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How to use a table saw

Updated: October 2026

The board is on the fence, and the first trigger is where a rip goes wrong. How to use a table saw, for a through-cut, means a knife and guard set, a fence checked with a rule, and a push stick for the last 300 mm. Which saw to buy is the [table saw comparison](/hub/power-saws/table-saw). What should have been printed is the [table saw buying guide](/hub/power-saws/table-saw/sub/table-saw-buying-guide). Space and supply are [table saw for a small workshop](/hub/power-saws/table-saw/sub/table-saw-small-workshop). The distances are HSE guidance, not a measurement on these saws. Products Compared did not film a cut. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The board is on the fence, and the first trigger is where a rip goes wrong. How to use a table saw, for a through-cut, means a knife and guard set, a fence checked with a rule, and a push stick for the last 300 mm.

Our top picks

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R255TBL+

Best overall

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R255TBL+
7.6/10about £379.96
View offer
Hyundai Hyundai HYTS1800E

Preis-Tipp

Hyundai Hyundai HYTS1800E
7.4/10about £142
View offer
Einhell Einhell TC-TS 2025/2 U

Rank 3

Einhell Einhell TC-TS 2025/2 U
8.2/10about £126
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Set the knife and the guard before the first cut
  2. 2.Feed the board
  3. 3.When the cut goes wrong
  4. 4.When a professional should take over

Set the knife and the guard before the first cut

Unplug the saw before you touch the blade. HSE’s rip-saw guidance puts the riving knife within 8 mm of the blade at table level, thicker than the plate and thinner than the kerf, with the knife top within 25 mm of the blade top. Fit the crown guard over the blade above the timber. The Hyundai names a knife. The KATSU names a guard and a push stick and does not name a knife. The R255TBL+ is the only listing here that names an e-brake. If the blade keeps spinning, stop using the saw. Fence overlap should be no more than about 18 mm past the blade. Square the fence with a rule.

Feed the board

Stand to the side of the blade, not in line with it. HSE’s poster puts your hands 300 mm from the blade. For the last 300 mm, use a push stick. POS01 wants that stick at least 450 mm long, with a bird’s mouth. HSE’s workplace figure is take-off about 1200 mm from the spindle, written for a workplace bench. A helper must not pull the board. One Buyfun review says that mini saw’s switch is not a no-volt release.
Evolution Power Tools Evolution R255TBL+

Testsieger

Evolution Power Tools Evolution R255TBL+
7.6/10about £379.96
View offer

When the cut goes wrong

Burn marks usually mean the fence is not parallel, the blade is dull, or you paused in the cut. Do not twist the board to correct a wander. Kickback is the board coming back at you. The longer account is when a circular saw kicks back. WIS16 says not to bury the blade and take a deep cut in two passes. Raise the blade so the teeth clear the top face and make one through-cut. A household vacuum on one outlet is not the two-point extraction HSE wants at work. If you cannot hold a conversation beside the saw, wear hearing protection.

When a professional should take over

Stop, and get a joiner, when employees will use the saw and the guard, the braking or the extraction is unclear. Stop if the job is grooving. Stop if the supply is a construction site: HSE wants 110 V centre-tapped-to-earth or cordless tools on site. A bent table or a missing fence is a return under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 for that order. If you are about to rip a full sheet in a small shed, that is a space problem, not a harder push. Updated 16 October 2026 by the Products Compared editorial team.

Common questions

How close should the riving knife be?
HSE’s rip-saw guidance puts the knife within 8 mm of the blade at table level, thicker than the plate and thinner than the kerf, with the knife top within 25 mm of the blade top. Set that with the saw unplugged. The gap stops the kerf closing on the rising teeth. PUWER does not apply to domestic work in a private household, and the kerf still closes there. If the listing does not name a knife, do not assume one was fitted.
When do I pick up the push stick?
Use it for the last 300 mm of the cut, and sooner on a narrow rip where your hand would pass beside the blade. POS01 describes a stick at least 450 mm long with a bird’s mouth. Keep your hands 300 mm from the blade for the rest of the feed. A hand on the offcut as it leaves the blade is the usual way a thumb is caught when the timber grabs.
Can I take the guard off for one cut?
Not for a through-cut. The crown guard covers the blade above the timber, and the knife stays in the kerf. Removing either for a single board is how a pinched timber kicks. Grooving, where a knife cannot run in a slot, is a reason to stop and get a joiner. Refit anything you removed before the next through-cut.
Why does the wood burn or kick?
Burning usually means the fence is not parallel, the blade is dull, or you stopped mid-cut. Check the fence with a rule rather than the printed scale. UK reviews on the Einhell and Hyundai fences describe that mismatch. Kickback is a closed kerf, a trapped offcut, a twisted feed, or a buried blade. Do not take a deep cut in two shallow passes. One through-cut, with the teeth clear of the top face, is the HSE approach.
Does this apply in my shed if I am not employed?
Yes for the knife, the guard and the push stick. L114’s domestic exception means PUWER does not regulate a private household the way it regulates employees. The injury is the same. If you employ someone, or the saw is work equipment, unclear braking or extraction is a reason to stop. A householder still should not bury the blade.
When do I stop and get the saw repaired?
Stop if the blade will not come to rest, the switch stays on or restarts after a power cut, the fence will not lock, or the guard and knife cannot be set. One Buyfun review describes a switch that is not a no-volt release. That note is for that listing only. A saw that smokes, trips the breaker on every start, or arrives bent goes back under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Related pages

Wood dust from power saws

Table saw

Best table saw UK: Einhell top pick, Hyundai value

Table saw buying guide: depth, fence and UK voltage

Table saw for a small workshop: weight, stand, 230 V

Table saw or circular saw: fence, rip or the sheet

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison, read for 15 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. HSE: circular rip saws (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. HSE POS01: circular saw benches (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. HSE WIS16: circular saw benches (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. HSE L114: safe use of woodworking machinery (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. HSE: wood dust (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. HSE WD2: local exhaust ventilation (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. HSE: electricity on construction sites (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. Control of Noise at Work Regulations 2005 (retrieved 15 October 2026)