Table and Radial Arm Saw

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bhair0

New User
Bob
Hi I am currently in the process of setting up a new shop and figure now is the time to upgrade and maybe downsize. I am considering purchasing a new hybrid tab!e saw and am looking at the Ridgid R4512 or the Grizzly G0771 and wanted to see if others have opinions on either one of these. Also I am debating on whether to keep my Radial Arm saw. It takes up a lot of floor space, but I am having a hard time parting with it since it took me 25 years to acquire one. Again looking for options on whether it's worth keeping. Thanks for the help.
 

JackLeg

New User
Reggie


I use my RAS only for dado's now. If space is an issue.......................

:dontknow:
 

JimD

Jim
Senior User
I use a 12 inch non-slider (CMS) and my RAS on a common bench down one of the long walls of my shop. I looked at sliders for the crosscut function but even the shallowest (like the Bosch glide) require more space than my RAS. I like this setup. The RAS does exclusively crosscuts but I have a fair number greater than the 8 inch capacity of the CMS with within the ~12 inch capacity of the RAS.

I also use and recommend a smaller rip capacity table saw (24-30 inches) and a track saw. I used to have 60 inch rip capacity and could use it for sheet goods but the track saw takes up less space and does a better job on the big pieces.
 

bhair0

New User
Bob
I like the idea of a common bench, makes a lot of sense. My current table saw is a craftsman contractor saw which has a 24 inch rip capacity, I have had it about 12 years and it has served me well. I purchased the Ezsmart system last year and have used it some. When I used it to cut some maple and it seemed to have a problem keeping 90 degrees. I have since purchased the Makita track saw. I think the 2 table saws I am looking at have a 30" capacity. Thanks for the advice.
 

pcooper

Phillip Cooper
Corporate Member
+1 for Jackleg's comment, plus I use mine for very limited crosscuts on long lumber. I got a deal on the saw, but would not go buy one now if I had it to do over given what I do.
 

golfdad

Co-director of Outreach
Dirk
Corporate Member
Same as Reggie here. Mine is built into atable shared with miter saw. If it wasnta pain to get it out I would have already done so. I've heard lots of good things on the Grizzly hybrids
 

danmart77

Dan
Corporate Member
Hi I am currently in the process of setting up a new shop and figure now is the time to upgrade and maybe downsize. I am considering purchasing a new hybrid tab!e saw and am looking at the Ridgid R4512 or the Grizzly G0771 and wanted to see if others have opinions on either one of these. Also I am debating on whether to keep my Radial Arm saw. It takes up a lot of floor space, but I am having a hard time parting with it since it took me 25 years to acquire one. Again looking for options on whether it's worth keeping. Thanks for the help.

Hello Bob
I guess it all comes down to what you think you will be doing down the road, the space you have available to work in and where you store things when you are not using the piece of equipment.

I have a small shop and I had to make changes to maximize my space. In the past I had a big Unisaw with an outfeed table that just dominated the floor space and it spent most of the time stacked with stuff on top. It got old and I found I wasn't cutting large sheet goods much anymore. Its gone now and I don't miss it much.

I have/had an old radial arm saw. Its not in the shop. I use my sons Hitachi compound saw and my other son's Dewalt saw. They take up less space than the RA and they can do more varied cuts. Its so easy to cut these compound pieces with the sliders, I made the pieces for 3 boxes in 30 minutes.

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Track saws are a great way to cut large sheet material and they don't take up much space. For crosscutting, the compound sliders are good enough for 80 percent of the quick chops I do. When it a longer cross cut, the circular saw is handy and then out of the way.

If you need space in your work area some changes might be nice and functional. At this point in my woodworking journey I just don't like walking around big tools I am not using much. Thats me.

Shop
Its small by design(resist hoarding) so I have to be careful how much comes in without something going out. Good Luck​

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Rwe2156

DrBob
Senior User
Based on what I've heard say away from any of the consumer saws you see in HD or Lowes.

The Grizzly saw you're considering is the best choice. No comparison to Ridgid.

RAS's have been on their way out for 15 years. When you find them they can be picked up for $50-100. I advertised mine for a while and couldn't give it away!

If its a 70's -80's model Craftsman its not a good saw anyway so I suggest get a good sliding miter saw instead.
 

robliles

Rob
Corporate Member
+1 to DrBob. After many years of reduced usage, I tried to sell my radial arm saw to make room in the shop. I offered it for a price less than the cost of the blade on the saw (Forrest chopmaster). Got no takers and ended up donating it to the local high school shop. I now have a good sliding compound saw and am very pleased. They seem to be easier to adjusts and true and hold adjustments and truing better than RA saws. Good luck with your choice!!
 

Pop Golden

New User
Pop
A sliding miter saw is not as accurate as a RAS. There's no way those small rods can not deflect. That heavy arm will not deflect. Another down side for the slider is it's capacity of cut. My RAS has been down for several years and boy how I miss it. I'm now in the process of building a common table for both my non-slider miter saw and my RAS. They are 2 different machines with 2 different uses. They do not overlap.

By the way, my old Craftsman RAS was the cause of many trials & tribulations. I now have a Delta which is a very good machine.

Pop
 

Fishbucket

Joe
Senior User
I have the Grizzly 0771 . Great saw. The switch is a little plasticky , but works.
Saw was dead nuts aligned with the miter tracks, runs smooth, good castings . Ok aluminum fence. But no bisemyer.
haven't converted to 220v. Yet.
 

Mr Woodie

New User
Woody
To keep a radial arm saw or not.
If I had a Craftsman ras, I would use it until I found a better (older Dewalt or Delta) ras.
I do 95% of crosscuts and dados on mine.
If it's a space issue, an older Dewalt model MBF (9" that cuts as deep as most 10" saws) has a base that's only 18" wide.
A ras can do much more than a scms.
Not sure if you are downsizing equipment. Remember a cabinet saw takes up the same space as a hybrid saw.
My current ras is a Dewalt 12" that I mounted on a cabinet, so the table is 6" above a work bench. For long board cuts, I have an extension table with fence, that sits on a 6" block on the work bench.

Ras vs. scms: Think dados, and wide (15" - 20") cross cuts.
Making a drying rack for cabinet doors, I had to cut 10, 1" x 1" dados in 2, 7', 2x4's. Cut all 20 dados in less than a few minutes.
I have also cut coves on the ras. Nice to see the cut being made.
A good ras is a very useful tool in a wood shop.
After playing with the scms's that were in the box stores, I was turned off by all the side deflection there was in the motor carriage, with very light side pressure.
The only use for a scms (imho), is for on site work, due to it's light weight.

1 vote for the ras.
 

Frank Berry

New User
Frank
I have a Bosch 10" SCMS mounted on a folding roll around stand and I use it all the time in my shop. I would not part with it for anything. From the smallest cuts to the longest boards I can fit on the stand, it cuts very accurately for me. I can leave it set up in the shop and move it around when I need to and when I want to do a deep clean of the shop I can collapse it down and stand it up in a corner that I have set for it and it does not take a lot of space to store. I had considered a RAS for my purchase and decided to go with the Bosch SCMS and have not looked back. I am not a fine furniture maker, So what I have is perfect for me. I can even roll it outside with my table saw on those nice days and spend the days out in the fresh air.
We all have our own wants and needs. Good luck finding what is best for you!
 
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