collinb Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 On 12/6/2017 at 3:55 PM, litesaber5 said: Thanks for responding! What about the craftsman makes it not worthwhile? What makes should I be looking at? Thanks! A I was there two years ago. Owned two different Craftsman versions -- the first was direct drive & the second belt drive. Strength: The Craftsman has a good motor. It cuts really well. Weaknesses: 1) The arbor tends to bend easily. It seems that it's a design feature. One has to pay close attention to it for maintaining clean cuts. 2) A contractor saw is very difficult to align the blade to the miter slots. Takes forever. You loosen 6 bolts and tap the trunion into place. Then tighten one bolt at a time and trust that it doesn't shift position. If it does, loosen that bolt, recheck alignment, and start by tightening a different bolt first. The reason is simple: An out-of-alighment blade will cause (a) chipping when the wood exits the back side of the blade and (2) some degree of either pulling the wood into the fence or pushing it away from the fence. In either case it affects your cut. (You could adjust your fence to the blade but that leaves your miter slots out of alignment. All three need to be aligned properly.) 3) No riving knife. There are splitters that you can put behind the blade to keep the blade from grabbing the wood and throwing it at you. They're not expensive and they'll do the job. Of course there is a knife on the blade guard, along with a pawl to keep the wood from being pushed back. But that knife floats with the shield and often gets in the way of wood as you push it through. The solution: Craigslist is good. Auctions can be even better. The type of saw that's called "hybrid" is the best bargain out there. You get the features mentioned above but for < half the price of an expensive cabinet saw. And if you can afford the time to be a patient shopper they often go for about $100 more than a contractor's saw. ** But ... contractor saws exist because they can do a good job. They're less expensive than the alternatives and are very capable. If you know a woodworker in your area who can help you check things out then you will be a long way ahead. ** p.s. I got hit with a small piece of plywood kickback one time. It hurts. Bad. Leaves an ugly bruise. Avoid it. It can hurt other people, too. Table saws do not aim. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 I have this very model. It's a beast but has everything you'll ever need. :-) And the price is right. If you don't run it will go fast. Just be certain that you're willing to handle some heavy granite. And it appears to have the longer fence option. A good feature. https://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/tls/d/tablesaw/6412948229.html Add dust collection. p.s. -- it needs a new rolling base. Spend the extra $75-$100 at a woodworking shop for a suitable base. The "herculift" that Ridgid put on it is dangerous. The wheels are too far under with that top-heavy granite. Be very careful when rolling. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted December 8, 2017 Report Share Posted December 8, 2017 On 12/7/2017 at 12:29 PM, SirNot said: As a Craftsman owner, I wish that I could afford better right now. I spend a lot of time setting up cuts to get everything just so, and even then, I will end up with not perfect enough cuts. The fence, needs to be tightened and re-squared constantly. I have to measure my spacing at the front edge of the blade and the back edge- they can differ by as much as 1/8. I'm in your area, it would seem. If you want to come and see one in action, you are welcome to. I found a Ridgid hybrid in Chicago CL. It's in my previous comment. Might be up your alley. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coop Posted December 9, 2017 Report Share Posted December 9, 2017 I’d pay that! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ClassAct Posted December 10, 2017 Report Share Posted December 10, 2017 You could also casually ask your wife what she thinks one of your fingers is worth. Then show her a SawStop video, and ask her nicely if you can get one for Christmas. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litesaber5 Posted December 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2017 Is 400 a fair price for that version,? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minorhero Posted December 11, 2017 Report Share Posted December 11, 2017 Yes I would say so. It depends of course on your area and what else is selling but at 400 dollars I feel confident no one will snub their nose at you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litesaber5 Posted December 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2017 So turns out the saw is still available. What unit specific questions are pertinent to this specific machine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted December 11, 2017 Report Share Posted December 11, 2017 11 hours ago, litesaber5 said: Is 400 a fair price for that version,? Yes. It's not cheap, it's not high. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted December 11, 2017 Report Share Posted December 11, 2017 47 minutes ago, litesaber5 said: So turns out the saw is still available. What unit specific questions are pertinent to this specific machine? Check the serial number. There were some in a recall list. The only thing it affected was the arbor length for dado blade use. Nothing that would otherwise affect function. That's a short google search and would not keep me from purchasing it. Just initiate the recall for the new part as applicable. That's the only functional matter that I've come up with the last 2 years. If it maybe needs a new belt, that's not a big expense. As long as the riving knife is there you're all set. Just take help with you. Take along hex wrenches and sockets for removing the granite top. I think you'll need 9/16 for the top. I've forgotten the hex size for the wings. There are also bolts, iirc. When re-assembling, align the miter of the main section to the blade before re-attaching the wings and fence. That will make life a little easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litesaber5 Posted December 11, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 11, 2017 Thanks! I know Ridgid has a life time warranty, but it doesn't transfer. Would it make sense to buy a new one for a couple hundred more? OR. these things so rarely ever break that it doesn't make a difference. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minorhero Posted December 11, 2017 Report Share Posted December 11, 2017 I wouldn't bother with the warranty. Most things that could break would be fixable with extremely little cost. Unless you hit it with a truck. Then I don't think the warranty covers car collision so it's a non issue. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirNot Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 Well, damn. I couldn't pass up on this opportunity to improve my old Craftsman: http://www.slamoc.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=93_84&products_id=118337 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Steve Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 21 minutes ago, SirNot said: Well, damn. I couldn't pass up on this opportunity to improve my old Craftsman: http://www.slamoc.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=93_84&products_id=118337 Umm, that website looks like a scammer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litesaber5 Posted December 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 Just now, Minnesota Steve said: Umm, that website looks like a scammer. So anyway, I have been in contact with the owner of the R4511 and the pics he sent me look really nice. the saw looks pristine. im going to go over there Sat night rip some boards and if all goes well air lift that 450+ lb sucker home Ill let you know how it goes! Would that fence work on a Ridgid R4511? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 25 minutes ago, litesaber5 said: So anyway, I have been in contact with the owner of the R4511 and the pics he sent me look really nice. the saw looks pristine. im going to go over there Sat night rip some boards and if all goes well air lift that 450+ lb sucker home Ill let you know how it goes! Would that fence work on a Ridgid R4511? The fence on the Ridgid is the same type of fence. No need to purchase another one. Ripping boards ... all that will tell you about is the blade. If motor sounds like a small aircraft powering up, then it should be just fine. The only problem I have ever had on mine was with replacing the belt. It's really easy to put it onto its arbor and not on the pulley. But you'll see that when you have the top granite off. ** Hire a sherpa. Allow 30 minutes to properly disassemble it. ** While I like the rust-free nature of the granite top I don't like (really dislike) the weight. I'm thinking about checking the bolt pattern and slot position on an old Craftsman 113 belt drive saw. Why? Because both are made by Emerson and there's a *chance* that the engineers got lazy and used the same mounting dimension for both tops. If that's the case I'd switch to cast iron because of the weight. At least that's a long-term experiment that I have in mind. (I'd measure before purchasing, of course.) There's always a broken or worn out 113 out there at a fair price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirNot Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 1 hour ago, Minnesota Steve said: Umm, that website looks like a scammer. Yep. I posted this as I was signing up and ordering. When I got to the whole "Buy me a Playstation gift card and pay with that" I put the kibosh on that real quick. Sigh... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litesaber5 Posted December 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 1 1 hour ago, collinb said: The fence on the Ridgid is the same type of fence. No need to purchase another one. Ripping boards ... all that will tell you about is the blade. If motor sounds like a small aircraft powering up, then it should be just fine. The only problem I have ever had on mine was with replacing the belt. It's really easy to put it onto its arbor and not on the pulley. But you'll see that when you have the top granite off. ** Hire a sherpa. Allow 30 minutes to properly disassemble it. ** While I like the rust-free nature of the granite top I don't like (really dislike) the weight. I'm thinking about checking the bolt pattern and slot position on an old Craftsman 113 belt drive saw. Why? Because both are made by Emerson and there's a *chance* that the engineers got lazy and used the same mounting dimension for both tops. If that's the case I'd switch to cast iron because of the weight. At least that's a long-term experiment that I have in mind. (I'd measure before purchasing, of course.) There's always a broken or worn out 113 out there at a fair price. Thanks for the advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnesota Steve Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 34 minutes ago, SirNot said: Yep. I posted this as I was signing up and ordering. When I got to the whole "Buy me a Playstation gift card and pay with that" I put the kibosh on that real quick. Sigh... The internet is a dangerous world... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litesaber5 Posted December 12, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 Especially to my wallet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SirNot Posted December 12, 2017 Report Share Posted December 12, 2017 2 hours ago, Minnesota Steve said: The internet is a dangerous world... If it looks too good to be true... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collinb Posted December 15, 2017 Report Share Posted December 15, 2017 But did you get the Ridgid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
litesaber5 Posted December 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 Sorry for the delay in posting. I just picked up the Ridgid R4511 and brought it into the garage. The guy who sold it to me was just so cool. He makes wood pens on a lathe he bought a new house with this great work shop in the basement and had so much advice to impart. Anyway I'll post some more pics later but here she is in her new home! I can't post a pic for some reason. I'll try again tomorrow from a desktop 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jfitz Posted December 22, 2017 Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 Great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdwerker Posted December 22, 2017 Report Share Posted December 22, 2017 Glad you got a fair deal ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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