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Frustrated trying to find a decent jobsite table saw, just go with masterforce?

13K views 19 replies 15 participants last post by  Josha 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
Hi, Im new here. I have been doing allot more handyman / carpentry work this summer (still.a side job, but thinking about going full time) and the need for a jobsite table saw has become pretty clear. it will be used pretty regularly and needs to be reliable.

I started out doing some reserch on amazon and the best reviewed and featured saw seemed to be the dewalt with the integrated rolling stand. I liked the extended rip capacity, rack and pinion fence, and more stable stand design vs the gravity rise ones. however there was a pretty solid number of one star reviews that said their saw had a warped table.

https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-DWE7491RS-10-Inch-Jobsite-Capacity/dp/B00F2CGXGG

hoping that it was just an uncommon issue i bought one at a big box store on sale. got it home, put the level on it and sure enough it was quite warped, about a 1/8" bow diagonally across the table. took it back, and said I would accept an exchange if i could examine the new saw first, so they were nice enough to pull the ones they had down and let me take them out of the box and check them. one of them was warped similar to the original saw, and one was better but dipped down on one side of the throat plate so that i could slide about 4 sheets of paper under it with the level on it.

discouraged, i went to look at a number of jobsite saws at various big box stores, bosch, makita, skill, etc, and they were ALL warped equally bad. I have yet to look at the jet because its not avalable at most places, but its allot more expensive too.

I hate to spend good money on a clearly flawed product, but it seems i may have no choice if i want a portable saw. I did look at the masterforce saw at menards, and although it was similarly warped, it was quite a bit less expensive and looked like a better featured copy of the dewalt. same rack and pinion fence, extended capacity, and stable rolling stand, plus an additional outfeed table. So i was leaning twards just taking my chances with that saw because they all seem to be pretty crappy, and may be verry similar in quality with the only difference being paying a couple hundred more for the name.

https://www.menards.com/main/tools-hardware/power-tools-accessories/power-saws-accessories/masterforce-reg-10-jobsite-table-saw/p-1444436497546.htm

any opinions on what i should do? is there a solid used saw i should be looking for? any experience with other brands?

thanks
 
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#4 ·
If, instead of measuring the flatness of the Dewalt saw, you had measured its ability to cut square and rip uniformly, you would probably have found that the warpage was irrelevant. Even the best premium level table saws have more tolerance in the flatness specification than you would expect. Reason? If you revisit your high school trigonometry and calculate the error produced by the lack of flatness, you may find that the warpage will produce an error in the cut that isn't even close to the error you are likely to introduce just by imperfect sawing technique or lack of material flatness.

I agree with Aj that Bosch is about as good as it gets, but I wouldn't shy away from the Dewalt either.
 
#6 · (Edited by Moderator)
I'd stick with the Bosch, Ridgid, or DW, unless you want to spring for the Saw Stop. (I haven't looked at the Makita, but they do make some good tools)

ArtMann's point is very valid. Depending on where the deviation is located, it might not make a detectable difference.
 
#8 ·
I can't guarantee it but I suspect the warped
tables won't affect cut quality much.

You do have other options. You can get a
small tilt-top cast iron table saw and use
that. You can invest in a track saw system
like the ez-smart, which does most things
a table saw can do. You could use any old
used portable table saw and build a Jimmy
Jig for it.

I used a cheap Skil portable table saw for
many years. I don't remember if the table
was warped or not but it wouldn't surprise
me if it were. It ripped just fine and the
miter gauge was lame. In doing jobsite
work I used a miter saw for all my crosscuts.
 
#9 ·
thanks for all the responses! I forgot to mention that I did throw a square on these saws.as well, and the ones with a dip around the throat (usually different on each side) were as you might expect off square on both sides of the blade different amounts, sometimes out a few digrees. the ones with a consistant hump in the table seemed to be the most true for the blade, but these were also the most warped.

aparently dewalts spec.for out of.flat on this saw is .05", so i will mabey bring a feeler gauge and see what the actual numbers are, although i know that about4 out of 5 saws i tested were beyond this by quite a bit.

my concern with the saws that have a hump in the middle or more accurately a diagonal hump or twist in most cases, is that with wider boards the cut would vary as it followed the contours.
 
#11 ·
Have to agree with MrUnix on this one. Jobsite saws were designed with the intention of doing contractor type basic framing, general all around cuts. A cabinet saw was designed for more intricate and accurate cutting. I realize that space is limited and mobility and weight are all factors. But it is a stretch to expect the same results and standards from a labeled jobsite saw verses a cabinet or even contractors saw with cast iron tops. Even so with some attention to detail and good jigs you can make do with a jobsite saw for a long time. Know I did before I got a Delta Contractors saw with added cast iron tables.
 
#13 ·
Hi Josha
Welcome to Ljs
I bought the Dewalt a year ago I really like the Rack & Pinion Fence System it's dead on, to me fences are more important than if the tables that are not quite flat, these are job site saws, not high-end cabinet saws.
 
#20 · (Edited by Moderator)
thanks for the imput everyone. i ended up getting that used ridgid TS2400. I paid too much ($280) but i couldnt resist because it is a much better put together saw than all of the new ones i was looking at, and its tolerances are much tighter. the saw is in decent shape with some scraches and is missing the guard

looks like they do (or did) make accurate jobsite table saws! the table is flat to less than .005" (my smallest feeler gauge) everywhere except one diagonal spot to the left back of the throat plate thats out .009". the miter slots are square, parallell, and consistantly .754" wide (all the newer saws seem to have metric slots). the fence is straight to less than .005". im impressed by the heft and build quality of the saw overall. the miter gauge is mostly steel and accurate, although its a tiney bit loose. I probably dont need the accuracy for most of what ill be using it for, but its nice to know its there when i need it. I dont really like the stand, however menards has a nice one verry similar to the new dewalt for not that much.

thanks again for everyones imput and especially papadan for recomending the ridgid!
 
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