Great saw for finish carpenters and space challenged woodworkers
Written: Feb 26 '09 (Updated Apr 01 '09)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Cheaper than comparable Bosch and Makita saws. Blows the rest of the benchtop saws away.
Cons: The downside of the strength and capability is that it's heavy and rather large.
The Bottom Line: If $450 to $500 is your budget for a benchtop table saw, this one is a no-brainer.
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| vandiik's Full Review: Ridgid Heavy Duty 10" Portable Table Saw with Stan... |
I agree with everything the other reviewers had to say about this saw, so I won't repeat them. I've had mine for a few months now, and couldn't be more impressed that the table, fence and cart are so sturdy and precise. Love the softstart and the blade guard are easy to work with. Like everyone else has pointed out, the ON / OFF switch is in a bad spot. To power off the saw, I usually have to take a step back so I can see where I'm reaching. This is a minor annoyance. [Update Apr. 1, 2009: Have eventually learned where to turn it on and off without looking.]
Another minor annoyance is the OEM 24 tooth blade. Just awful. Results looked like I'd cut them with a chainsaw. Take it off first as last, and use it as the face of a workshop clock. I installed a Freud thin kerf combination blade and now I get very nice cuts. A single light pass with a handplane is about all it takes to completely remove saw marks.
The table is as big as you'll see in this class of saw, and that's a good thing. Ridgid modified the cart design, since the picture shown here was taken. The redesigned cart keeps a metal bar at table height about 7 inches left of the table. This becomes a table extension and allows greater support for sheetgoods and other large, clumsy workpieces. Brilliant.
Many saws in this class lack the full compliment of adjustments needed to dial in the accuracy of the tool. The Ridgid has all of them, which gives me confidence down the road that unless the motor bearings gets sloppy as it wears, I'll be able to keep this saw running true for years to come. And out of the box, all those set screws are set pretty close to dead on.
I've read the user reviews of this saw on Fine Woodworking's website, and those guys have found things to complain about. Considering most users of this saw aren't building heirloom furniture, these reviewers are probably splitting hairs. Especially since the saws those guys like cost, on average, 2-6 times as much as this little Ridgid. But for the sake of anybody who has visions of turning out really fine furniture, or who has room to store a larger saw, I'll continue: Unacceptable arbor runout is the common complaint at finewoodworking.com. Arbor runout measures how stable the arbor (axle) holds the spinning blade under the pressure of wood being pushed into it. Arbor runout not held within a reasonable tollerance causes the blade to deflect sideways, and results in rougher cuts, burning the wood, and random slightly inaccurate cuts. Direct-drive saws like this one, I think, will always have more runout. I assume this is because the blade's arbor and bearings are shared by an electric motor. Contractor and cabinet saws use a belt drive to isolate the motor from the blade arbor. Their arbor assemblies are purpose-built from iron castings to minimize or eliminate runout.
I do have visions of building well crafted furniture, but I also have to store my saw in a closet, so contractor's and cabinet saws are out of the question for me. I'm planning to be nice to this little Ridgid, and will hope it provides a long life of cuts as smooth and accurate as what I'm getting right now. If the guys at other woodworking sites don't love this saw, that's their problem.
Recommended:
Yes
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vandiik
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Reviews written: 19
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