Identifying a GOOD, used radial arm saw

[david brum]

Hey, I just got an e-mail. It's still available. Should I go for it?

That's an MBF from the mid to late '50s, for sure. It's in beautiful condition, but the price is high unless they're rare in your area. I paid $75 for mine, although it needed some work. I agree that you have to count on replacing bearings, at least.

The MBF is a great home shop size saw with around a 12" crosscut. It is almost unbelievably well made, from an era before disposable appliances. The only real weakness on these saws is the .75hp motor. They struggle with deep cuts ( 2"ish) in hardwoods and are limited to an 8" blade. If you're working with smaller stuff though, they're a pleasure.

I retrofitted mine with a newer, bigger motor, but that's a different story.

[John Coloccia]

That's an MBF from the mid to late '50s, for sure. It's in beautiful condition, but the price is high unless they're rare in your area. I paid $75 for mine, although it needed some work. I agree that you have to count on replacing bearings, at least.

The MBF is a great home shop size saw with around a 12" crosscut. It is almost unbelievably well made, from an era before disposable appliances. The only real weakness on these saws is the .75hp motor. They struggle with deep cuts ( 2"ish) in hardwoods and are limited to an 8" blade. If you're working with smaller stuff though, they're a pleasure.

I retrofitted mine with a newer, bigger motor, but that's a different story.

These are my thoughts as well. Honestly, I really don't want to bring anymore large machinery into the shop. Ideally, I'd like to bring in a Hammer combo machine later this year, and get rid of some machines to free up space. Most of what I'd be cutting with it is 1" and less, but the cuts need to be precise. I'd like to be able to break down 8/4" lumber, but I can continue doing that on my table saw if I have to (and these cuts can be sloppy...it's just getting rough lumber down to manageable sizes).