Dumpster table saw find

We were doing some sorting/packing/ moving work for a couple who bought the next house up the road. It was being renovated and added on to. I happened to look in the dumpster for some blocks of wood to get her syrup evaporator up off the ground and saw a table saw fence. I was thinking "aluminum, save for scrap metal" Later in the day I thought, why would someone throw a perfectly good looking fence away, so I went back to the dumpster and lo and behold a Rigid contractor saw with portable stand buried in the bottom. A half hr of digging and tugging later it was in the back seat of my car. At home, it did start but very noisy. After tearing it apart, I found a frozen motor bearing. Of course most parts are listed as obsolete but I managed to get a number off the bearing. If that's all that is wrong, it will be a really cheap fix other than investment in time, as long as the housing isn't damaged. I've read mixed reviews about these saws, but this might be worth keeping.

[QUOTE/]I've read mixed reviews about these saws, but this might be worth keeping.[/QUOTE]

Certainly worth the cost of a bearing to find out for yourself! Please let us know what happens.
Fred

Good find, never hurts to have a look in a dumpster. Last year I happened to look in a dumpster at a local marina and saw what looked like a perfectly usable mountain bike. Recovered it thinking maybe it had been stolen and dumped. Contacted the marina owner who was a neighbour and friend and it turned out it was one of their residents who had bought a new bike and tossed the old one. Who does that? I fixed the broken seat (may have happened when it was tossed in the dumpster) and donated it to a local charity a few blocks away.

Is it a contractor saw or a portable jobsite saw? Model #?

I stopped the owner of the house next door that was being totally remodeled a couple of years ago. He was carrying the whole house central vacuum out to the dumpster. When I asked if I could have it, he turned and brought it over to my shop. Ten minutes later he came with the hose and tools. Over the next two weeks all of the piping and outlets arrived. He said it didn't work. I took it apart and found the control circuit transformer bad. $10 and 30 minutes later it was running and has been in use in my shop for the past few years. I have a Dust Deputy ahead of it that has stopped nearly everything. I have a small shop, so only use it for floor vacuuming, drill presses small sanders, cars, trucks, etc. I installed the outlets in the shop and one next to the passage door through the outside wall so I could vacuum the cars and trucks. I had to buy the Dust Deputy from a friend who was closing his shop plus some new pipe and fittings, but the total investment has been about $150.

This didn't really classify as dumpster diving, because I asked for it while int was on the way to the dumpster and did not actually get it out of the dumpster, so I consider it to be a good dumpster save.

Keep us up to date on your saw's progress. I want to read about your success.

Charley

I think Ridgid tools are good tools. I have the spindle sander and like it a lot.