A guy on Ridgid's forum posted this picture of his R4511 which he upgraded the fence to a Grizzly model. I think he just needed the extra rip capacity rather than any real objection to the stock fence's quality. It looks like a nice setup IMHO.
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A guy on Ridgid's forum posted this picture of his R4511 which he upgraded the fence to a Grizzly model. I think he just needed the extra rip capacity rather than any real objection to the stock fence's quality. It looks like a nice setup IMHO.
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Originally Posted by Brett Robson
Thats great but unless you have a better fence laying around it really isn't worth it. Grizzly sells their fences for a good deal too, but $500 for the saw and $300 for the fence. Mite as well buy the G1023SL. Maybe I am just beating a horse. It is complelty true I don't own the saw. I don't want to see guys make the same mistake I did. I spent so many $$ of saws until I finally realized what I was really happy with. I can go back to my jet contractor saw. It was a decent saw but fence was bad, real bad. I could have upgraded the fence but it had stamped wings too. By the time I had upgrade the fence and wings. I could have bought a cabinet saw with a real nice fence. So I bought a steel city 3hp granite cabinet saw with the industrial fence. That is the best fence on the market if you ask me it is really nice. I have since moved on from that to a saw I know I wont replace any time soon. The SC saw was a great saw did every thing I could have asked of it. The only thing it didn't have that my current saw does, was a blade brake. While I believe the fence on the SC to be superior to the sawstop, the sawstop fence is workable and I have been able to tune it to my liking.
I am not saying go out an buy a sawstop, unless it is in your budget. What I am saying is buy a saw with a great fence. You will thank yourself latter. A nice T-sqare design fence with plastic or melamine sides will save you a lot of headaches in the future. Many people are comfortable with the fence on the ridgid but I have also heard many who believe it to be the weakest link of the saw.
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I'll preface my reply with the fact that I don't own this Ridgid saw. I agree that the stock fence, while perhaps perfectly functional, does appear rather lacking.
Everyone has to decide what features are most important to them and buy what best fits their needs. One might look at the Ridgid w/a Griz fence and see a granite top saw with a riving knife, 52" rip capacity and a built in roller base while others just see lipstick on a pig. The features may very well be worth the cost to some, not worth it to others.
While a cabinet saw would be ideal for many (I wish for one myself) I can only assume that some guys might not have 220v available, or maybe can't get a big cabinet saw into a basement shop, or only build small projects and don't need all that power or capacity. Here again you have to decide what best fits your needs, budget, space, etc...
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"Lipstick on a pig". I haven't heard that in years!
My view is that the fence rail (and really, it is the front fence rail) is the reverse of the lipstick on a pig argument. I would say that rail is like a torn stocking on a glamor model. Change the stocking and she looks like she should.
I just changed my shop wiring to 220V this weekend, and the 4511 is strong as an ox on it. I cut some shelves, and finished in an afternoon what it had taken me a week of evenings to start on my contractor saw on 110. $hitty fence rail or no $hitty fence rail.
When that rail goes, and it will, I'll have a glamor model with stockings and lipstick too. Now a router table for the heels
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