Derek, here's my scant knowledge of TSs:
Starting at the smallest:
Bench top and bench top with legs, direct drive, brush motor, poor fence.
As above with legs.
As above, better components, higher price, bigger table, slightly better fence.
Better models have induction motors, more money, more add ons and
accessories available
A variant on the above is the site saw, generally pressed steel table with larger outfeed portion, open motor, better ones have induction motor. Lightish and easily transportable.
A mixture of all of the above encased in a cabinet, mobile base and sliding table options etc. Mostly ally tables but lately more cast iron tables from Europe and the Far East becoming available.
Hybrid saws, a mixture of US style contractors saw and proper cabinet saws (the difference being that the trunions are attached to the table top rather than the cabinet itself) all with cast iron and cabinet rather than legs. Enclosed dust extraction. DW 746, Jet SS, Fox etc.
Cabinet saws, Unisaw, Xcaliber, larger Schepach, EB etc. Usually serious money and generally good quality, large and heavy.
Lastly the Hammer, Rojcek, Felder, larger Jets etc. Mega money, generally professional and production use.
No doubt I've missed some, or missed variants of the above. Price wise from £29.99 to about £20K+.
Noel
