Popular Woodworking 2000-11 № 118, страница 61

e careful when choosing a table saw — it's the single most important tool in the American woodshop. If you buy the wrong saw now, you will either end up paying hundreds of dollars later to get the right saw or you will abandon woodworking out of sheer frustration.

First you have to choose which type of saw to buy: a benchtop saw, contractor saw or cabinet saw. Then you have to decide which fence system you can live with and afford. Make the right decisions and your saw will give you years of enjoyment.

Benchtop Saws

Beginning woodworkers are often tempted to buy a $200 benchtop saw to see if they like woodworking and then upgrade later. For the most part, this is a bad idea.

Benchtop saws (priced $200 to $500) are designed for job-site carpenters so the saws are portable and good for rough cuts. The saws' rip fences are less adjustable and accurate than those on bigger saws, and there's almost no way to upgrade your fence.

All benchtop saws are powered by universal motors, which are noisy and not nearly as reliable as the induction motors on contractor and cabinet saws. Because the motors are bolted to the underside of the table saw's top there's a tendency for the motor and blade to flex.

The only reasons to buy a benchtop saw today is if you absolutely don't have the space for a contractor or cabinet saw. And while the top-of-the-line benchtop saws get better every year, they are as expensive as entry-level contractor saws.