TheYurtingYeti

I'm not going to read all 103 comments, so I'm not sure if what I'm about to say has been said, but I think the RA is no relic. In fact, I think it's one saw that could be the one saw that owners have because it can do so much and can take up less space than other saws.

But yes, there are caveats around this:

1) The saw really should be an older saw like the old dewalts. The new saws just aren't made like the old ones and really take more care.

2) The person needs to learn how to use the saw properly and make sure the bearings are adjusted correctly (prime reason for many RA leaps is the bearings are too loose so the saw slides back and fourth with no force applied) ... and by properly I mean use of anti-kickback pawls and clamps when appropriate, standard shop safety practices, proper saw adjustment, etc.

3) A properly tuned saw (much like a good table saw) only needs minimal tending to make sure it gives years of quality performance.

Don't make the RA go away ... in fact, I think you guys should do an article about some of the old RAs and how well they were made and cover some shop safety specific to RAs.