Ridgid R4511-Granite top TS today

[Kev Godwin]

A while back I posted to ask if anyone had checked out this TS since I had not looked at one yet. Well, today I got to check out the floor model just set up at my local HD this week.

I was very let down. The fence has a lot of play and would not set parallel to the blade and did not have any way to make tighter adjustments. Adding a side insert for a wider table for wide stock or for a router table like my current setup would be very difficult and could not be easily supported against the granite top. Access to the motor in the cabinet requires a screw driver to take screws out.

Both the tilt wheel and the blade height adjustment wheels had significant friction and did not lift or tilt smoothly. The blade guard did not flow out of the way freely by moving my hand past the blade to simulate wood moving thru.

This unit uses a traditional blade guard with an integral splitter that also moves up and down with the blade. Why? If you have up and down capability with the blade, why not use a riving knife? How does a splitter moving up and down help anything? It did look very possible to modify this setup with some cutting and filing to make this a true riving knife setup.

The integral mobile base was very nice. I thought this was the best feature on this saw. Very easy to engage and move around.

The on/off switch was okay but was not the easiest for bumping off compared to many other new saws. The granite panel edges were out of alignment by about 1/32 of an inch and easily caught anything moved across the top. I hope this was just an assembly and adjustment error by the highly trained borg staff.

I wish I could have checked it out more but I don't think they would have liked me taking an extension cord from the electrical department or some boards for a real test drive.

I hope my intial experience with this saw is isolated and the potential is better than what I found today. It sure is set at a price to sell. There certainly are some features to this saw that have some merit.
Kev

[Don Eddard]

Based on what I've seen of the earlier TS3650 models set up at Home Depot, I'd bet the floor model you saw is no indication of how that saw would really be when properly set up. All of the things you mentioned except for the access cover screws would be addressed by proper setup. And on the access cover, how often do you need to do anything with your TS motor? After I put the belt on mine, I've not touched it.

[Kev Godwin]

Don E.,
You must have misread my post. Perhaps my post was not clear. I was not commenting on the TS3650. That saw is very proven. Please check out the model I was looking at today with the granite top.... R4511.
Kev

[Dewey Torres]

Kev,
1st off I think Don was just using the other saw as a reference example to say that floor model setups stink.

2nd...if your review holds any weight this is going to be a huge disappointment to a lot of woodworkers who stand by the Rigid brand

[john bateman]

If you had gone into HD any time over the past decade and looked at any of the table saws that were being carried during that period, you would have come to the same disappointing conclusions.

They just don't take the time to assemble and set them up correctly. You would get better info going to the Ridgid forum and reading the threads from people who have actually bought and used the saw.

http://www.ridgidforum.com/forum/index.php

[Frank Shannon]

The R4511 seems to be creating as much consternation on the bottom end of the table saw spectrum as the SawStop created at the top. Is it enough saw? It's got the riving knife but it's got issues. That blade guard is junk. The fence is a little funky. Only 30" of rip capacity to the right. It's as cheap as the SS is expensive and if it didn't have a riving knife we wouldn't even be discussing it.

But it does exist and it does have a riving knife so it has to be considered. I was almost set to buy. I was going with the new Grizzly G0691 or the Steel City 39515G. Then along comes this saw that's less than half the price of those. I'd pretty much ruled out a 110v saw but look at the price. And for the next week or so you can get $75 or more off that. $525 for a saw with a riving knife and decent dust collection.

So Kev, your assessment of the floor model is pretty much my own. Even so I haven't managed to talk myself out of it. Have you?

[James K Peterson]

Seems good so far.
I recently bought the saw, but I do most of my operations on other saws or by hand, so it has not been used much.

I've never owned a full cabinet saw (or anything larger) so I can't compare it to those (although I have used them at work, and other shops). I wanted a inexpensive contactor or hybrid saw and my budget for it was below 600 so I was limited in my new choices, I had been looking at the used market for quite awhile, but I only found cabinet saws that were 1K+ or in need a major rebuilding (and still 500+). I liked the ridgid contractors saws 36XX, but I was looking for the hybrid dust collection, floor footprint, mobility, and weight/stable. The sears zip code saw was close to my price range, but with the good beis fence it was way out of my range. So I was going to settle for one of the contracor saws (ridgid, sears, shopfox, jet, delta, or hitachi) Then Ridgid brought out this saw. The price was good (not super cheap, but good) and the specs seemed good, but I wasn't a fan of the granite top.

I think what it came down to was price and features for me, or I would have bought the old ridgid 36XX saw.

I have my doubts about the granite top, but I want to use the saw for a year or two before I make a judgement.

The fence is not great, it is better than my old cruddy bench top portable saws, but it is not as nice as any cabinet saw fence. Don't get me wrong, it is very serviceable and seems to hold a setting well, but it is not as smooth gliding or as rock solid as a cabinet saw fence.

The switch is not great either (not magnetic) but you can bump it off without much effort.

The fit/finish average: the granite edges can chip the trunion casting is rough. (but I wasn't expecting Sawstop quality for <$600)

I'll need to do a lot more cutting before I can rate the saw's cutting ability, but so far it is good.

I like the weight and stability of the saw (no problems with tipping). It passed the nickel test, without problems as well.

The lift is great, rolls easy and sets down on it's feet solidly.

Dust collection has been good so far, much better then the the benchtop, but not as good as the cabinet saws I have used (PM, and Deltas). There can be sawdust build up in the cabinet, so daily cleaning will be required for safe operation.

I can see at least a few things I'll upgrade on the saw for usability: at least fence faces (or maybe even a new fence, if a deal comes up), a better miter guage (not many saws come with a good one), blade inserts (zero clearance), and a shark fin riving knife (I've read that the SC ones will fit).

Footprint is small, which is great for me since I share my "shop" with my wife's car. But in this aspect I'm probably in the minority.

The table saw is Not the center of my shop. My workbench is I do more hand tool operations than other stuff. But now I'm getting sucked in the vortex of turning so my lathe along with my bandsaw are quickly taking the top spots

For me the saw has met and so far exceeded my requirements. If I were a mostly power tool user, I think I would save for a nice cabinet saw instead, but for me this saw will likely be the last table saw I buy. I'll try and give a update of the durability/use after at least a few more months of use (more likely a year or two).

[Rob Price]

Before I got a cab saw, the Ridgid 3650 was the best saw I could afford, and it served me well. It's really all about the price here, if you CAN'T afford more saw, then it certainly has an attractive price tag and is an overachieving saw for the money. But if you can wait or spend a little more to get more saw than I would. I think there's a Steel City hybrid in that range.

One piece of advice I wish I had before I bought any tools, was to get the best TS I could get up front. When I set up my shop I spent $400 on a miter saw and finish blade, and only ~$150 on my table saw. I spend WAY more time in front of my TS than my MS. And now that I have a sharp blade and accurate miter gauge on my TS, I only use the MS for long boards that I can't crosscut on my TS. for my work, my TS is my workhorse. give me my saw and a router and I'm good for 90%+ of my work. (not counting initial prep- planing, ect).

[Kev Godwin]

Frank,
I have the C-Man 22124 hybrid but was looking closely at this ridgid for my brother-in-law that is ready to buy a replacement. I will be working in his shop on several occasions too as he does in mine.

The comments I originally posted were based only on checking out what I could find with the floor model. (They sure looked at me funny when I borrowed a store flashlight and screwdriver to take a closer look! ) However, the one I looked at sure was set up with better care than most Borg attempts. (My first post alluded to potential poor setup, I hope thats what I was finding.) I couldn't see why the tilt and lift was having obvious difficulty.

The mis-alignment of the granite top pieces sure had me concerned and the fence did have a lot of play that I couldn't find a way to rectify. The top granite pieces also were not easily adjusted. Perhaps others with actual experience driving this model could shed some better light on this.

It sure has appeal given the price tag but being blinded by a brand name isn't helpful to any potential buyer. We all have seen big name brands conceive some monsters.

Anyone else have real hands-on insight?
Kev

[Mike Wellner]

Its made in PRC this time as opposed to Taiwan for the older style.
I wasn't impressed with the granite top, there was a small chunk missing from the surface in one spot.