NOT what I expected

[Mike Jones NM]

Picked up a pretty new craftsman RAS a week or so ago at an auction ($50.00 I could not pass it up)
Ran the numbers and it did have the safety recall so I ordered the part to do it.
Got home today and there is a box waiting for me.
A box about 30"X4' weighing about 45 or so pounds.
Looks like they sent me just about everything except the stand and the motor
Including a new top
Is this "normal" for them?

[Fred Miller]

I got one of those saws, but you got yours for $100 less than I had to pay. I did order the "package" and was amazed at all the stuff they sent. This was, uhhh, 2 years ago, and all the safety stuff is still in the box. I just didn't feel like going to all the trouble.

BTW, I do like the saw, but mine raises or lowers (not sure which) as you pull the blade forward, so it does a nice job of cutting misaligned tenons.

[Rick Potter]

Leveling the table to the arm.

Rick Potter

[Jim Thiel]

Looks like they sent me just about everything except the stand and the motor
Including a new top
Is this "normal" for them?

That is the standard package, yes. The new top/template is too small(IMHO) for the former and heavy for the latter, but for the price will work fine. I'm not sold on the upgrade either, but got it anyway should I ever need to part with the RAS it would be easier to unload.

For 50 bucks, I'll keep mine for now.

Jim

[Jeffrey Makiel]

I received one of these safety packages too. It was for a radial arm saw that I purchased from Sears in the late 1980s. When the retrofit kit was delivered to my house, I thought UPS made a delivery mistake. The box was so huge and heavy.

I installed the new guard on my saw. It was much beefier than the old one, but the old one was fine. I don't really understand the improvement, or if there was any improvement needed at all. I hope this wasn't the result of over zealous class action litigation, but I fear so. It must have been brutally expensive for the manufacturer to make and ship all these kits for saws dating back 20 years or more. Perhaps the manufacturer's product liability insurance kicked in.

Either way, I don't see the problem that needed to be fixed.

-Jeff

[Randal Stevenson]

I installed the new guard on my saw. It was much beefier than the old one, but the old one was fine. I don't really understand the improvement, or if there was any improvement needed at all. I hope this wasn't the result of over zealous class action litigation, but I fear so. It must have been brutally expensive for the manufacturer to make and ship all these kits for saws dating back 20 years or more. Perhaps the manufacturer's product liability insurance kicked in.

Either way, I don't see the problem that needed to be fixed.

-Jeff

It caused Emerson and Sears to split. If it would have really been a tool safety issue, it should have been universal. DeWalt and Delta weren't required to do it and they aren't on the recall.

The biggest problem, IMHO, is they don't show people correct tool useage anymore. People buy stuff, don't read the manuals, and watch tv shows without the guards/safety devices in place, and think that is the way to do it. Then these types file lawsuits (I didn't think I needed to read the manual, I've heard said before ).

[Steve Clardy]

Bought my saw new in 1986.

I also sent in for the safety upgrade package.
New table, guard, etc.

However I have never installed it. I too figured I would install it when I sell the saw.
I already have another new still in the box [3 years old now ] DW708 to replace it, if I ever get the time to build a row of cabinets for the dewalt.

[Jules Dominguez]

I bought my saw back in the 80's, and got the safety upgrade kit a couple of years ago. The guard is much beefier and offers more protection from getting your hand in the blade, but the thing I like about it is you can release the saw behind the fence with the blade still coasting down and the guard will prevent the saw from coming back through the fence. Not that I ever had that happen, but it was always a possibility that bothered me.
Like others, I also initially considered not installing the upgrade, since I only use the saw for crosscuts, but it wasn't that painful or time-consuming to do it and it does provide a marginal safety factor. Besides, my old tabletop was in pretty sad shape.

[Jim O'Dell]

Thanks for the reminder. I hadn't called on mine. Followed the steps on line, got an error message. I emailed to ask if that was normal of if there was something else I needed to do. They called me today and said it was on the way. I appreciate the reminder! Jim.

[Randy Denby]

I agree....this had to be expensive for the manufacturer. And I didnt help any........I ordered the replacement online, also called the number . I cant remember why I did both now.... . Well, a few months later I recieved 2 kits in a weeks span. I gave them the same serial number, so I know that wasnt the problem. I felt really bad and tried to return one, but they said to keep it.I ended up giving it to a friend . I had bought my saw back around 1980 and only paid 275.00 for it. (I still have the reciept ) I 'm pretty sure they lost money on me

[Jim O'Dell]

I got mine in today. Drug the box out to the shop, and did a quick opening (home for lunch). The guard seems very nice. Will have to read the instructions to see what the grey bracket is for, and didn't open the table top to look for damage, but the outside of the box looked fine. Again, thanks for the reminder!. Jim.