Is this a good RAS

[Brian Clevenger]

I've been wanting a good RAS for quite a while, but the good ones never seem to show up in my neck of the woods. I found this one locally, but I don't know anything about it. Should I consider it, or keep looking?

[Charlie Plesums]

That looks like my RAS. The earlier ones like this held alignment better than the newer ones, but could not accept the safety upgrade... therefore the safety recall on my model (and probably this one) is that they will give you $100 to destroy the saw (send back key parts). The newer ones that can be made somewhat safer don't hold alignment as well. I consider the RAS the most dangerous machine in my shop, but having used it for 30+ years, I have kept it.

They shouldn't sell it to you for less than $100 since they can get that much from the factory for it. Generally they don't sell for much more than $100-$150. This does not look like the switch has been "upgraded" so if you have to replace it, Sears charges about $40 for a new switch, with new mounting plate, etc.

Don't count on using the detents on the saw to set angles like 45 degrees... if you are looking for cutting accurate angles, get a miter saw...safer and more accurate. But if you get this saw, it does hold the setup pretty well.

[Chris Barton]

I agree with Carlie. I had one of these too. By the way, looking at the picture in your post (the link doesn't work) it looks like the detent handle is broken off or missing (a level that should be directly behind the round knob at the end of the rail. I am not a RAS fan.

[Greg Sznajdruk]

Good Radial Arm Saw is that an "oxymoron"?

I've got my fathers Dewalt RAS circa 1956. I have a love hate relationship with this tool. Mostly I love to hate it. But it was my fathers so I keep it for sentimental reasons.

Greg

[Brian Clevenger]

Thanks for the input guys.... I passed on the saw. If I get one, it will be one of the older DeWalts.

[Allen Bookout]

Good move Brian!!!!!!!!!

I had the same saw for years and years and I totally agree with everything that Charlie Plesums had to say about it. I finally threw mine away last year and did not even go for the $100. I have been so mad at Sears for the last twenty years that I did not want anything to do with it.

One note about Sears. I have had two small Sears ratchet wrenches for thirty years that never worked right. I was so mad at Sears that I never took them back untill today. I took them in, showed them to a person at the check out desk and they said to go pick out two new ones and they would take care of it. Sure enough, I walked out with two new ones at zero cost to me. I may have to reconsider my feelings.

Allen

[John Bailey]

Brian,

I used a Craftsman saw for over 20 years and it did everything I needed it to do. I now have a 50 yr. old DeWalt and it is night and day better. Can't give the Sears away. I've been using the DeWalt for about 6 months now and I haven't had to adjust it one time. That was the main problem with the Sears. Just couldn't keep it square from job to job.

My advise, wait for a good ole' DeWalt.

John

[Brad Townsend]

I inherited that same saw from my late father. I took the $100 and ran. Nothing sentimental attached to it. He hated it even more than I did.

[Greg Koch]

I've been using this '83 Craftsman I got for a couple of months, and it's still "right on". I upgraded the blade guard, handle and table from the free kit sent by Emerson Electric, and put on a Rigid Titanium 50T combo blade, and build a "big gulp" dust catcher.

[Larry Norton]

I'm on my second Craftsman. The first one was crushed by the tornado, my buddy was getting rid of his so I gave him $100 for it. I use it every day, but only for 90 degree cross cutting. Thinking back, I should have dragged the old one out of the basement and gotten $100 for it.

Now that I have my new JessEm miter gauge, I don't use the RAS as much. I absolutely love my miter gauge!

[Brian Clevenger]

I might have an chance to get an old DeWalt. The price is around $250, so I'm not sure if it is a good buy or not.

I have a SCMS that I use for crosscuts on long stock. Shorter crosscuts I prefer to do on the table saw with a Jessem miter gauge. It is far more accurate and repeatable than any miter saw I've used....but it is only good for about 30".

My intents for a RAS are basically for crosscut dados for fixed shelved on bookcases. I am in a family of readers, and we have gathered a collection of thousands of books. Most are stored in boxes in the attic at present, but I am gettting ready to convert our current living room into a media/library room.

Thanks for the input guys. Y'all always seem to come through.

[CPeter James]

The old Dewalts are around and the $250 is on the high side unless it is real nice. I bought one last fall for $150 that was in the same family (2d generation) since about 1950. There are some things to check as to wear points. Check out the Dewalt RAS forum. I use mine for dados only.

BTW I has a Sears RAS for 33 years and sold it back for the $100, so I am not new to this beast.

Check out the links on this page.

http://blog.lib.umn.edu/rmunson/nook/

CPeter

[Jeff Horton]

I might have an chance to get an old DeWalt. The price is around $250, so I'm not sure if it is a good buy or not.

Depends on condition and model. When you say DeWalt that is like saying Craftsman. They made A LOT of different saws. My GP is an industrial model (I think). They made smaller more portable home versions up to 20+ inch bladed monsters.

[Bill White]

and defend my '78 Craftsman RAS that I have used extensively, safely, rip, crosscut, dado, miter, and moved 5 times. But since I'm the only guy in the world scared to death of a table saw, I think I'll just let it slide.
Bill

[Charlie Plesums]

...My intents for a RAS are basically for crosscut dados for fixed shelved on bookcases. I am in a family of readers, and we have gathered a collection of thousands of books. Most are stored in boxes in the attic at present, but I am gettting ready to convert our current living room into a media/library room. ...

First, the fixed shelf bookcases I made for my own use are always the wrong height... books that fit when they were built, now have been moved to other areas, and the new books don't fit. So all the bookcases I make now have adjustable shelves (except one fixed shelf in the middle fot structural reasons).

I have a RAS. I have a table saw (even with a sliding table). I have a dado blade that has been used on both saws. But I still cut my dadoes with a router. Even when I am building libraries like this: