Reviewed  by Consumer Search, June 2010

Pros

• Two true riving knives
• Best blade guard system
• Stable granite top
• Relatively quiet

Cons

• Relatively low power
• Some deflection in fence

Analysis

The Steel City 35900G is the first hybrid saw to incorporate a true riving knife plus a heavy granite table top that's more stable than cast iron. This table saw keeps all the features that reviews praise in earlier Steel City table saws, like a tool-free blade guard and excellent dust control. Reviews also praise it for ease in cutting sheet stock. Though expensive, reviewers say the 1.75-horsepower Steel City table saw could easily be the centerpiece of a workshop devoted to precision woodworking. The saw carries a five-year warranty, 10 years on the granite top. However, you could pay just a bit more to get equal performance and an extra safety feature with the SawStop Contractor Saw (*Est. $1,600), which builds in a flesh-sensing blade brake to prevent cuts.

Wood Magazine is the first to include the Steel City 35900G hybrid saw in comparison tests, even comparing it with the Steel City 35670 (which is topped with cast iron). Single-product reviews of the Steel City 35900G in Popular Woodworking and Woodworker's Journal highlight new safety features as well as the granite top, and the Steel City riving knife and blade guard system are compared with others in Taunton's 2010 Tool Guide. An article on safety features at Popular Woodworking makes note of the riving knife and blade guard system. The reader's choice in the 2009 Taunton Tool Guide is the Steel City 35601, now the 35930 -- also covered in earlier comparison tests in Fine Woodworking and Tools of the Trade.

Sources

1. Wood MagazineDetails/Subscribe

This review compares the Steel City 35900G with nine other hybrid saws and two cabinet saws, giving each model very detailed ratings for just about every factor you might want to consider. The Steel City 35900G proves the quietest and safest -- with two riving knives plus an excellent switch and blade guard -- but provides less power than the top-rated Shop Fox W1748.

Review: Shop Tested Hybrid Tablesaws, Bob Hunter with Craig Ruegsegger, Nov. 2008

2. Popular Woodworking

This brief review praises the Steel City 35900G table saw for its riving knife, convenient blade guard, smooth height adjustments and most of all, for the rust-proof and stable granite.

Review: Tool Test: Steel City Granite-topped Tools, Robert W. Lang, Oct. 2008

3. Taunton's 2010 Tool GuideDetails/Subscribe

This review compares the riving knife system on the similar Steel City 35905 table saw with those of seven other table saws, rating the Steel City riving knife adjustment as very good and calling the blade guard "user-friendly."

Review: A Riving Knife Prevents Tablesaw Kickback, Roland Johnson, Nov. 2009

4. Woodworker's JournalDetails/Subscribe

This brief preview of the new Steel City table saw notes that its unusual granite top and extension wings means that the working surfaces can be kept perfectly flat -- no warping -- and that they can't rust. The new table saw includes a riving knife/splitter and quick-change blade guard, cabinet-mounted trunnion system, four-inch dust port, and five-year warranty.

Review: Tool Preview: New Steel City Table Saw Ushers in the Stone Age, Chris Marshall, July 31, 2007

5. Popular WoodworkingDetails/Subscribe

This article on table saw safety describes new UL regulations and compares new safety systems, noting that the newest Steel City saw is the only hybrid saw to come equipped with a true riving knife. An earlier review in the Feb. 2007 issue covers the Steel City 35601 (now the 35930), praising the blade guard but wishing it had a riving knife (available on newer models).

Review: Riving Knives -- Not Just for the Europeans Anymore, Robert W. Lang, July 20, 2007

6. Taunton's 2009 Tool GuideDetails/Subscribe

The annual survey of readers of Fine Homebuilding and Fine Woodworking doesn't include the newer Steel City 35900G, but gives top ranking to the Steel City 35601, now the 35930. This is also the editors' top pick, based on tests published earlier in the 2008 Tools and Shops issue of Fine Woodworking.

Review: Hybrid Tablesaws, Tom Begnal, Oct. 2008

7. Popular WoodworkingDetails/Subscribe

This detailed comparison review gives top ranking to the Steel City 35601 (now the Steel City 35930), after testing six hybrid saws for power, vibration and accuracy. Each saw is also evaluated for ease of use, including blade guards, fences and dust collection.

Review: Hybrid Saws, Troy Sexton, Nov. 2007

8. Tools of the Trade Online

This review compares the Steel City 35601 with seven other hybrid saws. The Steel City comes with the best blade alignment, but loses points for poor dust collection and relatively low power — though its blade guard is much better than that of the more powerful Grizzly G0478.

Review: Hybrid Table Saws, Sean Martin, Nov. 2006