Older Craftsman RAS...worth the buy?

[Scotty Stepp]

Hello Everyone,
This is my first post. I am in the process of setting up my first woodworking shop on a limited budget. I have been checking Craigslist regularly for good deals. There is an: "10" Older Craftsman Radial Arm Saw Works Great Plus Extra Parts And Stand included. Do you think this is worth $100? What should I be looking out for? I have never owned a RAS so any advise would be welcome.

Here is the link: http://indianapolis.craigslist.org/tls/660562182.html

Thank you!

[Montgomery Scott]

I owned an 70's Craftsman RAS that gathered dust for five years after I purchased a unisaw. I would rather have a sliding CMS than a RAS. My RAS ended up going back to Emerson in exchange for a $100 check.

[Greg Hines, MD]

If your question is, "Should I buy a radial arm saw?", then I would say yes. I used to have a RAS and loved it for making dados and tenons, as well as general crosscutting.

If your question is, "Should I buy this particular saw?", it gets a bit fuzzy. The age of it is important, as many would say that an RAS from the '60s or '70s would be ok, but later models have a lot of quality issues.

That said, for $100, I would get it.

Doc

[NICK BARBOZA]

i just sold one for $100.

If this is your first shop i would say no. I consider the RAS to be a bit of a luxury. It will not replace a compound miter saw but would compliment the shop well. If i had the space i would have loved to keep it. but when my shop gets bigger i will probably buy a used one.

Save your money and put it towards a SCMS.

Nick

[Tom Godley]

I have also thought about picking up a nice used RAS for the shop. When I first started woodworking that is what was around -- somewhat of a comfort level for me.

The reason that miter saws have all but eliminated the RAS from the homeowner market is that for most of us they are a better fit for what we work on.

You need to start out with a good RAS to insure an accurate cut - the cheaper units had more movement or flex in the arm than you would think. I would never try and rip with one and even with the larger table that they have you still need to create some type of extension for larger work.

A new miter saw can be purchase that is more powerful and accurate for a very reasonable price -- In addition they can do compound cuts that are safer than using a RAS. In addition -- they are portable.


The only reason for a RAS IMO would be if you are cutting long 2x12s all day in the shop - not likely.

Look around for a nice miter saw -- I think hat is the way to go. You also do not have to go with a large 12" blade. Think about what you will be cutting and buy accordingly. I feel more comfortable using a smaller saw because I cut mostly trim with it and some smaller 2x. I did not need a miter saw for the two cuts a year on a 2x12

[john bateman]

I had and junked one very similar to that. As someone else mentioned, if you need to crosscut a lot of long stock it's useful. But it's not a precision machine, and gets out of alignment easily.

[Brad Noble]

I have an older Craftsman RAS (9") and a Hitachi 8" SCMS. I bought the RAS for $75.00 and it works pretty well but as others have said, they are sometimes more trouble than they are worth to keep aligned. I have decided (no brainer actually) to return it to Emerson for the $100.00 payment and start using the SCMS instead. They both take up about the same space on the workbench too. Only difference, and its a larger concern, is the space between the fence and shop wall the SCMS needs as opposed to the RAS. But, what the heck, buy it for $75 and return it freight prepaid and get $100 back makes it an easy sacrifice.

Brad

[Scotty Stepp]

Thanks a lot guys, really helps my decision. I think I will hold off for now and save money for the SCMS.

-Scotty

[Jack Vines]

FWIW, it's a mystery to me why the RAS has lost favor with woodworkers. I've used one for forty years and consider it right up there as the best $100 you can invest. If you can find an older Craftsman, DeWalt, Delta or Walker-Turner, for that price they are a worthwhile addtion to any shop.

A RAS does take some care to set up properly and get everything squared up. Once one of the good RASs is installed in a bench against a wall, it should stay in adjustment as long as you do.

As previously mentioned, there are many cuts the RAS makes better than any other saw. Worth mentioning here, European safety regs do not allow blind dadoes and rabbits on a table saw. Not safe to work where the blade is not visible. With a bit of instruction from someone who knows how and reasonably safety precautions, the RAS has the versatility to make most any cut.

The RAS is certainly a distant third for ripping. The band saw is by far the best; a table saw if you don't have a band saw, and the RAS if that's what you have. The RAS was the only stationary power tool I had back in the day and I built two houses with it. While it is certainly not the best tool for ripping, hundreds of board feet have gone through my old Craftsman.

It is always your tool, your decision, your money, but my old Craftsman RAS would never be cut up for scrap and a $100 bounty.

thnx, jack vines

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

A table saw might be a tad more manageable and safer.
I'd consider an older RAS if it were a Delta Rockwell.
That Craftsman does not look like it comes from the period when Craftsman was making strong tools.

[Terry Browne]

I have a Craftsman RAS that I bought in the mid-seventies and recently added the new table and guard the comes from Emmerson Electric as part of the RAS recall. I like the new guard and I think it's a huge safety upgrade for this saw. That being said, I use my RAS strictly for cross cutting long boards that I'd rather not cut on the miter saw.

I think the RAS is the single most dangerous saw in use today and I would never again rip, dado or do any other cuts with it. Even when making cross cuts - you have to put your shoulder into the work because the saw tends to pull itself into the cut and it can be difficult to control.

If I were you, I'd pass on the RAS and look for a good table saw at the same price.

[Bill Edwards(2)]

I have a saw, almost identical to that. The more I try to use it, the more wacked it seems to get.

I've rebuilt the deck, spent quite a bit of time trying to square and level everything, but anything more the 2 boards.... forget it.

I keep trying and it keeps trying me.

I guess being free, I got what I paid for.

[Mack Cameron]

Hi Scotty; If you have a boat, buy it, it'll make a great anchor.

The only good RAS is a dead one. Some opinions may differ!

Save your bucks for an SCMS, a Makita 12". You'll never regret the purchase. Again, some opinions may differ!

[Jack Vines]

As has been said, "Opinions are worth what you pay for them." I'll admit to no experience with the '70s and later RAS. However, my '50s model, once trued-up and fitted with a sharp blade, doesn't pull through cuts, stays square, and generally gives a good account of itself.

Those RAS about which I hear complaints, when I offer to help, I generally find them on the flimsy stamped steel stands, having been dragged around the shop or in-and-out of doors, duller-than-dirt-cheap-carbide blades, running on 110v Christmas light cords, no clue where all the adjustments are or where to begin; the most recent had NO rear fence - his complaint, "It don't cut straight." Because they are inexpensive to buy, they don't get no respect.

Keeping one's head in the game is the only real safety feature. FWIW, I've read there are statistically far more injuries per hour of use with jointers and shapers than anything else. The cutting head is usually hidden under the stock and the woodworker starts thinking ahead about the next step and then there's red sawdust.

thnx, jack vines

[Brad Noble]

Allow me to clarify a little bit. The RAS saw I own (model 113.29350) comes up on the web site http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com as "No Kit Available". So, I called the toll free number listed and spoke to a very nice lady who explained that my saw was too old to have a fence and guard kit available so I had a couple of options. One was to return my saw to them for the $100 refund.

Based on my current situation the exchange option made the most sense to me.

Brad