heavy duty tools

[Bill ThompsonNM]

So its a slow night at the emergency clinic and I'm rummaging around looking for a good deal on a power feeder when I come across a used machinery site in which the featured machine today is a Dewalt 22 inch Radial Arm Saw. I'm thinking -- for those of you who have RAS-phobia, boy that's a nightmare. :eek: I'd probably cut my arm off just mounting the blade without any power to the saw. It has a 7.5 hp motor and a cutting depth of 8 inches, cross cuts 38 inches. Bet that would be scary when it starts climbing ahead on that wood... all that fear for only $3250!
Makes me wonder if they make comparably sized Table saws and jointers and ...

[Van Huskey]

The Jolly Green Giant has to have saws too!

[Dave MacArthur]

This demands a picture. You got me all enticed then no pic. That's like no punchline at the end of a joke, a real no-no for vicarious tool gloating.

[Chip Lindley]

Bill, those BIG RAS's are most useful for cutting large timbers to length accurately. Otherwise, a chainsaw would do. The long reach of the arm is also useful for crosscutting sheetgoods for countertops, etc. (Next best thing to a panel saw)

My 18", 7.5hp Rockwell is wayy overkill for a small shop, but the price was right! ($500) I find it most useful for very accurate crosscutting of rail/stile stock, or crosscutting panels up to 24". Also, one heck of a dado machine! Post-formed or Corian countertops can be cut to length accurately. A workbench slab could easily be squared up on a big RAS.

Big RASs don't climb the stock like smaller saws, because of the motor weight and their power. They keep cutting at a faster rate, rather than slowing down to jam into the wood. Of course, if a very coarse-tooth rip blade were installed, you might still be asking for IT! The coast-down time is more ofa nightmare than anything! A big RAS without electronic brake will continue to coast for several minutes! Don't forget IT!

[Bill ThompsonNM]

Assuming this works, here's the picture of the 22 inch RAS... needs someones hand in the picture for scale I'm sure...:)

[Mike Wilkins]

First time I have seen a handwheel on a RAS. This must make for a much safer cutting operation when cross-cutting large slabs or sheet. Neato.

[Rick Lizek]

That's nothing! We have a Dewalt 36" and 42" Radial arm saw in out timber framing shop.

[Van Huskey]

That's nothing! We have a Dewalt 36" and 42" Radial arm saw in out timber framing shop.

Well where is the picture!!!! :D:D:D

[Faust M. Ruggiero]

We were assembling a temporary floor for a wedding tent and needed heavy duty shims. The lawn was 2' lower over the 30' width. We ran to HD to buy 4 x 4s to build shim stacks. I had 16- 8' pieces ripped into 16" chunks. The saw operator was using a RAS like you describe set up with an almost fool proof guard system. The operator put 2 pieces side by side and pulled the saw as fast as he could. Each cut took a second or less and the saw never slowed down. I asked him why he fed the saw so fast and he told me he could probably not hold if he wanted to.
That's a serious saw.
fmr