If budget is the limiting factor, look to a good used saw, as opposed to buying a new saw that has little potential down the road. Craigslist, Ebay, and the used classifieds on woodworking sites can often yield an excellent saw for a reasonable cost. Older, full-size contractor saws are plentiful in the used market. It is very common to see a used American-made Ridgid or Craftsman contractor saw in the $100-$200 that could be ready to go with a new blade and very little effort. The fences on the old Craftsman saws were pretty poor, but fence upgrades can be added at a later time as funds allow. Thanks to the wonders of the Sawstop flesh sensing technology, many people upgradingand selling their used saws. This is a great time to find a good used industrial cabinet saw at a good price. Just beware that you will likely need 240v operation if the motor is more than 2hp.
New full-size saws tend to start just north of $500. Sale prices and coupons can drop the price further. I’ve read of several cases where a store has honored a Harbor Freight 20% competitor’s coupon, which can bring entry level full size saws like the Ridgid R4512 or Craftsman 21833 down in the $425-$450 range. You’ll have to decide if you’d rather have a new saw with warranty and modern features like a riving knife, or if you’d rather buy more something used, but with more power per dollar. New cabinet saws tend to start near $1300. Regardless of which type you end up with, the end performance is largely determined by proper setup and good blade selection, so take your time with the alignment and setup, and buy a quality blade. Good blades tend to start right around $30….if that’s all that’s in your blade budget, I’d buy one decent general purpose blade as opposed to a two-pack of cheaper blades, but it really depends on what you plan to do.
Thanks to woodworkers at the Wood Talk Online Forum who supplied the photos for the table saw article. Here is a gallery with several pictures I received showing different setups that woodworkers have with their table saws.