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If you have a constrained space for your work shop area, you may be thinking that a big, bulky tool like a table saw is completely off the table for you.
But we are here to tell you that it is not true – there are plenty of table saws that are specifically designed for use in small shops. Read on to learn more about these saws and how they can make your table saw dreams come true.
Comparison Chart of the Best Table Saws for Small Shops
Product | Our Rating | Price |
|---|---|---|
Grizzly Industrial G1023RLWX  | Best Overall | |
Shop Fox W1819  | Runner-up | |
Delta Power Tools 36-5152  | Best for the Money | |
Milwaukee 2736-21HD  | Best Small Table Saw | |
Skilsaw SPT99-11  | Best Portable Table Saw for Fine Woodworking | |
Grizzly Industrial G0691  | Best Table Saw for Home Shop | |
Genesis GTS10SB  | Best Homeowner Table Saw | |
Skilsaw SPT70WT  | Best Table Saw for DIY |
What Makes a Table Saw Great for a Small Shop?
Space comes at a premium in any work shop – we do not know a single person who believes they have adequate space for all of their tools and all of their projects. But if you actually do work in a small shop, space is even more valuable.
You can’t afford to have a ton of different tools taking up precious real estate. That is why you should invest in a table saw. Table saws are able to serve a wide variety of different functions, so they are versatile enough to justify the space they take up.
What Size of Table Saw Do I Need?
It really depends on the size of the workpieces you intend to be working with, or the overall goal of the project you are planning on working on. First and foremost, though, you should make sure your table saw is the correct height (because your height will never vary, though your projects might).
To determine this measurement, stand with your arms loosely at your sides, and then lift up until your hands are parallel to the floor. The distance from your hands to the floor is how tall your table saw should be.
Quick Take: Best Table Saws for Small Shops
Hoping to cut right to the chase? Below are the best table saws for small shops:
- Best Overall: Grizzly Industrial G1023RLWX
- Runner-up: Shop Fox W1819
- Best for the Money: Delta Power Tools 36-5152
Review of the Best Table Saws for Small Shops
Okay, now that you understand a bit more about table saws and why they are such great options for smaller shops, let’s take a look at some of the best products on the market today:
Best Overall:
Grizzly Industrial G1023RLWX
PROS
CONS
Our Review
This saw comes with every support system you would ever need in order to understand how to use it – so if you are feeling a little skittish because you have never worked with a table saw before, never fear.
Grizzly includes three separate instruction manuals with this bad boy: one for the base saw itself, one for the saw’s fence, and one for the router extension table.
That’s right: the table expands to make this saw longer. This makes it the ideal model for working with a small workshop area. Just pop the table back in when you are done to clear some space!
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
This product will literally stand out not just from the rest of your pack, but from the rest of the items in your tool shop. And we’re not only talking about that guaranteed Grizzly quality here – we are talking about the awesome, bright green color!
Runner-up:
Shop Fox W1819
PROS
CONS
Our Review
You have a lot of options when you choose to go with this Shop Fox saw. In addition to the saw itself, you can choose to purchase an additional extender table to add some space to your work area, and you can also choose to go with a mobile base option so that your saw will be easy to transport from location to location.
Users highly recommend the mobile base in particular. Many users also stated that they were impressed with the overall quality of this saw, especially its fence, which they say is hefty enough for working with larger pieces.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
Multiple users reported that one of the most awesome things about this saw was the almost nonexistent amount of work required to get it up and running. Unlike a good number of other saws available on the market today, this saw will not require many adjustments upon arrival.
Best for the Money:
Delta Power Tools 36-5152
PROS
CONS
Our Review
This saw was impressive to us for a number of reasons. First, we could not believe how quiet its motor was, with how powerful it was able to make cuts. Second, we appreciated that the wheels on this table saw are automatically built in – not something you need to request and spend additional money on.
Finally, if you are a fan of working with cast iron in the kitchen, you will enjoy working with this saw in your workshop. Cast iron is a trustworthy and reliable material, and you will not believe how solid and sturdy the cast iron table feels on this saw.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
Wait, a saw this durable and this well made for such a low, low price? You will probably think this is a scam when you first see it, but we promise you, this deal is real. You are not going to be able to find a saw that is a better value than this Delta.
Hold up, are you interested in other topics related to table saws? If so, these might be worth checking out:
Best Small Table Saw:
Milwaukee 2736-21HD
PROS
CONS
Our Review
If you are looking for a saw that you can not only take anywhere with you, but also work with anywhere, this is the saw for you! You may be wondering, how is this possible? The answer: wheels and battery power. This table saw is super easy to transport because it can simply be wheeled around from location to location.
And because it is battery powered, you can work with it wherever you would like, not being dependent on any sort of outlet availability. And users say that the battery charges super fast, so you do not need to worry about being left in the lurch there.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
A lot of smaller table saws do not provide sufficient space for you to cut larger work pieces. This is not the case with this Milwaukee. The blade on this bad boy is set well back so that there is plenty of space for the workpiece on the table.
Best Portable Table Saw for Fine Woodworking:
Skilsaw SPT99-11
PROS
CONS
Our Review
We are honing in on this product from Skilsaw as our best option for a portable table saw for a lot of reasons, but the primary one is this: it has huge wheels! If you have ever tried to navigate a super heavy piece of power tool equipment using wheels, you know what a difference this makes.
Big wheels are able to go over cracks in the pavement, rocks, and whatever else you need to navigate to get your saw to its work site. And of course, beyond its wheels, it also has a ton of not just power, but also precision.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
It may sound mundane, but you should never underestimate the power of a good dust collection system – and this saw has it. That means that you will be able to safely operate it even within a closed workshop that does not have a lot of air ventilation.
Best Table Saw for Home Shop:
Grizzly Industrial G0691
PROS
CONS
Our Review
We were super impressed with much of the construction detail on this saw. The miter gauge is heavy and seems solidly built, yet it is still quite easy to adjust. The legs on the extension table are also adjustable, along with the knobs for adjusting the fence.
The spreader guard is quick release, as are also the splitter assembly and the riving knife. The miter fence is easy glide, as an added convenience feature. And if you want it to be mobile, you can purchase a wheel system to add on to make it more easy to transport.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
Many users reported that they were most impressed with how powerful this saw is for its size. They say that it really packs a punch, enough to rip through treated 4x4 pieces as though they are nothing. It makes nice quick cuts, as well.
Best Homeowner Table Saw:
Genesis GTS10SB
PROS
CONS
Our Review
This saw from Genesis far and above stood out from its competitors when it came time for us to choose which saw would earn our title of Best Homeowner Table Saw. Almost every single review we read talked about how awesome this saw is for do it yourself projects.
It has a lot of excellent safety features, in case you are nervous about keeping this in your garage near where your kids keep their sandbox shovels. And, it is lightweight and easy to transport, in case you move or want to bring it to a different work site.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
Users are saying that they can’t believe how accurate this saw is when it is making rip cuts, especially because Genesis is not exactly a well known woodworking tool brand. But, it is possible that Genesis has just been severely undervalued this whole time, because this saw is excellent for cutting plywood.
Best Table Saw for DIY:
Skilsaw SPT70WT
PROS
CONS
Our Review
All right, if you are looking for a smaller table saw that can go the distance for you and really make some serious rip cuts, you have got to go with this Skilsaw model. It is powered by a worm drive motor, which means it has an internal spiral gear system that moves the motor.
The motor is positioned at the exact right angle to maximize its efficiency when it transfers its power to the blade. It has an exceptional level of torque, and it is able to maintain this beast mode as it is making any kind of cut, without ever once bogging down.
What Makes This Product Stand Out?
You may think, with such a powerful motor, that you would often need to shut this saw off while you are making multiple cuts to allow the motor to cool off. But you would not be farther from the truth. This saw’s motor is specifically designed to stay cool.
Types of Table Saws Perfect for Small Shops
Are all table saws the same? No way! Table saws for smalls shops can be divided into the following categories for quickly assessing what is right for you!
Wheeled Saws
Many of the saws on this list either come with wheels already built in, or have the option to add wheels on. We would recommend going with this option if it is available. When you are working in a small shop, it is always a good idea to easily be able to move your saw out of your way if you need the space for another project.
Table Saws with Extended Tables
Again, this is pretty much a necessity if you are planning on using your table saw in a smaller space. An extender table is able to boost the space you are able to work on your project, but it can easily be retracted and put away when your project is done, in order to make space for other needs.
Smaller Table Saws
Of course, the best quality for a table saw to have when it needs to live in a small shop, is for it to be on the small side itself. As we mentioned above, many table saws that come in smaller sizes have the option to be extended, so there is really no reason to not go with a smaller version.
Conclusion
Table saws can be an asset to anyone’s workshop – even someone who does not have a lot of space to spare. Make sure you invest in a saw that will fulfill your project needs, and also minimize the amount of space it takes up in your shop area. We promise you will not be able to go wrong with any of the saws from our list above.
People Also Ask
If you have any lingering questions about table saws for small shops, we have included this section in order to help clear them up:
How Much CFM Do I Need for a Table Saw?
CFM stands for cubic feet per minute, a metric intended to measure air flow. When you are working with a table saw in an enclosed space, you need to account for the amount of sawdust and debris it produces. Most of the table saws we have discussed on our list above are about 10 in. in length, and the recommended CFM for a saw of that size is between 350 and 400.
What Can You Do With a Table Saw?
Perhaps the better way to phrase this question would be, what CAN’T you do with a table saw? Table saws, as we have discussed above, are some of the most versatile tools out there. You can use them to rip plywood sheets. You can use them to cut metal. You can use them for fine woodworking jobs. You name it, a table saw can get it done.
What Height Should A Table Saw Be?
A table saw needs to be at the appropriate height for you to not strain your back while you are working at it. This is not just a matter of comfort, it is a matter of safety – the more tense your muscles are, the less easily you will be able to react if something goes wrong.
We discussed the appropriate height for a table saw in one of our earlier sections, but the quick version is that the saw should be the height of your hands when you hold them parallel to the ground.