it all boils down to intermediate-sized hybrid/contractor saws and benchtop portable saws. We will explain these saws with their various traits for your better understanding:
Benchtop Table Saws
This category of table saw is generally the very first purchase of many casual woodworkers. As opposed to their larger cousins, portable saws are small, compact, and can be set up over a benchtop, as per the name hints.
These are also cheaper and lightweight due to the usage of plastic parts and aluminum table which also makes them less sturdy. These saws have a limited ripping/cutting capacity and are ideal for small shops and/or furniture pieces.
Jobsite Table Saws
Also known as the hybrid table saw or contractor table saw, this category falls in between the high-end cabinet saw and less powerful portable saws. With a price tag slightly higher than portable saws, they are designed to bear a heavy-duty workload with a relatively larger table and sturdier built.
Many of these saws have additional features like a dust collection system and riving knives etc. with a compact design and folding legs or wheeled bases, these saws offer reasonable portability and a small footprint for your small shop projects.
Which size Table saw you should buy for a small shop?
If you are a novice in the field of woodworking, try getting to know the stuff with a smaller portable benchtop table saw for your small shop. Although these saws take less space in your congested small shop, they only provide a smaller cutting capacity.
An example is the DEWALT DW745 10 inch table saw, which can be an extremely good choice for small workshops as it is a perfect mix of portability and affordability. The DEWALT DW745 is best suited for small to medium-sized jobs with a 20-inch maximum rip capacity. This DEWALT saw is a bit more powerful and durable as compared to other table saw options available in this price range.
For better options, you can always choose a hybrid or contractor table saw with a relatively larger table depending upon the available space in your small shop. Their folding legs and/or wheeled base make these an optimal solution for cutting capabilities and your workspace. All in all the work area in your small shop and the amount of money you can muster are the two most important factors in deciding which saw to purchase.
The Ultimate Buyer Guide of Small Shop Table Saw
Here we present some key features to help you choose the best table saw for your small shop.
- Appropriate type and size
Generally, table saws can be categorized with respect to size and portability. Starting from heaviest and largest cabinet saws to intermediate-sized hybrid/contractor saws to the smallest, tabletop portable saws, you have to choose the most appropriate saw for your small shop depending upon what size is it.
If you are a starter, you should opt for a smaller saw and then gradually expand later according to the available space and your cutting requirements.
- Power and Torque of the saw
Power is a crucial factor for effectiveness in a table saw. Most of the corded table saws have motors with similar power (commonly 15 amperes) and the battery-operated table saws also have a decent power rating. The difference arises in the torque provided by that motor which is measured in terms of RPM which ranges between 3500 and 5500.
Depending upon the material you need to cut in your small shop, you may get a high RPM saw (for softwood) or a low RPM (for hardwood and nonferrous metals). The direct drive mechanism (also known as worm drive) is also a key feature to deliver low vibration fine cutting.
- Fences, miter, and bevel capacity
As you would be doing the precision cutting in your small shop, the auxiliary features like fences, miter scale, and bevel angles play an important part in choosing the right table saw for your small shop.
These features help you in cutting precisely, accurately, and quickly. Also, fencing keeps you safe by providing stability and preventing slipping/sliding of workpieces and any kickbacks.
- Dust collection Mechanism
When it comes to dust collection mechanism, there is nothing standing in the tool industry with respect to the availability and size of the dust port.
However, as a rule of thumb, larger cabinet saws often have a proper system installed in them. But, for your average compact small shop table saw, this may not be the case and you might have to pay some extra cash to get a proper vacuum system installed in order to keep your environment clean and tidy.
- Safety Features
Personal safety should be an important aspect in deciding for purchasing a table saw for your small shop. Although the safety practices are well established at this moment, any extra feature for your safety is always welcomed.
These include a blade guard system, blade brakes, and larger on/off buttons placed at an easy reach the place. Additional accessories like zero-clearance inserts and riving knives add cream to the toppings.
Conclusion
For a small shop owner, a table saw can either be an asset or a huge liability for reasons of space shortage and finances. Therefore, you should be calculated about your preferences and requirements when choosing a table saw for your small shop. With this article, we hope to help you get the most suited table saw that is a perfect solution for your requirements and would perfectly fit in in your small workshop.