Fred Stellabotte
02-01-2013, 10:44 AM
Hi Folks,
I have about 3 weeks experience with my new R4512, and about 6 months working with wood. I started with a Ridgid Miter Saw, I was blown away, it is a great miter saw. So Ridgid tools are my tool of choice.
First -Mini Tool Review - Craftsman 10" Laser Guided Table Saw
First I must mention that I originally got a Craftsman 10” Laser guided table for Christmas, I spent days trying to get the thing together. I tried cutting a boards, but I got a bad feeling, I was scared of the thing. I tuned it, as per the manual, but the first time I used it the board bound up on the blade and it started coming back at me. Also, the table would not say aligned. I think the problem is with the wheel, to get the blade in 90 position you have hold the wheel in the right position real hard then tighten the knob, after a while the wheel slips back. The table was too small, everything was just cheaply made. So the Craftsman went back to Sears. I learned a lot about table saws from that experience, so it was not a total loss.
R4512 Table Saw met all my expectations
The R4512 lived up to my high expectations; it is a solid, accurate, powerful tool, which lives up to the brand’s reputation of providing quality tools. The setup was very simple, instructions were clear with lots of photos, you will need a friend to help do lifting.
First time I turned it on it was a bit anti-climactic, it purred like a kitten, I was impressed at how quite it was. I cut a few boards; the saw went through the boards like they were made of butter. There was only a slight bit of resistance as the board passed under the anti-kickback pawls.
Specifically, what I liked about the Saw:
This is a very powerful Saw. I have been able to cut a 2 inch thick White Oak board without any apparent difficulty. I did spend some time and got my fence and blade set up just right. I also purchased a very the thin kerf blade (.079) which made the saw cut more easy than using the stock blade.
The tune-up was a breeze, the aliment nuts and bolts are easy to reach, and the R4512 does not have any unusual parts or dimensions. I using the usual tools, I completed a very through tune up, the only things I had to adjust were the scales for the blade height and the bevel. I put a blade stiffener on, so I had to adjust the knife. The back panel of the saw comes off, so it easy to check the belts and clean out dust.
The Casters were a very helpful addition to the saw, by stepping on a pedal, I can roll the saw with only a few fingers, I have a situation in my garage workshop where I have store the saw on the side when I am not using it, so this feature was a God send.
The quality of craftsmanship, this saw is solid, no weird noises or vibrations, everything is heavy and strong, except for the miter gauge (later on that)
The dust collection is great. Most saws at this price point barely consider dust collection. This saw comes with a chute that covers the whole bottom. At the bottom of the chute there is a 4” opening for connecting it to a dust collection.
The price, Home Depot has these for $500, they also accepted the Harbor Freight 20% off coupon, saw it cost me $400.
Only one complaint:
My only complaint about the saw is the miter gauge and its fence. When I first took it out of the box I thought they sent me the wrong one. It is small and shaky. I will not be using it. I purchased Ridgid’s Digital Miter guage and fence. I will post a review after I have used it for awhile.
.253118253119253121253122253124253125
I have about 3 weeks experience with my new R4512, and about 6 months working with wood. I started with a Ridgid Miter Saw, I was blown away, it is a great miter saw. So Ridgid tools are my tool of choice.
First -Mini Tool Review - Craftsman 10" Laser Guided Table Saw
First I must mention that I originally got a Craftsman 10” Laser guided table for Christmas, I spent days trying to get the thing together. I tried cutting a boards, but I got a bad feeling, I was scared of the thing. I tuned it, as per the manual, but the first time I used it the board bound up on the blade and it started coming back at me. Also, the table would not say aligned. I think the problem is with the wheel, to get the blade in 90 position you have hold the wheel in the right position real hard then tighten the knob, after a while the wheel slips back. The table was too small, everything was just cheaply made. So the Craftsman went back to Sears. I learned a lot about table saws from that experience, so it was not a total loss.
R4512 Table Saw met all my expectations
The R4512 lived up to my high expectations; it is a solid, accurate, powerful tool, which lives up to the brand’s reputation of providing quality tools. The setup was very simple, instructions were clear with lots of photos, you will need a friend to help do lifting.
First time I turned it on it was a bit anti-climactic, it purred like a kitten, I was impressed at how quite it was. I cut a few boards; the saw went through the boards like they were made of butter. There was only a slight bit of resistance as the board passed under the anti-kickback pawls.
Specifically, what I liked about the Saw:
This is a very powerful Saw. I have been able to cut a 2 inch thick White Oak board without any apparent difficulty. I did spend some time and got my fence and blade set up just right. I also purchased a very the thin kerf blade (.079) which made the saw cut more easy than using the stock blade.
The tune-up was a breeze, the aliment nuts and bolts are easy to reach, and the R4512 does not have any unusual parts or dimensions. I using the usual tools, I completed a very through tune up, the only things I had to adjust were the scales for the blade height and the bevel. I put a blade stiffener on, so I had to adjust the knife. The back panel of the saw comes off, so it easy to check the belts and clean out dust.
The Casters were a very helpful addition to the saw, by stepping on a pedal, I can roll the saw with only a few fingers, I have a situation in my garage workshop where I have store the saw on the side when I am not using it, so this feature was a God send.
The quality of craftsmanship, this saw is solid, no weird noises or vibrations, everything is heavy and strong, except for the miter gauge (later on that)
The dust collection is great. Most saws at this price point barely consider dust collection. This saw comes with a chute that covers the whole bottom. At the bottom of the chute there is a 4” opening for connecting it to a dust collection.
The price, Home Depot has these for $500, they also accepted the Harbor Freight 20% off coupon, saw it cost me $400.
Only one complaint:
My only complaint about the saw is the miter gauge and its fence. When I first took it out of the box I thought they sent me the wrong one. It is small and shaky. I will not be using it. I purchased Ridgid’s Digital Miter guage and fence. I will post a review after I have used it for awhile.
.253118253119253121253122253124253125