Need info on this table saw.

[Mike Sayre]

Wanting to upgrade my table saw to a more precise professional saw...I currently own a rigid TS-3660 ..I am going to start making cabinets, furniture. Was told you get what you pay for and seems this piece of equipment only costed around 550 not going to get professional,quality furniture from this saw....Seen a lot of talks on different saws and what to get when you purchase one now i have selected this JET 708675PK XACTASAW Deluxe 3-Horsepower, 1Ph, 50-Inch Rip Fence...Now from all you professional wood workers, is there any reason why i should not buy this ,or get anything else to go with this and is this going to be the only saw i will need on making cabinets,furniture? Money is not a real big deal but just need a lot of tools and need to start somewhere right... Not making a career out of this like most in here has .I make my money from fixing wrecked cars but this is going to be my hobby and i need your professionals to guide my on buying the right tools as i buy them piece by piece and not make the same mistake spending a few thousand on junk like i have bought recently.....Thanks a lot..

[Jeff Bartley]

Mike,
I have an older version of this saw and it's a great saw. Not sure if this one comes with the micro adjust fence but that fence is great. Easily lets you sneek up on fits.
But I must say if money was no big deal get a sawstop! Even with the misfires we've recently read about it's my opinion that the technology is well worth it. And besides, without the break it'd still be a great saw.
Hope this helps,
Jeff

[Mark Ashmeade]

A table saw rotates a blade, driven by a motor. A fence guides the wood against the blade.

On your TS3660, you can install the best 10" blade in the world, they are all the same 5/8" arbor (ignoring the odd 1" arbor saw). It has a 1.75 HP motor, enough for most tasks, although admittedly it may struggle with 8/4 and thicker hardwoods. Your fence is among the best out there. It locks at the front and back, glides smoothly, has t-tracks for fixtures and jigs, microadjusters and a magnified scale. Your table measures 27" x 44", one of the largest tables out there. The splitter isn't a riving knife, but when set up correctly, works well, and can be removed and replaced without affecting setup.

If you take the time to align the blade & fence with the miter slots, and put a good blade on, you will be able to make outstanding furniture. Total cost $50-$100 for the blade, and you are good to go. The TS3660 is about the zenith of the contractor saws, they don't get any better. They haven't been made for 2 or 3 years now, and the successor saws from RIDGID are nowhere near as good. The dust collection is poor, but that can be improved.

In short, you have a magnificent saw already, that many people would want. You'd need to go to a Sawstop ICS to get a larger table, the blade would be no better than you can have today, and the fence a bit longer. You will be able to get a more powerful motor, but how often will you need to cut 8/4 and thicker?

[Bill Huber]

I am going to agree with Mark on this, the saw does not make the furniture, it is the person using it.

It is kind of like fishing, I have seen guys with $50,000 boats, $100 rods, $200 reel and they don't catch any more then the guy with that little 14 foot Jon boat and a $30 rod and reel.

Now if you just want a new saw that is a different story.

[Joe Von Kaenel]

Mike,

I have a Ridgid 3650 and have no problem making cabinets. Two professional cabinet makers have used the saw and have been impressed. The 3660 is an upgrade from my saw. I agree with Mark & Bill get a good blade and keep your current saw.

[Tom Hargrove]

+1 on the comments by Mark, Bill and Jon. I have the 3650 model, and have improved the dust collection and done other "tune up" things. A "better" saw will cost me around $2K or more (new), and I think the only real improvement will be the ability to rip 8/4 hardwood. Instead of looking for a better table saw, I am going to invest in a better/bigger bandsaw, since I can rip thicker hardwoods on a bandsaw as well as do other things a bandsaw will do.

If I was woodworking professionally, my answer would be different, but for my home shop, I am very happy with the saw.

[Neil Brooks]

Count me in with the others:

I have a "tricked out" Bosch 4100, and have done a fine job, with it, of making "fine furniture."

While I WANT a cabinet saw, and keep looking for just the right one, used, ... in my case ... I've already figured out that it's really just a want, and not a need.

I've heard universally good things about your Ridgid.

But don't let US ever stop you from an upgrade

[Mike Sayre]

Wow i really didnt think many likes rigid and especially the one i had...From the post I've read told me to get a real cabinet table...Didnt really no why...But if thats all i got to do to make accurate cuts ill keep this one and can i add a bigger feed table on this one??..Can i buy a better fence?? What type of blade should i go buy for now?? And least but not last how do i make sure my blade is align the blade & fence with the miter slots??

[Tom Welch]

I had the Ridgid 3650 saw. While I will admitt it was a real good contractors saw. I had no compaints, I build a lot of cabinets and furniture with it. But about 2 years ago I upgraded to a new cabinet saw (3 hp). And all I can say is wow, Did not know what I was missing. But if you are just out fitting your shop, I would have to say to keep your current saw and purchase other tooling that you need.

[Joseph Tarantino]

i'd stick with the 3650. walter meier group, the tool marketer that sells jet, powermatic and wilton, is living off the past reputation of these brands. the tools are ok but pricey, IMHO. but if you need tech support, and your tool is out of warranty, you are stricktly on your own. and don't rely on their dealer network. they're even less helpful than the techies.

as other posters have noted, fine work can be done with the 3650. make sure it's aligned and set up properly, and there isn't much it can't handle. my lowly ridgid ts2412 has handled everything i've thrown at it, and it's an entry level conractor saw relative to the 3650. +1 on the good blade comments. but there's no need to go crazy there either. i use a 10" 40 tooth craftsman 32808 (2008 best value blade per wood magazine) and everything cuts just fine. save your money and upgrade only when it's needed.

[Dave Houseal]

As far as choice of blade, I have a Ridge Carbide TS2000 and am really happy with it. Just keep it clean and it will certainly treat you right.

http://ridgecarbidetool.com/specials/10-ts2000.html

The most important thing you need to do is learn how to align everything if you haven't done it already. Its a rare saw that comes out of the box properly aligned. First get the miter slots parallel to the blade and then make sure the fence is parallel to the blade and the miter slots. Then you're good to go!

[Tom Hargrove]

Mike - I have worked with other fences, but don't think you need a better one. No saw works well unless it is set up properly. If your saw isn't cutting right, you need to tune the saw/fence up to make it work better. Information on how to tune up the saw and to align the fence can be found on this forum, on the forum found on the Ridgid website, and from many sources located on the net or in print.

There are lots of good blades available. I like Freud blades primarily because they are available in my area for a reasonable price, but other brands are widely used by others

[Mark Ashmeade]

Just a thought Mike - are you using the original blade? That blade is very poor indeed.

Freud Diablo & Ridgid Titanium are very reasonably priced and make a WORLD of difference. Also - did you correctly tension the belt and provide an adequate electrical supply? The belt should be on the spring throughout the entire range of blade adjustment, 5% compression at one end, 95% at the other. The saw used to trip the breaker, so I gave it its own supply, and it's never tripped since. I went through these two stages when I got my TS3660, and its performance has been great.

[Mike Sayre]

es i am using the original blade looking to buy another after x-mas...Man you guys have been so mush help..Just hope 1 day i can be as good as you guys to help others in the future on here....Thanks for all the info...Much appreciated.....Thanks to all and all have a good Christmas....

[Chip Lindley]

A decent 3hp cabinet saw seems to be the "sought-after" standard in most shops. I just ripped some huge 2-3/4" thick ash planks 9-10 ft. long on my 3hp PM66 with a Freud 30T glue line rip blade. That is about the limit for a 10" TS. The PM66 made the rips as a steady pace without complaint. A perfect edge with no burn marks, ready for glue-up. I doubt a 1.5hp (if it's 15A/115v) CS can do that easily.

I suffered too many years with an underpowered '70s Sears TS. Then got good service from a Rockwell Model 10 CS that I totally rebuilt. I paid my dues using contractor-type saws for lots of years. Four years ago I finally latched onto a '98 model PM66 and never looked back! The Biesemeyer-type AccuFence performs flawlessly. The 3hp Baldor is a dream. The heavy Powermatic purrs instead of doing the "rattle dance"! And, dust collection with a cabinet saw is far superior to any CS-type saw.

There are many decent values in used 3hp cabinet saws at half to 2/3 of new. (Wayy less if you're lucky) Keep an eye out and save some serious cash while totally getting your money's worth!