The 5 Best Hybrid Table Saws
Want the precision of a cabinet table saw without permanently giving up that much space? Check out these hybrid table saws!
Hybrid table saws are a big hit with serious woodworking hobbyists and home improvement DIYers.
They blend features of cabinet table saws and contractor table saws. Like a cabinet saw, the motor is mounted inside an enclosed base. This provides superior dust collection compared to an unenclosed contractor table saw.
But like a contractor table saw, hybrid saws generally run on 120 volt, 15 amp circuits. That lets them run on standard U.S. household circuits rather than the 240 volt circuits cabinet saws generally require.
Here's my list of the best hybrid table saws on the market today:
The Best Hybrid Table Saws
You’ll notice that some of our choices are described as contractor table saws. In fact, most of these saws are much more of a hybrid than they are a traditional contractor saw.
Related: The Best Contractor Table Saws
The term “contractor saw” used to mean a saw whose motor was mounted on the outside of the saw, with a belt system to drive the blade. Unmounting the motor removed a lot of weight, making the saw more portable between jobsites. Hybrid saws came into being when manufacturers started mounting the motors permanently inside the saw’s enclosure. These days it’s getting less common to find a true contractor saw with an external motor, and the term is used a bit loosely.
Shop Fox W1837 Hybrid Table Saw
The Shop Fox W1837 checks all the boxes you’d want in a hybrid table saw. It even looks like a proper hybrid, with a fully-enclosed cabinet standing on contractor-saw-like legs. Completely enclosing the blade and motor provides for much better dust collection when attached to a dust extractor. A 4-inch dust port at the bottom does a great job of extracting dust.
The cast iron trunnions are attached directly to the cabinet, like in a traditional cabinet saw. This arrangement reduces vibration and makes it easier to perfectly align the saw blade with the fence and miter slots. Most contractor or jobsite saws, by comparison, have the trunnions attached to the table itself, which can increase vibration.
The rip fence is high quality and stays true once set, without requiring re-alignment. One of the few areas that could use improvement are the rails, which can have just a little bit of a sag when the fence is at its maximum distance. It can also be finicky to get the steel extension wings perfectly level, but once you do this, you shouldn’t have to worry about them again. Neither of these is enough to take away from the overall excellence of this saw, but are worth keeping in mind.
The W1837 is relatively portable at 243 pounds. You won’t want to be moving it constantly, but it’s at least possible to move it around your shop as needed. Foot-activated levers on the base let you drop down wheels to move it, then lower it onto the legs for maximum stability.
The Shop Fox can run on either 120 V or 240 V power, but is configured for 120 V out of the box.
Positives
- Lightweight constructions and small frame make it portable and versatile
- Cast iron wing extensions provide extra rip capacity
- Solid rip fence that won’t budge
- The casters make sure there’s no rolling or movement during cutting
Negatives
- The rear rail is a little too flexible and sometimes moves around while ripping
- It’s hard to get the table wing extensions level
- The table surface isn’t perfectly flat without making adjustments
Ridgid R4520 Contractor Table Saw
The Ridgid R4520 is the replacement for the very popular Ridgid R4512. It looks a bit more like a contractor table saw than some of its peers, with its splayed legs. But its cabinet is fully enclosed, improving dust collection for the 4-inch dust port.
If you’ll be moving the saw around your shop, you’ll appreciate the built-in casters that pop down when needed. At 267 pounds, you’ll need help if you need to lift it somewhere that the wheels won’t go.
The cast iron table and smooth rip fence let you achieve more precise cuts than on a portable jobsite saw. And a blade brake helps stop a spinning blade quickly once power is shut off, reducing the temptation to reach in while the blade is still spinning.
The only major caution is that a small percentage of customers have run into problems with the trunnions. Sometimes the blade will tilt slightly on way or the other as it’s raised or lowered. This is obviously a problem if you want to make precise cuts without readjusting. It appears that Ridgid is aware of this problem and will replace defective units. Odds are you won’t encounter this problem, but keep it in mind as you adjust and align the saw.
A few customers have reported that the measuring tape for setting the rip fence is inaccurate out of the box. If so, you should be able to pull it off and re-apply it in the correct position. Be sure to measure accurately as you are setting up the saw.
Positives
- Cast iron table for maximum precision
- Usually available at a very good price
- Stable and nearly vibration-free
Negatives
- Occasional reports of defective trunnions causing alignment problems
Grizzly G0771Z 10" 2 HP 120V Hybrid Table Saw
The Grizzly G0771Z looks like a cabinet table saw, but inside it’s more of a hybrid. The 2 horsepower motor is par for the course in a hybrid table saw, less than the 3+ hp you’d find in a true cabinet table saw.
The cast iron trunnions mount to the cabinet rather than the table as they would on a contractor table saw. This results in smooth, vibration-free operation, which in turn leads to smoother cuts. Once you set the saw up, you’ll want to go through the exercise of aligning the blade with the rip fence. But once that’s done, it’ll make precise, easily repeatable cuts for you.
Unlike some of the other saws mentioned here, there are no wheels included on this saw out of the box. You can buy (or build) a wheeled base, but I recommend doing so before you completely assemble the saw. Once you mount the cast iron table, it’s much too heavy (286 lbs) for one person to safely lift.
The extension wing on this saw is also cast iron, unlike the stamped steel wings on some other saws. While the steel wings save a few pounds, and generally work just fine, cast iron is a definite improvement in terms of precision.
The rip fence is based on the very well-regarded Shop Fox rip fences (not surprising since Shop Fox and Grizzly share a parent company). Once it’s aligned, it glides smoothly and accurately.
You can run the G0771Z on either 120 V or 240 V circuits; it comes configured for 120 V out of the box.
Positives
- Cast iron table and extension wings
- Precise rip fence once it is aligned
Negatives
- Not very movable without buying additional wheeled base
Powermatic PM1000 (1791000K) 115-Volt 1 3/4 HP 1PH Table Saw
Wait, why am I including the Powermatic PM1000 (1791000K) in this list? It sure looks like a cabinet saw, and Powermatic call it one. But I think it actually fits in the hybrid category too.
The motor is really more in line with hybrid saws with a 1.75 hp rating. And it can run on a standard 120 V household circuit, unlike most cabinet saws. Powermatic do recommend a 20 A circuit, however, rather than the typical 15 A ones.
The trunnions are mounted to the cabinet rather than to the cast iron table. This mounting method helps keep vibrations to a minimum compared to contractor or jobsite table saws.
The assembly and alignment process can be a bit tricky, so if you get confused, I recommend looking for walkthroughs on the Internet. Once adjusted, however, this is a very precise saw. You shouldn’t need to do much adjusting from that point forward.
If you frequently change blades, you’ll appreciate the arbor lock feature on this saw. It lets you use just one hand to loosen and tighten blades, rather than the typical (cumbersome) two-handed process on most saws.
One small quibble is with the riving knife. It works with full-kerf blades only; you’ll need to order the thin-kerf model if you have a thin-kerf blade. And you need to use a separate low-profile riving knife for non-through cuts. Many saws let you move the riving knife up and down as needed. This is just one more part to lose track of, which would be unfortunate given its importance for safety. All in all, though, this is only a minor issue, and doesn’t take away from an otherwise fine saw.
If you want even more rip capacity, you could consider the Powermatic PM1000 (1791001K), which has the same hybrid-like motor but a very cabinet-like 52” of rip capacity.
Positives
- Quiet and precise operation with almost no vibration
Negatives
- Unboxing and assembly can be confusing
Laguna Tools F2 Fusion 36" Table Saw
The name of the Laguna Tools F2 Fusion suggests it is a hybrid table saw, and indeed it is! It is fully enclosed like a cabinet saw, but has a 1 3/4 horsepower motor, like many other hybrid table saws. The motor is plenty beefy to tackle up to 2” thick material without a problem.
Like the other saws I’ve reviewed here, the trunnions of the F2 Fusion are mounted directly to the cabinet. This greatly reduces vibrations in the unit compared to saws with the trunnions attached to the table.
The fence is extremely solid and shouldn’t flex in regular usage. It has a built-in “low fence” that you can flip down for narrower work. And the window on the fence will show you both the low and “high” (normal) measurements.
You get a generous 37” of rip capacity to the right of the blade, compared to the more typical 30” in this category. And a digital readout gives you precise readings on the blade tilt, all the way up to its 47° maximum.
If dust collection is a priority for you, you might appreciate the setup on the F2 Fusion. In addition to a 4” dust port on the fully-enclosed cabinet, there’s an additional port on the blade guard. This 1 1/2” port helps collect dust right at the point it’s being generated. You might want to get a Y-adapter in order to run dust collection to both ports at the same time.
The saw runs on 120 V AC power. If you’d rather run on 240 V, you’ll need to contact the manufacturer for an upgrade kit.
Positives
- Generous 37” rip capacity
- Precise rip fence with both low and high modes
- On-board accessory storage is well designed
Negatives
- Using 240 V circuit will require an upgrade kit from the manufacturer
What to Look For in a Hybrid Table Saw
When you’re choosing a hybrid table saw, these are some of the main factors to consider.
Power
Hybrid table saws in the U.S. generally run on 120 volt, 15 amp circuits. That lets them be used on any common residential or commercial circuit. This is one of the major differences with cabinet table saws, which often require 240 volt circuits.
You’ll see a variety of horsepower ratings on hybrid table saws, up to 3.5 hp or more, but you shouldn’t pay too much attention. On a 120-volt, 15-amp circuit, the maximum power a motor can provide is a bit over 2.4 hp. Higher ratings are mostly marketing fluff, based on running the motor at peak power under specific conditions, not under typical usage.
Portability
One of the chief advantages of traditional contractor table saws was their portability. Hybrid saws lose a bit of that benefit because their internally-mounted motors aren’t removable. But they’re still often only half the weight of a cabinet table saw.
You typically won’t want to move a hybrid saw around too often, but it can be done. A few models come with wheeled bases, but if not, third-party bases are pretty easy to find. And, of course, there are many plans on the Internet if you want to build your own!
Blade and Dado Capacity
Virtually all of the hybrid table saws on the market take 10” blades. That’s the most popular blade size, so you will have no problem finding the right blade for your job. The blade that comes packaged with most saws is adequate for many DIY or home improvement projects. But for more precise work like woodworking, you should consider upgrading your table saw blade. Choosing the right blade can have even more impact than buying a whole new table saw.
Related: The 9 Best Table Saw Blades
If you’ll be doing woodworking, you’ll eventually want to use a dado stack. Any hybrid table saw will allow you to use a dado stack. But they vary in terms of the maximum diameter and width of dado allowed. If you already have a dado set, you’ll want to make sure it can work with the saw you’re thinking of buying.
Rip Capacity
Rip capacity is the farthest distance you can move the rip fence from the blade. This dictates how wide a piece of wood you can rip. A larger rip capacity is often what prompts people to upgrade to a contractor or hybrid table saw from a smaller portable one. For ripping 4’x8’ sheets of material, you’ll want at least a 24” rip capacity, which any hybrid table saw will give you.
A larger rip capacity can also be helpful when doing crosscuts, even though you’ll be using a sled or miter gauge instead of the rip fence. The additional support will let you safely cut longer pieces of wood without needing to worry about some external support. (And you definitely want to support those long pieces, since letting them flop off the side will lead to inaccurate cuts and possibly kickback.)
Safety
Any table saw you buy in the U.S. these days will have some of the same basic safety gear. That includes:
- a riving knife to keep wood from pinching back together after it’s cut, potentially causing dangerous kickback
- a clear plastic blade guard that glides over the workpiece being cut while keeping your fingers out of harm’s way
- anti-kickback pawls on either side of the riving knife that help prevent wood from being thrown back towards you
Related: Table Saw Safety: Tips to Live By
Models from SawStop include their patented blade-brake technology in addition to the above. It uses electrical sensors to determine if the blade is in contact with flesh. If so, it stops and lowers the blade in a matter of milliseconds, leaving you with a small nick rather than a catastrophic injury.
Conclusion
Any of the saws mentioned above will be a significant step up from a portable jobsite table saw, and even from most contractor saws. I hope I’ve given you the information you need to make an informed choice. But, all else being equal, you can’t go wrong with the Shop Fox W1837.
