Porter Cable, Rigid, DeWalt, Makita, and Bosch. Any of those will be good. I have a Porter Cable portable that is about 12 years old, just as strong as the day it was new after 8 years of commercial use.

I also have a Rigid contractor saw(the bigger model of their portable saw) and it is just fine after 10 years.

If I was in the market for a new saw, I'd be mightily tempted to spend the extra cash on the Bosch with the new brake safety feature (if it's even available right now). The stand looks super solid, and I've heard only great things from people with the older version.

Thanks guys...I wish I could buy an older version of portable table saws w metal parts, solid stands, motor brushes and armatures that are replaceable, etc. All the models today seem to be plastic, built for planned obsolescence and plain old cheap.

The Bosch model w the safety feature is a good technology, and so is the gravity-rise-stand, but I have heard the motors burn out prematurely bc the bearings are sealed and saw dust causes premature failure. This has been noted in many reviews.

When you do saw review, categorize the reviews by "lowest ratings". This gives you the horror stories what went wrong, and you can tell by the verbiage what users are real wood-workers vs the less savvy users.

Ideally, I'd like to buy a used portable from someone I know that takes care of their tools but no longer needs it - like I say to all, if anyone has a specific recommendation on a saw they have recently purchased and it performs well and is durable, I'm all over it....

Thanks again and Merry Christmas, tstex

I have a lot of Porter-Cable (PC) tools, it's mostly what I bought when I started out serious woodworking. I don't know about their whole line, but many of the Porter-Cable products have been aimed for a lower-quality market since getting tossed around by Black & Decker, then Stanley over the last decade. I'd look carefully at their offerings now, but agree with the others in this list.

>Porter Cable, Rigid, DeWalt, Makita, and Bosch. Any of those will be good.

I like Bosch tools, but the only caveat here is their Reaxx saw is pending legal action and you may not be able to get parts, particularly the cartridges that enable the safety in the future. Not sure, but an unknown risk.

Another option: My daughter and son-in-law were looking for a portable a few years ago. They had borrowed one during one of my visits to use as something to build some shelving units. It was terrible and I just used my circular saw instead. For the same amount of money, or less, I got them a used Model 500 Shopsmith that has a decent, but small, table saw, lathe, drill press, horizontal drill, disk sander, and SPTs band saw and 4" jointer (along with all the tools -- sanding disks, brad point drills, lathe chisels). These things just never wear out. Their factory has a bunch of 10ER heads on the production line. Not as portable (say if you need to toss in the back of a pickup and haul up to the second floor), but it was a reasonable option for them. There are a lot of widows and heirs trying to sell these things. The normal range of prices for the base unit and a couple of add-ons and extra is $400-500.

Thanks Bob - Do you know of any set-ups like you previously got for the 400-500 price range? I went on-line and they wanted $1500 for the upgrade alone...Looks like good USA made solid equipment, which is 100 x's better than the junk from china...thanks and pls advise, tstex

Unless you can find a used in good condition, new portable saws by DeWalt, Porter Cable, Makita, Rigid, or Bosch are decent saws. Most will be in the $400-$600 range. I saw an ad for the Rigid saw for $399.

Go to Craig's List, watch for auctions, etc., and keep your ears open. I see them all the time. Just don't fall for someone who wants $2200 for one -- they're available way cheaper than that. There are lots of heirs, widows, and retirees who just can't do the work any more who want to dump them.

I second the idea of keeping a watch on Craigslist ... when the SO and I kick the bucket there's a workshop full of tools that goes on the market.

I would stay away from Craftsman (AKA Crapsman). Quality has been going down for years and now Sears in on the ropes, financially, so if they go away, you have no warranty nor parts availability.

Yes, read where Sears was ready to fold - so much for all the lifetime warranties and their tool replacement policy. You just can't profess quality, charge for it and then compete w the walmarts and Asian outfits...something had to give, so it was quality and product support... I'll be watching craigs-list...thanks again..

It will be a good idea to Google any saw model/brand(other than the major ones) since there are a lot of knockoffs out there.

do you have a specific suggestion as to which one(s)?

"I suggest buying a good quality used contractor saw"

I'm not opposed to that - do you have specific make/model recommendations that are readily available? Thank you.

Here is an article I just stumbled into. I don't know the brand, but he tells you some things to look for in a portable saw. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWTZMgYadF4

Thank you very much Bob - Appreciate the video - Merry CHRISTmas to all...

That video is an example of the worst portable saw I have ever seen.

As for brands---look at Rigid, either portable or contractor models.

And Merry Christmas.

Thank you H-Mac, I agree. I know the make and model bc I have researched so many, but will respect the anonymity of the poster. I have also heard that the bearing burn-out on this model prematurely too.

The sad thing is that all these companies think price is the only decision factor, so they cut quality to compete, which is just the opposite of what they should do. But the campaigns of "BUy for less", "Get more for less", etc, has created a mkt of poor products that takes less $$$$ to bring them home so they can break earlier...I'd pay double for one that is quality, it would last and the strategic parts were replaceable.

For now, we'll focus on the important date of Dec 25.

Merry Christmas to all - tstex

2 Years ago I purchased the saw stop jss it is a portable jobsite saw with all the important features as well as the hotdog protection. It's initial cost is a shocker but its over all quality coupled with the safety features make this a. Great choice. I purchased this in its 1st Gen beta form and have already seen some upgrades.

Thanks Dream - what model of the saw would you recommend now?

Do you know what is the exact HP of the saw, and whether it's better equipped at 220 vs 110? Thank you very much

http://www.google.com/shopping/product/11697127655919696780?q=sawstop&prmd=ivnsp&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjc54SDnZrRAhUB3mMKHbkIDMQQ8gIIFzAD. This is the portable jobsite saw, if you want something that is collapsible.

http://www.google.com/shopping/product/1521976685902318280?q=sawstop&prmd=ivnsp&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjc54SDnZrRAhUB3mMKHbkIDMQQ8wIIKzAI

this is the contractor saw that they sell with a mobile base which is kind of the best of both worlds. But the footprint is wide.