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The saw arrived earlier than expected, and performs as well or better than expected. The soft start is helpful for reducing vibration. The fence alignment is very true.
As with all Porter-Cable equipment this is a nice saw, but it did not work out for me. The added features of soft start and fast stop made it seem like the unit for me, but when the box arrived I was stunned at the size of the package. I thought I would write this review just to provide some additional information for those that may be considering this purchase.I needed a small compact saw that one person could handle with ease, but had the power to work through hard woods. Amazon offered this as an alternative to the DeWalt DW745 for less money and with the stand. I returned mine and ordered the DeWalt saw. I gave this 5 stars because it is a nice piece of equipment, but please note it is a little larger then you may expect, if compact is what you need.
Admittedly, the DeWalt does have a superior fence, and all things being equal I would most likely have purchased the DW744, but the deal I received on this PC was a significant cost savings over the DeWalt plus the free blade.I just couldn't pass it up.I did opt for the optional outfeed extension which makes cutting sheet stock much easier.I would recommend it to anyone.Pros: Plenty of power, soft start motor that won't scare the life out of you when you turn it on, quality blade included, flat and true surface, straight and tight fence, large work surface.Cons: The stand isn't as firm as I would like it to be and a bump to the saw could result in a less than perfectly straight cut. I've owned this PC saw for about a year and have no level of buyer's remorse. When ripping wider sheet goods the fence requires you to insert a angle bracket to hold the far right edge of the stock - the DeWalt is superior in this regard as it only requires a quick flip of the support bracket rather than the two hands the PC requires to make it work.All things considered I would purchase this saw again and my complaints are minor ones. The saw is a workhorse and has no problem cutting anything I have thrown at it. The tabletop surface is flat and true, and the blade was straight to the fence right out of the box - no adjustments needed.When I bought mine Amazon had a deal where they threw in a $80 Freud blade for free, so that was a significant factor in my decision to choose the PC over the DeWalt DW744. This is a quality built saw and has proven itself to be a valuable addition to my shop. I don't have the space for a full cabinet saw or even a contractors saw right now and this serves all of my needs and I haven't found a cut yet that I wasn't able to do with this saw.
The trial cuts that I made were repeatable and accurate, even with changes in blade angle. After shopping around and reading reviews, I had just about given up on finding a saw that would meet my needs at a price I could afford. I've recently retired and needed a useable table saw that would fit in my smallish workshop. The blade supplied with the saw made smooth cuts in pine and birch. I got this saw, delivered and on time, for a little over $300.My experience is somewhat limited, so my technical review will be limited, too. The unit was a snap to assemble and was operational in much less time than the 30 minutes listed in the directions. I suppose I may get a little more demanding once I gain experience, but that will probably be some time yet. Two small touches that I like are the on-board storage for accessories and T-slots for the miter guage.
I've never gone wrong with Porter Cable tools. I then turned my attention to the rip fence: It was also "calibrated at the factory", but it was also a little off. Fine for rough work, but get yourself a different blade or two for more finished work (check out the Porter Cable 100VT50 Razor: I bought it to go along with this saw, and also wrote a review for you). Next, I checked the miter gauge. For the money (I spent about $250 for the saw; not too happy with paying another $100 for freight, but it was STILL a good deal) I'm very pleased with this purchase. Two out of the three positive stops were not "dead-on", but it was a simple adjustment.
If it says "calibrated", it should BE calibrated. It was a bit of a pain, but I managed to get it done, with a little persuasion. But don't let that stop you from adding this to your workshop. Before using the saw, I had to make sure that it was aligned properly, and the rip fence was also straight to the blade.
All I'm saying is: don't expect the saw to be ready to go "out of the box". The saw was pristine, nothing missing, and no damage whatsoever. I opened the box and made sure everything was there, and that nothing was damaged. The manual described how to loosen the trunnion bolts and get the motor straightened out. The saw was a little off (about 1/16th), when measured against the miter slots. I'm presently building a router table attachment on it to increase my capabilities in the small space I have for equipment. Now, any experienced woodworker worth his salt WILL check, calibrate and "tune" the saw and accessories before use.
The stand came pre-assembled: All I had to do was pop it open and it's ready. The manual had said that all this was calibrated at the factory.I checked it anyway. I like the brake on the blade too.speeds things up and is a great safety feature. A couple of slight adjustments with an Allen wrench got it flush. When I ran it through, I got a paper-thin strip of waste left over.
I had ordered this saw just before the 4th of July holiday. It has an aluminum table and rip fence (I THINK they're aluminum.they're NOT magnetic, I'm sure of that). So, if you're not too familiar with these "tune-up" procedures, you'll need to brush up. This told me that the saw is VERY accurate, provided that you "accurasize" it, as I have described. Also "calibrated at the factory".Also a little off. As far as accuracy, once you tweak it a bit (and mine needed tweaking) you'll find yourself quite contented. The saw blade included is a 24TPI blade.
A simple turn or two of the alignment screws got it running parallel to the now-straight saw blade. Although it doesn't look it, the folding stand is very stable. I recently had to rip down just a shade over 1/8 inch from an oak board. The saw arrived on July 5th, 2 days after I ordered it, and that includes a holiday.Now, THAT was fast. Once you're done, this is a great piece of gear to work with. This miter gauge has "positive stops" for 45 degrees (both sides of zero) and 90 degrees.
Glad I bought it.Would buy it again. The saw is a little noisy, but that's to be expected with a direct drive. It wasn't supposed to arrive for almost a week, but I wasn't in any hurry. Remember how to tune it, because you should tune it up occasionally anyway. Personally, I don't have too much use for the extension wings.
I can overcome this with time, I'm sure. The soft start is something I'm still trying to get used to.
I like it, but the saw fires up about a second or so after you flip the switch.Just long enough for you to wonder if there's a problem. This saw is designed to be portable.
The only reason I don't give 5 stars is for the "tweaking". The blade insert was also not level with the table.
OK, let's check out the performance: The 15-amp motor gives me plenty of power for the types of projects that I do, which is nothing "heavyweight", like a building contractor would do every day. Belt drives are more forgiving.
It's light enough to be portable, but heavy and stable enough to be safe and accurate.
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