Before we get too in-depth with this review, here’s an overview of the product specifications so you can get a rough idea about this product, from power to price.
Specifications
- Manufacturer Part Number (MPN): SPT70WT-22
- Product Name: SPT70WT 10-Inch Portable Worm Drive Table Saw
- Brand: SKILSAW
- Weight: 49 lbs.
- Product Dimensions: 19.9 х 23.4 х 13.4 in.
- Max. 90-Deg Cut Depth: 3.5 in.
- Power: 110v, 15 amps
Portability
Now, let’s start off with what’s probably the main draw of the SKILSAW Portable Table Saw; its portability.
Pro: Lightweight
Sitting at just a touch under 50 pounds, the SKILSAW table saw is considerably light for what it is. Comparative to similar tools, that makes this product a lot more maneuverable than your average table saw. On account of that, you could absolutely stick to a one-handed operation if that’s what you prefer.
Pro: Easily Transportable
As opposed to a regular table saw, which almost always calls for a truck bed to transport it, the SKILSAW is a lot less demanding. Its relatively compact form easily slots into the trunk of the average sedan.
If you’re someone who lugs power tools around from job site to job site, this model will definitely tickle your fancy.
Pro: No Loose Parts
Another point to its portability is the fact that detachable components all snap neatly onto the body of the unit, with everything from a guide to miter slot. So you’re not going to be juggling a miter gauge and guide every time you move your unit.
Con: Awkward Handling
Unfortunately, there are some drawbacks to the design. If you do opt for single-handed operation, it’s highly likely that you’re going to knock the miter gauge right out of its snap-in position. While the snap locations are all well and good for transport, in active use the position is a little counterintuitive to how the average person is going to handle their saw.
Performance
It doesn’t matter how portable a piece of equipment is if it’s not powerful enough for use. Fortunately, that isn’t the case with the SKILSAW.
Pro: Takes On Heavy-Duty Tasks
Most of the marketing for this product centered around its brass worm drive gearing that takes SKILSAW’s patented mechanical advantage and outstrips direct drive saws and rips without binding. It promises to do this and maintain a compact form perfect for use and transport.
The SKILSAW table saw manages to deliver, having no trouble whatsoever ripping through lighter loads, but its rip capacity stretches far beyond the light work of smaller DIYs. This table saw’s 3.5-inch blade height is easily able to conquer any larger cuts such as 4 x 4 boards with impressive cutting depth, and the 10-inch Diablo blade that comes with it makes light work of ripping thin but dense boards of 5/4-inch cedar.
Pro: Adequately Sized Work Surface
The main work surface of the table saw, which extends outwards by 25 inches perpendicular to the blade, is able to support most larger boards, like your typical 4-foot by 8-foot sheet of plywood. However, it should be noted that sheet goods much longer than that will probably require a separate stand.
Con: The Self-Aligning Rip Fence System Doesn’t Feel As Secure
To optimize the consistency of your width cuts, this product employs a self-aligning fence system that is relatively easy to use. Unfortunately, it lacks the fully-secure feeling that the rack and pinion fence systems tend to bring.
However, once you get used to it, the measurements provided by this rip fence are still reliable, though you might still miss your old rack and pinion fence.
Features
Now we can get into the interesting parts: the features. Unfortunately for the SKILSAW table saw, it left a little to be desired in terms of additional features.
Con: Imprecise Miter Gauge
While there is a miter gauge included (the one mentioned above to snap on at a slightly inconvenient location), it’s not exactly top-of-the-line.
As plenty of online reviews will confirm, while rough cuts are easy enough, it’s a bit impossible to achieve a true 45-degree cut with a measure of precision with this saw using the provided miter gauge, as the slot it snaps into allows the cut to veer just a little too far off-track in either direction.
Fortunately, this can be solved by purchasing a third-party miter gauge. But if you’re hoping to compare to a miter saw, it’s unlikely that you’re going to achieve as precise a result even with a higher quality miter gauge straight from the shop.
While you’re not going to be able to make a micro-adjustment or the most accurate cuts, you do need to keep in mind that this isn’t built to be the most detail-oriented machine on the market. This is a job site table saw, so it just doesn’t have the capacity for certain tasks.
Con: No Attached Stand
One drawback of SKILSAW’s emphasis on portability is the lack of stand. While the table saw does technically function without one, and kneeling down to work on it is an option, it’s not always the most viable method for anyone lacking mobility.
If you’ve got a bit of bad back, or just prefer your table saw be on a stand, that’s totally understandable.
You can purchase a stand separately from the SKILSAW shop, as the brand does sell one that’s compatible with this table saw, though it does come without wheels. It will run you about $70 fresh out of the box, but you’ll have a foldable stand specially made for your device.
Safety Features
One area where the SKILSAW Portable Table Saw that’s all pros is the safety department.
Pro: Lots of Protection
Where most table saws are, to put it plainly, kind of a hazard, with their exposed, lightning-fast blade claiming no small amount of victims each year, the SKILSAW is actually quite commendable.
Pro: Sensible and Smart Guard System
The blade guard system employed by this table saw is the standard set of clear plastic guards that can be moved out of the way of the blade at will. When down, however, the guards serve as a shield to protect you from the blade as you feed wood into it.
It’s imperative that you are able to push the guards up and completely out of the way, however, to allow you to adjust the blade height or even just rip thinner workpieces. Fortunately, the SKILSAW’s guard system does just that.
Pro: Anti-Kickback
The last thing you want while ripping through a piece of wood is to get smacked straight in the face by that same piece of wood’s tiny, splintery pieces, freshly chewed up by your saw blade.
The riving knife prevents any cut pieces from binding and causing any kickback by separating them as they pass through the saw blade. The anti-kickback device then prevents any spit-up with its metal teeth that don’t allow for a back-flow of traffic.
Your workpiece can only travel in one direction along the blade of this table saw, fortunately for your face.
Price
In terms of price, at $379, the SKILSAW Portable Table Saw isn’t too far on either end of the spectrum. While there are definitely cheaper table saws on the market, some running for below a hundred dollars, you won’t be able to expect nearly the same kind of power or features offered by this model.
Though it’s not the most precise product on the market, this saw definitely delivers a bang for your buck in terms of power and cutting capacity. With a year-long limited warranty and a 180-day money-back guarantee, you’re promised a table saw that can rip through just about anything you throw at it. Which, from this point of view, seems like a pretty good deal.
Competition
It’s important to know how the SKILSAW SPT70WT stacks up against other table saws, such as the DeWalt DWE7491RS Table Saw.
In terms of price, the SKILSAW beats out the DeWalt by about $100, though the latter does come with a built-in wheeled fold-out stand, which you’d have to purchase separately with the SKILSAW.
So they’re about equal in terms of price.
Performance-wise, they’re neck-and-neck, and they just about line up in terms of features too. So it really comes down to the convenience of a built-in stand of the DeWalt versus the portability of the SKILSAW. The SKILSAW is the more popular job site saw for that exact reason, especially considering that it’s half the weight of a DeWalt.
At the end of the day, it’s a matter of personal preference, and neither of them is substantially better than the other overall.
Pros and Cons: Summary
To summarize the sections above, here’s a compact list of pros and cons of the SKILSAW SPT70WT Portable Table Saw.
Pros
- Portable
- Powerful
- Safety Features
Cons
- No included stand
- Slightly awkward handling
- Imprecise miter gauge
Final Verdict
A must-buy for those who value power over precision.
The SKILSAW SPT70WT 10-Inch Portable Worm Drive Table Saw is a compact, convenient yet considerably powerful table saw that you can easily lug around from job site to job site with little fuss.
If you’re looking for a precise power tool for your home workshop, it might be wise to look into other options. But for the contractor on the go, the SKILSAW will more than meet your needs.
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