should I sell my radial arm saw?

[Mark Saberniak]

I recently purchased a Sawstop table saw. I was telling the sales guy that the size of the saw eats up valuable shop space. He said he would get rid of the radial arm saw to save space. He said it will no longer be needed as crosscutting on the table saw is much more accurate anyway. What do you all think of that?

[James Carmichael]

I think he's absolutely right.

[Larry Rose]

Since you already have one and have been using it, I would keep it. Even though cross cutting on the TS can be done, its easier with longer lumber on the RAS. As far a accuracy goes, usually the miter guage that is supplied with the TS leaves a lot to be desired and needs to be replaced with a good after market one. If you can squeeze the RAS in keep it.

[David G Baker]

Mark,
Many a time I wished I had a RAS. It has its place and if you do many cuts on long lumber you will see what I am talking about. You have to make the decision based on what your future needs may be.
David B

[John Brennaman]

I have had a RAS for almost as long as I have been woodworking. It is much more accurate and easier to use when crosscutting than the miter gauge on my TS. I won't give it up as long as I have the space.

[Cliff Rohrabacher]

He said it will no longer be needed as crosscutting on the table saw is much more accurate anyway. What do you all think of that?

Depends on a lot of things. Is the RAS accurate?? Do you reduce a lot of long stock?
When cross cutting long stock on a TS there is tendency for the stock to stutter as you move it forward. In the RAS this is eliminated. The RAS is also a table of sorts depending on how you have it set up.

[Dan Drager]

I'm agreeing with John. My $70 auction bought Rockwell RAS is one of my favorite tools. Properly tuned, it is far more accurate and easy to use for simple crosscutting than any table saw. Especially for long boards.

Plus, with the undeserved reputation that RAS have for being dangerous, you'd probably not get what you want for your old one anyway.

[Richard Bistline]

It depends on the make, model and quality of the RAS. I have an old Dewalt made in the 40's. I marvel at the smoothness and power of the machine each time I use. I actually feel safer with the RAS than I do with my table saw. Don't sell your saw short. You can do more things than just crosscut. People haven't been trained to use them. Think twice before you get rid of it.

[Kyle Kraft]

After I bought my table saw, my RAS became a place to pile junk. To cut long stock I use a guide and a circular saw. Ditch the clunker and use the liberated floor space for another more useful machine....just my $0.02

[glenn bradley]

If you are crowded I would consider letting it go but that's me. Only you know how often you cross cut long and wide boards. In that capacity the RAS is great. A x-cut sled or sleds can make your TS very workable and wayyyy more accurate than almost any RAS I've seen.

No offense to RAS fans, I used to have one and I'm sure there are many high quality RAS out there. My old Craftsman wasn’t one of them and was not worth trying to keep tuned so I moved in another direction.

[lou sansone]

if you have the space and the saw is a quality rockwell or dewalt, I would keep it
lou

[Curt Harms]

and don't use it a lot, but it is my preferred tool for certain things. One is crosscutting long lumber. Another is dados and half lap joints on long stock. I made a couple kinda sorta torsion box assembly tables and used vertical half lap type joints for the 1 X 3 bed. I can't imagine another tool that would have made as clean 5/8" X 1 1/2" notches in 6' long stock. Same with half lap joints on the end of long frame members. A router would work but a RAS with a dado head is quicker and easier. The biggest downside for me is having to clean the clutter off the table before I can use it:o

Curt

[Ron Blaise]

Hate to say it, but he is right. Space in my shop's premium. That's why I'm selling mine. I might just give it to my friend next door.

[Richard Niemiec]

I have a 80's era Craftsman, which falls out of alignment 15 minutes after I set it up, and use only for non-critical cutoffs of rough lumber lengths. I'd toss that in a second but its too much trouble to move out of the shop.

Now, I did pick up a 1953 vintage (year of my birth) Dewalt 9" MBC 1/2 HP RAS, and spent some time restoring it to working order, and boy, what a great saw, and I'd never think of getting rid of it. As opposed to the Craftsman, it never, never falls out of alignment and is dead on. The only issue is the 9" blade, I settled for an 8 1/2" blade sold by Hitachi.

[Greg Caputo]

If you can afford the room, I'd keep it. In addition to the cross-cutting ease mentioned by others, I find it easier to cross cut several pieces to length, especially if they are long pieces. I also like the ability to put a dado blade on to make bridle joints and cross-cut dados from above. All in all, I'm glad I've kept the thing around.

Greg

[Mike Seals]

I probably use my RAS more than any other saw, I love it. Its an 70's vintage Craftsman and even though I have a 12" Rigid Compound saw, I still tend to ue the RAS. I love being able to move from one tool to another without having to stop and change blades and setting all the time. As soon as you get rid of it, you'll want it back.

[glenn bradley]

Ron,

That's the best of all worlds. You seem like great guy for giving your RAS to your neighbor, he gets to use it, it's out of your way and you can still go next door to borrow the use of it. Whoo-hooo!

[Don Bullock]

I miss the radial arm saw I used to use at my dad's house. It was a very handy too, especially for long boards. If I had the room and cash, I' buy a decent one.

[Mark Saberniak]

The radial arm saw is an old early 80's Craftsman. It seems to be fairly accurate. I guess I really have not ever crosscut on a good table saw (just got the Sawstop) so I don't know how cutting an 8 foot board would crosscut on a table saw. I have always used the radial arm for that. The sales guy did mention buying an Incra miter guage and then pitching the RAS.

[Mark Saberniak]

The radial arm saw is an old early 80's Craftsman. It seems to be fairly accurate. I guess I really have not ever crosscut on a good table saw (just got the Sawstop) so I don't know how cutting an 8 foot board would crosscut on a table saw. I have always used the radial arm for that. The sales guy did mention buying an Incra miter guage and then pitching the RAS.

[Jon Shively]

I don't miss my old radial arm saw after buying a DeWalt sliding compound miter saw. And nope, it will stay in the shop always. Would rather have three saws and set each up for a job than sell/give it away and need it once each time I build something.

[John Bailey]

I have a 80's era Craftsman, which falls out of alignment 15 minutes after I set it up, and use only for non-critical cutoffs of rough lumber lengths. I'd toss that in a second but its too much trouble to move out of the shop.

Now, I did pick up a 1953 vintage (year of my birth) Dewalt 9" MBC 1/2 HP RAS, and spent some time restoring it to working order, and boy, what a great saw, and I'd never think of getting rid of it. As opposed to the Craftsman, it never, never falls out of alignment and is dead on. The only issue is the 9" blade, I settled for an 8 1/2" blade sold by Hitachi.

I've got the same DeWalt model as Richard. It's a great saw for what I need. I use a 9" Craftsman glue-line blade and it works great.

John

[Fred Voorhees]

I have an older Craftsman RAS built into my bench along one wall of my shop and love to use it when, like many others have stated already, I have long lumber to cut to length. In the picture below, you can see the track I recessed into my bench to allow stop block usage for multiple cuts of the same lengths. The actual stop block is not in the picture below, just the hardware for it. I have also used it for cutting dadoes into lumber that were just way to cumbersome for cutting on the tablesaw. I have the space and would not give up the saw. I guess I'm lucky in that the saw keeps its 90 degree setting and cuts a square cut. The saw is pretty much centered in this bench, which is about thirty feet long if not longer and has quite a bit of infeed and outfeed capability. The stop block operation is limited to eight feet.

[David Wambolt]

I have a 1953 Delta Rockwell 30C 10" Turret RAS with 16" Cross Cut capacity. The saw runs great with it's 1-1/2hp Marathon motor. I just recently picked it up off of Craigslist for $250 and it's totally complete with the exception of the anti-kickback parts if you were ripping which I don't plan to do. I have not really dialed it in yet, but the nice thing about this older saw is the renewable ways since they are round rods that the bearings ride in. It's the oldest tool I own by probably 40 years. I'm not sure if I will keep it for the long term, but I had always wanted to try a RAS and since it was local and in great shape, I figured why not.

[Gerry Musson]

I can't believe the Festool crowd hasn't chimed in yet and told you to dump it and buy the green stuff.

[Per Swenson]

Festool ubber alles dude here.

NO.

Don't sell it.

No space?

Store it.

Whaaa? You think the Festoolians wear blinders or sumpin?

Here is a shot of ours.

Per

[Mike Cutler]

Per.

You just wanted to show us that cool car up on the shelf, didn't ya'.

Mike.

If your RAS works well, keep it.

[Al Killian]

I would keep your RAS. They can be very accurate if time is taken to properly ste them up and make sure everything is in good order. The RAS can do many things from sanding to cutting profiles on the edge of boards. If no room store it untill you can make room for it.

[Fred Floyd]

I found a Delta 33-890 12" RAS on EBAY about 3 years ago. It is the same model that Norm uses on NYW. I find that it does better on long stock than a chop saw and handles wider stock.

The big advantage of the RAS is the ability to use a dado setup. Ya can't do that with a chop saw.

I added a 12" Forrest blade and I get EXCELLENT results. It has a 2HP motor and is great for things that are really awkward on a TS.

I have in line with the router table and ChopSaw so stock can rest on another tool with minimal space lost.

[Greg Narozniak]

I've got the same DeWalt model as Richard. It's a great saw for what I need. I use a 9" Craftsman glue-line blade and it works great.

John

Ditto to John and Richard I have the same model, I have yet to restore it but Wolf Mach. Installed new Motor bearings and new Carriage Bearings and it is a nice saw.

The saw really does not take up that much room. I just have it inline with my Chop saw bench. I will not be getting rid of it any time soon.

[wayne ateser]

who would buy it. Its a dinasour

[Eric Wong]

I think I'd have one if I had the space. But as it is, I don't even have a miter saw (actually I have one, but it sits in storage for all but the roughest tasks). Besides, with dedicated crosscut sleds and hold-downs, I can crosscut and cross-dado (is that redundant?) very accurately.

[David G Baker]

who would buy it. Its a dinasour
Wayne,
If it is in good working condition there are probably a bunch of folks that would gladly take it off your hands. If you really want to get rid of it put it on the SMC Classifieds at a good price and watch it get snapped up.
David B

[Ronald Thompson]

There is no reason to keep the saw to crosscut long boards on a radial arm saw. You can do that with a straight edge and a portable power saw. Wide boards(up to 30 ") I cut on the table saw with a crosscut sled.
Saying that I have owned a Craftsman radial arm saw since 1978 and even upgraded it with the saw recall fence and guard. If I've used it twice in the last 5(probably 10) years I would be surprised. Most crosscutting(12" or less) is done with sliding chop saws.
Being a packrat on a Collier brother's scale, I will keep the saw. Once it comes in the house, it stays. But your mental health might be better.
Ron

[Don Brillhart]

I bought my RAS in 1965, long before I got my table saw and would never part with it. Shop around the web and you'll probably find a Performax drum sander which attaches to the RAS and you will have a drum sander set up for less than $200.
Don Brillhart

[Bill White]

So nice to hear a like-minded woodworker speaking to the values of the old RAS. Bought mine in '78. Ain't gettin' it away from this old dude.
Bill

[Alfred Clem]

My RAS was one of the first power tools I bought when at last I had space in my garage after retirement. It's a Sear "electronic" model, and I must have bought it about 1987. It whistles and whirs and cuts like a gem, and it can handle the wobble dado blade perfectly. But I sure wouldn't ask it to handle ripping. Too dangerous. Maybe I am too chicken to gain the experience necessary. Maybe too old and wise. But would I junk it? No, sir.

[Brad Trent]

The RAS in my dad's shop was the first stationary tool I ever used. It was also the first stationary tool he had in his shop. Between hand tools and that old RAS, I sure learned a lot and made awful lot of mistakes and, every now and then, some pretty nice items.

I don't have one in my shop, making do with the SCMS, but I do look around the shop and wonder if I couldn't make some room every time I see one for $100 on CL. I guess it's more of a nostalgic thing for me.

[Don Brillhart]

Brad; Try to find an old Sears with all steel parts. They are really strong and the motor is a real workhorse. I paid $105.00 in 1965 for a one year old saw, loaded with accessories and never regretted it.
Don

[Brad Trent]

Brad; Try to find an old Sears with all steel parts. They are really strong and the motor is a real workhorse. I paid $105.00 in 1965 for a one year old saw, loaded with accessories and never regretted it.
Don

That's the sort of saw I do watch for. My dad's saw was a Craftsman around that vintage and is still working today.

My main hang ups are that I do have the 12" SCMS that does a good chunk of what the RAS can do and it lives on a MSUV that sits between two benches that act as a table for it. When I need to move it somewhere, it just folds down and goes.

I don't really need the RAS to do things I can't already do as well with other tools. I just kind of miss the times I had when using the RAS in my Dad's shop. We don't get much time to work on projects together these days since we are about 4hrs apart.

[everett lowell]

I have my dad's '82 craftsman, I use it ALL the time! I've thougt about selling mine too for more floor space but I know I would miss it every time I have to crosscut a long board or have to make a cut when my dado stack is in my tablesaw! Plus the fact that it was my fathers-its a keeper!:)

[Tim Devery]

Sell it if you can, I just gave mine away.
To dangerous to use when a sliding compound saw will do the same thing

[Kelly C. Hanna]

I'll never sell mine. Comes on very handy when I want to crosscut without a bunch of setup. I have a 12" CMS and a 10" RAS on two adjoining walls...works very nicely.

[Scott Vigder]

I tossed my old RAS and replaced it with a Sliding Compund Miter Saw.

I tend to buy my rough cut lumber in 12'-15' lengths and frequently need to cut them down to size.

In addition to the ease of use offered by the CSMS, I feel much safer sliding the blade away from me to make the cut.

[craig lapiana]

i use mine often with it permanently setup for dados. dust collection is a nightmare :( but it is so nice being able to goto that station and not have to fiddle with anything. everything else gets tossed at my miter or table saw.

[Brad Townsend]

I had a RAS for years until I got a decent shop and other tools, table saw and miter saw in particular. Got rid of the RAS and have not missed it at all. Question I would ask is do you have a miter saw or plans to get one? I would agree that crosscutting longer stock on a table saw is not always the best. A good miter saw will stay in tune, take up far less space and can be moved out of the way when not being used.

[Ed O'Neill]

I wouldn't give up my RAS for anything. I have a 9inch Craftsmen which I bought in the early 60's. I built full cabinetry below with a 16ft. plywood bed. It has a 2x2 extruded aluminum fence with excellent dust collection provided by a Delta dust system. I only use the RAS for crosscutting and for making dados on side panels of bookstacks and similiar projects. I use my (dowl-It self centering doweling jig) to hold a scrap of luan as a stop. Making dados on long peices of wood on my Unisaw is awkward, the RAS makes it so much easier and faster. As a side note, because the RAS is bolted to its bed and has never been shifted out of the 90 degree position it has stayed dead on all these years. The bed is also dead on level so the depth of dados is also dead on. The RAS is limited in what it can do SAFELY, manufacturers in an effort to promote sales years ago created all sorts of gadgets to make it the second coming of woodworking machines, but I chose to use it only at 90 degrees. Keep your RAS and set it up in a similiar way. Ed

[Ted Miller]

My Delta 12" RAS was my first saw from my dad, I learned on it and I still have it to this day, would not part with it for any reason, and I do also have a SCMS 12" Dewalt as well and trust me my new shop/garage is very small, I have to go outside just to change my mind...