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I don't have that saw, but the specs. make it look very similar to the Grizzly 0580. I have the next step up from that the 0555Z which has a 1 HP motor and a fancier stand. I love my bandsaw.
I have the Ridgid jointer and have found it well made and capable, I am sure that you will find the same with the their BS.
Ridgid BS specs below, for those interested
14" Band SawFeatures
3/4 HP TEFC Induction Motor
quiet, smooth running belt drive delivers power to resaw up to 6" thick oak Heavy Duty Construction
cast iron table and frame minimize vibration, precision balanced cast aluminum upper and lower wheels, steel wheel covers and heavy gauge leg set Unique Features
micro adjust on upper and lower blade guides for precise tracking, wheel cleaning brushes prevent dust build-up on wheels, built-in dust collection port, On-Board additional blade storage User-Friendly Controls
high visibility indicators and comfortable Sof-Touch™ on knobs help make adjustments easier. Large paddle switch with safety lock-out High Visibility Power Cord
Specifications
Input: 3/4 HP TEFC induction, 10/5 Amp, 120/240V
No Load Speed: 2,700 FPM
Blade Widths: 1/8” - 3/4"
Blade Length: 93 1/2"
Table: 14" x 14" cast iron
Table Tilt: -10° - 45° right
Frame: cast iron
Cutting Capacities::
Throat Width: 13 5/8"
Depth-of-Cut: 6"
Includes
Band saw, motor, 3/8" blade, leg set and operator's manual
Dave
I have the Ridgid jointer and have found it well made and capable, I am sure that you will find the same with the their BS.
Ridgid BS specs below, for those interested
14" Band SawFeatures
3/4 HP TEFC Induction Motor
quiet, smooth running belt drive delivers power to resaw up to 6" thick oak Heavy Duty Construction
cast iron table and frame minimize vibration, precision balanced cast aluminum upper and lower wheels, steel wheel covers and heavy gauge leg set Unique Features
micro adjust on upper and lower blade guides for precise tracking, wheel cleaning brushes prevent dust build-up on wheels, built-in dust collection port, On-Board additional blade storage User-Friendly Controls
high visibility indicators and comfortable Sof-Touch™ on knobs help make adjustments easier. Large paddle switch with safety lock-out High Visibility Power Cord
Specifications
Input: 3/4 HP TEFC induction, 10/5 Amp, 120/240V
No Load Speed: 2,700 FPM
Blade Widths: 1/8” - 3/4"
Blade Length: 93 1/2"
Table: 14" x 14" cast iron
Table Tilt: -10° - 45° right
Frame: cast iron
Cutting Capacities::
Throat Width: 13 5/8"
Depth-of-Cut: 6"
Includes
Band saw, motor, 3/8" blade, leg set and operator's manual
Dave
Howdy, Dozer!
I have one, and in general I would say it is a good saw. Be advised it has only two speeds: on and off. So far, the single speed hasn't been a problem for me.
Taking everything out of the box, getting it all together, and aligning it up is a bit of a chore, but if I did it, you can probably do it better and faster. You will have to set the blade drift, too.
My only negative is for the price, they don't give you much of a fence. If you plan on using your bandsaw a lot and a good fence is important to you, you might be happier if you bought an after market fence or went online at Ridgid's website and bought their fence upgrade.
The saw comes with their standard 3/8 inch blade, so if you are going to cut a lot of varied size stock, you might want to buy a smaller and a larger blade. They are inexpensive and it is probably good for all of us to have several sizes lying around the woodshed. Oh, you might be interested in their riser block, too. I'm still playing around with buying one for my saw.
The bottom line is I think you will be happy with it.
Ken Williams
I have one, and in general I would say it is a good saw. Be advised it has only two speeds: on and off. So far, the single speed hasn't been a problem for me.
Taking everything out of the box, getting it all together, and aligning it up is a bit of a chore, but if I did it, you can probably do it better and faster. You will have to set the blade drift, too.
My only negative is for the price, they don't give you much of a fence. If you plan on using your bandsaw a lot and a good fence is important to you, you might be happier if you bought an after market fence or went online at Ridgid's website and bought their fence upgrade.
The saw comes with their standard 3/8 inch blade, so if you are going to cut a lot of varied size stock, you might want to buy a smaller and a larger blade. They are inexpensive and it is probably good for all of us to have several sizes lying around the woodshed. Oh, you might be interested in their riser block, too. I'm still playing around with buying one for my saw.
The bottom line is I think you will be happy with it.
Ken Williams
I have a Ridgid bandsaw, the orange model. I have had mine for about 18 months and I do like it.
Here's my $0.02:
Overall impression: great machine at the price point. And you can't beat the LIFETIME warranty on the machine. I don't know of any other manufacturer that offers that.
HP: Adequate power for my needs; I'm not resawing purpleheart or paduak all day either. See (2) below, with some quality blades you can greaty improve the performance and apparent power of the saw.
Vibration: My saw did have some noticeable vibration out of the box, even when tuned and tweaked. I bought 4' of link belt at Woodcraft (~$25) and the vibration went to ~0. It will pass the nickel test now, no problem, even sitting on a herculift stand in the raised position. Most powertools will benefit from linkbelt upgrades.
Dust collection: It's okay, I wish it were better but I haven't brought myself yet to cutting a second dust port in the lower door.
Guides: The stock guides are okay. I would suggest some cool blocks, or if you are like me and like buying new tools, get some Carter guides. Sweet, sweet, sweet.
Other add-ons you might consider:
1) You need a fence. Especially if you are gonna resaw, and even for ripping you don't want to monkey with clamps and a straight edge all the time. I chose to go with the Kreg fence. I wasn't too impressed with the Ridgid BS fence when I saw it in the store. It had way too much play in it, although maybe that was just the particular one I toyed with in the store or the result of improper installation. The kreg is nicely machined, easy to account for blade drift and very accurate. You can often get it at Woodcraft for ~$100 with a resaw guide for free.:icon_thum
2) You will definitely want to get some good BS blades. As the case with most stock blades, the one included with the Ridgid is .... ahem ... crap. Get yourself some Timberwolf blades of various sizes and TPI. A good start would be 1/4" and 1/2"; 1/2 for resawing and 1/4 for tight curves.;-)
3) I upgraded the tires on mine with Carter tires (also available at Woodcraft). I didn't notice anything particularly bad about the stock tires I just bought the Carter ones 'cause I felt like it. Now what WWer hasn't bought something for the pure joy of a new toy? :eusa_danc
4) Riser kit. When I was looking for my riser kit (~10 months ago), they were very hard to come by from Ridgid. There was a backlog of about 6 months and they were asking ~$100 for the riser kit, which is absurd. Do yourself a favor, Grizzly makes a riser kit that fits the Ridgid model perfectly. The Grizzly product number is H3051 (link below); it sells for ~$58+shipping. When I got mine they had a special offering 100 stainless wood screws for free; not sure if it still available. Apparently, Harbor freight also sells a riser kit that will fit the Ridgid, but the lead time for HF shipping is reported to be lengthy.:icon_thum
H3051 6" Extension Block Kit
5) Carter guides, already commented on above.:-D
6) Mobility. If you can get a herc-u-lift for it, do it. That's one sweet mobile base and it works well with the Ridgid Bandsaw.
7) I added a light on mine and mounted a receptacle on the riser block. Both convenient if you plan to spend hours in front of the BS.
8) I also added 1" plywood to the top of the steel base to help reduce vibration.
I only have one negative comment at this point. I recently noticed that my blade would not track very well, tracking to the front of the lower wheel regardless of adjustments I made. Upon closer inspection I discovered a crack in the casting on the outer edge of the upper wheel. I called Ridgid customer service and they confirmed that I had registered my BS with them at purchase and thus was eligible for the Lifetime warranty. They sent me a new upper wheel free of charge. I appreciate not having to pay shipping or hauling the whole thing down to the local authorized service center for this simple repair. Kudos to Ridgid for standing behind their product.:icon_thum Replaced the upper wheel, problem solved.
PS: And finally, to make a long story even longer, I recommend reading Michael Fortune's article on BS tuning in the October 06 issue of Wood magazine. He gives several tips and tricks, specifically about the Ridgid model.
Here's my $0.02:
Overall impression: great machine at the price point. And you can't beat the LIFETIME warranty on the machine. I don't know of any other manufacturer that offers that.
HP: Adequate power for my needs; I'm not resawing purpleheart or paduak all day either. See (2) below, with some quality blades you can greaty improve the performance and apparent power of the saw.
Vibration: My saw did have some noticeable vibration out of the box, even when tuned and tweaked. I bought 4' of link belt at Woodcraft (~$25) and the vibration went to ~0. It will pass the nickel test now, no problem, even sitting on a herculift stand in the raised position. Most powertools will benefit from linkbelt upgrades.
Dust collection: It's okay, I wish it were better but I haven't brought myself yet to cutting a second dust port in the lower door.
Guides: The stock guides are okay. I would suggest some cool blocks, or if you are like me and like buying new tools, get some Carter guides. Sweet, sweet, sweet.
Other add-ons you might consider:
1) You need a fence. Especially if you are gonna resaw, and even for ripping you don't want to monkey with clamps and a straight edge all the time. I chose to go with the Kreg fence. I wasn't too impressed with the Ridgid BS fence when I saw it in the store. It had way too much play in it, although maybe that was just the particular one I toyed with in the store or the result of improper installation. The kreg is nicely machined, easy to account for blade drift and very accurate. You can often get it at Woodcraft for ~$100 with a resaw guide for free.:icon_thum
2) You will definitely want to get some good BS blades. As the case with most stock blades, the one included with the Ridgid is .... ahem ... crap. Get yourself some Timberwolf blades of various sizes and TPI. A good start would be 1/4" and 1/2"; 1/2 for resawing and 1/4 for tight curves.;-)
3) I upgraded the tires on mine with Carter tires (also available at Woodcraft). I didn't notice anything particularly bad about the stock tires I just bought the Carter ones 'cause I felt like it. Now what WWer hasn't bought something for the pure joy of a new toy? :eusa_danc
4) Riser kit. When I was looking for my riser kit (~10 months ago), they were very hard to come by from Ridgid. There was a backlog of about 6 months and they were asking ~$100 for the riser kit, which is absurd. Do yourself a favor, Grizzly makes a riser kit that fits the Ridgid model perfectly. The Grizzly product number is H3051 (link below); it sells for ~$58+shipping. When I got mine they had a special offering 100 stainless wood screws for free; not sure if it still available. Apparently, Harbor freight also sells a riser kit that will fit the Ridgid, but the lead time for HF shipping is reported to be lengthy.:icon_thum
H3051 6" Extension Block Kit
5) Carter guides, already commented on above.:-D
6) Mobility. If you can get a herc-u-lift for it, do it. That's one sweet mobile base and it works well with the Ridgid Bandsaw.
7) I added a light on mine and mounted a receptacle on the riser block. Both convenient if you plan to spend hours in front of the BS.
8) I also added 1" plywood to the top of the steel base to help reduce vibration.
I only have one negative comment at this point. I recently noticed that my blade would not track very well, tracking to the front of the lower wheel regardless of adjustments I made. Upon closer inspection I discovered a crack in the casting on the outer edge of the upper wheel. I called Ridgid customer service and they confirmed that I had registered my BS with them at purchase and thus was eligible for the Lifetime warranty. They sent me a new upper wheel free of charge. I appreciate not having to pay shipping or hauling the whole thing down to the local authorized service center for this simple repair. Kudos to Ridgid for standing behind their product.:icon_thum Replaced the upper wheel, problem solved.
PS: And finally, to make a long story even longer, I recommend reading Michael Fortune's article on BS tuning in the October 06 issue of Wood magazine. He gives several tips and tricks, specifically about the Ridgid model.
Thanks for all the replies and very useful info. Jay that is one of the best reviews I have read in a long time. I still have not fully made up my mind as to which bandsaw I am going to buy but I am leaning toward the Ridgid because of the good reviews I have seen and the lifetime warranty.
I think you will be satisfied with the bandsaw. Rigid stands behind their warranty. Go for it.
I also have one with the Grizzly riser block and have been pleased with it's operation. The first thing I did after putting it together was to go get a couple timberwolf blades which really work well.
The warranty cannot be beat since its a full lifetime deal, but the only time I have used the Ridgid warranty is on batteries for my cordless drill, which they shipped just as promised.
The warranty cannot be beat since its a full lifetime deal, but the only time I have used the Ridgid warranty is on batteries for my cordless drill, which they shipped just as promised.
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I had to reread your post twice. For the life of me. I couldn't figure out how you would use cordless batteries on a BS:shocked7fl: :shocked7fl: :rolf: :rolf: :rolf:
Steve,
That's for the mobile carpenter who wants to carry his or her bandsaw around in their toolbox. :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Ray
Dozer,
I ran across a Ridgid 14' bandsaw about a month ago from a guy moving from Pineville to Matthews (after his house was foreclosed), he wanted to get rid of it quickly. I don't know if he still has it or not...but you might want to contact him and see. The price was right $250.00 or $300.00
and was used only a few times, would not re-saw the big timbers he wanted to do in his construction business. His name is George Hobel mobile phone # is (704) 200-4398. I didn't buy because of limited space in my shop,and I still am satisfied with my smaller (newer version) craftsman saw that I have now. Hope this helps...eezlock
I ran across a Ridgid 14' bandsaw about a month ago from a guy moving from Pineville to Matthews (after his house was foreclosed), he wanted to get rid of it quickly. I don't know if he still has it or not...but you might want to contact him and see. The price was right $250.00 or $300.00
and was used only a few times, would not re-saw the big timbers he wanted to do in his construction business. His name is George Hobel mobile phone # is (704) 200-4398. I didn't buy because of limited space in my shop,and I still am satisfied with my smaller (newer version) craftsman saw that I have now. Hope this helps...eezlock
I have one and so far its been excellent on the small things I've done. I have the riser kit for it, but haven't upgraded yet. Waiting to order new blades and tension spring for it, and then do an all-around tune up. Will let you know how it all turns out.
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