Best table saw 2023: Make light of large woodworking projects

Whether you’re ripping down large sheets of wood into more manageable sections, cutting mitres, bevels, joints or grooves, a table saw is a tool that will really make a difference. In fact, a large table saw may well be at the very centre of a professional woodworker's workshop, such is its versatility.

For the home DIYer, a huge cabinet saw is probably excessive, so here we’re focusing on the more compact bench-top table saws. They might lack the outright punch – and cost – of larger versions, but they’ll still make short work of long sheets of timber, giving straight, accurate cuts every time. What's more, you’ll have a fighting chance of actually fitting one in your workshop, and many are mobile enough to be carried outside for bigger jobs.

Pretty much every modern table saw will come with a range of safety features, most notably a blade guard. Look for table saws with a splitter or a riving knife: both help to prevent your workpiece kicking back and causing injury. Outside that, common sense rules apply, so always wear suitable safety equipment, use a push bar when working on smaller pieces to avoid bringing your hand close to the spinning blade, and keep clothing well away.

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There are three main types: the worktop table saw, jobsite table saw and the cabinet table saw.

For the overwhelming majority of home projects or DIY jobs, a reasonably portable worktop table saw will be ideal. But if you regularly need to cart your cutter around – if you’re cutting floorboards around a house, for example – a jobsite table saw on wheels may be the better bet. Unless you’re a pro, ripping and cutting wood all day long, you probably don't need a cabinet table saw.

A word of caution, though. Size does matter when it comes to rip capacity – the distance between the blade and the cutting fence – because that could be a limiting factor on the size of pieces you’re able to cut accurately without utilising a custom fence guide.

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The simple answer is yes; the more helpful answer is that it depends on what you’re cutting. Generally speaking, you’ll pay more for the extra power, which will be a waste if you only ever cut down plywood or the occasional length of decking, so something in the 800-1,000 watt range should be fine. Of course, if you’re cutting tougher wood such as oak or teak, or you’re cutting thicker pieces, then more power is better. And remember, the faster a table saw's blade spins, the cleaner the cut you can expect.

As well as looking at the size of blade a table saw has, it's worth looking at what it's best suited to. Choosing the correct blade for ripping (with the grain), crosscuts (across the grain) will ensure a cleaner cut. Combination blades can do both; what they often lose in outright cut quality, they gain in convenience – changing blades frequently can be a pain.

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Price: £90 | Buy now from Amazon

As a compact, low-cost table saw, the Einhell is pretty much unbeatable. It's the saw to choose for the compact workshop or the hobbyist looking to take their first steps, and offers a good degree of portability. It measures a little over 50 x 37cm, and has helpful storage for the cable and push stick.

It's ideal for lightweight work, and is well suited to woods and fibreboard up to 45mm in thickness when cutting at 90 degrees, and up to 27mm at 45 degrees, while the 800-watt motor has overload protection should you push the saw too hard. The angle of tilt is adjusted by turning a knob on the front, and there's a handy scale for increased accuracy, while a splitter behind the carbide cutting blade should help to prevent kickback.

An adjustable parallel stop ensures accurate cuts, while an angle stop can be moved between +/-60 degrees, and the dust extraction outlet seals the deal on an impressively priced, yet capable, table saw.

Key specs – Weight: 11kg; Power : 800W; Cutting depth: 45mm (90˚); Blade speed : 2,950rpm; Tilt angle: 45˚; Blade diameter: 20cm; Accessories included : 45-degree stop, parallel stop, carbide blade, push stick, blade changing tool

Price: £309 | Buy now from Amazon

Multipurpose is the name of the game with the Evolution RAGE5. Despite its heft, it's easily portable around the workshop or job site with a collapsible frame on wheels that looks a little like a sack barrow when folded. But best of all is its large Japanese tungsten-carbide-tipped blade, which will cut ferrous and non-ferrous metal, plus plastic and wood, even with embedded nails – yet despite its rugged nature, it's equally suited to cutting thinner workpieces.

It will cut bevels at up to 45 degrees, at which angle it will work to an impressive 58mm. At 90 degrees its cut depth is 83mm and can be adjusted through 80mm; happily, the 1.8mm-thick riving knife adjusts up and down as well, to reduce the chances of kickback. And with a 605mm rip capacity to the right of the blade and 305mm to the left, it's capable of cutting down some pretty large sheets.

Key specs – Weight: 28.5kg; Power : 1,500W; Cutting depth: 83mm (90˚); Blade speed : 2,500rpm; Tilt angle: 45˚; Blade diameter: 22.5cm; Accessories included : Dust extraction hose, riving knife, adjustable rip fence, push stick, blade changing spanners

Price: £500 | Buy now from Amazon

There's a reason that so many professionals use Makita tools: they’re well-specced and feel pretty much unstoppable. That alone justifies the MLT100/2's not insignificant price. But a 91mm cutting depth at 90 degrees and 63mm at 45 degrees, a mighty 4,300rpm non-load speed and an electric brake that cuts down the time taken for the blade to stop all combine to form an impressive package.

Unlike the other saws, which can be moved around easily, the heavyweight Makita needs to be bolted down to a workbench, meaning you’ll need space around it to cut larger workpieces. Assuming you have the room, the Makita will provide accurate cuts time and time again. The bevel angle operates easily, but there's a solid locking function, and there are large extension tables left, right and rear. Best of all, though, is the feeling of solidity; the Makita feels as though it could last forever.

Key specs – Weight: 34.1kg; Power : 1,500W; Cutting depth: 91mm (90˚); Blade speed : 4,300rpm; Tilt angle: 45˚; Blade diameter: 22.5cm; Accessories included : Triangular rule, rip fence, blade-changing wrench, push stick, mitre gauge