I have recently become interested in woodworking and am looking for a table saw. What are your opinions (I know y'all have one or two) on a good table saw for beginners that won't break the bank?

I've looked into this question a lot the past 6 months.

Best bang for your buck is this Delta 10 inch. $599 at lowes. For ~$400 you can get a nice delta jobsite saw, but you lack the size to rib a big sheet easily, and you still have to source a base.

Pro's
large surface to rip from plywood sheets
You can run dado blades
can add dust collection, albeit small
120V plug (make sure breaker is 20A).
Has a base built in that is mobile.
Has a biesemeyer style fence

Con's
You need to make sure you have a 20A circuit, otherwise reliability of the motor is reportedly poor.
If you're space limited, this thing is large.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/DELTA-Contractor-Saws-10-in-Carbide-Tipped-Blade-15-Amp-Table-Saw/1001385562

Sidenote, I finally found a big contactor cabinet saw with Biesemeyer fence that I purchased from an action site that I found for a similar price.

I bought this one a few years ago for a My First Table Saw

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-10-in-Carbide-tipped-Blade-15-Amp-Portable-Table-Saw/1001072040

It's ok. Decent value for the price. My dad has a giant Craftsman he's had for 50 years that is his workhorse but this generally serves my needs well enough and is easy enough to pull out for jobs. I need to replace the miter Guage on it.

Dewalt 10" job site saw. EOT.

I researched this FOREVER before getting my first table saw. Was in your same shoes. This Dewalt has been fantastic for 8 years now, and I run a small woodworking biz in my garage. Have made sleds and jigs for it, and this Dewalt does it all without taking up huge space in the garage or pocket book. The fence is the best on the market for a saw this size and budget.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-15-Amp-Corded-10-in-Compact-Job-Site-Table-Saw-with-Site-Pro-Modular-Guarding-System-DW745/100497987

Thanks.....I'll give these a look. Don't wanna spend an arm and a leg, but don't wanna by junk either. This is a big help

There is a Rigid saw for sale now at Home Depot. I agree with cupofjoe's assessment of the Dewalt jobsite saw but the price may make the rigid saw a good start.

In typical OB fashion, I'll be that guy. Get a cabinet saw. Grizzly makes good ones for a good price. Buy once, cry once.

Dogdoc said:

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In typical OB fashion, I'll be that guy. Get a cabinet saw. Grizzly makes good ones for a good price. Buy once, cry once.

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This ^ If you're really serious about working with wood spend the money for a good cabinet saw. You will eventually get tired of a contractors saw.....no size and no weight. Buying cheap and replacing to save $ is kind of like docking a puppy dog's tail one inch at a time so it doesn't hurt as much... jmho

One thing you could try. This is what I did. Found an old delta saw on a resell site (marketplace, Craigslist). And tune it up and fix it. Mine was rusted like hell on the cast iron tops. But with elbow grease and time it looks new. I took it completely apart and cleaned and rebuilt it. Was a fun project.

Good advice here, if you've got the space and a 220V feed. In my experience, 2 things make or break a saw. A heavy cast iron top will damp vibration and keep if from jumping around, and a good fence will make sure you can rip accurately. You'll want to build a sled for cross cutting however you go.

If portability (or 110V) is key, lots of folks like the Dewalt 10" jobsite saw above. If not, I'd try to find a used cabinet saw. Be sure to add a riving knife if you go that direction.

That being said, I did the same trade earlier this year and ended up with a 3HP SawStop Professional.

I've been contemplating the same. I have looked at the rigid contractors saw several times, and it is on the cheap right now. I have not pulled the trigger, because of this:

https://www.sawstop.com/table-saws/by-model/jobsite-saw

It's $1050 more than the rigid, but that is easily less than the cost of losing a finger.

My buddy has the dewalt 10inch and really likes it.

Big question should be: what do you want to use it for ?

I can't imagine a 110v is going to be able to spin a dado stack well.

Space is the other big concern. Jet, Delta, Powermatic, sawtooth, all make cabinet saws. You can also build in a router setup into the side wing and add a rolling base, you can add storage underneath. Essentially make it a multi tool rig.

I can't park my suv in the garage because my table saw and brewing rig eat up that space (1/5 of the garage). But I won't get rid of either. I restored a 1970's powermatic 66.

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I was going to purchase the Dewalt, but was looking on Facebook Marketplace today and found the Sawstop Jobsite Pro that Tugboat05 mentioned for $1000. It was purchased in May and barely had any scratches. An old retired Air Force pilot had it, but didn't use it (has a cabinet Sawstop he uses). I purchased this table saw.

The newer Harbor Freight brand reportedly gets really good reviews. 5 years or more ago you wouldn't touch their saws but now that's changing. Of course, some may not want to buy Chinese products and I understand that.

With their safety features and the inherent dangers of table saws in general, Saw Stops are hard to beat.

rintintin221 said:

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Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I was going to purchase the Dewalt, but was looking on Facebook Marketplace today and found the Sawstop Jobsite Pro that Tugboat05 mentioned for $1000. It was purchased in May and barely had any scratches. An old retired Air Force pilot had it, but didn't use it (has a cabinet Sawstop he uses). I purchased this table saw.

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Great find! Love to hear a review of it sometime! You won't regret this investment.

Go green. Go Grizzly. Great starter table that'll handle your growth and when you're ready to or need to step up, they hold resale value.

https://www.grizzly.com/products/grizzly-10-3-hp-240v-cabinet-table-saw/g1023rl?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI0K7dpI297QIVmubjBx0XWANWEAQYAiABEgJGDfD_BwE