Review: Rockler Table Saw Crosscut Sled

I use shopmade cross-cut sleds on the tablesaw nearly every day. I’ve always made them from scraps, and they are usually serviceable for a year or two; I scab on spoil boards and adjust runners with blue tape, probably longer than I should to avoid making a new sled.

Rockler’s new Table Saw Cross Cut Sled and accompanying Drop-Off Platform was the first manufactured sled kit I have tried. I was skeptical how it could be that much better than the ones I’ve made. However, after spending some time with it, I think it’s a good value.

The sled requires some basic assembly, which includes calibrating the runners to your table saw miter slots and ensuring the fence is perpendicular to your blade. I had everything unboxed, assembled, and was making accurate cuts in less than an hour. After those few test cuts, I cut a four corner mitered frame that fit together on the first try without any fuss.

Several features stand out on this sled. First, the fence pivots smoothly and holds well with an easy-to-read protractor. The locking knob is rock solid—great for both safety and repeatability. The fence also extends to 38.25 in., which gives the sled a nice capacity for its small footprint.

Both the sled and the Drop-Off Platform have replaceable MDF zero-clearance attachments. These enable not only clean cuts but the flexibility to swap out another attachment to make cuts with the blade tilted (for either compound miters in conjunction with the fence, or with the fence at 90°). These angled blade cuts are typically what eventually lead to “scabs” on my shopmade sled and their short life span. The same is true on the fence; it has a spoil board that moves independently of the fence, so you can simply slide it into place for your specific cuts, and replace it when the time comes. Both the sled and the drop-off platform have a stop block, which gives you multiple ways to set up repeated cuts.

The flexibility of this sled means that it effectively replaces multiple shopmade sleds in my fleet, which saves me time and space over the long run.

Rockler Table Saw Crosscut Sled

While all of these features could be included in a shop-made sled, if you prefer the convenience, longevity, and adjustability of an off-the-shelf solution, this is a great tool. One trade off: on a shop made sled the fence typically spans both sides of the blade, allowing you to hold the off-cut, slide it back from the blade and remove it, all with the saw running. Rockler’s Drop-Off platform safely catches the off-cut, but you need to turn off the blade to retrieve it, which could slow down production work.

Price: $249.99 at the time of writing