Today, I’m reviewing the Metabo C10RJS 15 Amp 10 in. Table Saw.
We’ll look at the saw from the perspective of quality, capability, and overall value for money. We’ll also compare it against a few alternatives to allow you to make the best purchasing decision.
My passion for woodworking began over 35 years ago, and I recall buying my first table saw. While I was happy to finally have one, it was too small for some of the uses I would put it to, and the tabletop would not allow the cutting of large sheets. So, I’m keen to make sure you receive objective advice to help you choose a table saw that meets your needs and budget.
I admit to being impressed when I first saw the specifications of the Metabo C10RJS, particularly with the thought that’s gone into the design. Some inclusions will make your life easier and safer, and as an overall package, I believe it’s a lot of saw for the price.
I’ll run through the specifics of the saw and give you my thoughts on the pros and cons of this design. Then, we’ll look at alternative table saws for comparable prices and specifications.
Woodworking is such a broad field that each of us will have our own opinions as to which table saw is best. But I’m confident that one of the five saws we discussed today will fit your needs.
Stay with me for the next few minutes, and I’ll run you through everything you need to know if this is the right table saw for you.
Introducing The Metabo C10RJS Table Saw
Tool Specifications:
- 10-inch 40-tooth carbide-tipped blade
- 15 amp motor, turning the blade at 4,500 pm
- 28-3/4 inch x 22-inch table size, with additional outfeed support
- Bevel capability from 0 degrees to 45 degrees
- Cuts 3-1/8 inch at 90 degrees and 2-1/4 inches at 45 degrees
- Electric brake on motor
- Corded electric
- Includes a rollable, folding table stand
Included In The Package:
- Rip fence
- Push stick
- Anti-kickback pawl
- Blade guard
- Foldable stand with wheels
- Outfeed support assembly
- Blade wrenches
- 2.5, 4, and 5mm Hex wrenches
The Metabo C10RJS table saw fits a category I’d call prosumer. Designed for rip-sawing and cross-cutting ordinary wood, hardwood, plywood, and composite wood materials, it adequately meets the needs of amateur woodworkers. Yet, it comes with a broad range of features to appeal to tradespeople doing building work on construction sites.
If your hair is the same color grey as mine, Metabo may not be a name that is as familiar as others. Yet, if I mention the name Hitachi, you’ll know it well. Hitachi Power Tools was owned by a Hitachi subsidiary that purchased Metabo.
In turn, KKR purchased the subsidiary and decided to remove the Hitachi name and call it Metabo. So, the tools are now rebranded as Metabo HPT, recognizing the old Hitachi Power Tools acronym. Long story short, they’re the same tool and quality, under a different name.
Overview
On balance, I like this saw. You get a 10-inch blade with a powerful 2.4 horsepower motor. The rip fence extends out to a whopping 35 inches from the blade, which is more than enough to rip a full-size sheet in half.
The extras that come with the saw are genuinely nice to have. The foldable, rollable stand allows easy portability and storage; the anti-kickback pawl is a nice touch, as is the extending outfeed support.
Any gripes about this saw are limited to a couple of design issues. The first is the packaging. Several purchasers have received their saw damaged due to the packing not being up to rough handling in transit.
Next, the rack and pinion drive for the rip fence is excellent, but its plastic mount can’t take too much abuse. Given that the adjustment knob protrudes from the side of the saw, it’s the first thing to get broken if the delivery guy has a bad day. See the above gripe on the packaging.
My last gripe is to do with model numbers. The table saw I’m reviewing is the C10RJS. This model has a rectangular blade surrounding the insert. However, if you buy the later model C10RJ, you end up with an oval blade surround insert. If you wish to cut dados with the RJS model, it is easy to buy the square dado insert you need. If you own the RJ model, owners can’t seem to find or buy the necessary parts. Caveat Emptor!
The price of this model is the lowest of all the saws mentioned today. As you’ll see when we look at the other table-saw alternatives, Metabo has packed excellent specifications at a very competitive price.
PROS
CONS
Features
Electric Motor
The Metabo C10RJS uses a 15-amp direct-drive motor and that gives you 2.4 horsepower driving your blade. If there’s one thing needed on a good table saw, it’s a powerful electric motor, as there’s nothing worse than using an underpowered saw. This saw has plenty of power to take anything you feed it.
A bonus is that the motor comes with a soft starter. What does this do? When a motor starts, it draws 4 to 7 times the current it uses when normally operating. This substantial current inrush causes high torque and added wear to the motor. The soft starter supplied with the Metabo ramps up the current slowly, reducing the torque and any current fluctuations for anyone else using your power circuit. It increases motor life by reducing wear and tear on the windings within the motor.
I give full marks to Metabo for this inclusion.
Rip Capacity
A limiting factor on some table saws is that the fence doesn’t go out far enough to the right of the blade. This distance is essential if you wish to rip a large sheet down the center. If cutting an 8-foot x 4-foot sheet, the fence needs to extend out by at least 2 feet to allow the cut to occur, preferably more.
The fence on the Metabo C10RJS extends out 35 inches, so almost 3 feet. That’s a handy feature, particularly for a construction site. Additionally, the extension is via a rack and pinion action, ensuring accurate and parallel movement.
The point that detracts from this extension ability is the previously mentioned plastic mount for the pinion gear that drives the fence. Given the extent that the adjustment knob protrudes from the table, I’m guessing it wouldn’t take too much of a knock to break the mount. That’s quite a design flaw for a saw used on a construction site and carried in the back of a truck.
Outfeed Support
Interestingly, while Metabo doesn’t make much of this feature other than mentioning it, I think this is really nice to have. This extendable support at the back edge of the table helps support the wood while cutting. There’s nothing worse than trying to rip a long-ish piece of timber, only to have it waving around in the breeze as you approach the end of the cut.
Yes, I get that you can set up a roller or trestle to provide that support, but I like the fact that this comes as part of the package. It saves time, and it’s already at the right height for the table, so no need to muck around leveling up your trestle.
Foldable and Rollable Stand
Now, this is not unusual on table saws of this type. Given the saw weighs 90 pounds, your back thanks you if you don’t need to carry it too far. If you look at the alternative saws highlighted below, all have this feature.
However, Metabo seems to have put some thought into this one, and I quite like the result. It’s light, the legs spread wide to give stability, and it’s easy to set up and break down.
If I had to pick anything I didn’t like, it’s the size of the wheels on the stand. It’s always a balance between decent-sized wheels that make it easy to move on uneven ground yet small enough not to get in your way while cutting. For my money, larger wheels would be better.
Alternatives Worth Looking At
1. DEWALT DWE7491RS 10-Inch Table Saw
- Your purchase includes one Dewalt table saw, 10inch 24-tooth carbide blade, rolling stand, push stick, miter gauge, rip fence, 2x blade wrenches, blade guard assembly manual
- Other Specs: Max rip to left of blade – 22inch | Max rip to right of blade – 32-1/2inch | Max width of Dado – 13/16inch | Arbor size – 5/8inch | Amps – 15 | Depth of cut at 45inch –...
- Rolling stand designed for easy set up and breakdown with excellent stability
At first glance, there’s not much between the Dewalt and the Metabo. Look closer, however, and there are a couple of differences.
First, the Dewalt is 20 pounds heavier than the Metabo, although that’s not so much a problem with the stand. Indeed, the stand appears to have a heavier duty than the one on the Metabo.
Second, the rip fence goes out to 32-1/2 inches, which is 2-1/2 inches less than the Metabo. It’s not hugely material unless you’re cutting down a lot of full-size sheets.
Third, you have a primary and secondary dust extraction on the Dewalt. One is at the lower back like the Metabo, and the other is on the blade guard.
Other than that, the specs are pretty similar: the same blade size and cut depths, the same motor power, and identical dado widths. On the topic of dados, there seems to be no problem sourcing the required inserts for the Dewalt.
The Metabo has an edge over the Dewalt with its outfeed support, the soft start motor and blade brake, and the anti-kickback pawl. Also, depending on where you buy it, the Metabo can come in slightly cheaper than the Dewalt.
2. BOSCH 4100XC-10 10 In. Worksite Table Saw
- NEW VERSION AVAILABLE: GTS15-10
- POWERFUL TABLE SAW: Has 15-Amp saw with 4.0 max HP and 3,650 rpm, for rip-cutting and cross-cutting of fine and rough materials
- LARGE CAST ALUMINUM TOP: Provides increased work space and material support with a 30 In. ripping capacity
The Bosch comes with similar features to the Metabo and a couple of minor differences. Again, the Bosch is slightly heavier than the Metabo, at 109 pounds. It has the same size blade and motor power, with the soft-start capability. It also comes with anti-kickback pawls.
The main difference is in the width that the fence extends to, with a 30-inch capability, as with the Dewalt, it is not a problem for cutting full sheets in half, but 5 inches less width than the Metabo. Also, the Bosch does not come with a blade brake or outfeed support.
Price-wise, the Bosch is similar to the Dewalt and slightly more expensive than the Metabo.
3. SKILSAW SPT99-11 10 Inch Worm Drive Table Saw
- Legendary worm drive gearing with 3-5/8 inch depth of cut and 30-1/2 inch rip capacity
- Precision rack and pinion fence system makes fence adjustments quickly and smoothly for accurate cuts
- Rugged rolling stand with 16 inch Wheels and easy-load handles delivers unsurpassed mobility
The Skilsaw SPT99-11 comes closest to the Metabo in terms of specification. Improvements over the Metabo include a 1/2 inch deeper cut than the Metabo, a worm drive gearbox which Skil claims gives more rotational power to the blade, and larger wheels on the stand.
The Metabo wins on the width that the fence extends, with the Skilsaw only going out to 30-1/2 inches. Also, the Metabo is slightly cheaper than the Skilsaw.
4. RIDGID 10 in. Jobsite Table Saw with Stand
The RIGID is, again, a specification that is very similar to the Metabo. It’s closer in price to the Metabo than the other alternatives and has the same blade size and motor power. It also has anti-kickback pawls, but it does not have a soft start capability.
It cuts 1/8-inch deeper than the Metabo at 0 degrees, yet the rip fence only extends out to 30 inches.
In Summary
On balance, you do get a lot of saw for your money with the Metabo. You get a good depth of cut, a wide sheet cutting ability, and a powerful soft-start motor with a blade brake. Anti-kickback pawls come as standard, as does outfeed support.
The other alternatives looked at today have some of these features but not all of them, while none can cut that wide. If you can accept the rack and pinion mount issue, then dollar for dollar, the Metabo provides an excellent price point for an all-around useful and capable table saw.
Click on the link to check the latest price, and buy the Metabo C10RJS today before others catch on to what I believe is an excellent deal.
