Tool review: 3-HP Tablesaws

 

All pack plenty of power

Equipped with identical, sharp, 40-tooth blades, these 220-volt, 3-hp saws cut through all thick hardwoods at a hand-fed rate with no trouble. Even when we hooked up a power feeder to provide constant feed rates, only one stalled -- and that wasn't until ripping 3"-thick red oak at a faster-than-we'd-feed-it-by-hand rate of 13 feet per minute (fpm).

All nine saws come standard with T-square-style rip fences that work about equally well. Whether covered with sideboards made of laminate-covered plywood, high-density plastic, or aluminum, they all proved smooth and straight. None have built-in T-track slots for mounting jigs or accessories.

All of the fences lock on the front rails only, so we measured deflection at the back end with a dial indicator while applying sideways force with hanging weights, and also by ripping different sizes of wood and plywood. Seven of the nine demonstrated such minuscule deflection, it would never be noticed. The other two showed a bit of blade scoring.