SawStop CTS Jobsite Table Saw

SawStop table saws, which are supposed to immediately brake when the spinning blade contacts skin, are a controversial topic amongst carpenters. So, when I decided to purchase their Compact Table Saw, or CTS, I heard some strong opinions. “I really wanted to hate this saw,” quipped one of my coworkers, echoing a sentiment many share for some reason: The saws or the company are apparently worthy of ire. I’m not going to parse those discussions, nor will I write a lecture about jobsite safety, at least not a long one.

What I will say is that I put off buying a table saw for years because I knew that I wanted to buy a SawStop but always felt that the price for their CTS was painfully high compared to the non-braked alternatives. If I’m going to put that kind of coin into a tool, I like to be able to point to specific capabilities that set it apart. But I went ahead and bought it. After using the CTS for the last few months, I now know those capabilities: It is an excellent tool, whose build and features stand apart from its competitors.

The first thing my coworkers remarked on was the saw’s size and heft. “You won’t cut off your finger but you will throw out your back,” my manager joked. Its weight and size offer an upside and a downside. Anyone expecting a tool like the Dewalt jobsite saw, which is light and easily portable, is liable to be disappointed by the CTS’s 68-pound weight. When set up, however, the CTS is a beast with ample power. I ripped several hundred feet of mahogany and it didn’t falter. Its 10-inch blade powers through material, and the large table, not quite a 2-foot square, provides a solid platform.

Indeed, the big table is one of the things I love about the saw, because it elevates the tool beyond a simple ripping machine.

I’ve also been impressed with the cut quality. I am in the process of building a variety of router jigs, which involved a lot of crosscutting. Before building my crosscut sled to accomplish the task, I evaluated and tuned the CTS for blade alignment. While the CTS came relatively aligned, some adjustment was needed. Thankfully, this is a fairly simple process, and the difference was noticeable: Cuts improved from what I would expect from a jobsite saw to buttery smooth. Using the saw to build a loose tenon jig, I found the saw quite capable of the accuracy I needed.

The details of this saw are reminiscent of other jobsite saws, with the rack and pinion fence that seems to have become a standard feature in this category. One difference is that SawStop has changed the locking mechanism, opting to locate it within the adjustment knob in a pull-to-unlock, push-to-lock action. I find the force that’s needed to lock the fence a bit too violent for my taste, though I have never noticed any movement of the fence as a result. Over time, however, I have come to appreciate the ability to adjust and lock the fence with one hand, although the mechanics of doing so took some getting used to.

The bevel adjustment mechanism is a dream and housed around the blade-height crank. The bevel mechanism is unlocked by pulling on the surrounding housing and locked by pushing it in, with the entire blade assembly able to tilt to angles that range from -2 degrees to 47 degrees. Where SawStop really pushed the envelope on the bevel adjustment is with the micro adjust feature, which allows the ring that locks the bevel to rotate and adjust the bevel angle very slowly, click by click. This makes achieving an exact angle incredibly easy, which is a rarity in saws of this class.

Dust collection is also good. I haven’t hooked the saw up to a dust collector, but SawStop has built a plastic housing around the entire blade and motor assembly, which seems to direct most of the dust out the chute in the back even without any suction involved. This is another area where the increased size and weight are well worth the benefit in my opinion. The saw houses its accessories in an enclosed panel behind the saw that keeps everything organized and available.

One gripe I have with this saw pertains to the slight wobble of the blade, which results from the sudden start to the motor (which is also very loud). That’s standard for a jobsite saw, but still irksome.

Then we have SawStop’s proprietary blade brake system, which continually monitors the blade. When the blade touches an electrically conductive material (such as skin), that prompts a spring-loaded cartridge to drop a hunk of aluminum into the blade, stopping it almost instantly. This keeps the saw from cutting off fingers but it also means that cutting wet lumber or aluminum requires initiating a bypass mechanism to deactivate the blade brake system—which disables the safety for the user also. I don’t find this procedure to be much of a hassle, especially after doing so routinely, but I can imagine certain working environments where this would be an issue. I have set off the brake on our shop saw before with metal-on-blade contact, and I’ll be honest here, it stank. At $100 a brake cartridge, plus a new blade and the lost working time, it’s an error that I’d rather not make again.

It’s hard to know what to make of the CTS. It’s capable of executing high-precision detailed work while keeping a clean worksite, far beyond any other jobsite saw I’ve used. This isn’t a tiny table saw to be thrown around, nor is it a larger contractor or cabinet saw geared toward shop work; instead, it sits somewhere in between. For me it’s perfect, because it lets me rip 2-by material onsite and to do finer finish work in my spare time.

Then, at long last, we come to the primary selling point of the saw: It’s safer to use. I love using this saw because I know that if things go sideways the saw has my back and that of my coworkers. Many carpenters will remark on how many years they’ve used a table saw without issue and that decades of experience means there’s little benefit to the SawStop, only hassle. It is true that with proper technique and an alert mind other table saws can be used safely. But what about all those times when we didn’t sleep well and were tired? What about the 4 p.m. rush, when we have just one more little thing to finish even though we really should stop? What about sheer, uncaring, unwavering chance?

I get in and out of my vehicle thousands of times a year and every time my keys make the same trip from hand to belt. And yet I occasionally manage to lock my keys in the van, sometimes due to a situation, sometimes from a mental slip. Do something long enough and you end up playing a game of probabilities with a few wild cards thrown in. Sometimes it’s a call to the locksmith, others it’s a trip to the ER. Experience, mental focus, and muscle memory will change the odds of the game, but don’t be fooled, you’re still playing. Now SawStop has come along with a trump card in your favor.

It might not be a perfect saw, and it might cost a lot more than the competition, but it’s a top-tier tool. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll be sitting at home in 10 years regretting those extra hundreds you spent on the SawStop because the saw never proved its worth. Somehow, I doubt it. You’ll set off the brake a few times by accident and feel a little regret. You’ll grow tired of turning off the brake when the PT lumber you got seems like it was pulled out of a bog. But you’ll also do excellent work with a saw that relishes a challenge. In the end, it all blurs into normalcy until that day when you hear a clunk and turn around to see your coworker with only a nicked finger and a bruised ego. On that day, it’s clear that the CTS is the obvious choice. The SawStop sells for $975 (the base saw) and $180 for the folding stand, and you can find it at Sawstop.com.

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