What makes a cabinet saw
The CPSC describes cabinet saws as 10 in machines on 220–240 V, with motors from 1.75 to 5 hp or more driving the blade through belts, and weights of about 300 to 1,000 lb — about 6% of table saws sold. The motor and trunnions sit in a closed base, and the saw stays where it is put. The classes are compared in choosing a table saw.
| Specification | SawStop PCS (PCS31230) | Powermatic PM2000B (PM231B) |
|---|---|---|
| Motor and supply | 3 hp; single phase, 208–240 V; 13 A | 3 hp; single phase, 230 V |
| Depth of cut, 0° / 45° | 3-1/8 / 2-1/4 in | 3-1/8 / 2-1/8 in |
| Rip, right of blade | 36 or 52 in, by rail set | 30 or 50 in, by rail set |
| Rip, left of blade | 12 in | 13-1/2 in |
| Table | 44 × 27 in with wings; 34 in high | 30-1/2 × 22 in; 30-1/2 × 42 in with extensions; 35 in high |
| Weight | 335 lb with wings; 426 or 449 lb with fence, rails and table | 385 lb, saw only |
| Dust port | 4 in; at least 350 CFM | 4 in; 400 CFM recommended |
| Dado sets | 8 in, up to 13/16 in; separate brake cartridge and insert | 8 in, up to 13/16 in |
| Active injury mitigation | SawStop brake | None described |
From SawStop's PCS31230 manual and Powermatic's PM2000B manual. "None described" means none appears in the manual reviewed.
Equipment notePaid link
ArmorGlide 10-in cabinet table saw, 30-in rip, 3 HP, 230 V single phase
Powermatic PM2000T
Powermatic's ArmorGlide PM2000T (PM2000BT on Powermatic's page): a 3 HP, 230 V single-phase 10 in cabinet saw with 30 in of rip and a 4 in dust port, by Powermatic.
Paid link — BenchRoot may earn a commission if you buy through this link.
The decisions
- The supply. Both saws here are 3 hp single-phase machines on 230 V; SawStop ships the PCS31230 with a NEMA 6-15P plug for a matching outlet. A shop without a 240 V circuit needs one fitted by an electrician before the saw can run — or a smaller class of saw.
- Rails and rip. Rip capacity is set by the fence rails, not the saw: 36 or 52 in on the SawStop, 30 or 50 in on the Powermatic. Longer rails mean wider rips and a wider footprint.
- Floor space. SawStop gives the PCS as 69-1/8 in wide with 36 in rails and 85-1/4 in with 52 in rails, before any room for infeed and outfeed. Measure the space with the rails and with the longest boards you will rip.
- Weight and moving. At 335 lb or more, a cabinet saw is moved once, or on a mobile base. Plan the route in and the floor it will stand on.
- Dust collection. Both use a 4 in port; SawStop asks for at least 350 CFM, Powermatic recommends 400 CFM. A shop vacuum is not the same thing.
- Dadoes and blades. Both take 8 in dado sets up to 13/16 in — on the SawStop only with a separate dado brake cartridge and insert. The PCS manual also limits blade kerf to 3/32–3/16 in; full-kerf blades such as Freud's 0.126 in fall within it. See choosing a blade.
- A safety system. SawStop's brake is a last measure, by SawStop's own account, and does not replace the guard, riving knife and habits in the safety guide. The Powermatic manual describes a riving-knife system and no active system.
Before buying
Note— Specifications, not a test
These are the makers' published figures, not BenchRoot measurements. They say what each saw will fit and run on, not which cuts better. A cabinet saw is aligned at set-up — SawStop's manual sets blade-to-slot alignment to within ±0.002 in — and the fence guide covers the fence.
Before buying a cabinet saw
- A 240 V single-phase circuit and outlet to match the plug
- Floor space for the saw with its rails, plus infeed and outfeed
- The rail length for the widest rips you need
- A route in, and a floor that takes the weight
- Dust collection to the CFM the manual asks for
- Dado capacity, and any brake cartridge it needs
- Whether you want an active safety system
Sources
Figures are each maker's manual for the model named. Weights are not measured the same way — SawStop's 335 lb includes the extension wings, Powermatic's 385 lb is the saw alone — so the table labels them. Powermatic's web listing gives a different weight from its manual; the manual is followed. No saw was tested and none is ranked.
- 1.
Safety Standard Addressing Blade-Contact Injuries on Table Saws (supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking), 88 FR 74909. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, Federal Register, 2023.
Used for: Cabinet saws as 10 in, 220–240 V machines of 1.75 to 5 hp or more with belt drives, weighing about 300 to 1,000 lb and making up about 6% of table saws sold.
- 2.
Owner's Manual, 10" Professional Cabinet Saw, Model PCS31230. SawStop.
Used for: The PCS31230's 3 hp single-phase 208–240 V motor drawing 13 A and its NEMA 6-15P plug; 3-1/8 and 2-1/4 in depths; 36 or 52 in right rip by rail set and 12 in left; 44 × 27 in table with wings and 34 in height; 335 lb with wings and 426 or 449 lb with fence, rails and table; 69-1/8 or 85-1/4 in overall width with rails; 4 in dust port with at least 350 CFM; 8 in dado up to 13/16 in with a separate brake cartridge and insert; the brake as a last measure; blade-to-slot alignment to ±0.002 in.
- 3.
Operating Instructions and Parts Manual, 10-inch Cabinet Saw, Model PM2000B. Powermatic (JPW Industries).
Used for: The PM231B's 3 hp single-phase 230 V motor; 5/8 in arbor and 4,500 RPM; 3-1/8 and 2-1/8 in depths; 30 or 50 in right rip by rail set and 13-1/2 in left; 30-1/2 × 22 in table, 30-1/2 × 42 in with extensions, 35 in high; 3/4 × 3/8 in miter slots; 4 in dust port with 400 CFM recommended; 8 in dado up to 13/16 in; 385 lb net for the saw only; a riving-knife system.
- 4.
T-Glide Fence System, Industrial Series II, Owner's Manual. SawStop.
Used for: The T-Glide fence, offered in 36 and 52 in versions, with its faces aligned parallel to the miter slots.
- 5.
10" saw blade specifications (LM72R010, LU87R010, LU84R011, LU83R010, LU85R010, LU80R010, LU79R010, LU91R010). Freud Tools.
Used for: Full-kerf 10 in blades of 0.126 in kerf, within the PCS manual's 3/32–3/16 in kerf range.
About this buying guide
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