This is the same saw we have in the PM shop, so we can vouch for it. We also liked its electric brake that brings its blade to a stop in a fraction of the time that other saws blades are stopped merely by the drag created by their direct drive with the motor.

You also get a soft start that ramps up motor speed slowly, increasing motor life in the process, and oversize rip capacity-33 inches to the right of the blade and a slide-out outfeed support (no, it’s not as much support as a dedicated outfeed roller, but it’s still good).

But you get more for your money than versatility. If you plunk down the extra money (a little less than $300) for both the battery and adapter, you have one of the most versatile saws in the industry, with the capability to be operated anywhere. As shown, the saw is equipped with neither the adapter nor the battery figure the cost of the adapter, battery, or both into your purchase. You can operate it on either 120 volts with an adapter or a 36-volt battery designed for the saw (and other Metabo power tools). The Metab0-HPT was a 2020 Tool Awards winner, as the first 10-inch saw to cross the multi-voltage threshold. $599 at Lowe's $599 at Walmart Credit: Courtesy Nothing will cut as well or as safely as a blade designed specifically for one job. But to invest in blades is to invest in workmanship and safety. The total cost of your blade assortment will likely add up to as much or more than the saw itself. So you need several more blades to ensure that you can readily cut with and across the grain in hardwood, softwood, and plywood. Chances are pretty good that the machine will come with an inexpensive general-purpose blade that can rip and crosscut, but won’t do either one particularly well. Therefore, you need a selection of blades to help the saw reach its potential. A blade designed for rough-but-fast cuts in solid wood is a very different blade than one that will leave a perfectly chip-free edge on a piece of hardwood plywood. No single blade will handle all types of lumber and all types of cuts. Also, many of these machines have either a slide-out table extension or a fence extension mechanism (or both) that increases the saw's support area, enabling you to cut to the center of a 4-foot wide sheet of plywood. Scroll down to our table saw explainer at the end of this article. Ripping and crosscutting unclear to you? That’s okay. That big blade is backed up with a big motor, typically running on 12 to 15 amps, so you’ve got enough power to do basic ripping and crosscutting in hardwood, softwood, and plywood. The vast majority of these saws are equipped with a 10-inch blade that provides more than enough height above the table to cut thick lumber. Take it wherever the work is inside the house or outside to keep dust and noise in the yard.

Dewalt cordless table saw