Dewalt Portable Table Saw Reviews
Portable table saws are quickly becoming popular in the industry. These saws have the capacity to cut large and thick pieces of wood, and yet they are light in weight and can be moved from one place to another.
Portable saws come with rolling bases which have wheels for easy transportation. They can also be folded easily to reduce their bulk.
What to consider before buying portable table saws?
When buying portable table saws, there are certain factors that you should consider. These saws are designed for convenience and performance and here is what you should know:
- The weight of the saw – you need to know how heavy the saw will be so you decide of the method of transportation. There are ultra light portable table saws that can be moved with a trolley and others that may need a small truck.
- The base of the saw – some portable table saws will have a base that has wheels. The base may fold away or not. You need to know whether the base has wheels for easy transportation.
- The size of the saw – some portable table saws cannot be folded and they are not easy to pass through standard door frames. If the saw is large, it must be able to fold into a smaller size.
- Remember the other features – do not compromise in the performance and safety features of the saw, just because you want one that is portable. Also take these factors into consideration as well as the portability factor.
Presenting Dewalt Portable Table Saws
Dewalt portable table saws are ideal made for precision. The manufacturers has invested a lot of research and development in coming up with features that help the operator produce better results. They have a lot of power and can handle some of the toughest hardwood pieces in the market. The name of the company is quite popular because of the quality of all their power tools, including their portable table saw.
Things We Liked
- The table saws have a very precise rack and pinion rip fence; this is why the saws are said to be designed for accuracy above all else.
- They have a stable stand which is easy to transport.
- They come with a telescoping rip fence, which allows for the cutting of 24.5 inch wood on this compact saw.
Things We Didn't Like
- When you need to rip full sheets of plywood, you will require some support.
- The miter gauge slot does not come in the standard size.
- When purchasing rear and side extensions, the side extension can slide out when using the rolling stand and this may move the saw causing errors in cutting.
Key Features of Dewalt portable table saws
Here are some of the key features associated with Dewalt portable table saws:
Excellent assembly
When you are assembling and fine tuning a Dewalt portable table saw, you will be amazed at how easy it is; the company takes into consideration that many people do not like the process of aligning the blade, and they make sure that it is aligned at the factory. There are simple adjustment knobs, should you want to tweak the alignment a little more, and this will only take moments. It has a rack and pinion that holds this alignment true for a long while. However, it does not have a good miter gauge since it does not have a standard T-slot; you may have to engineer your own.
Great on-board storage
If you want all your tools and accessories stored properly, then the Dewalt portable table saw is your best bet. With this storage, you can easily pack up the saw and move from one place to another without worrying about leaving anything behind.
Powerful saw
With the 15 amp motor, you can cut through any wood that you may come across. You should however know that portable saws are light and with such power, you should cut slowly to avoid kickback and binding.
Telescoping rip fence
This increases the rip capacity of such a compact table saw. The portable saw can now do the same kind of job done by a larger table saw. There is a rack and pinion fence adjustment feature which makes it easy to have smooth and accurate settings at all times.
Rolling stand
The Dewalt portable table saw comes with a durable stand; this is great for transporting it as it will not break. The portable saw requires that you buy rear and side extensions, which will attach and stow in a way that the side extension slides from the bottom of the cart when transporting it. It has large rugged wheels, which are excellent for maneuvering over stairs and curbs.
Durability
The Dewalt portable table saw is features an aluminum cast table, which is light but sturdy. It also has a very powerful motor, and it will weather any rough treatment that you throw at it. The saw will always maintain its accuracy even when it is dropped. It also comes with a soft start motor, which help in prolonging the life of the saw as a whole. The materials used do not rust easily, so you should not fear exposure to moisture and rain.
Ease of use
The Dewalt portable power saw is easy to align after setting it up. It comes aligned from the factory and all you need to do is some fine tuning. The saw will then keep the settings intact so you know that your cut will be accurate at all times.
The saw comes with an electronic feedback which regulates the speed of the saw; this means slow when working with hard wood and faster when working with softer wood. This is the reason why the saw will hardly bind, even when you are working with hard wood.
Warranty
The Dewalt portable table saw comes with a limited 3 year warranty and a 1 year warranty for free service. It also has a 3 month money-back guarantee. This means that the company is sure of the quality of their product, making this an ideal tool to have.
What other users say about Dewalt portable table saws?
After browsing the Internet we found certain customer reviews that shed some light on certain aspects of Dewalt portable table saws. Here is a sampling of their comments:
This happens to be a light and accurate table saw, which has given me a long period of service. I did not even use the warranty because the saw was perfect and has never given me any problems.
The portability of the saw is one of the features that people like. Another feature is the accuracy of the saw. One customer was so excited that he started making high-end precision toys for his family and friends, and has started a small business from what was a hobby at the start.
Alternatives to Dewalt portable table saws
Jet JBTS-10MJS
This is a powerful portable table saw, which also comes with a soft start motor, so as to preserve the motor. It also has a dust shroud design which takes all the dust from your work piece and also away from you. It has a stand that is quite sturdy, but the manufacturers should have made the wheels larger; the wheels are small making it a challenge to move over curbs and stairs. The speed of the blade ensures that it does not bind, even when working on hard woods. This is truly a great saw for such a small package.
Skil 3410
This is a portable table saw that has a heavy-duty stand, and a quick mount feature. This means that when you need to move quickly from one job site to another, you can easily do so with ease. It is powerful, thanks to a 15 amp motor, and it tunes itself nicely thanks to the self-aligning rip fence. This fence ensures that any wood that gets stuck in the blade is realigned so that the cutting may go on. The power of the blade mixed with a diamond-tooth blade will cut through the toughest wood that you can come across.
SawStop PCS175-PFA30
This is a table saw that comes with the best, and patented safety system in the industry. The flesh sensor will stop the blade within milliseconds once it touches flesh. This means that it will stop faster than a car airbag can move. It has a 4 inch dust extraction port which is the largest in the industry, making sure that you do not have any dust within the work area. It has a heavy-duty motor which will keep cutting through wood that would have stopped most other saws. This is definitely a saw that you should be on the lookout for.
In conclusion
Portability is quite important when you are thinking of a table saw for multiple projects. The saw must be simple to set up and disassemble and also light enough to be moved with ease. The Dewalt portable table saw is one light saw that packs quite a powerful punch. However, there are other alternatives that you can consider when you want to buy your first saw, as shown above.
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