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Adding a table saw to your workshop can be a pretty significant investment—unless you’re willing to compromise performance and build quality. But with the Skil 10-inch job site table saw, no such compromise is needed. It’s about half the price of a premium table saw, yet it has enough cutting power and durability to make it onto a pro jobsite. It’s portable enough for one person to load into the back of a pickup truck, yet it delivers enough rip capacity and cutting depth to handle major DIY projects. These qualities are why the Skil 10-inch jobsite table saw made our best budget pick in our best table saws guide and top pick in our best table saws for beginners guide.
Skil Table Saw: At a Glance
Our rating: 4.5/5
| What We Like | What We Don’t Like |
|---|---|
| Enough power and cutting capacity to handle thicker and denser woods | Lower-quality stock blade not ideal for making smooth cuts |
| Rack and pinion fence system | |
| Rugged build quality with high percentage of metal parts | |
| Compact size makes it easy to transport and store in a smaller workshop |
Despite its compact build, Skil’s 10-inch jobsite table saw is surprisingly powerful. With its 10-inch blade, it can cut through material up to 3.5 inches thick, which means it can rip a 4×4 piece of lumber. Its 25.5-inch rip capacity is enough to make cuts on even larger sheet materials. It also has features you’d expect to find on a high-end table saw, including a broad 47-degree bevel capacity and a rack and pinion fence.
Accessories include a push stick and miter gauge, which fit in the saw’s onboard storage. There’s also a dust port elbow that extends from the back of the table saw. The Skil 10-inch jobsite table saw sits on four foldable legs and has a handle on one side for lifting it when it’s folded.
Best Table Saw for Beginners
Photo: Amazon
Testing the Skil Jobsite Table Saw
I put the Skil through a series of tests, evaluating its performance by cutting both dimensional lumber and plywood of various thicknesses. I also considered how easy it was to set up cuts and how easy the table saw was to store.
Is the Skil jobsite table saw easy to set up?
Setting up the Skil is a breeze. Simply rest the table saw on its side and fold out each leg individually. Once the legs are out, pull the saw up onto its feet. It may not be quite as easy to set up as some of the collapsible rolling portable table saws we’ve tested, but the folding leg design also makes the Skil far more compact than those other table saws when it’s folded up.
Weighing about 50 pounds with its stand, the Skil table saw is just light enough that I can comfortably carry it suitcase-style via its built-in handle and lift it into the bed of my pickup truck. Something I wouldn’t be able to do with those portable table saws that fold up and weigh upwards of 90 pounds.
The Skil’s compact size also means it doesn’t hog space in my workshop when I’m not using it. In fact, it’s compact enough that I’m able to store it on the built-in utility shelving in my garage.
How does the Skil table saw perform?
The Skil 10-inch jobsite table saw is surprisingly powerful for a table saw that retails for less than $300.
I used it to rip through ¾-inch plywood before running a 4×4 piece of treated lumber through it. The Skil handled everything I threw at it without slowing down, performing similarly to other table saws I’ve tested that cost twice as much.
Power wasn’t the only place where the Skil saw punched above its weight class. The fence is large and sturdy, providing solid, reliable support when ripping larger pieces of wood. And since the fence sits on rack and pinion rails, you can make precise adjustments and keep it perfectly parallel to the blade.
My only gripe was with the included 10-inch stock blade. The 24-tooth blade is good enough to make rough cuts through stock, but you’ll want to upgrade that blade if you want smooth cuts. I recommend using some of the money you save by choosing this table saw over a much pricier model by upgrading to a better saw blade, such as this Diablo combination blade.
How well-designed is the Skil table saw?
While the Skil’s folded legs may look spindly, they provide a very sturdy base. The legs camber outwards from the body, creating a large footprint. I experienced no noticeable rocking or swaying, even when feeding larger sheet materials through it.
The Skil also has more metal components and fewer plastic ones than I’d typically expect on a table saw at this price point, which gives it a rigid, sturdy feel. It’s the build quality you’d expect out of a table saw designed for the jobsite, but at a far lower price.
Is the Skil table saw right for you?
Whether it’s a circular saw or table saw, if you’re after value in a machine with a rotating blade, chances are Skil is going to be the go-to brand. And that’s what we experienced with this table saw. Along with producing enough power to rip through thicker hardwoods, it’s also just a very well-designed table saw. It has the weight and portability of a jobsite table saw, yet sits on its own sturdy, foldable base and offers enough rip capacity to handle larger cutting jobs. Despite a price point that hovers around $300, the Skil 10-inch jobsite table saw is durably built with a higher percentage of metal parts and a rack and pinion fence system. We’ve tested a lot of table saws at this price point, but none in this price range have offered the performance and rugged built quality of this Skil 10-inch jobsite table saw, which is why it’s an ideal table saw for DIYers.
Where to Buy the Skil 10-Inch Jobsite Table Saw
Photo: Amazon
Meet the Tester
Tony Carrick is a freelance writer specializing in home improvement, landscaping, technology, home security, and design. His articles have been featured on such sites as Popular Mechanics, Futurism, SFGate, Pro Tools Review, and more. With each review, his goal is to help readers determine whether a product meets their needs and if it is or isn’t worth its price tag.
The post Skil Jobsite Table Saw Review: It Came, It Sawed, It Conquered appeared first on Bob Vila.
