Upgrade table saw or get a jointer

[andy bessette]

...spending $200 on a Delta T3 takes this saw to the next level.

That next level is far beneath a PM66 or Unisaw. Better to take that $200, plus whatever that saw can be sold for, and put it towards a real cabinet saw.

[Charlie Hinton]

Not upgrading the fence on an R4512 is the worst advice i've ever read on this forum

LOL, if the worst advice you have seen is to not spend $200 to upgrade a $600 saw you need to read more of the forum.....
Just messing with ya...sorta...

[Simon MacGowen]

This is a good illustration of the problem and how one person fixed it: http://lumberjocks.com/topics/58544

Not upgrading the fence on an R4512 is the worst advice i've ever read on this forum!

Spending $1,500 on a fancy set of tires won't get a Civic up to speed with a Porche.

Upgrading the fence on the Ridgid won't lift it to the next level of performance. One does not need to buy a new fence to fix an alignment issue. The factory Ridgid fence was fine and if it wasn't, adjust it. I had used two models of the Ridgid saw and set their fences with ease as compared to those on the SawStop ICS and PCS. I had to scratch my head as to how one would recommend buying a replacement fence as a solution to a problem that could be resolved easily. There may be a learning curve but the manual is sufficient for doing the alignments by the saw owner.

Ridgid isn't a bad one, quite a good saw for its price ($600 or so), but spending money on a better fence would not do much to improve its performance.

Spend time on the manual, do the alignment and spend the money not on the fence but on lumber. Better yet, get a SawStop with the $3000.

Simon

[Roger Marty]

Have you used the R4512 for an extended period of time? I have. As others have pointed out elsewhere (particularly the lumberjacks thread), you cannot lock down the fence with any kind of decent precision. Which means you cannot adjust.

I ended up getting a SawStop PCS. But a fence upgrade would absolutely take the R4512 to the level of a Grizzly G0770

[Simon MacGowen]

Have you used the R4512 for an extended period of time? I have. As others have pointed out elsewhere (particularly the lumberjacks thread), you cannot lock down the fence with any kind of decent precision. Which means you cannot adjust.

I ended up getting a SawStop PCS. But a fence upgrade would absolutely take the R4512 to the level of a Grizzly G0770

You and I have different levels of expectation when it comes to saw performance and recommendation. I am basing my recommendation on getting the OP a saw that he would meet his needs for his next 20 years at a level that fine woodworking demands, given the kind of money he has. No upgrade or replacement for the next 20 yrs unless something better is released.

I do fine woodworking only as a hobbyist and a Powermatic or similar saws would be necessary. As a SawStop PCS user, you should know better throwing money on a Ridgid at a percentage of $200 over $600 is questionable to say the least.

Simon

[Doug Hobkirk]

OP, I wish you well finding a good jointer.
And thanks for the post - you've started a gang war and it's very entertaining. Now, where did I put my popcorn?

[Charlie Hinton]

With a budget of up to $3k (and considering the Ridgid tablesaw is apparently having issues) I would spend the big money on a high end table saw before I spent it on a high end jointer.
But it's not my money or my shop.
I hope the OP finds the tool he wants and is pleased with it long term.

I didn't intend to come off as a stalker and scare him away when I offered to look at the saw with him.

[Roger Marty]

You and I have different levels of expectation when it comes to saw performance and recommendation. I am basing my recommendation on getting the OP a saw that he would meet his needs for his next 20 years at a level that fine woodworking demands, given the kind of money he has. No upgrade or replacement for the next 20 yrs unless something better is released.

I do fine woodworking only as a hobbyist and a Powermatic or similar saws would be necessary. As a SawStop PCS user, you should know better throwing money on a Ridgid at a percentage of $200 over $600 is questionable to say the least.

Simon

I have a SawStop PCS 1.75 hp. Yes, it is a nicer saw than the R4512 that I replaced. But it doesn't spin a blade any better than the R4512 did. About the same amount of hp and both have heavy cast iron tops. Biggest difference I notice is the fence and having cast iron wings is nice too. And the SawStop had better dust collection.

The SawStop has indeed advanced my woodworking, compared to the R4512, but only because of the accurate T-Glide fence.

Maybe your woodworking is advanced by 3hp or something??

I bought the SawStop for safety.

[Simon MacGowen]

I have a SawStop PCS 1.75 hp. Yes, it is a nicer saw than the R4512 that I replaced. But it doesn't spin a blade any better than the R4512 did. About the same amount of hp and both have heavy cast iron tops. Biggest difference I notice is the fence and having cast iron wings is nice too. And the SawStop had better dust collection.

The SawStop has indeed advanced my woodworking, compared to the R4512, but only because of the accurate T-Glide fence.

Maybe your woodworking is advanced by 3hp or something??

I bought the SawStop for safety.

Using 1.75, 3 and 5Hp. You are missing a lot if you think the power and safety are what set a Ridgid and a SS apart.

Simon

[Roger Marty]

Using 1.75, 3 and 5Hp. You are missing a lot if you think the power and safety are what set a Ridgid and a SS apart.

Simon

Well I'm sort of asking you what does set them apart functionally? What exact features results in better/easier/faster woodworking?

[eugene thomas]

Simon bows to his ss every time comes in his shop. So he's kind of biased.

[Simon MacGowen]

[QUOTE=Roger Marty;2818901]Well I'm sort of asking you what does set them apart

You know you are saying the same thing dont you? Great tires make great cars.

By the way, I do bow a lot when resetting the blade angle.

Simon

[Simon MacGowen]

Simon bows to his ss every time comes in his shop. So he's kind of biased.

Biased? Guilty as charged if you meant passionate. The ss has been a game changer to me...quantum jump in the quality and efficiency of work. Previously, I struggled with setting a new saw to work, with the built-in inaccuracy of the machine, and hence the weak results of most cuts.

I am biased too towards doing only fine woodworking. Are you?

Simon

[eugene thomas]

Ya. But my small slider was my game changer over using cabinet saw for 25 or so years.

[Simon MacGowen]

Ya. But my small slider was my game changer over using cabinet saw for 25 or so years.

If so, you should know the difference between bias and passion.

Simon