I am a toolaholic and need help!

[Josh Bowman]

Ok I said it! Anyway, I just bought a new Hitachi 12" sliding miter saw and am looking at my old Craftsman miter saw and Craftman radial arm saw and an trying to justify why I should keep either. I've used the RAS for so many years, I've never thought much about doing away with it. But I can't really think what I would want to keep it for. I don't really use it but to cut stuff to length and I think the 12"+ width of the new saw will be better along with the 4"+ thickness it will handle. And one super big plus would be that the saw doesn't need as much tuning as the RAS. Do you guys have any suggestions?

[greg a bender]

I'm going through the same quandary.
My new Makita SCMS has just about the same capacity as my 1980 Sears RAS. The RAS could be good for Dado's.
But... The amount of space it takes up makes me wonder.
Of course, since you can't give most Sears RAS's away, your kind of stuck with it - (I HATE throwing tools away. )
That said, I would love to find an old Delta or Dewalt RAS.;)
Maybe I'll move my Sear RAS to my old basement shop to join my other old Sears equipment and let them rust away happily.

Greg A.

[keith micinski]

You only have two mitre saws and you calling yourself a toolaholic? I just sold my FOURTH mitre saw I wasn't using. I hate to think what that makes me. Just keep telling yourself you need one saw for you then you need a back up for you, and then you need one to loan out so no one else can use your good saw you have all set up. If you find yourself with a fourth one tell your self that one will be for taking places with you. Turn the Ras into a place to store all of the other stuff you absolutely have to have just in case you might need it some day.

[John Coloccia]

Please. I have duplicates of tools, some still in the original packaging because I forgot that I'd bought them.

[Peter Quinn]

I don't like cutting rough lumber on my SCMS, and my SCMS doesn't handle wide thick stuff at all like my RAS. For instance the other day I had to cut some 16/4 teak 8" widths for a project. Theoretically my SCMS has that capacity, but if you ever want to hear a SCMS scream uncle give it a try. On the RAS, no sweat, cuts it like butter. I guess though it really depends on how much rough stuff you cut, and how large, and how often. I don't use my RAS to its capacity very often, and I don't use it a ton, but I keep it for those times when I do need that capacity. And for cutting a pile of rough lumber quickly to length, nothing beats it. When I see a scms has a 4" capacity, I think of that as the tallest thing you can stand up and cut, not really the thickness of material it can cut at its maximum width.

Oh and on the toolaholic thing, coming here for help with that is like an alcoholic walking into a bar on St Patricks day seeking sobriety. Unless you were not seeking help, but merely embracing your affliction publicly, in which case, I hear you. Me too! I've been trying to give away an extra RAS that somebody gave me, and I think today I found a potential taker. I just couldn't see it go into a land fill. I guess I'm running a sort of rescue shelter for rusty tools? This month I have placed a compressor with a happy new owner, and have someone seriously interested in one of the extra TS's in the garage.....Say do you need an extra RAS Josh? You collect enough of these things and you could create your own double ended tennoner!

[Van Huskey]

Keep all three.

I have:
12" CSMS I use for angled cuts
10" MS I use for construction lumber
10" MS I keep a cut off disc on for metal
RAS for crosscuts, dados etc but keep it set at 90*

In my new shop I plan to have them all set up in a row with a common table running between and past all of them.

[Jeff Duncan]

Sorry, but you my friend are far from being a toolaholic. I have 2 chopsaws, 1 SCMS, and a RAS and wouldn't even consider getting rid of any. I'm sure there are plenty of guys who have many more than I do.
Toolaholic, not by a long shot, at least not with what you've told us so far. But that's OK, given enough time and encouragement you too may have a problem like the rest of us. You just have to keep working at it;)
good luck,
JeffD

[Steven DeMars]

There is no cure . . . but there is relief from symptoms . . . BUY MORE TOOLS . . .


Ok I said it! Anyway, I just bought a new Hitachi 12" sliding miter saw and am looking at my old Craftsman miter saw and Craftman radial arm saw and an trying to justify why I should keep either. I've used the RAS for so many years, I've never thought much about doing away with it. But I can't really think what I would want to keep it for. I don't really use it but to cut stuff to length and I think the 12"+ width of the new saw will be better along with the 4"+ thickness it will handle. And one super big plus would be that the saw doesn't need as much tuning as the RAS. Do you guys have any suggestions?

[Tom Ewell]

Being leery of a tool getting close to end of it's natural "life" and replacing it with a new well before it actually dies is preventative maintenance..... a good thing.

Discovering that one needs to get another one for the road because it's too time consuming and hard to load from the shop to the truck is efficiency..... a good thing.

Upgrading capacity, accuracy and power while still keeping the old one for backup, loaning-out and potential future production operations is progress...... a good thing.

New tool packaging is needed for paint shielding, padding, mulching, packing the wife's crystal and the kids playhouse is repurposing....... a good and green thing.

Having a new one jump into the cart, duck under the wallpaper and window treatments, make it through checkout and remain totally undetected until exposed at home... is just a force of nature.

[Chip Lindley]

I would hate to give up my RAS and entrust all crosscutting to an SCMS. Scary! Hang on to your Sears saws for now, and see how the new Hitachi performs.

Your addiction has a long way to go before you reach bottom. You are far from chronic. I deem a man a real toolaholic only if he cannot feed his family or the machines spill over into his living area.

Currently my extra machines are outside, crowding around the garage door, but not inside the house. I am proud owner of 7 shapers, 4 tablesaws, 4 RASs, 3 planers, 3 jointers and 2 DPs. All others are 1-each (for now!)

[phil harold]

Of course, since you can't give most Sears RAS's away, your kind of stuck with it - (I HATE throwing tools away. )
Greg A.
I got 100 bucks for my old crapsman RAS
http://www.radialarmsawrecall.com/

[Jeff Duncan]

Being leery of a tool getting close to end of it's natural "life" and replacing it with a new well before it actually dies is preventative maintenance..... a good thing.

Discovering that one needs to get another one for the road because it's too time consuming and hard to load from the shop to the truck is efficiency..... a good thing.

Upgrading capacity, accuracy and power while still keeping the old one for backup, loaning-out and potential future production operations is progress...... a good thing.

New tool packaging is needed for paint shielding, padding, mulching, packing the wife's crystal and the kids playhouse is repurposing....... a good and green thing.

Having a new one jump into the cart, duck under the wallpaper and window treatments, make it through checkout and remain totally undetected until exposed at home... is just a force of nature.

You forgot one..... buying a new tool is supporting the economy....a good thing;)

JeffD

[Van Huskey]

I would hate to give up my RAS and entrust all crosscutting to an SCMS. Scary! Hang on to your Sears saws for now, and see how the new Hitachi performs.

Your addiction has a long way to go before you reach bottom. You are far from chronic. I deem a man a real toolaholic only if he cannot feed his family or the machines spill over into his living area.

Currently my extra machines are outside, crowding around the garage door, but not inside the house. I am proud owner of 7 shapers, 4 tablesaws, 4 RASs, 3 planers, 3 jointers and 2 DPs. All others are 1-each (for now!)


Chip, you are missing the crown jewel of multiples the BANDSAW!

[Troy Turner]

Of course, since you can't give most Sears RAS's away
Greg A.

I'll be right over and we'll test your theory :)

[David Larsen]

I think it is a good idea to have a miter saw set up in the shop that is dedicated to the shop. Moving them around requires care and double checking the set up in case it gets bumped out of alignment.

A separate miter saw for cutting rough stuff is a good idea. Use a mediocre blade and keep your best blade on the dedicated shop saw for the "good cuts".

Maybe you want another for cutting stuff like vinyl siding or something out of sorts like metal as Van suggested.

A separate miter saw that is light and portable is good for job-site finish cuts.

A RAS in the shop can be set up to handle a lot of repeat cuts and or dados and this would probably work better than the sliding miter saw.

Duplication allows for loaning out the crappy one. Dupication allows for having a backup in case one goes down.

Having 3 or 4 really isn't a bad deal.

[Adam Cormier]

There is nothing wrong with new tools. Like I tell my wife, when I am buying a new tool, I'm not buying a new tool, I am buying that next piece of furniture she wants me to make