First Tool Gloat Ever.....Pics

[allan cripe]

I posted my gloat earlier, but here are the pics. After much research and debate, I finally purchased my first TS....a ridgid ts3660. I was unable to resist for 466$!! I am a hobbiest at best who likes to build furniture for my family. My wife is happy if I can come remotely close to the high dolla fodder in pottery barn, etc! I saved so much money on the TS that I also bought one of those Forrest WWII that amazon has on sale now......I don't have anything to compare it to, since this is my first TS, but I know that I have nothing to complain about yet!!! I mean "no" tear out cross cutting 3/4 ply. Anyway, I had to share my excitement. I have read all the gloats and am glad to finally have one of my own after a year on the creek!! Oh, and uh, that bud light carton was emptied AFTER I set up the saw!!! I think the main difference between the ts3650 and ts3660 is that the newer one comes in one box...see photo. I hope I attached the pics correctly.

Al

[Shawn Honeychurch]

Very nice, congrats.

Shawn

[Bart Leetch]

The top looks great & the blade looks fantastic but it has orange legs:eek::eek::eek::):D other than that it should be just fine.:D

[Jason White]

I've had that saw for a few years. You're going to love it!

Build yourself a good outfeed support table. It doesn't have to be fancy. Make sure it's about 1/4" lower than the tablesaw top so your longer stock doesn't hang up on it.

Jason


I posted my gloat earlier, but here are the pics. After much research and debate, I finally purchased my first TS....a ridgid ts3660. I was unable to resist for 466$!! I am a hobbiest at best who likes to build furniture for my family. My wife is happy if I can come remotely close to the high dolla fodder in pottery barn, etc! I saved so much money on the TS that I also bought one of those Forrest WWII that amazon has on sale now......I don't have anything to compare it to, since this is my first TS, but I know that I have nothing to complain about yet!!! I mean "no" tear out cross cutting 3/4 ply. Anyway, I had to share my excitement. I have read all the gloats and am glad to finally have one of my own after a year on the creek!! Oh, and uh, that bud light carton was emptied AFTER I set up the saw!!! I think the main difference between the ts3650 and ts3660 is that the newer one comes in one box...see photo. I hope I attached the pics correctly.

Al

[Brian Effinger]

Ohhhh...shiney! :D Very nice saw Allan. So, when should we expect the first project photos?

[Scott Haddix]

I ran that saw for several years and built some great pieces on it. I only upgraded recently to a cabinet saw, but I honestly could have gotten by quite nicely on that saw for years to come (and now I can never show my wife this site).

You'll enjoy it.

[Bill Wyko]

Nice saw. Get yourself some top coat to protect the surface. That'll prevent stains and rust. All it takes is to set a glass with some condensation on it and BAM a lifetime to look at the ring on your new saw. Don't forget to post projects often.:)

[Charles P. Wright]

Congratulations on the new saw! I got a TS3650 about two months ago; and am super happy with it too. I think yours also has more leg bracing than mine in addition to one box (which is important because, the HD seems to have knack for losing box 2 of 2).

[allan cripe]

Charles...I was going into the borg to buy the 3650...they had 4 in stock, and NONE of them had box 2 of 2 (The Rails)!! Lucky for me they had two 3660s sitting up front. Perhaps the Borg has been infiltrated by too many free thinkers......

[frank shic]

that is one of the hugest bargains out there. if i had to do it all over again, i probably would have purchased the 3650 over my powermatic 64.

[Charles P. Wright]

Charles...I was going into the borg to buy the 3650...they had 4 in stock, and NONE of them had box 2 of 2 (The Rails)!! Lucky for me they had two 3660s sitting up front. Perhaps the Borg has been infiltrated by too many free thinkers......
When I went to buy my 3650, they didn't have box 2 of 2 so I had to call around to other stores to find one that did. I'm sure RIDGID realized they lost enough sales and got tired of making extra rail sets that due to this. The overhead racks really do hold a lot of stock (just think of how many picnic sets are up there).

[Richard Spain]

I purchased a 3650 several years ago with no regrets. I suggest you get a zero clearence insert. Between the insert and a shop vac I get hardly any dust.

[Jim Becker]

Very nice gloat, Allan! Congratulations!

And I doubt you'll lose that saw in your shop with those "very bright" legs!!! :D

[Bill Huber]

Allen that is a great looking saw, that is one that is on my list when I get a new saw next fall.

For the money I really don't think you can beat it....


So do you have a front loader on that tractor to unload it with.....:D:D

[Curt Doles]

Nice!

I'm becoming a believer in the Ridgid tools. I just purchased their spindle sander and it is awsome.

Kinda hard to beat their warranty. Do they offer the lifetime warranty on the table saws also?

Congrats an a fine new tool!

Curt

[Matt Crew]

Very nice!
I saw that same deal at the HD by me, and have been contemplating buying one ever since.
Happy woodworking.

[Charles P. Wright]

Nice!Kinda hard to beat their warranty. Do they offer the lifetime warranty on the table saws also?
Yep.

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[Vic Damone]

I agree with Charles P. Wright there is a difference in leg bracing. The 3650 doesn't come with bracing between the front and rear legs. I had to make a pair out of hard board to stop the wobble. Give Ridgid credit for improving the only true shortcoming of the 3650.

Surprisingly good saw, smooth running. At first I found the rip fence somewhat toyish, actually it's remarkably good and very accessory friendly, a glaring shortcoming of many of the heavy T-squares.

Congratulations, be safe.

Vic

[J. Z. Guest]

It looks like you got that for only about $40 more than my jobsite Ridgid TS2400. Nice buy! Yours also has much more room in front of the blade than mine, so cutting wide boards or sheet goods will be easier. I really like the fence too. (ours have the same fence) Once you get the scale set properly, you don't have to double check every rip cut; it is very reliable and doesn't seem to budge accidentally.

The earlier version of that saw usually wins the awards in the contractor saw shoot-outs, due to the well-engineered & intuitive design. The mobile base gets accolades, ditto the fence and clamping slots in the table.

After I got mine assembled and aligned, (it was 95% aligned out of the box) the first thing I did was to make a featherboard from the plans in the manual. It works ever so much better than the plastic one I bought that goes in the miter slot. Skip their design for the push stick and build a "push shoe" instead.

[Katherine Bercaw]

I just bought a 3650 a couple weeks ago. It works great! And, despite the hideous orange, I keep grinning everytime I see it and use it.

I didn't have it fully set up when LOML tried using it as a table....

[Scott Velie]

I have this saw also. It is a good deal and holds a good set up well.
You will go through a little rigmarole trying to order blank blade inserts. At least I did trying to get them through HD.

Speaking of their warranty. ASK what the "lifetime" is. My shop vac died and ridgid told one of the things not covered is a worn out motor !!!
IE: 500 hrs. That is what they consider the "Life" of a shop vac.

[J. Z. Guest]

My brother also got shafted by the "Lifetime Warranty." It sounds so much more impressive than it is.

The clutch on a cordless drill pooped out in a couple months of light use. They ruled that it was his fault, charged him $30, and fixed it. They were also kind enough to strip out the enclosure screw holes when they put it back together.

Ridgid has a lot of nice tools, but don't let that warranty be a deciding factor. It is pure marketing & lip service.

[Julian Wong]

II mean "no" tear out cross cutting 3/4 ply.
Al

Alan, No matter how good a blade is (especially when it is blunt), the WWII will sometimes give tearout cutting ply if you are not using a zero clearence insert. Need to make one for your saw ;)

Congratulations!

[rocky brown]

allan, you made a good choice. i up-graded from a 3650 to a 22124 and then to my current saw, a jet cabinet. i still miss the ridgid. i built a saw station for it with a router cabinet so i could use the fence on both, and the fence just glided with the touch of a finger. it was so much smoother than my biesemeyer and jet xacta that i'm seriously considering buying one for my cabinet saw.

rb

[Rob Luter]

I love my TS3650. It had a good blade too! http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?p=814415&posted=1#post814415

[Charles P. Wright]

allan, you made a good choice. i up-graded from a 3650 to a 22124 and then to my current saw, a jet cabinet. i still miss the ridgid. i built a saw station for it with a router cabinet so i could use the fence on both, and the fence just glided with the touch of a finger. it was so much smoother than my biesemeyer and jet xacta that i'm seriously considering buying one for my cabinet saw.

rb
That seems pretty expensive, the fence is $150 and the rails are another $150. One thing that seems interesting is that the 3660 side braces are only $7.31. If I order another ZCI from them, I can pick those up and for the most part turn my 3650 into a 3660. :)

One thing that would have been nice about the fence is if they made the t-tracks accessible from the front. You have to slide jigs in through the back. I also wouldn't mind if they were to have "upgrade" rails that are a longer. That would have made a lot of sense with the 3650 which had two boxes anyway.

[Raymond Fries]

Congratulation.

Now you have opened Pandora's Box because very soon you will need one of these and one of those and it will go on till you run out of room.

LOL

Enjoy your new toy and make somethng really cool for the wife...

[Jason White]

The stock fence is one of the best out there. I have a new Biesemeyer still in the box. It will stay in the box until I "upgrade" in a few years to a cabinet saw.

Jason


I agree with Charles P. Wright there is a difference in leg bracing. The 3650 doesn't come with bracing between the front and rear legs. I had to make a pair out of hard board to stop the wobble. Give Ridgid credit for improving the only true shortcoming of the 3650.

Surprisingly good saw, smooth running. At first I found the rip fence somewhat toyish, actually it's remarkably good and very accessory friendly, a glaring shortcoming of many of the heavy T-squares.

Congratulations, be safe.

Vic