A good table saw is the workhorse of any shop and can make or break the outcome of your workpiece. A table saw has simple configuration, it is basically a Circular saw blade that spins up from the table which has a blade mounted on an arbor, driven by saw motor. The height of the blade is adjustable to the needs of your cutting depth. Table saws can be used for straight cutting and miter joints, ripping boards, joinery, and making groves and cutouts (using Dado blades). Whatever you use a table saw for, features to look for in a saw are as important as purchasing the right saw for your needs. Whatever your needs happen to be, the consensus is that the single most important feature in a table saw is that it cut accurately.

Five (5) features to look for when purchasing a table saw include:
1. Caste iron table top for cabinet saws
2. Accurate Fence with view finder
3. Extension wing parallel to blade
4. Easily adjustable for angle cuts.
5. Precision adjustment

What kind of table saw you need depends upon your budget and whether you need the table saw to be portable. A 15amp contractors saw is the most popular table saw sold. It can be moved from jobsites easily, especially if it comes with a table saw stand that has wheels and folds up like the Makita 2704. The Makita 2704 is a good example of a extremely versatile, high quality 10 inch table saw. It features a right extension table which allows you to rip 4 x 8 sheets of plywood. The Makita 2704 has an aluminum die cast, precision machined table top that remains flat and true for out of the box accuracy. It also has a large cutting capacity (3-5/8 inch at 90° and 2-1/2 inch at 45°) and a powerful 15 Amp motor that delivers 4800 RPM. Most importantly, I like that the Makita 2704 has a large on and off switch and easy to read scale for fast adjustments. The saw has complete onboard storage capacity to hold most commonly used accessories including saw blade, power supply cord, miter gauge, rip fence, push stick, wrench, safety guard and dado blade. If you want a contractors saw that has the quality of a cabinet saw but is portable, we find the Makita 2704 is a good option.

Bosch also makes a 10 inch worksite table saw that has a very convenient gravity rise wheeled stand. The Bosch 4009-09 has the largest table top in its class. I measured it at 29 inch x 21-1/2 inches, enough room to easily handle larger stock. With a precision rip fence and patented "Square-lock" technology, the Bosch 4009-09 provides precision accuracy with every cut. Other features that I noticed to be unique to the Bosch 4009-09 include a soft start for quieter, smoother start up, exclusive arbor lock for single wrench blade changes, and a constant response circuitry that monitors torque demand and instantly delivers additional power to maintain constant speed under heavy workload.

Five Table Saw Safety Tips:
Just like safe sex, practicing safe power tool use is important.
1. To save your senses, always wear good eye protection and ear plugs.
2. Use a dust collection system or at least wear a dust mask.
3. Do not wear any loose jewelry, gloves, or hanging ties.
4. Be sure to turn off power and unplug your tool when making adjustments or changing blades.
5. USE PUSHSTICKS FOR SAFETY

As with any power tool, remember to check your manual for any periodic maintenance that may be required.