Best Table Saw for Under $300 / Budget-Friendly Woodworking

What’s the Best table saw for under $300? (give or take a few dollars). The Dewalt DWE7485 is on sale for $300 as I update this article in 2023. The MSRP price is around $400, but it goes on sale often so I feel it still classifies for the best table saw under $300 — as long as you buy it on sale. When we originally wrote this article we selected the DeWALT DW745, but it was discontinued around 2020 because it no longer met OSHA’s new safety requirements for a jobsite table saw. The DWE7485 is its successor, at least in spirit.

Great Compact Table Saw for under $300

WEN TT0811: 8.25″ with a 25″ Rip Capacity

WEN has impressed me over the years, as they’ve created a brand for real people who don’t want to waste money, or they simply need to accomplish a task around the home but they don’t want to compromise on quality or safety. This WEN table saw is much closer to $200 than $300 and for what you get, it’s hard to believe they make any profit.

Key Features / Specs:

• Rip-cut capacity of up to 25 inches, perfect for ripping 4×8 plywood or OSB sheets.
• Depth of Cut:  0 to 2.75 inches.
• Angle of the blade  (bevel cuts): up to 2 inches thick at 45 degrees.
• Tool-free blade guard  
• Extension arm: 18.9-by-18.4-inch to 18.9 by 36 inches   
• Footprint =  15.5 by 23” /  Side carrying handle  / Includes an 8.25-inch TCT 24T blade with ⅝” arbor  
• Adjustable rip fence + auxiliary fence for workpieces less than 1/10 of an inch thick
• Includes:  miter gauge, a push stick, a dust port adapter, a riving knife to limit kickback, and onboard storage
• Two-year warranty

Would You Pay More for A 99.9% Safe Table Saw?

What’s your finger or hand worth to you? Would you pay an extra $500 for a table saw if you knew it would protect you from ever losing a finger, or thumb, or a hand, from an accident? Hold that thought…

Don’t worry, I have great saw recommendations within your budget, but hear me out before you make a decision — or just scroll past this part. Do what you want, I’m just here to give you information. It’s that simple. Maybe you’re not in a position to spend the money now but my hope is that perhaps in the future, when you decide to upgrade, you’ll buy the safer table saw. Hopefully, more brands will sell table saws with an automated shutoff.

The main reason why SawStop is the the only brand selling these safe saws is because of their patent and if a law is passed forcing every brand to license the technology, it would add about $100 to table saws, which means you won’t be able to find a table saw under $300. I feel the problem has to do with SawStop because they’re preventing other brands from selling table saws with their own proprietary safety system. And, they don’t seem to want to charge a reasonable fee to license their AIM technology. I hate to say it, but in many ways SawStop is preventing other manufacturers from creating a table saw as safe as SawStop. As usual, money and greed are at the heart of most societal problems.

VIDEO: A Close Look at the SawStop AIM Safety System / in Slow-Motion

Behind the scenes, people are trying to make it law that all saws have a safety system similar to SawStop, but things are always far more complicated than they need to be for the reasons I explained earlier. It’s been over a decade trying to get this law passed, and it still has not happened. The Power Tool Institute, a legal entity that represents table-saw manufacturers said

At one time SawStop approached table saw manufacturers offering to license its patent portfolio technology, demanding an 8% royalty on the retail value of all table saws with the technology in addition to other terms that were onerous and not related to table saw safety.

Power Tool Institute

Every year around 40,000 people end up in a hospital due to a table saw accident. I’m not kidding. That’s a big number. Even worse, around 4000 of those people had an amputation associated with the accident. Unfortunately, the SawStop brand is the only company that makes table saws that automatically stop if a finger comes in contact with the blade. It takes less than 5 milliseconds for the blade to stop and retract.

If you watched the entire video, you’ll see that the worst case scenario would only give you a relatively small cut, that would likely require a few stitches, but this is nothing compared to what normally happens. It sounds like science fiction, but when you see it in action, you can’t help but be angry this technology is being hijacked by SawStop.

Video: Learn All About Table Saw Safety

Best Table Saw for Under $300

DeWALT is a well-known and trusted brand that is the trade name of the Black & Decker company, a subsidiary of Stanley Black & Decker. DeWALT target their power tools at construction professionals. Their range of saws include : miter saws, circular saws, reciprocating saws, jigsaws, table saws and track saws. DeWALT back their saws by a 90-day money-back guarantee, one-year free service contract and three-year limited warranty.

Dewalt DWE7485 / 8.25″ Blade (Corded)

Best Table Saw between $300 to $400

FEATURES + SPECS: What makes it good?

• Power Loss Reset: This feature ensures that the tool won’t accidentally restart after a power disruption, even if it was left in the “on” position.
• Blade Brake: The blade brake allows for quick stopping of the blade after power is turned off, making it safer to use and allowing for quick adjustments.
• On-board Storage: Keep your tools organized and easily accessible with on-board storage for guard, fence, wrenches, and miter gauge.
• Durable Metal Roll Cage: The metal roll cage provides added durability and protection on the job site.
• Tool-Free Adjustable Guarding System: The Site-Pro Modular Guarding System enables you to make guard adjustments quickly and easily, without the need for any additional tools.
• 8 1/4″ blade diameter
• 2.563″ max depth of cut at 90º
• 1.75″ max depth of cut at 45º
• 24.5″ max ripping capacity (right)
• 27.25″ height
• 14.188″ width
• 53.4 lbs weight
• 26.75″ depth

Why Was the DeWALT DW745 Discontinued?

The DeWALT DW745 table saw was a beloved tool among contractors and DIY enthusiasts, but it had to be discontinued in 2020. The reason for the discontinuation was due to the new requirements set forth by OSHA, the federal agency responsible for worker safety updated their standards. According to OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.213, all table saws used on job sites must be equipped with anti-kickback devices, anti-rotation devices, and other safety features. The DeWALT DW745 did not meet these new requirements, which is why it was discontinued.

Enter the DeWALT DWE7485, the DW745’s successor. This new model was designed to meet the updated OSHA standards and provide users with a safe and reliable table saw. It has a telescoping fence for supporting larger pieces, a tool-free guard adjustment system for quick changes between cuts, a 15-amp motor, a 24.5-inch rip capacity, runs at 5800 RPM, with an 8.25″ blade; making it a superior to the old DW745.

DeWALT table saws are a popular choice among contractors, woodworkers, and DIY enthusiasts for their durability, reliability, and power. With a history dating back to 1924, DeWALT has a long-standing reputation for producing affordable high-quality tools. A common opinion with Dewalt customers is on how reliable their power tools are. They’ve managed to build a brand for homeowners as well as serious professionals, and customers expect they follow all of the safety guidelines. Trust is an essential component to building a rabid customer base.

The DeWALT DWE7485 is a great buy for anyone with a limited budget. As I’ve stated earlier, the price will be more than $300 if you purchase it at regular price, but I’ve noticed it’s on sale quite often so I couldn’t resist making it one of my recommendations.

DeWALT DW745 / **DISCONTINUED

Features:

• Site-Pro Modular Guarding System allows for tool free adjustments of the guarding components appropriate for each application
• 20 in. of rip easily cuts a variety of larger shelving and trim materials
• Rack and pinion fence rails make fence adjustments fast, smooth, and accurate
• Telescoping fence rails retract to create a small, portable package
• On-board storage provides easy access to the Site-Pro guarding components and push stick when not in use
• Metal roll cage base offers greater durability than plastic bases
• Shoe bevels 0° to 45° for beveled cuts
• Weighing only 45 lbs, the DW745 can easily be moved on and off the job
• Adjustable rear feet designed to level the saw on uneven work surfaces
• Dust port allows for 2-1/2 in. vacuum hook up and minimizes clean up
• 24T carbide blade enhances cut quality and prolongs blade life
• Table coating reduces friction for smoother cutting

✓ View or download the MANUAL for the DeWALT DW745

Overview

This is not a regular-sized workshop table saw. It’s a compact job site table saw suitable for using with a folding stand. A job site saw is reasonably lightweight and portable and meant for quick deployment at any work site. If you buy the DW745S, you get the folding stand with it but this is the model without the stand. The DeWALT DW745 is a tabletop model and weighs 45 pounds; it is portable and you can move it around as needed. It is a neat compact unit and the rear feet are adjustable so you can level the saw on uneven work surfaces. The adjustable feet will be one of many thoughtful features you will appreciate about the DeWALT DW745 when you use it.

VIDEO | A Closer Look at the DeWALT DW745

Fantastic rip fence

The unique DeWALT rip fence is the best feature of this table saw. You can quickly install the fence to the left or right of the blade. To ensure that you align the fence with the fence guide you align the locator screw on the fence rail with the fence head slot. At the same time you  align the latch with the slotted opening in the fence rail. To secure it in place, you snap the latches on the front and rear of the fence onto the rails.

The rip fence rails are equipped with a rack and pinion drive that makes fence adjustments accurate and fast. This is an excellent feature on the DeWALT DW745. The front and the rear of the fence align perfectly, guided by the positive drive of the rack and pinion system. The advantage it offers is that the fence can attach anywhere on the fence guides, and it always remains perfectly aligned. Additionally, it enables you to extend the fence beyond the table width, to the right of the blade.

To support work that extends beyond the saw table the DeWALT DW745 table saw has a work support extension. It is normally stored out of the way, to the right of the rip fence. When you need it, you rotate it over the fence to the left. A lip then supports the work against the fence. Another advantage is that the telescoping fence rails retract fully to create a small, portable table saw.

The maximum rip cut against the fence, to the right of the blade, is 20 inches. That cut enables you to rip a 24-inch shelf board to a maximum of 20 inches. On the left side of the blade the maximum fenced rip cut is 12 inches. The rip scale is adjustable and you can set it to be really accurate. It is an invaluable time saving aid when setting up the workpiece for the cut. Most saws have rip scale adjustments, but I find the DeWALT scale to be clearer and easy to use.

Excellent safety features

The DeWALT DW745 throat plate locks in place and is easy to remove. You can also adjust it on all four corners to make it level with the table. The slot in the throat plate is quite narrow. It reduces the possibility that a piece of wood can become stuck in there and thrown towards you. The design of the bevel control allows you to tilt the blade to the left by up to 45°. The pivot point is placed close to the tabletop edge and enabled DeWALT to use a narrow throat slot.

DeWALT includes a riving knife with the saw with through-cut and non-through cut positions marked on the base of the riving knife. A non-through cut does not protrude above the top face of the wood. With non-through cuts you have to remove the blade guard and anti-kickback assembly. Since you do not cut through the wood, it cannot close up and cause a kickback, therefore it is safe to remove the riving knife.

Should you prefer to keep it in place you lower the riving knife so that the top edge lines up with the blade’s top edge. To do that you raise the saw blade arbor to its maximum height and loosen the riving knife lock knob. It has a lock pin you release by pushing in the knob. Once released, you can slide the knife to the position indicated by the markings on the riving knife and the lock pin will snap into place. Then you tighten the riving knife lock knob. It’s a simple operation on the DW745 that on some table saws is a very annoying task.

The cutting edge

The blade they supply with the saw is a DeWalt 10-inch carbide-tipped blade with 24 teeth. The DeWalt blade has anti-vibration slots cut along the edge but some users complain that vibrations in the blade widens the cut. There is the obvious option to replace it because spending money on a better blade is a sound investment on such excellent table saw. When replacing the blade, you may choose one with more teeth or even a special blade designed for cross and rip cuts. Some folks reason you will mostly do rip cuts on a table saw since cross cuts remain a compromise on a small job-site table saw. I believe it is possible to do accurate safe cuts within the limits of the saw. Lower down in the review I supply useful guidelines on doing accurate and safe cross cuts on any table saw.

The DeWALT 10-inch blade cuts 3-1/8 inches deep at 90°, and cuts 2-1/4 inches deep at 45° blade tilt. The arbor fitted to the saw is too short for a dado blade set, although one or two manufacturers offer a two-blade dado. You will have to do wide cuts with multiple cut-and-slide cuts.

The motor on the DeWALT DW745 is a powerful 120 Volt 15 Amps corded unit with a no-load speed of 3,850 rpm. The starting current of the motor is high so I recommend using a dedicated power socket with a 20 Amp trip switch. When using the saw on an extension cord you must ensure that it is a good quality cord, suitable for external use and 20 Amps.

The dust port diameter is 2-1/2 inches. Users report it is effective when used with a vacuum or shop extractor. However, some feedback is less optimistic, saying it kicks dirt in your face. The lesson we learn is that you always wear a face shield or safety glasses when using a table saw. The blade rotates towards you, and any particle that dislodges from the teeth travels in your direction and can harm you. It’s always better to be safe.

DeWALT attaches a push-stick to the rip fence, so it is always at hand. The push stick is a handy addition to a table saw used to ensure you don’t cut your fingers on a narrow cut. You should use it whenever there is a possibility that your hands could come in contact with the blade. I suggest you keep the plastic one that DeWALT provides and implement it with push sticks you made from hardwood stock. To help you do so, the user guide has a scaled drawing of a push stick on the back page.

Cross cut guides

The miter guides that DeWALT pairs with the DW745 table saw has some minor shortcomings. As with all miter guides, the back plate you support the work against is too short, it is meant to be extended with a length of wood. I recommend that you extend its length so extends past the path of the blade when placed in the left or right slot. A 2×4 will be fine. During your first cut in any of the two slots, the blade will cut a slot in the guide that serves as a perfect gutting mark. It makes it really easy to line up your mark with this cut. Unfortunately, a miter cut will destroy this line guide.

To remove play between the slide and the walls of the groove you may have to attach tape or shim stock to the slide. What you do is you strip the miter gauge and attach shim stock to one side of the slide. Use a length of shim stock that will remove the play between the slide and the wall of the groove. It must be the same length as the slide. You glue it to the slide with a good quality glue. It works really well, and it is cheaper than buying another miter gauge.

Sturdy smooth table

The table coating of the DeWALT DW745 reduces friction so that the material can slide over it smoothly. It reduces the effort to push long sheets across the table when rip cutting. The work table of a table saw is its sturdy component, the most critical part that offers the rigidity you need for accurate cuts. It’s therefore also the component that they mount the motor and its bevel controls to.

The DeWALT DW745 has a metal roll cage base that offers greater durability than plastic bases. Some lower-priced table saws use a plastic base because they may reason it only supports the tabletop. The disadvantage is that the plastic base cracks when it cannot absorb all the blows it receives during transport.

To reduce the risk of serious personal injury, DeWALT provide a blade guard assembly that you mount to the top of the riving knife. It is not possible to use it with all cuts, but whenever possible you should have it in place. The blade guard is transparent. You can lift the blade guard and tilt it back to remove a piece of wood that got stuck in it. The blade guard assembly includes an anti-kickback assembly that will bite into the wood during a kickback situation.

Is DeWALT DW745 the best table saw for under $300? I think it is. The rip fence guide and ease of use feature that DeWALT includes with the DW745 table saw must make it the best at that price. Everything about it makes it a stable, solid, portable table saw. DeWALT DW745 has one minor flaw that is common to even the most expensive table saws, the miter guide. But I believe all job sites have a miter saw for those cuts anyway.

✓ For more information read our comprehensive review from a different DIY specialist on the DeWALT DW745.