I remember a Saturday when the air smelled of coffee and fresh pine.
A cherry board sat on the table saw begging for a clean rip.
My old contractor saw whined then chattered.
Dust puffed in my face.
That was my cue.
I wanted safety.
I wanted calm cuts.
So I looked at SawStop.
At first the choice felt easy.
Contractor or Professional.
Later the decision felt like a coin that would not land.
I have lived with both in two shops.
Today I walk beside you and share every lesson.
Two Minute Buyer Shortcut
- You roll tools in and out of a garage bay and share power with a freezer, pick the Contractor.
- You crave the hush of a cabinet saw and your wall space is tight, pick the Professional.
- You cut mostly sheet goods with the odd strip of hardwood, the Contractor keeps pace.
- You rip thick oak often and hate burn marks, the Professional laughs at the load.
- You plan heavy add ons like a router wing or long rails, the Professional frame holds firm.
Keep reading for the why behind each tip.
Big Picture: Cabinet Style versus Contractor Style
Sit both saws side by side and the difference becomes clear.
The Contractor hides less mass under the cast top.
Its trunnions bolt to the underside of the iron table.
You align the blade by nudging that surface.
It takes steady hands yet holds fine once locked.
The Professional plants its trunnions on the steel cabinet.
You tweak inside the housing with ease.
Short belt path means less vibration.
The bigger frame adds weight and calm.
Motor position matters too.
The Contractor motor hangs off the back.
You need space behind the saw.
The belt run grows longer.
Vibration control is good but not perfect.
The Professional tucks the motor inside the box.
Less belt slack equals smooth sound.
The saw feels like granite on rails.
Mass equals momentum.
The Contractor weighs less, so one person can ease it around a small shop.
The Professional sits heavier yet often takes less depth because nothing sticks out.
Both share the famous SawStop brake.
Both cut straight when set right.
Yet the cabinet feel hints at a warm hand plane glide.
The lighter saw feels quick and lively.
Power and Home Circuits Made Simple
Horsepower numbers can confuse.
Let us keep it plain.
The Contractor ships with one point seven five horsepower.
That motor works on one ten volt or two twenty volt circuits.
The Professional offers the same motor or a beefier three horse option that needs two twenty.
What does that mean in real life.
On a one ten line the smaller motor pulls about thirteen amps when it bites hardwood.
A fifteen amp breaker may groan.
A twenty amp breaker feels safe.
Switch to two twenty and the draw drops near ten amps.
The motor runs cooler.
The three horse drinks more juice but stays strong.
At the blade you feel it.
Thin kerf blade plus one point seven five horsepower equals steady feed through maple.
Slow your push on eight quarter stock to dodge burn.
Full kerf blade plus three horsepower tears through oak without pause.
The edge looks neat and cool.
Fence Options and Real Accuracy
SawStop sells three main fence sets.
I have tried them all.
- Standard fence for the Contractor at thirty inch rip width
Light body that locks front and back.
Perfect when weight and price both matter. - Premium fence for the Professional at thirty inch rip width
Front rail clamp that echoes the classic Biesemeyer feel.
Stiff yet slim. - T Glide at thirty six or fifty two inches for both saws
Heavy steel rails with replaceable faces.
Locks like a vise and slides like ice.
My call is easy.
If you find room and budget, grab the T Glide.
The lock feels solid.
Repeat cuts stay square all week.
Miter Gauge and Slots
I build sleds yet still care about the stock gauge.
The Professional upgrade uses spring loaded bearings.
They push the bar tight in the slot.
Play disappears.
The Contractor gauge feels fine though not as silky.
Both slots measure three quarter by three eighth with a tee shape.
Most aftermarket jigs drop right in.
Dust Control That Saves Your Lungs
Dust is a silent time thief.
More chips on the floor mean less focus.
Here is what each saw offers below and above the table.
Below the blade the Contractor stays open.
You can add a rear panel kit that moves a port to the back.
A shop vac helps but a real collector works better.
The Professional closes the blade in a shroud that feeds a four inch port.
Airflow aims right at the chips.
Above the blade the basic guard ships on small motors.
It lifts clear of stock yet has no hose.
The three horse Professional arrives with a clear guard that accepts a hose.
Hook that line to a splitter or an overarm support.
My real shop outcome was clear.
Contractor plus panel plus vac left a sprinkle on the top.
Professional plus collector plus guard left the cast iron shiny.
Footprint and Shop Flow
Space is cash in a home shop.
Measure before you buy.
- Contractor plus thirty inch fence.
Width fifty eight and one half inches.
Depth forty inches.
Height thirty four and three quarter inches. - Contractor plus thirty six inch fence.
Width sixty nine and one eighth inches.
Depth forty five inches. - Contractor plus fifty two inch fence.
Width eighty five and one quarter inches.
Depth forty five inches. - Professional plus thirty inch fence.
Width sixty one and three quarter inches.
Depth thirty one and one eighth inches.
Height thirty four inches. - Professional plus thirty six inch fence.
Width sixty nine and one eighth inches.
Depth thirty three inches. - Professional plus fifty two inch fence.
Width eighty five and one quarter inches.
Depth thirty three inches.
Remember the Contractor motor sticks out behind.
Leave extra depth for tilt travel and dust hose.
The cabinet saw can kiss a wall after you route the hose to the side.
Mobility Tricks
A clean floor feels good on bare feet.
Rolling the saw a few feet can clear fresh space fast.
- Contractor mobile base with two fixed wheels and two swivels works on smooth concrete.
- Contractor mobile cart lifts like a wheelbarrow and rolls over rough paths.
- Professional integrated base offers two fixed and two swivels.
- Industrial base spins on four swivels for heavy setups.
I ran the Industrial base and moved a five hundred pound saw with two fingers.
Pure joy.
Accessory Ecosystem
A table saw can turn into a station once you bolt on toys.
- Inline router table drops in where a wing sits.
Works on both saws.
Weight balance favors the Professional. - Sliding crosscut table aids wide panels.
Fits both. - Folding outfeed table saves back strain.
Works best on the cabinet saw because the Contractor motor can kiss it on bevels. - Overarm dust and floating guards snap to the front rail or a post.
Fit both with right rails.
Plan add ons early so the base and rails match the load.
Cut Feel, Vibration, and Sound
Cut quality is not just numbers.
You hear it.
You feel it in the push.
The Contractor has less mass yet still uses cast wings.
Vibration stays low but you notice a light buzz.
Noise sits higher in pitch.
The Professional damps that buzz.
Push a board and the saw hums like a distant plane.
The edge looks like glass.
Alignment stays tight on both.
A quick dial check keeps them true.
The cabinet mount trunnions let you tweak in small moves.
Once set it stays set.
Safety First, Always
The SawStop brake reacts in less than five milliseconds when skin meets blade.
The cartridge slams a block into the teeth and drops the blade below the table.
You change the brake and maybe the blade then you get back to work.
What might fire the brake.
Wet lumber.
Green lumber.
Foil in plywood.
Hidden metal fasteners.
Use bypass mode when you must cut risky material.
Follow the manual and test.
Never fool with the safety for speed.
I hit a hidden staple once.
The brake stayed quiet yet my heart raced.
Now I sweep boards with a small detector.
Cheap habit big reward.
People Also Ask
What separates a cabinet saw from a contractor saw.
Cabinet saws hide the motor inside a steel box and add mass for smoother cuts, while contractor saws hang the motor off the back for lower weight and price.
How much horsepower does the SawStop Contractor offer.
One point seven five horsepower covers most hobby work.
Can you bypass the safety system.
Yes the saw has a built in bypass mode used for wet or metal filled stock, read the manual and run the test cut first.
Is SawStop linked to Festool.
Both brands fall under TTS Tooltechnic Systems.
Money Math Over Time
Tools eat cash now and pay back later.
Initial spend tells part of the story.
A Contractor with cast wings and T Glide can rise near the Professional base price.
The three horse Professional costs more yet saves hassle next season.
Long term value shows in daily calm.
Cabinet mass means less noise and dust.
Contractor weight means easy moves during a shop shuffle.
Resale holds strong with either line.
Keep the tops waxed and keep the manuals.
Ask yourself a simple question.
Will this be the last saw I buy.
If yes stretch for the cabinet.
If maybe choose the lighter saw.
Two Stories from Real Shops
Story One
I built bedroom built ins in a one car garage.
The Contractor saw sat on a thirty six inch T Glide.
One point seven five horsepower ran on a twenty amp one ten line.
I ripped sheet goods after first breaking them with a track saw.
The job wrapped on time and the saw rolled away when the car came home.
Story Two
I built a cherry dining table with the three horse Professional.
Fifty two inch T Glide.
A folding outfeed table sat behind the saw.
An overarm dust hose reached above the guard.
I pushed eight quarter planks all day.
The edge looked factory fresh.
The shop stayed almost dust free.
Product Snapshot: Contractor Model CNS175 TGP252
Primary keyword up front for search juice.
sawstop contractor vs professional often ends with this model as the pick for mobile shops.
- SawStop brake stops the blade in five milliseconds
Saves fingers. - T Glide fifty two inch fence uses thick steel
Holds square and smooth. - Cast iron wings add mass and calm
Cuts feel better. - Over one hundred ways to configure with bases and guards
You build what you need.
Motor one point seven five horsepower.
Works on one ten or two twenty.
Table width eighty five and one quarter with long rails.
Depth forty five.
Weight three hundred sixty two pounds.
Ten inch blade left tilt.
Four inch dust port at rear panel.
Standard brake plus dado brake sold separate.
Owners love the clear manual and the smooth fence.
They grumble at long setup time yet forgive it once they cut joinery.
Buy if you share space with a car or move often.
Skip if you mill hardwood daily.
Product Snapshot: Professional Model PCS31230 TGP252
When the question shifts to heavy hardwood the answer often lands here.
- Three horsepower motor on two twenty line
Rips thick maple like butter. - Same fast brake
Nerves stay calm. - T Glide fifty two inch fence
Repeat rips never wander. - Dust shroud under the blade plus guard hose on top
Air stays clear. - Gas piston lift for easy height change
Smooth feel.
Motor three horsepower at two twenty volt.
Width eighty five and one quarter with long rails.
Depth thirty three.
Height thirty four.
Weight five hundred fifteen pounds.
Ten inch blade.
Four inch cabinet port.
Standard and dado cartridges offered.
Reviews praise the smooth hum.
Most gripe about price.
Yet nearly all say they would buy again.
Choose this saw if you plan a life of furniture work.
Pass if you cannot pull a two twenty line.
Build Path Tips
You can land on the Contractor now and sell later for a smooth upgrade.
Keep the fence faces clean.
Store the manual in a zip bag.
You can also start with the Professional small motor and swap to three horsepower once you install a new circuit.
SawStop support can guide that move.
Many accessories move between models.
T Glide fits both.
Blades fit both.
Sleds and crosscut tables swap too.
Quick Layout Plan
Grab a tape and sketch your floor.
- Infeed equals your longest board.
- Outfeed equals that same length plus room to walk.
- Left side space holds a sled stroke.
- Right side space equals the fence travel.
- Dust hose must bend without kinks.
I like to park the right rail near a wall and let the outfeed double as an assembly bench.
Fine Points After Years of Sawdust
- Thin kerf blades pair well with one point seven five horsepower.
- Zero clearance inserts cut tear out.
Keep one for ninety cuts and one for common bevels. - Wax the cast top often.
Boards slide with less push. - Check fence and blade parallel each month.
A feeler gauge and five minutes keep cuts square. - Stand a bit left of the blade on rips.
Kickback path stays clear. - Use featherboards to hold stock.
Your hands stay safe.
FAQ Wrap Up
Is the cabinet saw smaller front to back.
Yes because the motor sits inside so the whole saw can park closer to a wall.
Will the Contractor accept a folding outfeed table.
Yes though you must mind bevel cuts over forty degrees because the motor swings.
Can I run the Contractor on one ten volts.
Yes though a twenty amp breaker feels safer.
Is three horsepower needed for furniture.
Not needed yet very nice on thick hardwood.
Does the T Glide fence fit the Contractor.
Yes both saw families share that rail system.
Can wet wood trip the brake.
Yes so test and use bypass mode as written.
Who owns SawStop.
TTS Tooltechnic Systems holds the brand.
Bottom Line
Pick the SawStop Contractor if you move gear and share power and focus on sheet stock with the odd hardwood project.
Pick the SawStop Professional if you live in hardwood and love a quiet cut and plan to keep one saw for decades.
Either way you gain a safety brake that can save fingers in a blink.
I hope your next cut feels smooth and safe.
Send a photo of your new setup.
I will raise my mug and cheer.