I suggest a table saw. With a crosscut sled, crosscutting on a tablesaw is
easy, plus you can crosscut wider material than with most radial arm saws.
Ripping on a radial arm saw is not nearly as safe as on a tablesaw. And as
far as using the radial arm saw as a router, forget it. Adjustment is crude
and the rotation speed is not fast enough for most router bits.

Unless you get an old DeWalt radial arm or one from The Original Saw
Company, radial arm saws are notorious for getting out of alignment
requiring frequent and lengthy realignment. That plus a table that can
warp, you have a saw that generally is not as accurate as a tablesaw. If
you look at professional woodworking shops, you will find very few that have
a radial arm saw.

Get a book such as - "The Tablesaw Book", by Kelly Mehler

http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070552.asp

or

"Tablesaw: Methods of Work" by Jim Richey
http://www.taunton.com/store/pages/070497.asp

You will see how versatile a tablesaw can be.

Preston


"takashi" wrote in message
...
Hi, I just started out woodworking. I am looking for a power tool which
is the most versitile of all. Some people recommended that I should buy
a table saw first, but others say that I can do more things, using a
radial arm saw.
Thank you in advance.