The basic choice is between a contractor saw and a cabinet saw.
Contractor table saw vs cabinet.
The principle difference outside of heft size and horsepower between a cabinet saw and a contractors style saw is the mounting of the trunnions.
And because cabinet saws use more powerful motors 3 5 hp as opposed to 1 1 3 4 hp for contractor and hybrid saws they require a 220 volt circuit for operation.
A cabinet saw s trunnions are mounted to the cabinet and the table is a separate component.
This type has a combination of contractor and cabinet table saw features.
Hybrid saws use contractor saw trunnion assemblies which are built lighter and typically hang mounted from the bottom of the table versus the beefier cabinet saw trunnion assemblies which are supported by the top of the cabinet itself a hybrid table saw is your middle ground between a contractor saw and a cabinet saw it should give you increased accuracy and power but without the price tag and overall weight of a contractor saw.
In this case we use the sawstop contractor saw and sawstop pro cabinet saw as our examples of each category of table saw.
They are small enough and lightweight for easier movability within the workshop and can be tuned accurately.
When looking at stationary table saw the choice most often is between a contractor saw or cabinet saw.
Moreover they have the same power as contractor table saw and a partial cabinet with the motor which helps with noise dampening and dust collection.
Basically jobsite and contractor table saw fall right under these two types.
They are more like the complicated versions that of course have far more features to offer.
A table saw purchase should be made carefully to avoid getting either a machine that doesn t meet shop needs or one that leaves too little money for other important tools.
No other tool does so many things with such clean results in so little time.
The trunnions on a contractors style saw mount to the table.
Take a closer look at the differences and similarities you ll find on a cabinet table saw and a contractor table saw.