Do I need a RAS in my shop?

[Nick Crivello]

I don't understand why people choose a jigsaw to crosscut lumber. It seems like a handheld circular saw is an order of magnitude faster, at least for the saws I have owned or used, and tends to cut straighter and cleaner. I'm sure the RAS I had could have been tuned to cut better, but I didn't really need it for that.

The commentary I've seen is that for boards which are badly twisted or have tension in them the jigsaw won't get pinched or experience kickback. A cordless circular saw or something like a Festool HKC would work great otherwise.

[Alex Zeller]

I have my father's old Craftsman RAS sitting in a shed. I kept it when he died but I have never used it. It was the first real power tool he owned. His table saw was one of the old cast iron ones where the weight of the motor (that wasn't included with the purchase of the saw) is what tensioned the belt. I've ripped far too many warped 2Xs on that his RAS as a youth. I can't seem to part with it (it may have even been recalled) but I don't ever see myself using it. A few years ago a nice single phase 14" Delta was for sale on an on-line auction about 10 minutes from my house. I wanted so badly to buy it but I knew I would never use it so I passed. Unless you have a specific need I would let it go.

[Jim Becker]

"For me", I'd not buy a RAS nor would I keep one I had unless it was a really nice, old iron machine in good condition that would be "just neat to have" and kewel enough so that I could justify the space it would take away from my shop. There are certainly some things that a RAS can do really well, such as cross cutting dados, but many sliding miter saws now have that ability, too, at least with a single blade. (not a stack) But the world has moved on to a place where there are other options and since I have a slider, there's not a good functional reason to have one. Heck, I very rarely use my miter saw and only keep it around in the "tool corral" on a small mobile stand for construction work or occasional other creative uses.

[John TenEyck]

I don't understand why people choose a jigsaw to crosscut lumber. It seems like a handheld circular saw is an order of magnitude faster, at least for the saws I have owned or used, and tends to cut straighter and cleaner. I'm sure the RAS I had could have been tuned to cut better, but I didn't really need it for that.

Because it's the safest tool for cross cutting rough lumber, short of a handsaw. Circular saws, CMS, RAS, whatever it is with a a rotating blade get pinched easily on lumber that isn't flat, and then it gets interesting. That's just about impossible to happen with a jigsaw. And there are rough cutting blades available for cutting stock at least 3" thick.

It's my go to tool for rough crosscutting lumber.

John

[Jim Becker]

I agree with you, John...a jigsaw or sawzall is the go-to for rough cutting gnarly stuff to length for the reason you mention.

[Michael Burnside]

Yep, and the jigsaw doesn’t require an altar of worship to use either

[Warren Lake]

had to cross cut tons of solid over the years and radial arm is best. One I started with was junk so for a while used a sliding table had two one each side on a general cabinet saw. Cutting rough solid on a sliding table saw is crappy. Ive done 100's of times and stopped for the improvement of using my skill saw. Just cross cut 4/4 rough pine for more shelves and the worm drive worked fine. Better than the crap radial I had which was a sears that kicked out as soon as i made it work, thermal overload. have a wadkin now not wired till time.

All of these posts are the same comes down to what you. A radial is a basic tool to cross cut rough solid and a sliding table saw stinks by comparison. Most of my solid is 10 feet and up past some of it 16 feet and once again the slider falls down and gets a fail. I put up with the skil saw for many years, even had to buy a lighter one now that im ancient I could no longer hold the black handle straight out in front of me comfortably with one hand so I dropped to the lighter red one and fine. I had 11 machines in my first shop, radial one of them and im pretty sure that shop was smaller than your space.

[Michael Schuch]

Just ruminating on ways to improve workflow in my small ~425sq ft workshop. I have a 1946 era 12" DeWalt 3hp 3-phase RAS that I really love; it's a great looking tool with character. Despite that, are there compelling practical reasons to keep a RAS in a workspace that includes a Felder slider, track saw, jigsaw, shaper, shaper origin, and full size plunge router? It takes up about 4' of space along one wall next to the workbench. I have several machines on mobile bases such as the bandsaw and planer, which are moved about during projects. It would be handy to have a 'parking spot' for 1-2 as it's annoying to have to keep moving things around...

If you are asking then probably not. My 1947 RedStar radial arm saw is the center of my work and a project is pretty much never completed without some time on the RAS.

That is my style of wood working. Just because a RAS is integral to my shop doesn't mean that it should integral to your shop.

P.S. I do also own a slider.

[Zachary Hoyt]

I've never had much trouble with pinching on a circular saw, and when it did I just backed up and started again, cutting the kerf wider. Not all construction lumber is flat, though it would be nice if it were, and that's how I got used to using a circular saw. I have never been able to make a very clean straight cut with a sawzall or jigsaw, so I only use them when there is no other option.

[Warren Lake]

When i cut sections out of boards say a 16 footer and laying out all that had to be cut out of it to match and get best grain pattern etc a jig saw might have been used the odd time but any of those drop in rip cuts were best made with a circular saw only time a jig saw if the skill saw cut would be too long and run into another part, Otherwise a giant waste of time.

you can minimize pinching for your skill with a bit of thought. Id say I just made towards 100 cross cuts with the board on the bench and the offcut in my left hand because it was just under 2 foot sections. Simple and easy. yes like lots of this there is a bit of a feel, I could make it pinch if I wanted with poor technique.

[Nick Crivello]

If you are asking then probably not.

That's a good thought.

I put a fair amount of work into getting the thing set up, welded a custom stand with adjustable feet to match the workbench height, built a table for it, etc. Was working on integrating an Incra miter gauge in the table to make super accurate miters while being able to leave the saw locked at 90.

But at the end of the day, workflow is what matters. A lean workspace makes sense in a small shop. If I can more easily use tools and machines then I'll be more apt to want to work there. Making very quick 90 degree crosscuts is great, but keeping it to make rough cuts doesn't quite make sense in my situation.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

In my shop I have a SCMS, TS with an accurate sled and a Craftsman RAS. 40 years ago, my former neighbor loaned me the RAS and I used it to cut the wainscoting in our living room. Yes, I did return it. 4 years ago, they sold their home and moved to Tucson, AZ. I bought the RAS for $100. I haven't plugged it in since I bought it. My Dewault SCMS, and my table saw have met my needs. My researching it after I bought it, it was one of the ones recalled and getting parts for it, should I need them, will be interesting. It appears, I don't need a RAS as badly as I thought.

[Ron Selzer]

I vote for the radial arm saw to stay. I do have the first one I bought (1982) in the garage, one in the basement main shop (1994), one in my daughter's garage (2018), one needing a table in my garage. I also have 3 panel saws when I need a wider crosscut. I will not be without one.
Ron

edit to add I do not like or own a SCMS, I use one at work and flat out despise it.

[ChrisA Edwards]

I got rid of my RAS 10 years ago and haven't missed it.

There wasn't anything it could do, at least for me, that another tool couldn't achieve.

I breakdown long boards with a jigsaw, mainly because it's easy to reach for and portable to be used in the best location to perform the task.

[Patrick Kane]

It's a short arm RAS with about 18" or so cross cut ability. The slider exceeds that by miles. Thought I might be doing more tenon and dado work in future builds, but the routers and shaper(s) can also do this. The Felder is an earlier K700 with short arbor and inability to use dado stacks however.

Ah, pre-2002+/- Felder does change my opinion ever so slightly. I assumed you could run a narrow dado/groover on your saw. However, if you are making your tenons effectively in other ways, then that diminishes the need to keep the RAS. On anything longer than 3-4' i find myself crosscutting shoulders on the Felder and then heading to my bandsaw for cheeks.

I am in about 200 more square feet than you, and it was freeing when i ditched my floor standing mortiser and 37" drum sander. I miss those tools once every blue moon, but so many tools in clogs up the workspace in a frustrating way.