Three words you wrote stuck with me. "Least expensive" "winter" "limited space".

I don't think Norm Abrams would rip strips inside. You want to rip outside and share the dust with the neighbors. I've ripped in the dead of winter in my driveway with a mask on. I had to stop a few times to go inside and warm my fingers. But in a few hours you're done and I use the leaf blower to send the dust down the street and clean the saw.

Sounds like you want just enough of a saw to get the job done and no more. You can do a good job with a circular saw mounted under a table. Since you don't need the bells and whistles for the ripping job you're doing other than a fence and finger boards, you can fasten a straight piece of wood for that. A 7 1/4 blade works good too.

Those little $185 table saws are terrible. You can do better with the circular saw on a big old table. Naturally a stronger saw will do better than a $19. one.