SawStop Compact Table Saw (CTS-120A60) - Unboxing & First Impressions of the Cheapeast SawStop Saw

[@fj7509]

This was such an incredible review! I just purchased my CTS and am blown away by how beginner friendly it is, the quality also seems to be top notch in its category and was square right out of the box. You mentioned you were trying to make a crosscut sled for this and maybe give a full review later... Is there any way the sled is still a plan? You're just about the only person on KZbin who I've seen give this much attention to the CTS, and a personalized tutorial for making a sled for this model would be amazing.

[@MasonWoodshop]

Thanks for watching and leaving such a positive comment! It really is a great little saw, although the loud start-up sound still always gets me, haha! While I did have intentions of making a crosscut sled, I haven't had any projects since getting this saw where I needed one, so I have yet to build one. I'll add this to my list of things to do as I think a nice compact and easily portable crosscut sled for this portable saw would make for a great video. It won't be any time soon, but I do think it would be fun to do. In the meantime, I think you'd be able to get away with a very basic crosscut sled and what I used on my crosscut sled for my Ridged R4512 table saw were the Microjig Zeroplay mitre bars, which I just tested to ensure they'd also work on the SawStop CTS with no issues. I'd highly recommend checking them out!

[@fj7509]

@@MasonWoodshop I absolutely will check out your other video. Thank you for taking the time to reply!

[@MasonWoodshop]

@@fj7509 My pleasure! Unfortunately I don't have a video on making that sled as it was before my KZbin days. It was very much based on this video, but using the Microjig Zeroplay slides: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpbFeoJ3lrWbnrc

[@fj7509]

@@MasonWoodshop Sorry for misreading your comment lol. Thanks for the link, I’ll check it out!

[@travis5481]

I think resetting a SawStop would be the happiest couple hundred dollars I've ever spent.

[@MasonWoodshop]

That’s a great way to think about it!

[@I_like_pears]

Thanks for the review! Very comprehensive and helpful. I look forward to your future reviews of how you use it.

[@nimajnebrm]

Looking forward to your next review of the compact table saw!

[@hectorrock9647]

My fingers cost more than 1,000.

[@rpaasse6453]

You can't buy a Sawstop in Europe so i Bought a De Walt 7492, the same as the 7491 but on 220 volts. Its a fantastic saw, but the choice would have been very easy if they had the sawstop in Europe. Safety first! Congrats!! And many safe miles on the new saw!

[@temjiu9915]

What you called a Low fence is actually a support. You drop it down when the fence has to be moved outside of the table itself. it will support your wide piece along the fence. But by now you probably figured that out :D I'm always hesitant to think about a sawstop. I'm a third generation woodworker (casual). neither myself or my father or grandfather every hurt ourselves on power tools, but they both taught me to treat the power tool like it was a hungry beast and it's sole purpose was to devour my fingers! So I tend to take extra time to do my work (not a huge amount), and built some extra habits and I've ever had an issue. But I'm also not a professional who is running their saw constantly and has project deadlines to meet, so I think if I was in that situation a sawstop would make much more sense. When you have X days to finish Y project, you tend to run as fast as you safely can, which oftentimes also runs you along that edge of danger (danger will robinson, danger!). In that case I think I'd want the extra insurance. But until then, the price isn't worth it for me. I can get a Powermatic that is better, cheaper (not by much, but still cheaper). and it's top quality all the way. sawstop is solid quality, but they also cut corners to cover the cost of the patent.

[@MasonWoodshop]

Great points, thanks for sharing! The hungry beast part is amazing, haha!

[@mikedunn5563]

You’ll use that drop over piece when you make wide 1/4” cuts! It’s awesome!

[@MasonWoodshop]

Already have a couple of times and love it!!

[@Ronbo765]

One thing to note. No Dado blade capability.

[@MasonWoodshop]

That’s true! I’m not aware of any job site saw that could safely take a dado blade.

[@Ronbo765]

@@MasonWoodshop I believe the Jobsite Pro can.

[@paulwaldrop2262]

good video, on the miter gauge, welcome to the world of Sawstop jobsite saws. I've got the Jobsite Pro, and it has a crappy miter gauge also.

[@MasonWoodshop]

Thanks! Happy to hear it’s not unique to this saw, but brutal that SawStop (a premium brand) includes such a shoddy mitre gauge. Wouldn’t take much more $ for them to upgrade it even slightly.

[@AaronGeller]

So the top is cast aluminum - I do like mine. I wish they made a better stand though… hopefully they’ll make one in the future. I found with safety guard over the blade, it kept the dust going through the port.

[@MasonWoodshop]

Ah, yes! Cast aluminum makes sense, thank you! Great point on the safety guard, it does make sense that it would help keep dust under control. What dust collection setup are you using with yours?

[@NWGR]

Congrats on the saw! I was actually thinking about grabbing that saw too for jobsite work, but that's a bit further down the line. Build quality and features look impressive, but that's no surprise with it carrying the sawstop brand. As for the dust deputy, I'd skip the wall mounted one. I haven't put mine together yet, but I have all the pieces for it, so here's what I plan to do: Make a bracket to wall mount the dust deputy 2.5, and on the bottom of the bracket will be a section of 4" flexible dust hose that connects to the waste bucket lid. That way, all you need to remove is the lid and pull out the waste bucket rather than have to take the lid with the dust deputy and vac hoses attached. The bucket I have is an eagle 1610MB, though you can easily go larger or smaller for your waste container. That one suited my needs of being compact, good capacity and sturdy. Dust management has been a huge influence on most of my recent tool purchases; it's one of the main reasons I invested in festool. I'd definitely build a cart for it, I'm not a huge fan of a caddy for the saw. That's more for if you need to break down everything and store it as compact as possible like in Ron's trailer. A cart of casters will work great, and as you said, it can be extra support for larger sheet goods. In redoing my mancave I had to sand the edges of some desktops, so I ordered the RTS 400 and it made the process quick, easy and mostly dust free. Worth taking a look at; great little sander. Have you tried any other edge guides for your OF 1010? I'm close to ordering mine. Looking forward to the next one!

[@MasonWoodshop]

Thanks - I always look for to your comments! So far this saw is great with the only negative (not in video) being how loud it is although I don't have any proper tests to compare it. Great tip on the dust deputy and it's nice that we're on a similar dust collection path. I want something that I can mount in a reasonable way, whether that's to the cart I'll build for the SawStop CTS (it's shockingly heavy), or on the wall with a nice 2.5" flex hose. Either way, and as you noted, I'm going cart as this thing is a beast! That's awesome you ordered the RTS 400! Definitely one of those specialty tools that isn't on my list, but if I run into the job that would benefit from it, I'll buy it! With my OF 1010, I haven't tried any other edge guides, although I still want to try the M-Power despite some concerns on it. If anything, it would make for some good video content, haha! Any that are on your list you think I should try?

[@NWGR]

@@MasonWoodshop I'm glad to bounce ideas and impressions back and forth! It's great that we're both going through similar shop changes. Had you not mentioned your gripes with the of1010 edge guide I may have purchased it with the router. Instead I'm taking a long hard look at the microfence. Pricey, but seems like a very well made edge guide, and that will be an important tool for the cabinet door job I have coming up. I'll be doing them on-site and very similar to how Anthony Scolaro did them in his recent cabinet making series, though I'll be using my dowelmax instead of dominos. I had a Bosch 4100 jobsite saw that I gave to my dad that was loud as well. All those universal motor saws are screamers. Back in 2004 there was a fairly compact jobsite style saw with an induction motor, the delta ts350. It was a nice little saw and definitely a tool I regret selling. My whole reasoning in regards to the dust deputy setup is that I want it to be stationary, and not require me to partially dismantle it to empty the bucket. Looking forward to more of your impression videos and seeing how the sawstop works out for you!

[@MasonWoodshop]

@@NWGR Funny enough, I tried the OF 1010 edge guide yet again (from a friend) and realized that my thoughts on it hadn't changed at all. It's find for some use cases, but rarely would it be what I need. Ah, the Microfence...I continue to wonder about that one, despite the cost being more than an entire non-Festool router. I might try the M-Power from Lee Valley as they have a generous return policy if I'm not happy. I'm really not looking for that much in an edge guide, it's just that my Bosch $45 edge guide was so good at such a good price.

[@NWGR]

@@MasonWoodshop I agree completely on the bosch edge guide; I grabbed that earlier this year for $25 on sale (IIRC prime day in july) and I'm amazed at the build quality and accuracy of it. Part of me wants to figure out a way to adapt it to the 1010 lol The Mpower looks decent, at least as good as the stock festool, but I didn't see notice dust collection (though I may have missed it). Come to think of it, I didn't see dust collection with the microfence either.

[@MasonWoodshop]

@@NWGR Ah, you're right! There isn't much out there on folks using the M-Power with the OF 1010, so maybe that's a piece of content I should get into.

[@Being_Joe]

Yes my finders are worth at least $300 a finger

[@sflagg0817]

Thanks for the video I am very close to getting this saw to replace my Metabo jobsite table saw. While the Metabo is a good saw I would like to have the piece of mind on the safety feature. It’s a toss up between this one and the jobsite one as I have a small area in the winter months, being from Western NY our winters are cold so my area in the 2 car garage goes away so my wife can use it for her car, what a husband huh lol. With my collection growing table saw, band saw, jointer, planner, spindle sander, belt sander, my prized BoschGCM12SD ( probably my favorite tool) the CTS makes more sense possibly, anyway thanks for sharing

[@ReelFilmGeek]

Going to have to watch this tomorrow since its late but looking forward to hearing your thoughts. Looking at getting my first table saw and really debating between sawstops compact vs their jobsite pro so hoping this can help give me an idea of what way to go.

[@charles.neuman18]

I like how he doesn't read the instructions. He just does stuff and figures it out.

[@charles.neuman18]

P.S. I don't blame them for not including a good mitre gauge. People who care will either make their own sled or buy a nice mitre gauge. If the one included was twice as good, it still wouldn't be good enough, so best that they didn't even bother.

[@haltz]

I own a Sawstop PCS and was tempted to buy this but for $1K I'll stick with the DeWalt 8 1/4" and track saw for jobsite work. Two things that would probably make me pull the trigger: 1) dust collection over the blade, and 2) if it was somehow not such a screamer like the rest of the jobsite saws.

[@louisolivierfortin]

1: dust collection over the blade is really bad unless you have a dedicated port, which the saw doesnt come with. 2. Less of a screamer than my previous dewalt. But the top is less flat than the dewalt’s and my unit has bad arbor runout so it’s getting replaced 🤷‍♂️

[@MasonWoodshop]

Coming from the Ridgid contractors saw (R4512), the dust colleciton is about the same, even though that was a 4" port (horrible above the blade). I'm hoping to see some aftermarket solutions with the SawStop, even if 3D-printed attachments. The sound is still wild to me and while it's not as bad as the DeWalt I had before (anecdotally), it is certainly louder than my Ridgid contractor saw. With hearing protection, it's not too bad, but I'm a little more conscious of the time I use the SawStop as to not frustrate my neighbours, haha!

[@ibitaRaptor]

599 or maybe 699 would make it more compelling price and great gateway for consumers. It might be a great gateway drug for them to upgrade to better sawstop table saw. I think it $979 now in the US after release.

[@MasonWoodshop]

I agree that a lower price would be much more appealing. $699 USD $949 CAD would be a reasonable price, I think.

[@MrMaurorro]

Thanks mate!

[@nattydj8646]

Yep, c. $300 for a great safety feature is not a premium I’d be worried about.

[@mikedunn5563]

Thanks man! Good review!👍

[@georgewashington7444]

Man I just bought the DeWalt twin minus safety. I haven’t used it yet so I’ll take it back to big Orange and pick up one of these. I play guitar and would like to continue!

[@Keithharvey]

Put mine together last night. Two problems: the table is not level and the in feed is just not long enough to safely cut down full boards of ply.

[@louisolivierfortin]

My unit came with an unacceptably uneven top, and probably a bad arbor that makes the blade visibly oscillate. So I’m currently trying to get a replacement. My experience is not great for the moment 😅

[@MasonWoodshop]

Wow, that’s awful!! Thanks for sharing. I’m definitely going to go back to mine with a straight edge and mindful eye later tonight. Not acceptable on a product at this price.

[@jonathancowdin3775]

That was going to be my question, did you take a straight edge to the fence on both sides, is it all true?

[@louisolivierfortin]

@@jonathancowdin3775 I was even told by sawstop that the top is « convex by design »… wtf

[@MasonWoodshop]

@@louisolivierfortin That's wild!!! Mine isn't perfect, but it's good around the blade and to the left of the blade. It drops off about 1mm towards the back right.

[@MasonWoodshop]

@@jonathancowdin3775 Fence is perfect on mine and the only part that's not perfect is the far right corner (drops slightly). I noticed on my Ridgid R4512 that even the cast iron wasn't perfect, so I'm giving SawStop a bit of leeway on it, although I think I'll do a bit more of analysis on mine to see how I feel about it.

[@GardnersGarage]

Nice! I was just eying the same saw at busy bee in London

[@MasonWoodshop]

Woo, London!!! I need to hit up Busy Bee to see what cyclones they have.

[@GardnersGarage]

@@MasonWoodshop do you have instagram?

[@Nunyabizn3ss]

The top is constructed of powder coated aluminum. So no magnetic tools, but much lighter than it otherwise would be.

[@bijan4727]

Hi very nice presentation. How is the saw dust collection?

[@MasonWoodshop]

Great question! I'd say that it's mediocre. I connect the saw to my Festool dust extractor with 36mm hose and while it does extract a decent amount of saw dust, I wouldn't say it's any better or worse than other compact table saws I've used.

[@bijan4727]

Thanks. Why didn’t you buy the contractor saw?

[@MasonWoodshop]

@@bijan4727 Space and cost (the Contractor is 2.5x the price of the Compact in Canada)

[@alejandrogarcia43]

Love this little saw, hate the price tho.

[@McFlysGarage]

I have the sawstop JST v2 and I’m seriously considering downsizing to this but I’d need to build a MFT table like you did.

[@MasonWoodshop]

So far it's been an excellent compliment to my MFT setup. Many folks might think it was a waste of money for me given that I use the track saw + MFT anytime I can, but the piece of mind with the SawStop is worth it for me. I'm planning on building a cart for this saw (it's really heavy) using the MFT as the outfield table.

[@SavageVoyageur]

Nice saw buddy. I just bought the jobsite pro model. Highly recommend both these saws. Especially for small workshops or hobbyists.

[@MasonWoodshop]

Right on!

[@jimwiskus8862]

Nice saw, but not worth the price especially the miter gauge. I would buy an Incra miter gauge. On the fence, you had the support resting on the top of the table. You had mentioned you wouldn’t use it that much. What that support is for is when you slide the fence all the way to the right, then you flip that support back to your left and it will then support your plywood sheet goods. I like the idea of the concept of the saw, but it’s just to spendy for me. You just have to be on your toes and always think ahead. Thanks.

[@debandmike3380]

I understand why people would want the sawstop for a safety feature but I have four table saws all various sizes and I've been using them for 30 years and not once have I ever been concerned about losing a finger I think having a built-in feature makes you slightly complacent instead of paying solid attention every time you're making a cut when there is still a danger.

[@tobytootimes7639]

If you have a dog, that miter gauge makes a good chew toy.

[@MasonWoodshop]

Haha! I hope someone at SawStop feels badly about including that with the most expensive job site saw available.

[@tobytootimes7639]

@@MasonWoodshop yeah, they really should be embarrassed by that. I’m strongly considering purchasing this but am really torn as to whether it is necessary. My current table saw works great but of course, I’d rather not lose a finger/s. Tough decision.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

It's a toy, useless junk.

[@peterdement]

It has been over a year where is the Review update on the SawStop CTS?

[@MasonWoodshop]

Ah yes! Unfortunately 2023 was very light on the video side of things for me. Overall, I’m satisfied with the saw for what it is - compact with an amazing safety system. I miss having the large top of my previous saw, especially since the main section of it was cast iron. The top on the CTS is appropriately sized for a compact saw but the finish on it always seems to have a bit of friction - nothing too bad, but something that I think about from time to time. The best “upgrade” I made to the saw was getting the SawStop 60 tooth blade. Oh, and I love the fence on it!

[@ronmurphy4234]

So does this saw require you to reassemble and unassailable the saw blade guard every tine you use it, kinda funny for a "portable" job site saw. I just wounder if Dewalt will be getting payments from SawStop for their using the same fence and track setup from their table saw costing 1/2 the amount.

[@paulinder566]

1 month later how are you enjoying the saw? I am considering either this or the Dewalt 7491rs.

[@MasonWoodshop]

Great question! I’m really liking it so far. It’s the highest quality job site saw I’ve ever used and the safety mechanism continues to give me (and my wife) piece of mind. If I had a bigger shop, I’d splurge on on of their bigger saws without question at this moment. The only thing I’ve found to be an inconvenience so far is the weight of it as I store it on the ground and pull it out when I need it. I’m definitely going to build a cart for it!

[@CarAudioInc]

thanks

[@timdwinal4166]

What is the device you are using to check the calibration of the table saw?

[@MasonWoodshop]

Great question! It’s called an inclinometer. Inexpensive ones can be had for under $20 with mid-range (like mine) being around the $40 mark.

[@thejollyfrog640]

At 14:40 24 inch blade or 24 tooth blade?

[@mikedunn5563]

It won’t take a 3/4” dato blade! Other 10” saws will! I just purchased this saw thinking it would! Just saying!!

[@MasonWoodshop]

Yeah, it’s too bad as I believe their larger job site saw has that ability. Not a big deal for my use, but annoying for some.

[@charles.neuman18]

Metric??? I've never heard anyone complain about imperial units on a tool. But then I heard you say "out", so now I understand. They don't make metric tools for Canada? I'm sure someone sells a sticky tape measure you could use for the fence position ruler. Or you could make one.

[@andre1987eph]

Would have been much better to see you cut some wood and give your impression after using it even for just one hour. There is complaint in comment section below about build quality

[@jeffhildreth9244]

How do you like it when you extend the table to the far right and the rails drop and wobble? See 731 youtube video. Inexcusable design flaw and response from Saw Stop. Saw Stop does not call this Compact saw a job site saw. It was made for stationary use in a small shop according to them. I have the Job Site Pro. it is a grossly overpriced, average quality piece of machinery with a safety device. I was recently considering the COMPACT saw as well, until I inspected one and viewed some videos. No thanks.

[@MasonWoodshop]

Great question! I followed what 731 and Ron Paulk noted on the saw and after double-checking mine right now the drop-off at full extension is at maximum maybe 1/32” to 1/16”. Nowhere near as bad as what 731 encountered. I’m of a similar mindset as Ron Paulk - for my use cases, this doesn’t matter at all. Also, the centre of the saw is dead flat, which is where the cut will be occurring and where downward pressure is applied, meaning this this won’t impact the squareness or perpendicular-ness of the cut. I noted in another comment that the back right of my table does drop slightly (maybe 1/64”), but this won’t impact the quality of my work. I chalk this up to the top being cast aluminum and not cast iron (my cast iron Ridgid top had more issues, than the SS CTS, ironically). Now, if I had the saw that 731 had, I’d certainly be returning it. It does seem like there is some quality control issues on these saws, which is a shame from a brand like SawStop. For me, I realize that a compact job site saw isn’t going to have the same build quality or precision of a large cabinet saw and that’s a compromise I’m willing to accept.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@MasonWoodshop I bought a SAW STOP Job Site Pro. The table was so warped I had to return it to the dealer. Saw Stop Refused to replace the saw. I returned it to the dealer.. and there the saga begins. You saw 731's response to his contact with Saw Stop, mine was even more dramatic. Possibly the worst customer service I have seen from a tool company. The dealer did finally get one that was considerably better. They traded mine back to Saw Stop for a replacement, that took 4-5 months. The saw is "adequate" no more. The fence is a joke and the miter gauge is a POS child's toy. I had hopes that the Compact was going to be an improvement considering the obscene price. Not so. And of course 731s experience with the machine and Saw Stop lives up to my expectations. Some will compromise, I do not. I expect quality and value, not something in evidence. PS 32 years as a professional furniture maker/artist, prior many years as a corporate trainer specializing in customer service.. and here, Saw Stop is a fail.

[@MasonWoodshop]

@@jeffhildreth9244 Wow, thank you for sharing! That sounds like an awful experience for both you and the dealer. At these price points you shouldn't have to go through multiple saws to get something of proper quality.

[@jeffhildreth9244]

@@MasonWoodshop It was far more involved than my "brief" description of what transpired. Inexcusable. An observation: Favorable reviews (and back pedaling, and glossing over, and excusing) seem to come from those who have benefited from the manufacturer's generosity. And there are those of us who collect the facts and speak the truth.

[@MasonWoodshop]

@@jeffhildreth9244 Fantastic note, Jeff. While I haven't received any free product myself, it is interesting that Ron Paulk did receive the saw for free and relatively glossed over some of the issues quickly as it didn't impact his use case. The good thing for Ron is that he hasn't yet done a full review as he wants to wait until more use is done with the saw. I only have ~3 hours of use on my saw so far and while it the potential deficiencies haven't impact my work so far, I will definitely be sure to take them into account when I produce a review after more use. I still can't believe the toy of a mitre gauge they include on this saw, despite it not being something I would regularly use.

[@mikedunn5563]

Festool has removable cords

[@MasonWoodshop]

Sadly not removable on the CT dust extractors, although they are much more beefy cords.