Thinking of buying a new table saw

[kahlid74]

Read a bunch of reviews and I like the Rigid R4512 for what it offers; Low Price point, solid iron build, decent fence and lifetime warranty.  I plan to use the Harbor front 20% coupon at Home Depot (Retail at $500 - 20% off single item HF Coupon so it would put me at $400).  The HF coupon is a hit or miss at Lowes/Home Depot.  Every store manager has the right to either match or refuse the coupon.  People have had great success and great failures with it.  Here in Milwaukee Wisconsin we have a HF a few miles away from several Home Depots so I plan to hit them up and see what they'll do.

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/ridgid-10-in-13-amp-professional-table-saw-r4512.html

So End game would be buy the Rigid R4512, then buy an Incra Rack/Pinion fence system.  A contractor saw would be great but the $1000 dollar saws I've seen all have the same fence issues the R4512 has so if I get the R4512 for 400 and the incra fence for 400 I'm basically good to go.  I'm not looking to spend more than $1000 total.

What do you all think?

[Sparkolicious]

I own a rigid Band Saw, Drill Press, finish Stapler, and Shop vac.  So far I have been pretty pleased with all of them.  Rack/Pinion Fence is gold.  I use a DeWalt portable table saw for that very reason.  I Wouldn't have a problem buying Rigid brand.

[walker_tr9]

here is a thread I started a while back on this topic:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,122283.0.html

[kahlid74]

here is a thread I started a while back on this topic:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,122283.0.html

I saw your thread but I didn't see much feedback in your thread about that Rigid saw in addition to the Incra system.  At the end of the day the table saw with the Incra system will be in the 800-1000 range, which is a third of the cost it would be for me to finish my CNC machine that can cut 8x4 sheets of MDF/Plywood.  So the big question then becomes do I stay with my current table saw, which still works fine and has a guard/riving knife/anti-kickback stoppers and put this 1000 towards finishing the CNC machine or do I buy the table saw and then continue working the CNC on the side.

The more I think about this, the more I think it would be smart to save the money since I have a Circular Saw/Table saw that I can rip with and finish the damn CNC machine.

[Sparkolicious]

Man.. if you have one that works, why bother with a new one when you could have CNC awesomeness?   

[EvilNuff]

I have a contractors table saw with riving knife and personally really have no desire to upgrade until I can get a sawstop.  Just my 2c but I would go for other tools you need first.

[kahlid74]

I have a contractors table saw with riving knife and personally really have no desire to upgrade until I can get a sawstop.  Just my 2c but I would go for other tools you need first.

Yeah that makes sense.  I think I was just in the store, saw it and relived all the issues I have with my fence and was kind of in the purchasing mood. 

Also, have you seen what Festool is doing recently to combat the "Sawstop"?  They are basically saying there's no need for a table saw anymore because you can do everything it can do with one of their good circular saws and their fences.  The idea being that for a fraction of the $3k you'll drop on a Sawstop you can get one of their circ saws that has only one reported incident of someone ever being hurt.  I personally think there are some things a table saw does that a circ saw won't but in the end, you can sure do a lot with a good circular saw too right.

[EvilNuff]

You mean the CMS setup?  Basically they mount the TS55 upside down in the CMS table.  I haven't looked into that really at all as it isn't available in the US.

[Audiowizard]

I would take a look at the grizzly 1023. It's probably the best sub $1000 saw on the market.

[kahlid74]

SO I'm still planning to build the CNC machine but my friend's dad works for Milwaukee tool and can get me a new Milwaukee tool Panel saw for $300 bucks shipped so I'm going to grab it.  I did some reading on panel saws and I think the Milwaukee is pretty accurate.

[Fursphere]

How big is the fence on that thing?

I originally had an old craftsman 8.25" contractors table saw (my dads).  It had an 18" fence - which is fine, unless you're building something big like an arcade.

So I found an even older 10" craftsman "contractors" saw on craigslist for $20  (I put "contractors" in quotes because the thing is so damn heavy I can't ever see a contractor carrying this thing around - and yes, I really only paid $20 for it).  This thing is from the 50s or 60s.  It can go all the way out to a 28" fence and the 10" blade cuts much better than the 8.25".  It takes more time to setup than a new saw does (I have to check the fence for squareness every time, and use a tape measure to set the fence distance) - but it cuts every bit as good as a new saw.

So don't be afraid of buying used.