Craftsman Professional series #315.218290 Tablesaw with folding stand.

This is my personal review of my Craftsman saw listed above. I work out of a two car garage that I need to park two vehicles in, so I need a saw that is light and portable, and that leaves a small footprint when stored. About a year ago I literally burned up my old Rockwell tablesaw and went on the hunt for a new one. Brands like Bosch, Makita and Rigid weren’t readily available to see, touch and examine…and Sears had this one “on sale” for $350.00. There was a Dewalt saw next to it that I did compare to. The salesman told me (maybe it was his sales pitch) that this model was designed by former Delta engineers trying to create a more compact and portable saw. I was also checking out the other saws too and he didn’t offer any “pitch” towards those.

I like this saw. When stored it sticks out 2’ from the wall and weighs 110 lbs. The wheels are hard rubber and the stand works with ease, unfolding with one toe. When set up, the saw is very stable on this stand. There are adjustable leveling feet too.The motor runs on 120vac at 15 amps and developes a no-load speed of 4800/min. The blade arbor is 5/8” and uses a 10” blade. It is also driven by 2 belts. I have ripped several lengths of maple (using a Freud Diablo blade) with no slowing noted. It is quite powerful. The blade is enclosed into a cast aluminum shroud that has a 2 1/2” exaust port on the rear for shopvac hookup.

The Pros: What impressed me the most is that all the accessories and jigs are built in. This saw will cut 30” to the left or right of the blade. It will cut panels up to 22” wide on the miter sled. It will cut compound miters. The fence has a sight window that has remained accurate since I originally set the unit up. The router table and miter sled can be used on either side of the blade and come off very easily, without tools. Blade changeing is simple with the two wrenches provided. One of these slides into a groove, locking the arbor, allowing for one handed blade changes. It also has a rack and pinion gearing which allow for easy blade height and angle adjustments. The fence is held by friction clamps and I haven’t had it move at all. There are other accessories that clamp to this fence allowing it’s use for the router table as well. There is a switchable outlet on the right side which allows the power switching of the router too. The riving knife, anti-kickback pawls and blade guard are easily changed by loosening two nuts behind the blade. The wrenches are provided. There is a storage area on the left side for extra blades and the provided wrenches. The instruction book is very through and includes mechanical diagrams and parts lists for the entire unit. It’s also made in Taiwan…now noted for it’s better quality control today.

The Cons: (1)Setting the saw up (out of the box) takes a little patience, but once set, it stays right on. Like I previously stated, the friction clamps need to be adjusted so that they clamp tightly. I was routing a dado in a board and ended up with a crooked groove because the router table had moved, not the fence! (2)The switch is located under and to the right. You have to “look” to find it. (3)The provided blade is a 36 tooth carbide unit from China. I haven’t used it yet. I might never. (4)The table surface is coated with a teflon type paint. Although slippery, is can be scratched. (5)Accessories like a zero clearance throat plate are listed, but unavailable. (6) The accessory power outlet has only one outlet, either for the saw motor or for the router motor. I’d like to see two outlets so that I can switch on the shopvac as well. (7) And this is the worst! This saw fits easily into the back of my son’s truck! Guess I harbor some reservations about my baby (saw, not son) leaving the shop!

I would recommend this unit to anyone with a small shop or storage problems. I would also recommend it for jobsite contracting, but abusive employees can damage it easily.

-- Bob Vila would be so proud of you!