Ridgid or Dewalt compact table saw?

[stickshift]

Looking at the Ridgid R45171NS and Dewalt DW745. Both are 15A, 10" compact table saws. Dewalt costs $50 more than the Ridgid. With the Ridgid, I'd get the Lifetime Service Agreement and ability to use dado blades. With the Dewalt, I'd get the rack and pinion fence, but cannot use dado blades.

Use case is occasional DIY. Make some shelving, some drawers for tool storage, etc. Not trying to do fine cabinetry.

Thoughts?

 

[Dibiase77]

Looking at the Ridgid R45171NS and Dewalt DW745. Both are 15A, 10" compact table saws. Dewalt costs $50 more than the Ridgid. With the Ridgid, I'd get the Lifetime Service Agreement and ability to use dado blades. With the Dewalt, I'd get the rack and pinion fence.



Use case is occasional DIY. Make some shelving, some drawers for tool storage, etc. Not trying to do fine cabinetry.



Thoughts?

Honestly I'd go with Rigid. Lifetime service agreement if you register it is very nice to have. With occasional use you probably won't t need the service agreement but you never know. Just my .02

Sent from my Alcatel_5044R using Tapatalk

 

[Handyandy23]

I have the DeWalt and I'm really happy with it. The rack and pinion fence is amazing, dead nuts accurate and smooth as butter. I'll admit I'm a bit of a DeWalt fanboy, but I also cross shop other brands and buy them when it makes sense to.

The DeWalt is tried and tested and has a great history so I wouldn't be so hung up on warranty, but that's just my opinion. We've also seen 'great' brands like Craftsman fall, so "lifetime" may actually have an expiration date. For that reason I don't like to buy tools relying on it.

I've also never used the Ridgid saw so can't really compare - I can only say I have no regrets or concerns about my DeWalt saw and would recommend it to anyone.

 

[shawhite]

Which one has the better fence system? That is the one I would go with. Might want to give the Bosch GTS1031 a look.

 

[stickshift]

Which one has the better fence system? That is the one I would go with. Might want to give the Bosch GTS1031 a look.

I haven't used either one, but I would guess there is a lot less fiddling/measuring with Dewalt's rack and pinion fence than with the typical clamp fences in the compact/portable table saw category.

 

[acer66]

If I would buy one today it would be the Dewalt even I normally go for Bosch.

https://toolguyd.com/5-reasons-the-dewalt-dw745-is-the-best-portable-table-saw-for-under-300/

 

[GRB]

Dewalt for sure, even at $150 more. The fence makes all the difference.

Might want to consider going with the DW7491 to get the additional capacity and the best mobile stand in job site saws.

I don't care for Dewalt in general but their job site saws are the best just as Ridgid makes the best inexpensive Shop Vacs.

 

[acer66]

I don't care for Dewalt in general but their job site saws are the best just as Ridgid makes the best inexpensive Shop Vacs.

Yeah, I bought a Shop Vac vacuum because it marked down so much
but it ***** in the not so good way even compared to my cheaper Rigid shop vac.

On a side note, my buddy who runs a fence building business has two of the Dewalts
and beats the **** out of them while they get exposed to the environment,
getting tossed around on flatbeds and they are holding up.

 

[rcbk00]

As someone who overthinks my tool purchases, here's my experience: I originally bought the Ridgid table saw a year or two ago. I wound up returning it and purchasing the DeWalt because of all the positive reviews the DeWalt had. I think it's important to mention I'm not a DeWalt fanboy; I'm a Milwaukee guy who used to be a Makita guy... Having said that, the DeWalt saw is fantastic. I've run miles of wood through it and I would buy it again at twice the price. I have a Bosch 4000 on a gravity-rise stand that I use as my primary table saw, but it's huge and heavy and I hate moving it around. The DeWalt is small and compact and is my go-to travel saw. If I had to choose between the Bosch and the DeWalt, I would choose the DeWalt. And yes, the fence is as great as everybody says it is.

 

[rcbk00]

And I completely agree with GRB that Ridgid makes the best inexpensive shop-vacs. I've been using the same one (with a HEPA filter on it) for the last 15 years with absolutely zero repairs.

 

[RKA]

Dewalt, but I would have a hard time living without the dado capacity. You could use a router, but that's a bit more fussy. You could take multiple passes with the TS, but it probably has a thin kerf blade, so that could be fussy as well.

BTW, Check the Hot Deals forum. Home Depot has the 745 on sale today for $250 which is a great deal.

 

[shawhite]

As someone who overthinks my tool purchases, here's my experience: I originally bought the Ridgid table saw a year or two ago. I wound up returning it and purchasing the DeWalt because of all the positive reviews the DeWalt had. I think it's important to mention I'm not a DeWalt fanboy; I'm a Milwaukee guy who used to be a Makita guy... Having said that, the DeWalt saw is fantastic. I've run miles of wood through it and I would buy it again at twice the price. I have a Bosch 4000 on a gravity-rise stand that I use as my primary table saw, but it's huge and heavy and I hate moving it around. The DeWalt is small and compact and is my go-to travel saw. If I had to choose between the Bosch and the DeWalt, I would choose the DeWalt. And yes, the fence is as great as everybody says it is.

Let me get this straight you would rather pull out the Dewalt and set up something to set it on and secure it down so it doesn’t walk all over the place while you are running miles of board ft thru it then to roll the Bosch out flip the lever and push down to pop the saw up. My Bosch 4100 on the gravity rise stand is very easy to move and setup. Maybe I’m missing something.

 

[acer66]

DW745 compact table saw $250 at Home Depot

https://www.homedepot.com/p/DEWALT-15-Amp-Corded-10-in-Compact-Job-Site-Table-Saw-with-Site-Pro-Modular-Guarding-System-DW745/100497987

From the Dewalt deal thread.

 

[ItsNemo]

Another Dewalt vote having the 20" version of the DW745 (used to be 16" and I think there's a slightly more expensive version at 24" now). The fence is really as awesome as everyone says and I've ran tons of boards through, including ripping dozens of PT 2x4's deep way (flip to get to cut depth through the 3.5") without it missing a beat. I've also never had it kick back on me or really bind up all that bad, it just works.

I think my only complaint would be the cord storage on the side always comes undone with the little cord clip to itself on the plug thing.

 

[stickshift]

And yes, the fence is as great as everybody says it is.

That's what has me leaning toward the Dewalt.

The thing I find most time consuming and laborious about cutting wood is all the measuring. That rack and pinion fence seems like it would save time vs having to check and recheck both ends of a clamping fence all the time.

 

[GRB]

Every job site saw is a combination of good points and bad points. Not a single one will do everything well as every one of the manufacturers are idiots and the only good parts are lucky parts that slip through and they haven't screwed up YET.
Makita has the construction quality and a bit obsolete design.
Dewalt has the great fence, the super compact DW745, and the great stand on the DW7491.
Ridgid has the ability to do a dado and their (frequently) scam lifetime warranty.
Sawstop has their safety tech on a massively overweight pig with **** throatplate on a stand that does an amazing job of allowing you to bring the overweight pig up to operating height.
Bosch, who normally does a good job on portable tools, blew it in just about everything on the ultra portable and the stand mounted job site saw.
Skil is a wildcard that only has depth of cut that stands out but are marketing their saw based upon wormdrive tech that is irrelevant on a job site saw.
And then there is the Mafel Erika that prices themselves out of the market.

It is a bit crude but somebody said "It's the fence, stupid" and they are pretty much right in general. Dewalt DW745 for ultra portability or to build into a Pualk style bench or the DW7491 if you want a stable stand that actually make a job site saw semi-safe and has decent dust collection. I bought a DW7491 and I mostly think Dewalt (Stanley Black & Decker) ***** as a company.

 

[Tom Sestito]

I’ve had them both and would buy the dewalt again. The fence system is awesome.

 

[k1rodeoboater]

Im pretty sure I have a 745....and I've used it with a dado stack without issue.

It may be a 7491x but I'm fairly certain I don't have a 32" rip width. Regardless my biggest gripe is they have **** for infeed support and as a result the miter slot is worthless. Hindsight 20/20 should have gotten an older contractors saw.

 

[stonesfan68]

I have the DW745 and really like it. The fence is fantastic!

 

[stickshift]

Im pretty sure I have a 745....and I've used it with a dado stack without issue.

It may be a 7491x but I'm fairly certain I don't have a 32" rip width.

Must be a 7491. 745's arbor is too short for a dado stack.

 

[rcbk00]

Let me get this straight you would rather pull out the Dewalt and set up something to set it on and secure it down so it doesnÂ’t walk all over the place while you are running miles of board ft thru it then to roll the Bosch out flip the lever and push down to pop the saw up. My Bosch 4100 on the gravity rise stand is very easy to move and setup. Maybe IÂ’m missing something.

I like my Bosch 4000 a lot. If I'm going to be working at a particular location for a while, that's the saw I'll use. The problem is that it takes up a good deal of space in an already crowded van and it's somewhat cumbersome to load and unload. This is where the DeWalt shines- loads in and out easily (you can fit it in a car's trunk if you have to) and doesn't take up a lot of space. I usually use it directly on the ground, so I don't have to deal with sawhorses, clamping it down, etc. For those times when I do have to use it on a work table, I've always found it very stable and it's never walked around on me. It does jump a bit when you turn it on (because it doesn't have a soft start), but other than that, it doesn't go anywhere.

 

[CTyankee]

I like my Bosch 4000 a lot. If I'm going to be working at a particular location for a while, that's the saw I'll use. The problem is that it takes up a good deal of space in an already crowded van and it's somewhat cumbersome to load and unload. This is where the DeWalt shines- loads in and out easily (you can fit it in a car's trunk if you have to) and doesn't take up a lot of space. I usually use it directly on the ground, so I don't have to deal with sawhorses, clamping it down, etc. For those times when I do have to use it on a work table, I've always found it very stable and it's never walked around on me. It does jump a bit when you turn it on (because it doesn't have a soft start), but other than that, it doesn't go anywhere.

Most likely anyone who thinks storing, moving and setting up a Dewalt is a detriment when it comes to other "portable" saws....probably has never used one. FWIW...on the whole dado thing. In 20 years working in construction, often building custom kitchen cabinets, built ins, book shelves, etc. we never had the absolute need for dado blades. We never even carried a set in our job trailer. The very few times a job might have been easier, there were other perfectly simple ways to accomplish the same thing. I can't see why any average DIY HO'er would make this a requirement for picking a portable table saw. JMO.

 

[bigguns69]

I've owned the Dewalt portable table saw with 30" rip fence and portable stand for several years now. It replaced a contractor table saw that I fought with for years. The dewalt is the best table saw I have ever used. It carries a faster tip speed and cuts hardwood and rips 2x material with ease. It's accurate, portable, takes up small space when not in use. I highly recommend it.

 

[RKA]

On the dado requirement, it depends on how you want to perform your joinery. If metal fasteners and straight **** joints work, you don't need it. If you want to limit the use of metal fasteners, using a table saw for grooves, dados and rabbets is pretty common. Many table saws offer this as an option and it's nice to have the flexibility. It's these small portable saws that sometimes don't offer it, so it's something to think about.

There is a difference between how a contractor approaches construction and a homeowner. Many times it's two extreme ends of the spectrum. The former looking for time savings (tool set up and construction time) while not compromising quality or outward appearance to the point of getting callbacks, while the later often throws time constraints out the window to overbuild everything (and sometimes it's practice for furniture making as well). Also, that contractor probably has a stable of other tools available to do a job another way, where the HO acquiring their first table saw may not have that option.

To be fair the OP poster did say he wasn't doing any furniture making, so it may well be a moot point for him. If it were me, I would trade off the ability to run a dado stack and get the saw with the better fence because I have other ways to make the joinery, but not because I want to build things a different way. Lots of options and in the end, if you bought the saw and sell it to get something else when the need arises, it's not the end of the world. These compact saws are pretty easy to sell.

 

[nieuport17]

Between the two, Dewalt and Ridgid, I vote Dewalt.

I just bought a table saw couple months ago. I ended up with Bosch. But, Dewalt was running 2nd on my list.

 

[stickshift]

To be fair the OP poster did say he wasn't doing any furniture making, so it may well be a moot point for him.

To clarify, I consider ability to use a dado stack a nice-to-have feature, not a must-have.

A better fence requiring less time spent measuring is more important, which is why I'm leaning toward the Dewalt, even though it lacks dado support and costs $50 more.

 

[RKA]

And you're right about that. If the fence is fiddly or doesn't work well, you'll hate using the saw every time. Eventually it will become another horizontal surface that collects ****.

 

[CTyankee]

On the dado requirement, it depends on how you want to perform your joinery. If metal fasteners and straight **** joints work, you don't need it. If you want to limit the use of metal fasteners, using a table saw for grooves, dados and rabbets is pretty common. Many table saws offer this as an option and it's nice to have the flexibility. It's these small portable saws that sometimes don't offer it, so it's something to think about.

There is a difference between how a contractor approaches construction and a homeowner. Many times it's two extreme ends of the spectrum. The former looking for time savings (tool set up and construction time) while not compromising quality or outward appearance to the point of getting callbacks, while the later often throws time constraints out the window to overbuild everything (and sometimes it's practice for furniture making as well). Also, that contractor probably has a stable of other tools available to do a job another way, where the HO acquiring their first table saw may not have that option.

To be fair the OP poster did say he wasn't doing any furniture making, so it may well be a moot point for him. If it were me, I would trade off the ability to run a dado stack and get the saw with the better fence because I have other ways to make the joinery, but not because I want to build things a different way. Lots of options and in the end, if you bought the saw and sell it to get something else when the need arises, it's not the end of the world. These compact saws are pretty easy to sell.

I guess will have to agree to disagree. My work was done for a high end builder. Everything was overbuilt, from framing to cabinets. IMO, a clamping straight edge and a decent router can perform just about any job a dado setup can. Add the fact in that a HO'er will also most likely working alone. Say you want to route grooves for metal shelf tracks into a closet divider. You're going to do this by yourself. You can use your portable table saw with a dado blade and wrestle a 7' x 2' piece of expensive plywood through it and hope you don't veer off track or raise the piece and loose depth. Or you can set up a couple of horses, clamp a straight edge to the piece and run a router down it. I know which option I'm choosing..every time. Even short pieces say for drawer components can be dadoed fairly easily with a router. Run the piece though the table saw to define the width and depth dimension and finish the dado with a router. Again, for the average HO'er..I wouldn't use the dado capability as a factor in buying a portable table saw. As you and others have mentioned..a good fence system should factor into any decision. JMO..YMMV

 

[dsimatt]

BIL had a rigid one for awhile and somehow got HD to return it and bought the dewalt and loves it, from the stand to the saws performance he says everything is better on the dewalt.

 

[tarbellb]

The Dewalt is THE millwork saw on every jobsite. If not, its a Sawstop.

 

[garandman]

I’m in the market for a portable table saw. We can’t leave it set up, and it will go back and forth between two places.

My first project will be cutting 4mm Okoume Plywood for van paneling. The sheets are 5’x10’ and will be cut to sizes ranging from 25”x25” up to 42” wide and 8’ long.

The 2nd biggest rip dimension any of them accommodate is the $599 DeWalt DWE7491RS, which accommodates 32.5”.

The Hitachi C10RJ will do 35” and price is reduced from $499 to $329.

Another DeWalt DW745S is also less expensive at $399.

They will do almost everything I need: but not everything. Can you jury rig something for wider cuts? The alternative for me is a circular saw, by hand.

Are the folding, wheeled tables worth it? There are much less expensive saws from DeWalt and Bosch that need their own table but are lighter and more portable. I’m thinking that perhaps I can build a table at each location and use that.

 

[4xdog]

One of these has been on my "probably could use it" list for several years. Thanks to the op and everyone for this thread! GJ somehow seems to anticipate what I need to know again.

On the same general subject -- In Europe, DeWalt and others offer flip saws -- combination miter saw on one side and table saw on the other with the head locked down. The DeWalt DW743N flip saw, for example, is one of several models from a variety of manufacturers. I have friends in Europe very happy with their DeWalt version.

These have never been sold in the US, as far as I know. Why not? As much as we Americans love convenience this would seem to be a natural. There must be something else.

There's a demo video here:
https://www.tool-rank.com/tool-blog/News/dewalt-miter-saw-flips-into-a-table-saw-201108101007/

 

[garandman]

Cool!

 

[GRB]

I’m in the market for a portable table saw. We can’t leave it set up, and it will go back and forth between two places.

My first project will be cutting 4mm Okoume Plywood for van paneling. The sheets are 5’x10’ and will be cut to sizes ranging from 25”x25” up to 42” wide and 8’ long.

The 2nd biggest rip dimension any of them accommodate is the $599 DeWalt DWE7491RS, which accommodates 32.5”.

The Hitachi C10RJ will do 35” and price is reduced from $499 to $329.

Another DeWalt DW745S is also less expensive at $399.

They will do almost everything I need: but not everything. Can you jury rig something for wider cuts? The alternative for me is a circular saw, by hand.

Are the folding, wheeled tables worth it? There are much less expensive saws from DeWalt and Bosch that need their own table but are lighter and more portable. I’m thinking that perhaps I can build a table at each location and use that.

Cutting large sheets on any table saw is difficult. Doing it on a jobsite saw is a nightmare. That is a challenging task for two experienced operators with a rock solid jobsite saw like a Dewalt DW7491 that sits on solid legs.

Seriously, do that job with a track saw or at least a finish trim saw and purpose made guides. Just cut on top of rigid insulation laid out on the floor.