I am trying to talk myself out of a couple saws..

[Zack Lancaster]

OK, so I had an alert setup in craigslist and two saws in my budget (one at top, one lower) came up.. My current table saw has no riving knife, a broken blade guard attachment, a 13" capacity and is a wobbly piece of junk.. i was going to avoid buying anything for a while, but if I am finding deals like these I may just jump.. thoughts?


http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/hnp/tls/5014008141.html

and

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/tls/5012739685.html

[Matt Day]

Both look like pretty good deals. If lean toward the PM if you can afford it since the price difference isn't that much. I can attest to the Vega fence, as I had one for a couple years on an old saw and really liked it. The PM seems to have nice machined webbed extension wings, and seems to have been well cared for. The lack of router table isn't a big deal - easy to make a shop made one.

The Ridgid does have a pretty good following though.

That all being said, if you are diligent, patient, and ready to jump in the car quickly, you can probably find a true cabinet saw for $500. If you bought a contractors saw now, you likely will be looking for a cabinet saw in the not too distant future.

[Keith Hankins]

I think thats steep for a contractor PM.

As to the Rigid, do a search there are lots of posts on that one!

[Jamie Buxton]

Considering the piece of junk you have in your shop right now, I say you should go buy one of these saws now. Either one would be a huge upgrade. If in a couple of years you find you really need to get a cabinet saw, you can sell this contractor saw for only a little less than you paid for it; these are pretty good deals. And you'd have a pretty darn good saw to use while you're looking for just the right deal on the cabinet saw.

[Art Mann]

I own and use daily a saw identical to the Ridgid offering. It works very well if you take its limitations into consideration. For example, I only use thin kerf blades because they require so much less horsepower. Full kerf blades cut too slowly. I have owned it for 10 years and have had no problems. I'm planning on selling mine soon but I doubt if I will be able to get $375 for it. Maybe $300. Having said that, if I were in your shoes might be more inclined to negotiate for the Powermatic because it really is a heavier duty and better made saw. Contrary to popular opinion, a contractor saw is not necessarily a stepping stone on the way to a cabinet saw. Good ones can do a great job and last a lifetime. I am selling mine because the dust collection isn't very good. I will appreciate more power but that isn't a necessity.

[Rich Engelhardt]

I have the Ridgid.
It's a good saw.
I also have the Rockler router table top (not mounted in the Ridgid saw like the one shown)
Be aware that top is an older model and plates are no longer available for it. The good news is that a Woodpecker's plate can be fitted to it by enlarging the cutout,

All things considered - the fact that the Ridgid brand new was only around $500 & the Rockler top usually ran about $99 (including the fence and plate), $375 isn't a bad price. $350 asking and $300 to $325 selling would be better.