SawStop is coming out with a new compact corded table saw, model CTS-120A60, and it looks to be smaller, more portable, and considerably less expensive than their Jobsite table saw.
We learned about the SawStop Compact Table saw through a reader (thank you, Robert!) who spotted it in a retailer’s latest catalog. Authorized dealers have begun to advertise the new SawStop CTS, but its official launch date remains unknown.
The SawStop CTS saw will be sold for $899.
For context and comparison, a popular Dewalt jobsite saw, the DWE7491RS, is $649 at Amazon, and the SawStop Jobsite Saw Pro with mobile cart is $1,579 at Acme Tools (plus $200 shipping).
The SawStop Compact Table saw has a 10″ blade size, and of course is advertised as featuring the brand’s patented safety system.
Retailer listings confirm that the SawStop CTS’s safety system will stop the spinning blade on contact with skin and drops it below the table in less than 5 milliseconds.
At the time of this posting, SawStop is the only option for customers who want a portable table saw with flesh-detection and blade brake technologies.
Festool offers a portable table saw with similar safety tech, but it is only available outside North America. (SawStop and Festool are now part of the same company.)
SawStop’s Jobsite Saw Pro is their second generation jobsite table saw and comes with a wheeled stand. Unlike that saw and its predecessor, the SawStop CTS does not come with a mobile cart-type of stand, but there is a folding stand option.
The SawStop CTS folding stand, CTS-FS, is priced at $129.
The SawStop CTS features a rack and pinion fence that is said to be “easy to adjust or remove and always square.” It has “built-in high and low shelves to support all types of cuts.”
It also has quick-tilt bevel with micro adjustments, with fine-tuning in 1° increments.
There is a built-in accessory storage compartment at the rear of the saw, for convenient storage of the included table saw accessories. There is also space for a spare blade brake cartridge.
The saw includes standard safety accessories, such as a blade guard, riving knife, and anti-kickback pawls. This is important, as the SawStop injury mitigation technology can help protect users from blade-contact injuries, but not kickback such as when wood is pinched between the blade and rip fence.
It is notable that the SawStop Compact Table saw features a 10″ blade size. Due to updated safety guideline standards, many manufacturers have had to modify their most compact portable jobsite table saws. Because of this, most smaller portable and jobsite table saws now feature smaller 8-1/4″ blade sizes.
Features & Specs
- 10″ blade size
- 4,000 RPM
- 3-1/8″ max cutting depth
- 25-1/2″ max rip-cutting capacity
- Overall dimensions: 27″ x 32.5″ x 14.13″
These specs were published by authorized SawStop dealers, but we were not yet able to independently confirm them with SawStop.
Compatible Accessories
Pricing and Availability
Price: $899 (saw only, model CTS-120A60)
- CTS-FS – folding stand ($129)
- CTS-TSI – zero-clearance insert ($25)
Some retailers list an additional shipping fee.
ETA: TBA
Discussion
Back in 2017, NPR reported that SawStop co-founder Steve Gass said a $400 saw was “about to come out.” I followed up with SawStop CEO Matt Howard in 2019, and was told that while he couldn’t disclosure details on the many tools in development, they were not developing a $400 saw.
I had lost hope that we would see a portable jobsite table saw with flesh detection and injury mitigation technologies for under $1000.
But now, that seems to be exactly what the SawStop Compact Table Saw is – a sub-$1000 portable table saw with AIM (active injury mitigation) tech.
Granted, it’s $899 plus $129 for the optional folding stand, and shipping is likely extra. But it’s still quite a bit less expensive than SawStop’s larger and heavier Jobsite Saw Pro, which is $1,579 plus $200 at authorized dealers.
The rack and pinion fence seems like a nice choice for a saw this size. I’m also intrigued by the rear on-board accessory storage.
The Compact Table saw looks to have everything I would expect to see in a small table saw.
Retailers have been publishing product listings – online as well as physical mailers – but it’s not clear when SawStop intends for the new CTS to start shipping.
I have a couple of technical questions, but also this: does the CTS increase the possibility SawStop will also come out with cordless table saw powered by Festool power tool batteries?
What do you think about the new SawStop table saw? Any questions?
