Portable Table Saw Recommendations

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  • twistsol
    Veteran Member
    • Dec 2002
    • 2893
    • Cottage Grove, MN, USA.
    • Ridgid R4512, 2x ShopSmith Mark V 520, 1951 Shopsmith 10ER

    Portable Table Saw Recommendations

    At the risk of starting a holy war, can anyone recommend a good table saw that is easy to get in and out of a truck. I seem to be doing a lot more on site work and need something I can easily take with me. I won't say that money is no object, but cost isn't a major concern.

    I have a Festool TS-75 and with the MFT/3 it does most everything, but narow rips for trim are a pain and error prone with the tracksaw.

    I've looked at the Bosch 4100 and didn't really like the fence. I guess I was spoiled by the BT fence and my current Incra TS-LS.

    Has anyone used the Triton workcenter with the conttrator saw insert, or even seen one in the wild? I think that could be a decent option and give me a portable router table as well assuming it is any good. I'm please with the Triton router I have but I have no other experience with their products.
    Chr's
    __________
    An ethical man knows the right thing to do.
    A moral man does it.
  • capncarl
    Veteran Member
    • Jan 2007
    • 3564
    • Leesburg Georgia USA
    • SawStop CTS

    #2
    I can't speak from experience on the saws you mentioned, but the craftsman bt3 saw that I had was absolutely great for getting in and out of the truck. It would practically do it by itself. Whichever saw you decide on, make sure it is really easy on your back to load and unload.
    capncarl

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    • cwsmith
      Veteran Member
      • Dec 2005
      • 2737
      • NY Southern Tier, USA.
      • BT3100-1

      #3
      I have a BT31001 and so naturally when I wanted a portable (mobile), I went with a Ryobi BTS21... mostly because it too has a SMT. But like almost everything with the Ryobi name on it, that model is no longer in production. They still make a mobile unit though (albeit without the SMT) which has a folding carriage and is of similar build quality as my BTS21. Not exactly something you can pick-up and heft into the back of a pick-up, but I use a home-made ramp to get mine in and out of my van with great ease.

      CWS
      Think it Through Before You Do!

      Comment

      • JimD
        Veteran Member
        • Feb 2003
        • 4187
        • Lexington, SC.

        #4
        The DeWalt gets good reviews, the fence is rack and pinon. I have an old Ryobi with a bad fence. But it is very light and for a few cuts, the weight is more important than the bad fence.

        Comment

        • garymuto
          Established Member
          • Aug 2007
          • 194
          • Encinitas, CA
          • Delta Cabinet Saw

          #5
          I bought The Bosch 4100 because I liked the Rip Fence. I always make sur to bias the outfeed away from the blade but It has very little play. The Dewalt seemed Rock solid but I was concerned about being able to adjust the reack adn pinion assembly if it ever needed it.

          BTW the Bosch supposedly allows you to adjsut the top separate from the blade like a cabinet saw. Once I read that I was sold. When I got the saw it needed no adjsutment so I'm not sure how easy it is to adjsut the top/miter slots to the blade.

          Comment

          • leehljp
            Just me
            • Dec 2002
            • 8429
            • Tunica, MS
            • BT3000/3100

            #6
            In helping a few low income and disabled home owners that were flooded 18months ago - by adding in flooring or in some cases finishing a spare rooms that were never finished, I got tired of hauling my BT3100 and my 12 inch Makita sliding dual miter saw in my 4x8 trailer behind my car. Getting a gift of $200 for helping another fellow, I bought the Ryobi RTS 21G two months ago to take with me in the back seat of my car. It is light weight and easy to set up. Cuts reasonably well and the fence locks well also. Did I mention that it is light weight and can be handled by a 70 year old with a bad back? It won't stand up to normal contractors work in construction but works well for occasional one day room projects or 1200 sq ft flooring projects.

            The two drawback is the saw dust goes everywhere and it is noisy. While I have my BT3000 on a Bosch gravity rise stand, the RTS21 is easy to pick up and take somewhere. It has a detachable folding stand. I would have have bought this 10 or 15 years ago but at 70, choice making changes for what one can handle.

            RTS21G: http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ryobi-10-...S21G/205503644

            I did buy a Diablo 40T thin kerf blade to use and it cut very smoothly.

            This does not replace my BT3000 but I don't intend for it to do that, however for quick jobs, the RTS allows me to take it on the spur of the moment anywhere.
            Last edited by leehljp; 10-15-2017, 09:29 PM.
            Hank Lee

            Experience is what you get when you don't get what you wanted!

            Comment

            • jabe
              Senior Member
              • Apr 2006
              • 566
              • Hilo, Hawaii
              • Ryobi BT3000 & Delta Milwaukee 10" tilting Table circular saw

              #7
              Check out the Concord Carpenter Tool Box Buzz, they had a comprehensive review of portable job site table saws. The Hitachi C10RJ won. I bought the Sears Ryobi clone with the folding stand, I put my BT 3000 on it and put the craftsman on the BT 3 stand b/c the craftsman had longer rails than the BT. Loading/unloading the saw wasn't hard.

              Comment

              • tosimon
                Handtools only
                • Oct 2021
                • 2

                #8
                In helping a few low income and disabled home owners that were flooded 18months ago - by adding in flooring or in some cases finishing a spare room that was never finished, I got tired of hauling my BT3100 and my 12 inch Makita sliding best hybrid table saw in my 4x8 trailer behind my car. Getting a gift of $200 for helping another fellow, I bought the Ryobi RTS 21G two months ago to take with me in the back seat of my car. It is lightweight and easy to set up. Cuts reasonably well and the fence locks well also. Did I mention that it is light weight and can be handled by a 70 year old with a bad back? It won't stand up to normal contractors work in construction but works well for occasional one day room projects or 1200 sq ft flooring projects.

                Comment

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