Iansmith030, as you say this is a minefield with loads of competing opinions. I was looking for a new table saw during the first lockdown. Ideally 255mm blade and compact as a replacement for my old large 12 inch saw. I was looking for something smaller and light enough to transport and go on a shelf in the workshop. I looked at bosch, Dewalt, Makita etc. All seemed to require some fettling, stocks were low because of lockdown and prices were high.
A video review from a couple of years ago from an American guy for a Dewalt 745 talked of prices of 259 dollars, same saw in uk when I was looking was £449, more than twice the price.
In the end I decided that prices were too high and there were no deals available because of lockdown and worldwide shortage. Then I saw an advert for a Scheppach HS81S for £89 including vat and delivery from a tool shop in Kendal so went for that. Put a decent blade in it, fence is fiddly to adjust, pressed steel top, no soft start, 216mm blade but depth of cut is ok. Overall I am pleased with it for the price. Perhaps one day I will change it but it suffices for now and I use my sliding mitre saw and track saw far more than a table saw.
Mounted the new saw on some plywood with handles so easy to lift from shelf to bench, sold the old saw for £140, now have more space in garage and £50 towards something else.
It may be worth your while to wait until the economy picks up and we get more competition in the market. Also accept that every saw in your price range will have its detractors and for top quality work will need some fettling, according to the reviews. As you say, it is a minefield of confusion and really you need to find somewhere where you can physically check and compare the machines before purchase.
