ridgid tablesaw

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alleng

New User
allen
hey guys,i was looking at the ridgid 3650 tablesaw at the local hd,read reviews online,all seem to be pretty good.price is about what i can afford.i see from some of the post on here that at least a couple of you have this saw and was wondering if it is as good as they say,it sounds like a good saw,but ita hard to beat firsthand knowlage from someone you can trust.thanks
 

cskipper

Moderator
Cathy
LOML has it and I believe that he believes it is one of the best of that type for money. He, of course, hasn't used all the other brands, but really does like the Rigid.
 

ebarr

New User
Wayne
allen,

I have this saw. I love it. I looked at almost every saw out there and settled on the Rigid because of what you received for the money. Cast Iron table, Pretty good fence, mobile base.

When I got mine (about 3 year ago) there was an issue with the arbor. I think they have now got that fixed.

I purchased a Router Table extension from Rockler, left the cast iron extensions in place, bolted and clamped it in place and it works great.

Thanks,
Wayne
 

lwhughes149

New User
Lorraine
I also have the Ridgid tablesaw and have no complaints with it except for the fence. I have to adjust it from time to time to keep it square. Lorraine
 
R

rickc

I have had mine for a quite a while, and love it as well. Do a search on this website for the TS3650, and you will see several of us have posted ou r first hand experiences with it. Only problem I had was "pre assembly". It comes in "two" boxes. Yeah - one is for the fence, and the other holds everything else!8-O While the BORG loaded it into my truck, I had to unload and move it into my shop. I used a hand truck with infatable tires. Well at least they WERE until I turned a corner and broke the seal on each! :crybaby2: Make sure you have help or a strong back when you get home. It went together with no problems. I just read and reread the instruction book, took my time and had it together and running in a few hours. Cuts true, and I cannot imagine how much better any saw for the money could be. :eusa_clap
 

Gofor

Mark
Corporate Member
I have had mine for just over a year. IMHO you won't find a better new saw for the money. Getting the splitter set up correctly is a bit of a PITA, but once everything is trued up, it stays that way.

Go
 

Ken Massingale

New User
Ken
I agree with the others. The 3650 has done all I have asked of it with no complaints. The stock blade, like on most saws, is not the best. A good WWII or Freud, Ridge blade makes a world of difference.
The space between the rails on the right side is ideal for a router extension table.
Here's mine, Woodpecker table and Quicklift. Homemade sheetmetal DC box underneath.
Good luck with whatever you decide on.
ken

3650_Small.jpg
 

LTurner

New User
Larry Turner
I have had the 3650 for about 3 years and I like mine just fine. I agree with the others about changing the blade.
 

Toddler

New User
Todd
I went and looked at the Ridgid yesterday and the craftsman today. The Craftsman is prettier, and marked down to 399, but I think the Ridgid is the better saw. I passed on the craftsman at 399 because the Ridgid seems to be worth the extra $150. Besides, I think I can get 10% off if I sign up for a HD credit card.

The Ridgid has a DC port, the fence is nicer, cast iron wings, and a built in mobile base. Pretty amazing value.
 

Jon

New User
Jon Todd
did you look at and consider the Delta saw at Lowes? I got mine fence and all for 575.00, The T2 fence does a great job.
 

Toddler

New User
Todd
I haven't looked at the Delta, but the Ridgid has a nice system to align the blade/trunions. Not as nice as the craftsman, but still pretty nice. It also has the built in mobile base, so unless the Delta has that, it'd wind up costing me more.
But I'll check it out next time I'm there. I like my delta drill press.

Todd
 

Jon

New User
Jon Todd
I got the 36-979 it has the mobile base. it was I think 400 without fence and you can get a fence of your choice from maybe amazon or get the unifence or the T2 fence. The delta seemed like a good saw When I looked at all 3 places
 

Toddler

New User
Todd
I went to Lowes website. It does say mobility base included. They have a Hitachi C10FL on the website too, it also has a mobility base and also a fence. I'll have to check that one out as well.


Todd
 

Jon

New User
Jon Todd
here is my Delta and you can see the base. I bought a T2 fence that is 50 inches long off of ebay.

DSC01380.jpg
 

SteveHall

Steve
Corporate Member
I was about to buy the Ridgid when I came across the Delta 36-682 (right-tilt, 30" Biesemeyer fence) at the Greensboro Rockler. This was around November, and I think they were trying to reduce inventory before closing the store. Plus, this was Delta's last and now obsolete right-tilt contractor saw. So I was able to get it, a 50T Freud combo blade and Rocker's mobile base, all for around $50 more than the Ridgid! (Normally, it would have been about $300 more.)

My saw already has a lot of hours on it and I'm convinced that, price not withstanding, it would still be my first choice. The Biesemeyer fence is absolutely pro grade, and after two hours of getting it all aligned to about 0.003" (trunion, miter slots, table heights, fence) I have no concerns that I'll need anything more for a long while.

BUT, before I bought, I had done months of research. I'm certain for a first saw, new at full retail price, the Ridgid TS3650 is the best deal out there. In person, it appears every bit as well made as the Delta. (Obviously, HD doesn't set them up properly on the floor most times, so don't let the wobble fool you.) The bigger fence capacity is probably a minor advantage, although IMO sawing anything wider than 30" should use a sled anyway. They also appear to hold their value very well, used prices are high, so high in fact that it is hard to find a deal on one.

So even as a Delta owner, if you are convinced to buy new, I'd offer that the Ridgid seems to be the best deal out there. You can always buy more saw for more money, but this one hits the first saw feature-quality-price point perfectly all things considered.


PS: I have to say, used (craigslist) is always the best deal. You must consider that the tremendous discount is slightly offset by the risk of not having a warranty. But if you check it out well before you buy (1 hour minimum of poking and proding), the worst thing that would likely happen is that you'd need to shell out another $150-200 for a new motor. (I personally just experienced this exact scare with a 6" Delta jointer purchased off craigslist--turned out to be a false alarm.) Power tools seem to me a lot like cars, as soon as you drive them off the lot their market price is reduced by half, even though nearly 100% of their true usefulness remains. Why pay retail price unless you have money to burn?
 

alleng

New User
allen
thanks for all the feedback guys,it was most helpfiul in my deciding what saw to buy,after all the homework,and considering all the info you provided,i went with the ridgid.thanks for taking the time to help me out with this!
 
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