A Table Saw Buying Guide For Beginners

Jet 3HP Cabinet Saw

A table saw is one of the essential tools in a workshop. Table saws are versatile cutting machines, ranging from small, light and portable tabletop saws, to large, kitchen table sized, quarter-ton behemoths. They’re capable of ripping 4-foot by 8-foot sheets of plywood, with a single, long and precise cut, or cutting tiny slivers of wood smaller than the thickness of a pencil all to the same identical size.

If you’re planning on upgrading your table saw, or starting to build out a new workshop, you will find the information you need to make your decision here.

The 4 Categories of Table Saws

There are 4 main categories of table saws: Jobsite, Contractor, Hybrid and Cabinet. Each one has benefits and drawbacks, but they all try to find a balance that works for their particular woodworking niche. Portability, table stability, cut accuracy, and motor power all work against each other, so each category of table saw uses a different balance of these factors.

Read more

Table Saw Kickback: Ways to Prevent it

Table saw kickback is a serious concern when using a table saw. A table saw spins the saw blade with A LOT of torque. It’s not an exaggeration to say that a table saw can kickback a large piece of wood 20 feet through a piece of sheetrock. You’ll want to stay out of harm’s way because you will be injured if that woodpiece hits you, or even grazes you. You’ll be lucky if you walk away with a bruise or a scratch.

What is Table Saw Kickback?

what table saw kickback looks like
Table saw kickback

Kickback occurs when the workpiece gets pinched or pushed back onto the backside of the saw blade. The rear of the saw blade spinning so the blade is coming up towards the ceiling. The saw blade catches the wood, drags it over the top of the saw blade and fires it like a bullet back towards the direction the saw blade is spinning. Kicked back wood can come straight back, but usually, it will come off the blade at an angle away from where your fence would be. Here are some tips to prevent kickback on a table saw.

Read more