I have been evaluating the SawStop Compact Table Saw (CTS), and will certainly be reviewing its design as well as performance in this testimonial.
The Compact Table Saw, model CTS-120A60, is SawStop’s the majority of inexpensive table saw yet, as well as it incorporates comparable flesh discovery and also blade brake modern technologies as the brand’s jobsite, professional, and also cabinet saws.
SawStop offered a sample for screening and also testimonial.
SawStop Flesh Detection and Blade Brake Tech
If you’re familiar with the SawStop brand, you possibly currently learn about their flesh-detection and blade brake safety and security functions.
The saw sends a tiny current via the blade, and continuously keeps track of the signal. If the saw senses that the signal has actually altered, such as if a customer’s fingers or hand are brought into contact with the blade, the brake turns on. When that happens, a block of metal is propelled right into the blade, which is after that driven down into the device. All of this takes place within 5 nanoseconds of skin get in touch with detection.
The customer often leaves with just a scrape, rather than what might have been an extreme life-altering injury.
A new cartridge is required to reset the device, as well as usually a brand-new blade also.
Every one of this is common for SawStop table saws.
For the bulk of this review, I will certainly be considering every one of the various other elements of the saw, whatever else that makes it special.
SawStop Compact Table Saw Fence
Allow’s start with the fence, which has a shelf and also pinion-type of modification device.
I found the fencing to be easy to adjust as well as make use of.
The fencing affixes on both sides using lever-action clamps.
It was spot-on from the factory as well as completely aligned with the blade and also miter ports.
What I such as concerning the SawStop Compact Table Saw is that its controls are instinctive as well as well-labeled.
Just how do you unlock the fence? Ah, you pull the handle. And to secure it, you push the handle back right into location.
Here’s the fence unlocked.
To change the fence setting, rotate the grey knob. It’s as precise as I would certainly expect from a mobile jobsite saw.
Spring-action quits protect against the fence from getting too close to the blade, and also they can be conveniently overridden if needed. Merely push either tab inwards to move the fence past it.
The complementary fencing rack can be readied to two placements, or lifted off the beaten track.
Shown right here, it is folded up down over the table, to supply support for narrower hole cuts without needing to remove the blade guard.
With the fencing extended past the table top, the rack can be put in its reduced position for product outrigger support.
A handy representation advises you of the low fence and assistance rack settings as well as their objectives.
The saw gives a rip cut capacity of approximately 24-1/2 ″ at complete expansion, to the right of the blade. To the left, it can provide a maximum rip cut of 9-1/2 ″.
Blade Guard Assembly
Right here is where SawStop’s engineering begins to shine through a lot more.
The blade guard breaks down into 3 items– the riving blade, anti-kickback pawls, as well as clear automatically-adjusting shield.
The Compact Table Saw additionally features a standard riving knife, for when the guard isn’t installed or partial cuts are required.
Setting up is very easy as well as rather instinctive, although I had to refer to the user handbook the very first time I affixed the anti-kickback pawls.
I delight in with how the guard comes together and breaks down quickly and easily.
Below’s the blade guard installed.
Connecting or getting rid of the guard or riving blade is simple.
Similar to various other jobsite table saws, you increase the blade, eliminate the throat plate, and afterwards open the riving blade clamp.
I would certainly rank the procedure better than standard, which is very important. The less complicated safety attributes are to install or eliminate, the significantly the likelihood individuals will really utilize them.
Accessory Storage
Every one of the safety add-ons hide inside a removable area that installs to the back of the saw.
Intuitive layouts will aid hint you in as to where everything goes.
There’s a great deal of plastic here, yet it functions well. Subtle textures provide ideas concerning what to press to launch different add-ons or devices for usage. The miter saw is a little fickle to get rid of, and I only state it to be comprehensive.
A great deal of portable jobsite table saws will certainly have me going back and also forth to the customer handbook to identify how and where the safety and security accessories all stash.
All of it works well.
The Miter Gauge
The miter gauge is no better or even worse than the ones consisted of with other jobsite table saws.
It has a T-shaped bar to fit the T-shaped ports.
SawStop Compact Table Saw Power and Bypass Switches
After connecting in the saw, you switch on the power through a rocker button. The key-shaped switch alongside it is made use of for bypass mode.
The bypass setting need to be utilized when cutting conductive products that could otherwise activate the safety and security mechanism, such as wet timber.
As soon as powered up, the saw will certainly go through a self-test procedure, with its two LED indications blinking green and red until a solid green light signals that everything is set and also ready.
There’s no thinking as to what’s taking place– a color-coded chart helps with troubleshooting.
Blade Adjustments
The controls are straightforward.
Squeeze the knob assembly to turn the blade, as well as crank the take care of to increase or reduce it.
Regrettably, the saw doesn’t have the very same one-turn modification as the jobsite saw, however I really did not truly mind it. Raising or turning the blade is very easy.
Do you see just how it claims “micro” in two areas, for the change handle behind the “capture to turn” component?
Right here is the blade deliberately established somewhat out of alignment.
And also right here it is completely dialed in.
This isn’t the very best instance, as the 0 ° quit was excellent out of the box as well as can be recalibrated as needed, but I wish you understand.
You can make a crude bevel change by turning the blade, and then sneak up on the exact angle you need with the micro readjust.
The mini change setup can be locked-in by pressing the outer ring. Pressing the dial for tilt modification unlocks it once more.
I can see this coming in helpful. Accurate bevel angles are possible on many table saws, it’s just an issue of exactly how promptly and conveniently you can get there. The CTS’s mini adjust accelerate the procedure.
Nice Touches
If you need to activate the blade, describe the customer handbook for instructions on how to reset the saw with a replacement cartridge and blade. Can not locate your customer handbook? There are clear guidelines printed on the side of the saw.
Power and also Performance
The saw has a 15A electric motor and runs at 4,000 RPM.
I mainly examined the saw by ripping plywood (baltic birch as well as standard ply from the house center) and 2x building lumber. I performed some cross-cuts simply to obtain a feel for the table.
One thing to remember is that this is a 10 ″ table saw, whereas most various other saws in this course currently have 8-1/4 ″ blades. I have actually been informed that current security guidelines determine just how large of a saw blade can be used relative to table size.
Thus, the saw has an optimum cutting depth of 3-1/8 ″ at 90 °, as well as 2-1/8 ″ at 45 °.
I can feel and listen to resistance when pressing thicker timber with more effort. It is necessary to pay attention to your device as well as react accordingly.
The saw executed on-par with other saws of this class.
SawStop ships the saw with a 24T ripping blade pre-installed. It is additionally equipped with a common throat plate, however absolutely no clearance plates are additionally offered individually.
Portability
The saw has a comfy rubber-gripped carrying take care of.
I such as that the power cable cover gets on the very same side as the handle, as it reduces the possibility of it being trapped between the device and also ground.
There are thicker rubber pads at the corners.
The base is trapezoidal, and very different contrasted to the box jobsite table saws I’m made use of to. I should not be surprised– a great deal is different concerning this saw.
One negative concerning the saw is its weight. At 68 pounds, the SawStop Compact Table Saw is not as light or easily maneuvered as other mobile table saws.
It is workable, nonetheless, and also not excessively troublesome.
I would certainly claim that it’s a little much heavier than I would have chosen, however not also heavy for me to deal with. I can carry it with one hand, but prefer 2.
SawStop Compact Table Saw Folding Stand
Put simply, the saw is completely coupled with its folding stand, an optional acquisition.
The stand was very easy to construct, and is extremely easy to use.
Before positioning the saw ahead, make certain that the securing tabs are oriented in such a fashion that it can accept the saw’s roll cage.
I start by seating the rear roll cage, and then the front. A quick quarter-turn rotation of the securing tab, and also the table saw is protected to the stand.
This is the easiest folding stand configuration I have actually utilized. It’s straightforward, however effective.
Compared with the SawStop Jobsite Saw
I made some fast comparisons before donating my older jobsite table saw sample.
The SawStop Jobsite Saw is respectable, and also I loved its one-turn blade elevation modification, a lot of the time. However, I constantly felt it to be a large table saw with SawStop safety and security tech included. That’s okay, and also it felt like a refined product, but I favored making use of other table saws a whole lot much better.
SawStop’s newer Jobsite Saw Pro has a somewhat larger table depth than the version shown below, with both being significantly bigger saws than the Compact Table Saw.
The SawStop CTS dealt with hole reducing with ease, and also I would certainly include outfeed support for longer workpieces or bigger panels of sheet materials.
The Jobsite Saw feels much more powerful and also faster-cutting. At the time of this publishing, the Jobsite Saw costs nearly 76% more than the Compact Saw ($ 1579 plus freight).
SawStop supplies a thorough run-through of the differences on their website:
The major distinctions you will find on our Compact Table Saw (CTS): Lighter weight at 68 lbs. for the saw body vs 84 lbs. on the Jobsite Saw (JSS). Max split ability CTS 24-1/2 ″ vs JSS 25-1/2 ″ The CTS is even more portable with an easy-carry handle, whereas the JSS has an integrated mobile cart. The CTS has a shelf as well as pinion fence vs JSS has T-style with ergo lock (self-squaring) Multi-turn blade elevation on CTS vs JSS has the one-turn altitude Typical blade guard on carpal tunnel syndrome vs JSS has dust collection blade guard. CTS is a straight drive motor vs JSS having a belt driven motor. The CTS is unable to support the use of Dado blades.
Warranty
The CTS is covered by a 1-year warranty.
SawStop’s paperwork has always been excellent, however in confirming a technological specification for this writeup, I located that they have an 87-page solution guidebook for the saw (PDF), outlining all of the different replacement as well as repair work operations individuals could one day need to do. There’s a different 77 web page components listing (PDF).
Some individuals might not such as having to fix their very own devices, however when we’re discussing a 68 pound mobile saw that can’t be easily delivered back to the manufacturing facility, components accessibility as well as servicing instructions can aid minimize downtime.
Last Thoughts
On the whole, the SawStop CTS seems like a well designed as well as crafted product. This is the business’s initial saw of its kind, and their most economical model. I expected some hiccups or niggles, and was glad not to locate any.
Whatever from the fence to the blade elevation adjustment, is user friendly.
The electric motor and also change devices are far better shrouded than I have actually seen in various other saws, however I’m not exactly sure if there are any kind of useful advantages there.
There’s a solitary 2-1/2 ″ vacuum port at the back, and the saw sends out a lot of its sawdust out the chute, whether a dust enthusiast or vacuum cleaner is attached or not. At this time, there is no option for dirt collection through the blade guard.
I have actually most definitely taken pleasure in using the SawStop carpal tunnel syndrome. I have been using it along with various other mobile jobsite-style saws, to obtain a feeling for how its attributes and efficiency contrasts.
Strip out the SawStop-specific safety and security technology– the blade brake and also flesh detection active injury reduction (OBJECTIVE) technology– and it’s still a great portable table saw.
This has actually been the difficult component to identify. Without the safety technology, is this a recommendable portable or jobsite-type table saw? So far, yes, I think so.
There are some concessions. I wish the table top surface was a little bit smoother, as well as for the saw to be a little lighter. The miter gauge is virtually non reusable, although this seems to be an universal truth for mobile table saws.
The anti-kickback pawl accessory does not seem as durable as I’ve seen on other saws, however I have actually had no troubles with it up until now. I really like exactly how easy it is to turn off the beaten track if needed.
The CTS table top steps 23 ″ large and 22-5/8 ″ deep, and offers extra workpiece assistance than smaller 8-1/4 ″ table saws. Extra outfeed support, such as with a mobile roller stand or platform, helps with larger cuts, as well as I really feel the very same about all portable table saws.
It does not collaborate with a dado pile, yet the exact same has actually held true for many table saws this dimension. Dado stack compatibility usually needs tipping up to a model that comes with a roller stand– such as the Jobsite Saw Pro.
The CTS sets you back approximately 3X as high as various other portable table saws– and a lot more than that in some cases. But you’re not simply paying a premium for the SawStop safety and security technology, you’re paying for even more functions and what up until now appears to be fantastic develop quality.
Also if we ignore the SawStop safety tech and distinct micro bevel changes, the carpal tunnel syndrome is an excellent mobile table saw that’s very easy to set up and instinctive to utilize, thanks to a wealth of attention offered to composed, visual, and also tactile assistance.
SawStop really did not change the mobile table saw, yet it seems they did their ideal to boost the user experience while matching the efficiency of leading competitors’ tools.
Please let me recognize if you have any kind of concerns!
