What height should a table saw be? Our guide to saving your back!
A table saw is a great and useful piece of workshop equipment, it’s one of the first three items you should consider buying if you want to get into woodworking.
They are very versatile and make cutting lumber easy and can speed up your project and production time, and once you have a good one you will use it more and more, for splitting long planks, cutting down boards, and making precision cuts for all sorts of joints.
So making sure you have the right tool that you can use regularly and for long periods is very important and getting a table saw at the right height will make using yours more comfortable and help avoid back and muscle problems that can occur when bending or standing in the wrong position.
The Basic rule for a good table saw height is for the bed to be level with the middle of the palm of your hand, whilst standing straight with your hand at your side. Generally, table saws are supplied with a bed height between 31” (737mm) to 37” (939mm) high. This working height makes the saw comfortable to use for most people.
Buying a table saw is a reasonably big purchase in terms of workshop tools so getting it right is important. Otherwise, you can waste money and not get the most from your purchase, in this article we go through our tips for finding a table saw that fits you and check out our quick reference table at the end.
How to check a table saw suits your height
A great mantra to remember when choosing an expensive item such as a table saw is:
‘Try before you buy’
Actually having a look and trying the kit is a great way to assess it and see if it fits your height and avoid buying the wrong thing.
a great way to do this is to visit your local big box or DIY superstore, Quite often large DIY and home improvement retail stores will have a few table-saw models on display, which allows you to get a good look at them and often try the work-bed height to find one that is comfortable for your size.
Once you have found a table saw that fits your height, use a tape measure and take the floor to work-table height and write it on a notepad or save it on your mobile phone.
You can then search online for the best deals on table saws with that specific height, look for second-hand equipment, or buy direct from the DIY store, but they may not have the best deals.
What is the Average Height for Table Saws?
The ideal height for a table saw is one that suits the user best and this will vary depending on the user’s size and height.
For example, the average height for an average male in the United States is 1.77m, 69.1 inches, or about 5 feet 9 inches tall, whereas the average height in Europe is slightly more at 1.80m or 70.9inches or 5 feet 10, which means that table saws in sold in Europe would be higher than those in the USA.
Most manufacturers design their tools for specific markets and as such table saws are designed to suit the different average heights. In addition, different designs add some variation some may have adjustable feet offering a small range to which the table height can be adjusted, and finding the right one can be a pain.
So we put together a chart of the top manufacturers and the heights for their table saws, so you can find one that suits you quickly and we have included links to where you can buy these models some of which are affiliate links.
Here are the top results from our list of table saws.
The highest table-saw in our list is:
Which is 927mm or 36 1/2″ high so if you are taller than average this is a good model to take a look at.
The lowest table-saw in our list is:
Which has a table height of 787mm or 31″ so if you are on the smaller side you may want to take a look at this unit.
The average height for a table saw is – 873mm (33 3/8″)
| Manufacturer | Table Saw Model Number | Table Height |
|---|---|---|
| Axminster | AP254LTS | 865mm (34 1/16″) |
| Bosch | 4100-10 | 902mm (35 1/2″) |
| Charnwood | W650 | 830mm (32 43/64″) |
| Craftsman | CMXETAX69434502 | 876mm (34 1/2″) |
| Delta | 36-725T2 | 787mm (31″) |
| DeWalt | DWE7491RS | 927mm (36 1/2″) |
| Einhell | TC-TS 2225U | 870mm (34 1/4″) |
| Festool | TKS 80 EBS | 900mm (35 7/6″) |
| Grizzly | G0771Z | 898mm (35 3/8″) |
| Jet | JPS-10 | 882mm (34 3/4″) |
| Metabo HPT | C10RJSM | 914mm (36″) |
| Powermatic | 64B | 914mm (36″) |
| Powermatic | 2000B | 889mm (35″) |
| Saw Stop | PCS | 863mm (34″) |
| Saw Stop | CNS | 882mm (34 3/4″) |
| Scheppach | HS1000S | 830mm (32 43/64″) |
| Sedgewick | TA315 | 850mm (33 15/32″) |
| SIP | SIP 01332 | 845mm (33 17/64″) |
| Skill Saw | SPT99-11 | 889mm (35″) |
Getting the right working height for your table saw is a major point to get right when buying a unit but there are lots of other things to consider like how much the table saw weighs find out more in our article. So make sure you get a tool that is going to suit your needs and be a joy to use. Also, check out our guide to buying a table saw or our guide to circular saw blades to help get the best cut every time and our top table saw picks in these great articles
This article was written by: Richard Quinton – The DIY Help Desk Owner, Engineer & technical specialist.
Richard is one of the key partners in The DIY Help Desk team. He is a qualified Engineer, writer, and publisher, educated to Master’s level. He is a keen advocate of DIY and home improvements.
Richard enjoys helping others to learn new skills and reach their goals and believes that passing his knowledge and experience on through his writing is an effective way to positively impact the lifestyles and well-being of others on a larger scale.
