8 Best Cabinet Table Saw Review | Find Our Top Picks

Cabinet table saws are indispensable to any serious woodworking workshop. They are the ultimate table saw, for good reasons. Apart from increased cutting power, their structure is perfect for long working hours. An enclosed ‘cabinet’ design means that they’re quiet and collect dust effortlessly.

However, what distinguishes cabinet table saws from contractor table saws is their weight. Cabinet table saws are mounted on a spot, and they are mostly unmovable or not easy to move compared with contractor table saws. Also, they are used for handling large sheets of wood, and they consume more power than the former.

Moreover, these days table saws are built to a higher safety standard than before, especially so with cabinet saws. There are fewer chances of kickback due to the addition of a riving knife, fewer respiratory problems due to active dust collection, and less noise due to the cabinet enclosure.

The problem is that there are so many cabinet saw manufacturers, it is easy for you to get confused about which is best for you. While all saws can cut, each excels differently. Ultimately what separates the wheat from the corn is how perfectly the saw fits your unique needs.

Below we have taken the time to examine eight of the best saws in this category so that you can have a guide when choosing what to buy.

Top 8 Cabinet Table Saw – Reviews and Comparisons:

Our Picks of 8 Best Cabinet Table Saw

1. SawStop PCS31230-TGP252

One of the most notable features in the PCS31230 is the 52-inch T-glide fence. The size allows for users to have a large working surface and precision-aided lockdown. Its motor has an output of 3.0 horsepower with an auto-detect signal for stopping the saw from spinning. That aspect alone helps prevent serious injury.

For clean workshops and durability of parts, the SawStop PCS31230 features a dust collection at the top of the table and beneath. On the surface, the blade guard traps particles of debris while turbulent air pulls and dispatches them to a 4-inch thick port located at the rear of the saw.

It also comes with a riving knife to prevent kickback plus a blade that tilts to the left to prevent material from getting stuck against the fence.

The manufacturer has taken a significant exception at aligning both the saw blade and table to achieve accurate cuts every time. The PCS31230 can cut material as big as 4 x 8 plywood sheets.

Pros:
Has one of the best safety systems; whenever the blade encounters the skin, it instantly stops spinning.
Removes up to 99 percent of the dust generated during sawing.
Left tilting blade ensures the wood does not veer off the track.
Simple instructions with exceptional customer service.

Cons:
The extension cable provided is of low quality.

Features:

2. Powermatic 1792001K PM2000 Cabinet Table Saw

The PM2000 comes with a 50-inch accurate fence system for anyone who wants precision in their work. Powermatic 1792001K PM2000 Cabinet Table saw comes with or without Rout-R-Lift depending on your needs.

This 3-Horsepower, 1-Phase Cabinet Table saw displays a high level of innovation in its design and operation. It has become the standard-bearer for other cabinet saws in terms of accuracy.

It uses an advanced Trunnion mechanism that makes it more rigid, has adjustable heights, high-end bearings, and smooth output. It gives the user the privilege of adjusting the mechanism back to its original factory settings.

Powermatic 1792001K PM2000 Cabinet Table Saw has two oversize handwheels which are 8-inch diameter each. They have a large spinner handle which makes it easier for the operator to do the bevel and perhaps height adjustments faster without much struggle.

Since it has a quick-release riving knife, it highly reduces kickback risks. The push-button arbor lock makes it easier and faster to change the blade. Retractable-caster system ensures there is smooth mobility. It is made of heavy-gauge steel and cast-iron base, which make it durable and gives it the stability you need to operate effectively.

Its 5/8 inch diameter arbor ensures that the level of precision is enhanced.

It’s a product that’s backed with a 5-year warranty.

Pros:
Very stable.
Great accuracy and precision.
No vibrations during operation.
Give smooth cuts.

Cons:
Its dust collection bin is too small.
It has a poor caster lift system.
Cheap blade lock mechanism.

Features:

3. Grizzly G1023RLWX Cabinet Table Saw

This cabinet table saw is an upgraded version of the G1023RL Table Saw which is enhanced with a built-in router table that acts as the extension.

The router includes a universal T-track clamping system, a classic fence, and support legs. As compared to a regular router table, this tool is more convenient and better, especially when it comes to efficiency and functionality.

As compared to the standard belts which were used to transfer power, the Poly-V-serpentine belt system is more efficient and less noisy. The riving knife has been fitted on the machine in a way that it moves up, down, and even tilts; hence, safe operation and no occurrence of kickbacks.

The Grizzly G1023RLWX Cabinet Table Saw is made up of a motor cover, a Railed Shop Fox Classic Fence, dust hood, 4-Inch dust port, magnetic switch, 10 Inch x 40T carbide-tipped blade, and a quick-release blade guard.

It is quite straightforward to change between the splitter guard and riving knife. This Cabinet Table Saw is compliant with UL987 hence safe for use.

Pros:
It is cheaper compared to its equals with similar quality.
It operates efficiently with minimal noise.

Cons:
The up and down crank is not smooth enough and bears some backlash.
It takes longer to set and calibrate.

Features:

4. Jet 708674PK XACTASAW

This product features excellent accuracy, a motor of 3 Horse Power, enough blade length, and a diameter of around 10 inches. Its maximum Amps is 14.5 and a voltage of 230. That means you have to ensure that you have 1 phase and electricity that can power this tool.

Jet 708674PK XACTA SAW Deluxe comes with innovative designs in its on-board fence and miter gauge that make it user-friendly. To ensure that the operation is safe, it features a quick-release riving knife and a push-button lock.

Its XACTA Fence II is usually 30 inches with T-square design. This fence ensures accuracy and high safety in its performance. The fence locks easily and firmly giving you consistency in your woodwork.

There is some standard safety design in the construction of the product. There is an easy to reach rail-mounted magnetic switch that protects against overload. There’s a leaf safety guard which protects the worker from the blade while cutting.

The saw has a Poly-V Belt system to ensure low-noise and efficiency in its operation. It comes with a hinged motor cover that protects your motor, belts, and other inner parts from dust.

The product has a powder-coated paint finish that helps to keep a long-lasting and chip-resistant coating. It has an insert for dado blades and standard blades.

The product is made by the brand “JET” that has built a solid reputation in the industry due to the quality of products that it produces year-in and year-out.

Pros:
A powerful motor.
Stable and quiet in operation.
It has a leaf safety guard that protects the user from an accident.

Cons:
It is relatively expensive.
It is a little bit tasking to assemble.

Features:

5. Delta 36-L552 5 HP Unisaw

This is perhaps one of the well-built cabinet table saws, featuring push-button Arbor lock to make the process of changing the blade easier. This cabinet table saw offers one of the best designs when it comes to fine-tuning your knife and changing your blade.

It’s a luxury that features a cast-iron material at its base to offer great support to the whole unit. There are legs that aid in offering additional support.

Delta 36-L552 5HP is excellent for any woodworker, it has excellent controls on its front with speedometer style scales, locking cams, and a Biesemeyer fence that maintains your project in the right position.

This cabinet table saw is designed to cut those hardwoods, MDF, melamine, and other engineered products.

The Delta 36-L552 5HP Unisaw features TRUNNION which ensures that vibrations are minimized. The large throat plate makes blade changing easier.

It has a Bi-level dust extraction which makes your environment clean by ensuring dust collection is done correctly. It has a strong 5HP 220V motor, which can also deal with hardwoods. The cabinet is made in a way that it features a cast-iron base which is heavy enough to increase stability when you are operating.

Pros:
It is a monster with incredible power.
It is very accurate.
It is very sturdy, no wonder the high-level accuracy.

Cons:
Its extension table is relatively small.
Its legs are too short.

Features:

6. Grizzly G0651 Heavy-Duty Cabinet Table Saw

Another product manufactured by Grizzly Industrial, Inc., the Grizzly G0651 Heavy-Duty Cabinet Table Saw operates with 3 Hose Power motor and has a 10-inch riving knife. It features fully adjustable plates, making it easier to operate.

The extension table is made of a hard MDF and can wear out easily. You can buy an extension base if need be.

When it comes to its cost and pricing, it is one of the best cabinet table saws we have in the market. The fence around this table is perfectly sturdy, which makes the cuts to be more precise and accurate.

You can make use of the extension table to do your jigs and sleds. To ensure that you get the right cutting angle of your wood, it comes with an accurate digital readout for the angles.

It is powerful and well designed to deal even with hardwoods. Its cuts are crisp and precise. Whether you are a pro or an amateur woodworker, you will appreciate how this Grizzly cabinet table is easy to assemble.

Pros:
This product gives accurate and precise cuts.
It is easy to assemble.
It is powerful with its 3HP motor.

Cons:
The end of the table ride is relatively low.
It occupies considerable space; hence, you need a large area.

Features:

7. JET 708675PK XACTASAW Deluxe

This is another cabinet table saw that has a Rip fence of 50 inches. It has 3 Horsepower motor. It comes fitted with arbor lock which ensures you are safe when operating it.  The riving knife is well-integrated and easy to release.

The Jet 708675P main body is made of cast iron, including the wide stance trunnions. This gives it stability, noise, and vibration-absorbing capabilities as well as incredible durability.

It features Ply-V belt that does not only make your woodcuts smooth but also ensures enough power transfer.

The Deluxe XACTASAW comes with a finely milled and ground tabletop for dead-on accuracy. It also features a fine worm gear drive for blade and miter adjustments, all driven by perfectly machined handwheels.

The steel locks on the center of the handwheels keep their place once locked and prevent any slips, which makes repetitive bevel cuts possible without a need for realignment.

The Jet 708675PK XACTASAW is one of the easiest saws to operate. Apart from the quick-release blade guard and riving knife, it also has quick blade-changing capabilities thanks to an easily accessible arbor.

The miter gauge on the XACTASAW Deluxe is the most advanced on any cabinet saw yet, allowing for quick and accurate adjustments and ultra-smooth operation.

Pros:
It is made of quality materials.
It is accurate and safe to operate.
It produces very smooth cuts even for hardwood.

Cons:
One of the downsides of this saw is apparent as soon as it is unboxed because it comes with both metric and SAE tools, nuts, and bolts.

Also, the blade rises only to a maximum of 10″ at a 90 Degree angle, which makes it come a little short of some large work requirements.

Features:

8. Delta 3 HP Motor 10 in. UNISAW with 52 in
BIESEMEYER Fence System

Delta saws are to be found in most training workshops, and you most likely have come across one somewhere. This is a testimony to their effectiveness and usability.

This machine is available in both 5 and 3 horsepower models. Its American Marathon Motor gives it more added power.

It comes with a 52-Inch Biesemeyer Fence System and is well-backed by a 5-year warranty. It also features dual front cranks which makes the adjustment of the blades easy and accurate.
A bevel dial allows you to do this very accurately, and once locked in it can hold the position without needing constant adjustments.

To ensure that the cuts are smooth and there are minimal vibrations, this cabinet table saw has Single-cast TRUNNION system.

A push-button lock arbor is an innovative feature of this saw. It makes changing blades easy and fast. It also features a quick-release blade guard and riving knife for fast operation.

Delta has installed what they call a bi-level dust extraction system. What this does is direct the dust from the top level to the lower one where it’s easily collected by the use of a 4″ porthole that can be connected to a dust extractor.

The Delta 10-in-1 UNISAW has a body made of solid cast iron, this gives it ample stability and allows it to absorb almost all vibration from the motor.

The blade guard and riving knife are designed to fix directly to the blade arbor so that they rise and fall with the blade. This gives it great safety and makes dust collection more effective.

It also comes with a large multidirectional stop switch that can be activated from any position.

Pros:
It is quite sturdy.
Very stable due to the improved Geometry on its tabletop.
It produces smooth cuts.

Cons:
The biggest flaw with this machine lies in its manual. The setup instructions are incomplete and seem to skip a lot of important steps, such that a setup that should ideally take 2 hours, takes 6 or more.

The Biesemeyer has also been getting a lot of hate recently from users, mainly due to poor build quality.

Another issue with the Delta saws, in general, is with the shipping, with some people complaining of missing or damaged components.

Features:

Buying Guide – How to Choose the Best Cabinet Table Saw?

Cabinet saws can be differentiated on several points, and that’s what you should be looking for to determine which is best for you. We will look at each in turn.

Power

The cabinet saw’s powerhouse, the motor, is central to the effectiveness of the saw. Motors are rated according to power. A cabinet saw can have a power of 1.5hp to 5hp or more. The more powerful a motor is, the better it can handle tougher woods.

There are a few factors that determine the size of the motor mounted on a cabinet saw. One is the voltage that it can operate. Those that run on the more common 110V outlets in the US tend to be underpowered, with up to 2HP available for them.

Those that can operate on the 250V supply can produce up to 5HP of power. Some manufacturers also install underpowered motors deliberately to keep the price down.

Safety

Safety is a huge issue for these large saws, which can maim a man as quickly as they can bite through wood. A significant concern with them is kickback, which is easily rectified by the addition of a riving knife.

However, some saws go the extra mile and add a saw-stop feature. That detects if flesh, with a higher conductivity index, is in contact with the blade and stops its spinning within a matter of seconds. Not all saws will have such expensive technology.

Others can include a magnetic switch, push stick, blade guard among others. Saws will come with different safety features, which makes them an important consideration.

Dust collection

The dust collection system is essential for health and safety concerns. Some saws have an active system with a hose and blower, and others feature a passive one.

A system that actively collects dust is very desirable on a cabinet saw. While the more passive ones can also be effective, the better it is at collecting dust, the better for you.

Wings or Legs

Majority of the products that are listed here have either of the two features. However, those without wings use stands to keep the table aligned and straightened. They save more space than those with wings.

Flat top and fence type

The accuracy of a cabinet saw matters, depending on the kind of work you will be subjecting it to. A flat top is paramount for this, and the acceptable flatness is 0.0150 deviation from the horizontal at the minimum.

Another feature is the type of fence system installed. It will be guiding your workpiece, so it needs to be accurate and well-built for durability. Although the fence system can be easily changed, the tabletop cannot, and that makes it a top consideration.

Ease of installation and use

Cabinet saws are shipped in parts that need to be constructed. You will want a saw that is easily assembled. That is especially true if it is going to be moved from job site to job site.

The saw also needs to be intuitive to use when it comes to blade adjustment, blade changing, and other relevant features.

Your specific needs

That should have been the first feature because it is all-important. Cabinet saws can come with all kinds of fancy features. In the end, what you need to get done is what matters most. For example, some people will value accuracy over all else; others will want the best safety, depending on their needs.

After all, features are looked at and carefully considered, choose a saw that will fit your needs best. That will help you avoid disappointment as well as saving on costs.

Final Verdict

When you’re ready to take that big step and buy a cabinet saw, there are a few things you need to look into. You need to be aware of what you will need from it mostly: whether power, reliability, economy or even safety.

These cabinet saws are among the best in the market, but each excels in something different. In general, we think the Grizzly G1023RLWX Cabinet Table Saw is the most’ all-rounded’.

The other saws all have something special also. For the Jet 708674PK XACTASAW, it is reliability, the Delta 36-L552 5 HP Unisaw is the most powerful, and the SawStop PCS175-PFA30 is the safest of them all.

Each of these saws is an excellent piece of machinery. What matters is how perfectly it suits you. Once you identify the one, then, by all means, go for it! A cabinet saw is an investment that will never give you occasion to regret.