Reply by jmichaeldesign

Portable saws have small aluminum tables and universal motors. Universal motors are lighter than inductions motors of the same power, but they are much, much louder. The cheap portable saws are useless for woodworking as far as I’m concerned. They might get the job done, but they just won’t have the repeatable precision of a full size saw. Their claims of horsepower are often over-rated.

Contractors saws were considered to be portable many years ago. The motor hangs off the back of the saw and is easily removed to lighten the load if you need to move it in and out of a truck. Not fun but doable. Contractors saws have cast iron tops, and may have cast iron wings (the left and right sides of a top). More often they have stamped steel wings. They are usually 1-1/2hp which will get the job done, but can be a bit underpowered for ripping thick pieces of hardwoods. They are the same size as cabinet saws but much lighter. On table saws weight is a good thing. It stops any vibrations which can create inaccuracy. Some contractors saws come with fences that aren’t much better than those on portable saws. Cheaper fences lock into place at the front and back of the saw, this often makes it hard to set the fence parallel to the blade every time. Nicer fences are built much beefier so that they can lock along only the front rail of the saw and have the strength not to deflect at the back of the saw when under normal pressure.

Cabinet saws have the motor inside the cabinet and have full cast iron tops (typically). The trunnions (holds the motor and arbor in place, allows the saw blade to tilt) and the arbor (the shat the blade bolts onto) are much heavier than on contractors saws resulting in higher quality cuts. Some older cabinet saws have fences that lock in front and back, but any new saw will have a good fence that locks only in front. Cabinet saws start at 3hp motors which require you to have a 220v circuit for the motor. If you can afford it, a cabinet saw is the way to go.

Hybrid saws combine contractors saws and cabinet saws. They use the smaller motor of a contractor saw, so you can run it on 110v, they are usually 1-1/2 to 2 hp. The motor is also mounted inside the cabinet of the saw. A closed cabinet helps a lot with dust collection. Hybrid saws are a great option if you want some of the features of a cabinet saw without needing to have a dedicated 220v circuit put in your shop.