Why Table Saw RPM ‘Sometimes’ Matters

Does table saw RPM matter?

As a stand alone measurement, the RPM doesn’t tell you much, nor does it mean anything significant without other data points. Table saw RPM matters most when you’re cutting something other than wood - like acrylic or plexiglass. 

When you’re cutting a sheet of plexiglass, speed does matter. A slower spinning blade means less heat being generated from friction. Too much heat will start to melt and distort the plexiglass. 

When cutting wood, as long as the blade is sharp enough and generates enough power to cleanly cut through the wood, the speed doesn’t matter as much. 

Table saw RPM and other data points to consider

More speed isn’t always better, at least not when it’s only speed. You’ll want to consider other factors like:

• The type of blade being used and its sharpness
• The amount of torque generated by the motor
• How much horsepower the motor can generate

Without considering these other factors, the RPM of the arbor or blade may not mean a whole lot. 

For example, think of a paper pinwheel and imagine you were using your air compressor and able to get its speed up to a consistent 5,000RPM.

For one, that’d be an impressive feat in itself - getting a paper pinwheel up to 5,000RPM. Now imagine you stuck a piece of wood into that spinning pinwheel.

What would happen? 

Nothing, right?

Right, even if you were to continue sending air into it from the air compressor it’s not going to cut the wood. 

Now imagine you were to attach a table saw blade to the front of the pinwheel. The blades of the pinwheel are still there so they can catch air, but now there’s a blade attached to the front of the pinwheel the blade spins at the same speed as the paper blades. 

Again, you use your air compressor and send air into the fan blades and get the child’s play toy turned medieval-torture-device up to 5,000RPM. 

Scary and impressive. 

Now, you stick a 2x4 into the spinning metal blade, what’s going to happen?

It might cut into the 2x4 a little bit, but eventually the teeth will catch and the of the pinwheel might go running away, or at the least stop spinning. 

This happens because the blade has no torque or power behind it to keep powering through the 2x4. In this elementary example, you can understand that there’s more to a table saw’s cutting ability than just the RPM. 

One more example. Imagine a normal table saw with a blade that is horribly dull. 

What happens when trying to make a thick cut through wood? 

The blade binds and the saw tries to draw more power from the wall, sometimes up to the motor’s peak draw, to make the cut. Understandably, this is not good for the saw’s motor and just because there’s a high RPM doesn’t mean the blade will cut smoothly. 

When should you consider table saw rpm?

All the examples aside, assuming you the motor, saw blade, and every other factor on two table saws is the same - with the exception of the RPM, which should you buy? 

Choose the table saw with the higher RPM. For the average woodworker the benefit of a faster RPM is negligible and you won’t lose anything with a lower RPM. However, with a good blade and good motor, a higher RPM will tend to make better cuts.

However, given this recommendation, any modern table saw will be calibrated to work in accordance with its blade speed, motor size, and various aftermarket blades. A saw that runs at 3,500RPM will likely not be any worse or better than a saw that runs at 5,400 RPM - the difference is negligible and for 99% of people, should not be taken into consideration when purchasing a table saw. 

Is a higher RPM better?

No, not always. Better is relative and in woodworking, it’s subjective. While a higher RPM can be an advantage, it needs to have the torque behind it continue pushing through the material. However, one of the main disadvantage of a high RPM is the creation of burn marks. 

Burn marks occur when the material isn’t moved through the saw fast enough due to lack of torque, an underpowered motor, too thick of a material, or a dull blade. Burn marks occur as the result of the friction between the blade and the wood, creating a literal burn mark on the wood. 

Does a higher RPM wear the blade faster?

In theory, yes, but there is no hard evidence to suggest that this is true. Blade technology has come a long way in the last 40 years in design, type of steel used, and coatings that increase the lifespan of the blade. A lower RPM may have been desired in the late 20th century when blades were not as advanced as they were today and it was not as easy to re-sharpen. 

However, today’s blades have thermal expansion slots built into the design along with specialized coatings that increase the longevity of the blade. 

If you have never bought an aftermarket blade, making the switch from the stock blade included with your table saw to a Forrest, Freud, CMT or other well-known brand is a game-changing experience. You will be able to feel a significant difference in the smoothness of the cut and the noise generated. 

Typical table saw RPM

Below is a table showing the rated no-load RPMs of several mass-produced table saws. This table includes manufacturer published data and data taken by the TableSawExpert team. Our team measured the RPM of the blade at its outer diameter, closest to the tips as possible. 

The data published by the manufacturer typically refers to the arbor speed, not the blade speed; however this isn’t confirmed. The arbor speed will always read faster than what’s at the tip of the blade. 

As you move farther away from the arbor, the tip will have to travel a farther distance to complete a circle. You can imagine it like a running track. Those that run on the inner lane will be able to complete 1 lap faster than someone in an outside lane. 

Adjusting your table saw’s RPM

Adjusting the RPM of a table saw isn’t anything new, but with modern tools it isn’t recommended. On older saws, some woodworkers would change the drive pulleys to adjust the RPM to increase the lifespan on the blade or cut down on noise. 

With today’s saws, that’s not needed. Noise shouldn’t matter when using proper safety equipment and the lifespan of your modern blade is significantly longer than its late 20th century predecessor.

On table saws with a direct-drive motor, the speed cannot be adjusted. The arbor is connected directly to the motor, so there is no pulley or gear that can be modified or adjusted to change the speed. 

If you have a cabinet or contractor table saw and need more power, re-evaluate the power source and the size of the motor. Ensure if the motor has enough power available at the wall and the proper wire size is being used. For most cabinet table saws, you can upgrade the motor and find one that will match your saw. 

Most higher end table saw motors are standardized. 

What is table saw RPM?

Table saw RPM refers to the Rotations Per Minute the blade will spin. This is the number of full rotations the blade will make in 60 seconds. The rated RPM is a no load RPM, meaning that this is the arbor speed when there is nothing on it, no blade, no arbor nut, nothing.