After having read our article on What Is the Best Table Saw, some of our readers complained that it featured too many products and that they wanted a definitive answer on what is the best product from a technical and financial perspective. That is why we decided to write a review about the best table saw under $500 since, for most of you, it does not make much financial sense to pay more than that. Once we decided what our price range should be, our task became infinitely easier because there is only one product that is that affordable and that delivers such a high level of performance, the DeWalt DWE7480. In all honesty, the DWE7480 should be in a much higher price category but DeWalt has always made a point of delivering the best possible products for small entrepreneurs and enthusiasts and this is the fulfillment of that promise.
Table of Contents
Best Table Saw under $500: DeWalt 7480
Power and Precision
There are two important, defining factors that tell you just how good your rip line will be: the power of the machine and the speed of the blade. It is obvious that without enough power behind the blade, its speed accounts for nothing, but it is equally true that the faster the blade spins, the cleaner and more accurate the rip line will be. In that respect, the DeWalt DWE7480 is a match for the best table saws on the market today. It has a 15 Amps motor and it can rotate the blade to 4800 rotations per minute when not under load. It uses a regular 10†blade that will do its job just fine, but we do recommend upgrading to an Irwin Marples blade with the first chance you get. The only downside to the DeWalt DWE7480 is that it cannot be equipped with a DADO blade, but that is really a blade better suited to cabinet table saws.
Functionality
The first thing that you need to know about the DeWalt DWE7480 is that it only weighs 48 pounds, so it is fairly easy to grab it and just go from one work site to another. It is encompassed by a sturdy metal roll cage that can be easily rested on any workbench or even on the ground, and you can use its adjustable rear feet to keep it leveled. It has a huge extension fence to the right of the blade of 24 inches and it has an equally impressive clearance of 12 inches to the right of the blade. The DeWalt also comes with a standard 2 and a half inches dust port that sucks in every wood chip to allow you to easily follow the design lines.
Conclusion
There are very few products that can match the DeWalt DWE7480 and none of them are in its price range, which is why we are confident in calling it the best table saw under $500. However, you do not need to take our word for it since there are 40 everyday entrepreneurs and enthusiasts that have awarded the DWE7480 an average rating of 4.5 stars on Amazon, and, in this category, that really means a lot.