Okay,
My head is swimming…I currently have a Dewalt 744S which I would like to upgrade to a hybrid style TS. My two finalists are the Rigid 3650 and the Crafstman 22114. They are close in money making my decison that much more difficult. I like the wheels/mobility of the Rigid but I imagine that is an easy fix for the craftsman.
I am realtively new to woodworking and don’t know what I don’t know. What esle is important in this decision.
FYI: I plan to make cabinets and furniture for personal use and enjoyment. I will be operating out of my garage (space is an issue) and am limited to 110v and I don’t want to spend more than $750.
Someone make my mind up already! lol
I know their has been a LOT of feedback on both saws but would really appreciate some additional feedback.
Thank you for your comments.
Erik
Replies
Spend no more than $750! You should be looking for a used cabinet saw. I have a '85 Unisaw with a 115/230 volt motor for sale at $800. Been posted here for a while, seems most have the idea they must purchase new. Never know where the saw has been.
DJK
The 22114 is a hybrid design with cabinet mounted trunnions. Hybrids in general have several advantages over a contractor saw design with the motor hanging out the back....enclosed base with internal motor offers a smaller footprint, better DC, a shorter drive belt for more efficient power transfer, and considerably more mass. Outboard motors in general pose a host of complications that are addressed by the hybrid, and there's essentially no downside to the hybrid design, now that there are many to choose from and the price ranges overlap. The hybrids offer many of the advantages that a cabinet saw has, so based on that logic, I'd choose the more modern design of the hybrid. Which one you like best is purely subjective though.
I made the jump from a fully tricked out GI contractor saw to a 22124 and have very pleased with the upgrade.
http://www.epinions.com/content_184778395268
Edit: The 22114 will be on sale for Craftsman Club members for $540 from 11/26 - 12/9. The 22124 will be on sale for $800.
Edited 11/20/2006 2:53 pm ET by Knotscott
Good post,
I appreciate your points. Let me throw another loop at you though. My friend works at Rigid tool and can get ma a reconditioned 3650 for $330 and no sales tax (includes all standard warranty as a normal sale would include). Given that proice, would you still go with the Hybrid?
Thanks for your input.
Erik
PS I can get the rigid joiner for $210 as well!
i've had the rigid for a few months now. been woodworking for 20 years, but always had limited space and i've never had a cabinet saw. that said, i like the 3650. the hercu-lift is fantastic. it took me a while to assemble everything. the table is flat, fence is easy to adjust, works well, is true and in alignment with the miter slots. i've enjoyed using it thus far. it's a lot of saw for the money.
good luck with your decision,
greg
Erik, John White (JohnWW, Fine Woodworking's shop manager) has some detailed info on the Rigid somewhere here at Knots, but the search engine seems to be down at the moment. It's worth reading, so keep an eye out. If I find it, I'll post the link.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
That's quite a curve Erik! Both of the Ridgid tools in question are fine tools, so it isn't like quality is an issue. Low cost shouldn't be the main objective here, but it's definitely a consideration in any tool purchase. A $200 savings on a $550 purchase is an attractive incentive and a huge percentage. I still like the function of the hybrids better, but that $200 savings could net you a fine jointer as well as a saw, so $540 spent with your friend will gain alot more capability than $540 spent at Sears in this case....two tools for the price of one! I like the function of a 3hp cab saw better than either saw, but at close to $1100 to get started, that's not happening any time soon at my house! If the budget is tight, it'd be a bit irresponsible to pass up the Ridgid deal, and even if it's not, it'd be kind of silly to pass up unless you have a big beef with Ridgid or HD. Hhhmmm, a 3650 for a Harbor Freight price! (it's a no brainer...)
Edited 11/22/2006 5:56 pm ET by Knotscott
Evan;
I bought the 22124 last year and am very happy with it, but in your situation I would probably jump on the rigid deal. I had wrestled with the price issue and was debating on going with the cheaper 22114 but wasn't as impressed with it as the 22124. The 3650 was my next option and if I hadn't came onto a good deal on the 22124 I probably would have bought the rigid. I have the Rigid joiner and their 14" bandsaw and am very happy with them. As an asside it seems that the Rigid cast iron resists rust a little better.
I have the RIDGID TS3650. I bought 3-ish years ago when I knew nothing about table saws. I got lucky, because it's been a decent saw. However....
I'd go for a hybrid saw today. Find something with a bit more HP, enclosed cabinet and a decent splitter or riving knife. The blade guard/splitter assembly on the RIDGID is crap and hard to adjust. A riving knife would be better (it's basically a splitter that travels up and down with the blade, which is safer and better for non-through cuts). Trouble here is you won't find a hybrid currently with a riving knife and the only contractor saw with one is the SAWSTOP contractor saw, which isn't even in full production yet and will cost you twice what the RIDGID will. I expect you will see a lot more saws with riving knives in the next year or two. But that doesn't help you today, unfortunately.
If you do decide to go with the RIDGID, don't do it because of the mobile base. It's tippy wheeling it around and hard to get over bumps. I trashed the base and steel legs and built a cabinet for the saw to sit on (see attached picture). Better storage, sits up higher (which I like because I'm tall), and it makes the saw much more stable because of the added weight. Feels much more like a cabinet saw now. Also, another thing I hate about the RIDGID saw is that it takes twice as many cranks of the wheel to raise or lower the blade as other saws. What were they thinking?!!
Just my $.02.
TF
Edited 11/23/2006 5:09 pm ET by Toolfanatic
Sorry -- here's the picture.
TF
Great looking stand you made. Thank you all for your input. The Rigid sounds like a great second choice when price is not a factor. However, becasue of the $330 I can get the rigid for though, I have decided to go with it for now. My expectatins are to use it for a few years before upgrading to a full size cabinet saw. Thanks again for all the input.
Erik-
I think that for the money, you're making the right choice.
The main reason I bought my RIDGID was that they were selling it for $450, with a $100 Home Depot gift card. So really, I got it for $350. Can't beat that!
TFToolfanatic (a.k.a. The man formerly known as "Toolfreak")
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