I don’t know about you, but when I look online for my next table saw I always feel like I can’t have it all, I must sacrifice certain specs.
For example if I want a powerful table saw that can cut through hardwoods and pressure treated lumber then I must give up portability, I have to have a cabinet table saw which is a heavy beast, so once it’s in the workshop it’s not being moved easily.
But what if you want portability? Well then you have to give up power meaning you aren’t likely going to be able to rip those hardwoods or pressure treated lumber.
But I want both! I want to be able to move my table saw about and I want enough power to tackle anything I throw at it.
Well it turns out I can have both and not just power and portability but precision as well! I’ve found a table saw that comes with freaking lasers! The Rockwell RK7241S Table Saw employs lasers to ensure your cuts are accurate.
It doesn’t stop there, this table saw comes with a variety of useful features to ensure smooth and consistent cuts. It’s also able to make cuts deeper than other table saw’s in it’s class, you’ll be able to cut straight through a 4×4 with this thing!
A good table saw is the most important tool that any carpenter or contractor could have. The Rockwell RK7241S Table Saw with laser looks like an awesome choice, but let’s just see how it stands up against the competition
This table saw is powered by a 15-amp motor which is commonly found on portable table saws, what makes this table saw different is this one spins at a no-load speed of 4,800 RPM, this put’s it’s competition to shame, you could say that it throws “dust” on the competition!
This sort of power and speed means you can count on it ripping through hardwoods and pressure-treated lumber.
Materials such as plywood and softwoods and ripped like a hot knife through butter.
The cutting capacity of this table saw is up to 4 times greater than other competing models in this range.
It has a 10-inch blade and a rip capacity of an astonishing 30 inches when you fold out it’s fence to the it’s fully extended width, now this is to the right of the blade, you also get a whole 11 inches of capacity to the left of the blade.
That’s insane on a portable/contractor table saw!
You can even cut straight through a 4×4 piece of lumber, this table saw has the deepest cutting depth i’ve seen on a contractor table saw coming in at 3-9/16 inches at a right angle, and 2-9/16 inches at a 45-degree angle.
Another feature not commonly found on contractor table saws is that this unit supports dado blade sets, and when I saw supports, I mean all the way up to 6 inches in diameter! This really shows how strong the motor is that powers this table saw.
The maximum the table can handle is 7/16 inch wide cuts.
Features of the Rockwell RK7241S Table Saw with Laser
- Motor: 15-amp, 4800 rpm
- 10-inch blade
- 30” inch rip capacity
- Cutting depth: 3 and 9/16 inches at a right angle, and 2 and 9/16 inches at a 45-degree angle
- Supports dado blade sets 6” in diameter
- Laser cut line indicator
- Folding table saw stand
- Folding 30” rip fence
Pros
- Laser guide which adjusts to the arrangement of the blades to ensure your cuts land exactly where you intended them to
- Foldout rip fence providing a massive 30 inches of rip capacity
- Deepest cut i’ve seen on a portable table saw, with maximum cutting depth of 3-9/16”
Cons
- Adjusting the blade is rather complicated
- Customer service weren’t able to explain over the phone how to adjust the blade
- The laser guide requires AAA batteries rather than coming from the power feed
What’s in the Box
This table saw comes with everything you might want to get started, safety has been considered here with not only a riving knife and blade guard, but also a push stick being included!
- The Rockwell RK7241S table saw
- Folding table saw stand
- 10” table saw blade
- Dust bag
- Folding rip fence
- Blade guard assembly
- Riving knife
- Push stick
- 45-degree miter gauge
- 2 blade wrenches
- A mitre attachment
Assembling The Saw
You’ll be ripping boards in no time with this table saw, assembly can be completed in minutes. The table saw and it’s stand are fully assembled in the box. All you have to do is unfold the stand and secure the table saw to the stand and when you are ready to do.
The assembly is completely toolless
It comes with a blade guard and riving knife which both install in seconds. I advise attaching both, better safe than sorry afterall.
There is a dust back which fits right over the dust port at the bottom of the saw.
When I unboxed my Rockwell RK7241S table saw, I had it up and running in less than 20 minutes, which is really good, from then on it took less than a minute to have the saw out of where it’s stored and ready to use.
When you assemble any new table saw, there is some configuration required. For me I had to the fine-tune the blade, it was about 1/8th of an inch out of true from the front to the back of the blade.
Now adjusting the blade of a table saw is something I am very familiar with, but on the Rockwell, well it has the strangest setup i’ve ever seen for a blade alignment.
It’s so odd that at first I thought that there wasn’t a way to adjust the blade. Later on i’ll show you exactly how to adjust the blade so you are saved the confusion I went through.
Benefits of the Rockwell RK7241S Table Saw with Laser
A table saw that’s powerful enough to cut hardwoods and pressure-treated lumber while being portable and having a laser guide… that’s a lot of benefits right there.
A table saw is one of those tools regardless of the job whether it’s building a house, cutting lumber or breaking down plywood, it’s not a “I wish I had one” it’s a tool that “I absolutely need it”, I’ve broken down plywood with a circular saw and jigs, it works.. but it’s not as easy and precise as a table saw is.
Probably one of the best features of the Rockwell RK7241S Table Saw with Laser is its Laser Guide technology, which features a laser cut line indicator that shows you exactly where your cut is going to land.
The line of the laser automatically adjusts to the arrangement of the blade, which is pretty neat when making bevel cuts.
When it comes to portability, the RK7241S is easily at the top of the class. It has wheels located on one side and the extended leg acts as a handle. This makes it so easy to push and pull the table saw around.
Weighing about 88lbs makes it easier to transport.
The 30” folding rip fence. This provides wider rip capacity than most of the products available on the market today. Cutting through plywood is a breeze with this extra long rip fence.
It’s my go to tool for ripping long boards and breaking down plywood.
The Rockwell RK7241S probably also has the deepest cut, allowing for a maximum depth of 3 and 9/16 inches at a right angle and 2 and 9/16 inches at a 45-degree angle all the way through with ease.
This table saw is pre-assembled, meaning you do not have to take the time and effort to assemble the gear. It comes in already complete so all you need to do is plug it in and you can basically start using it.
It has addons that can be easily attached, such as the Rockwell RW9188 Table Saw Finisher Attachment which will give you a sharp planned edge, removing saw marks
and the Rockwell RW9189 Table Saw Sliding Extension Table Attachment.
Things to be Aware Of
Although the laser cut line is quite a good feature, the RK7241S lacks the option to align the fence and the blade, which is uncommon for most table saws.
Another concern is that the height-adjusting wheel of this table saw has the tendency to vibrate, which can cause the blade to raise and lower when in use.
The Rockwell RK7241S also does not have a left blade tilt so this can be quite a challenge for left-handed users. Adjusting the bevel of the blade can be quite a challenge, it requires a good amount of effort to adjust it to accommodate your specifications
The fence sometimes isn’t as stable as you would expect which results in you having to remeasure and make adjustments after every movement of the fence.
Adjusting the blade
As mentioned above, adjusting the blade is strange, so strange that you might think at first that it’s not possible, but to save you the anger and confusion and time wasting that I went through here is how you do it.
This isn’t a one person job so bring a helper.
Flip the table saw upside down and remove the orange grating over the bottom dust port.
You’ll need to be able to operate the crack that raises and lowers the blade. You’ll notice that there is a nut holding a horizontal bolt that pivots the motor assembly.
To align the blade, loosen that nut and have your helper push and hold the motor in the required direction, once you are satisfied that the blade is true, re-tighten the nut.
It’s not as easy as it should be.
Bottom Line
True to its word, the RK7241S Table Saw is a good precision table saw that can be used for big and small jobs alike.
It is quite sturdy yet easy to transport because of its transport wheels and can be pushed and pulled anywhere.
With so many features packed in from bigger cabinet saw’s it’s not surprising that things aren’t perfect, but it is an excellent portable contractor table saw which out does it’s competition in many ways.
