# Are better portable table saws any good at hobby cabinet making?



## wjaceh (Sep 2, 2012)

Hi Guys,

I need a bit of advice.
I'm planning to buy some kind on table saw. 
Serious stationary saws are off the budget.

I need it mostly to make cabinets for a hobby.
Max budget is around 1000EUR. And for that I could get a Bosch GTS XC 10 Professional or similar.

My question is:
Is that type/class of saw any good for the accuracy needed for cabinet making or is it a waste of money.

Cheers,
wjaceh


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

The better portables like the Bosch are capable of good accuracy once setup well and fitted with a suitable blade, but aside from portability, the portables have no other significant advantages over a good full size stationary saw. If you don't need portability, I'd look for a full size stationary saw. In the states, a saw like the Bosch is similarly priced to entry level full size stationary saw like the Ridgid R4512 ($529), Craftsman 21833, or Porter Cable PCB270TS. Are there any used saws in your area?


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## wjaceh (Sep 2, 2012)

Thank you for the good hints knotscott.

I don't need the portability on the saw.
Unfortunately I live in a micro state called Estonia and as the specific market is so small here, the variety of machines to choose from is non-exsistant. Maybe the professionals know the right firms to order from, but I don't.

The saw on your picture is exactly the type that I would like to have. I try to look if any of the companies listed by you have distributors in Estonia. I guess they don't have anything in stock, but can order something hopefully.
My current choices so far have been the Makita top models or the Bosch mentioned before or already 1500-3000EUR benches that actually cost 700EUR in Italy and aren't worth anything. And those already need 400V or so. I have 230V.

Is your Ridgid bench something you could recommend?


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## ToddN84 (Aug 1, 2011)

I just bought the rigid pictured above the other day at Home Depot and you cant beat it for the price.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

The Bosch, Ridgid, and DeWalt are often considered the best portable jobsite saws in the US......dunno if what we have here are the same saws that would be available to you in Estonia.


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## GeorgeC (Jul 30, 2008)

knotscott said:


> The better portables like the Bosch are capable of good accuracy once setup well and fitted with a suitable blade, but aside from portability, the portables have no other significant advantages over a good full size stationary saw. If you don't need portability, I'd look for a full size stationary saw. In the states, a saw like the Bosch is similarly priced to entry level full size stationary saw like the Ridgid R4512 ($529), Craftsman 21833, or Porter Cable PCB270TS. Are there any used saws in your area?
> 
> View attachment 51312


There is another MAJOR advantage other than portability. That advantage is space needed for storage.

A friend of mine who is an excellent woodworker sold all of his major tools some years back. He is the one who got me started in woodworking when he lived across the street.

He went some years without any major tools. Then he moved here and wanted to get back into wood working on a more limited basis. He has since made several major pieces of furniture using a portable Craftsman saw. The quality of his work did not suffer.

In this phase of his life his garage is full time devoted to being a garage so his tools had to store out of the way.

George


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

Welcome to the forum. It's nice to have lots of nations represented here. Anyway, all I can do is parrot what the people above have already told you. I personally own a ridgid jobsite saw. I love it, and it's actually extremely accurate. I can shave a paper thin slice down the entire length of a board. But if I had the room, I would rather have a full sized saw. No matter what you get though, get a good blade for it. That will make all the difference.
--Matt


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## PSDkevin (Dec 18, 2010)

Be careful and at least get one that has a standard miter slot. Some of those dont. This will kill you on available accessories.


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## wjaceh (Sep 2, 2012)

It seems that no one is selling the Ridgid tables in Estonia or nearby.
Only the Ridgid pipe tools range.

Now I try to find out where in EU I can buy one.

I have some questions about the Ridgid R4512 though:
1) How loose is the mitter gauge?
2) Is the scale only in imperial units or in metrics also?

Cheers


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## Domer (Mar 23, 2008)

Have you considered a track saw instead of a table saw. Those small portable table saws are pretty dangerous for anything but cutting small items. 

A track saw and a router will do most anything a table saw will do. Obviously, not as conveniently or as fast as a table saw. 

After the lawsuit against Riobi in the US last year, my guess is that in a few years, you will not be able to buy any of the table top table saws.


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## wjaceh (Sep 2, 2012)

Domer said:


> Have you considered a track saw instead of a table saw. Those small portable table saws are pretty dangerous for anything but cutting small items.
> 
> A track saw and a router will do most anything a table saw will do. Obviously, not as conveniently or as fast as a table saw.
> 
> After the lawsuit against Riobi in the US last year, my guess is that in a few years, you will not be able to buy any of the table top table saws.


Actually I do have a track saw and discovered it's limits in making small accurate cuts. That's why I started to look at the table saws in the first place. I have the Makita SP6000K.

And I have the router as well. The Makita RP2300_FCX_.

I know nothing about the Riobi case. Do you have any quick links?

Also about the Ridgid: How inflexible/rigid the stand is?
My father has one cheap Riobi table and he warned me that it was so light that the table moved away even with light material.


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## haugerm (Nov 19, 2009)

Domer said:


> Those small portable table saws are pretty dangerous for anything but cutting small items.


I totally disagree with that statement. I can't speak for any of the cheapies (ryobi, skill, evolve, the lower end craftsman) but a quality built jobsite saw (such as sold by bosch, dewalt, ridgid, etc) is no more dangerous than any other saw. 

Bear in mind that any device created for the sole purpose of cutting through a hard material has the potential to be dangerous. This includes track saws, table saws, band saws, routers, jointers, jig saws, drills, hand chisels, hand saws... the list goes on. Understand how to use the devise for its intended purpose, use a good blade, pay attention, don't do anything stupid. Do these things and you'll be fine. 

That ryobi lawsuit is a whole different animal. Don't let it scare you off if a table saw is what you really want.
--Matt


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## Dave Paine (May 30, 2012)

You can achieve accuracy with the smaller portable saws.

They will be limited in the cutting capacity. This may be the challenge with your desire to make cabinets. You may need wider cutting capacity than a small saw allows.

The Bosch saw in your original post has cutting capacities up to 635 mm (25in) to the right and 250 mm to the left (almost 10 in) of the saw blade

You can make rough cuts with e.g., a circular saw, but you will likely want to make final cuts on the table saw.

If the fence does not allow sufficient cutting width, you want to look for another saw.

The Ryobi lawsuit mentioned included a person who removed the fence to make a free hand cut and had a kick back and lost some fingers. I am not sure if this was due to the fence not allowing the person to make the width of cut desired. 

Whatever saw you get, I would recommend some method to support your pieces on the outfeed side of the table saw.

I have a full size table saw, but frequently want to cut pieces which are longer than my table saw top. I added a permanent outfeed table so that I can rip up to 8 foot long boards and have them supported behind the blade.

If you get a portable saw, the depth of support behind the blade will be short. So you need to either add rollers, or another cabinet to support the pieces.


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## Develin (Oct 1, 2012)

Evolution table saws are great. Mostly because of the blade... The cut I get on mine is so fine that I only have to sand it and it's ready to finish. No planing necessary... Very nice saws... Even better still, their professional table saw comes in at about 1/3 of your budget =]

... And it folds away, and you can cut sheet metals with it and plastics... and steel (if it's not too thick)... So yeah, it basically does everything and the guides are very accurate on mine and it even has a crosscut sled built in... It's also easy to set and it is quieter than one of my old saws. Mine doesn't live in the workshop though, I take it out to sites with me


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## jschaben (Apr 1, 2010)

wjaceh said:


> Hi Guys,
> 
> I need a bit of advice.
> I'm planning to buy some kind on table saw.
> ...


Not knowing what options you have in Estonia, it is difficult to make a specific recommendation. Bosch is highly regarded world wide though so I would say your selection is a good one. As far as capacity goes, you could just build a workstation to hold the saw and extend the side tables to accommodate the sizes needed. :smile:


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