On 9/11/13 6:03 PM, Michael wrote:

Ray

According to this guy, this Craftsman saw is the same as the Ridgid
R4512. Did you have issues with alignment?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...#reviewsWra p


One major advantage to newer saws is the riving knife.
It acts as the splitter and never comes off the saw which is nice when
you're not making through cuts or when you need to rake the guard off
for whatever reason.

I would thoroughly investigate that alignment issue because that would
be a deal breaker. If it's something that can be fixed in your first
major set-up and alignment-- in which you adjust the blade, slots, and
fence all parallel to each other-- then no problem. But if the trunnion
mounts are not adjustable/shim-able then it's no better than a $200
bench-top table saw.


--

-MIKE-

"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"
--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)
--
http://mikedrums.com

---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

On Wednesday, September 11, 2013 8:17:58 PM UTC-5, -MIKE- wrote:
On 9/11/13 6:03 PM, Michael wrote:



Ray



According to this guy, this Craftsman saw is the same as the Ridgid

R4512. Did you have issues with alignment?



http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...#reviewsWra p





One major advantage to newer saws is the riving knife.

It acts as the splitter and never comes off the saw which is nice when

you're not making through cuts or when you need to rake the guard off

for whatever reason.



I would thoroughly investigate that alignment issue because that would

be a deal breaker. If it's something that can be fixed in your first

major set-up and alignment-- in which you adjust the blade, slots, and

fence all parallel to each other-- then no problem. But if the trunnion

mounts are not adjustable/shim-able then it's no better than a $200

bench-top table saw.





--



-MIKE-



"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"

--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)

--

http://mikedrums.com



---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

That alignment issue scares me a lot, but it's 10 percent off right now and I've got a 50 dollar gift card somewhere, so that brings the price to $450.00.

If I have the option to return any saw with imperfect alignment, this might work out.

On 9/11/2013 12:29 PM, Michael wrote:

So for my uses (hobbyist) and price range, I think I've settled on finding a used Jet. Any thoughts on this saw (quality and price)?

Thanks.

http://appleton.craigslist.org/tls/3995302654.html

$550 for that particular Jet seems way too much. Don't get me wrong,
the older Jets (blue paint job) are strong workers. Fact is that about
five years ago I scored a Jet (same vintage) cabinet saw at a local
garage sale for $400. Even came with a great aftermarket fenc.

Heavy sucker that works like a charm, tweaked it so everything is dead
nuts on and it stays that way. For that $550 you should be able to do
better, even if it's an older vintage Unisaw.

I wouldn't give him more than $350-$400 for that saw on a good day.

Bottom line: Quality is there but the price ain't

-MIKE- wrote:
On 9/11/13 1:55 PM, G. Ross wrote:
-MIKE- wrote:
On 9/11/13 12:29 PM, Michael wrote:

So for my uses (hobbyist) and price range, I think I've settled on
finding a used Jet. Any thoughts on this saw (quality and price)?

Thanks.

http://appleton.craigslist.org/tls/3995302654.html


I think $550 is high for that saw. $400 would be reasonable... just my
opinion, of course.
I would want to look inside and underneath before committing. That is
quite a bit of surface rust on the table top. That tells me the owner
never applied a protectant to the top and/or the thing sat in a very
humid environment for a long, long time. I can't tell if the marks on
the bottoms of the legs are mud or rust. If they are rust, I would
definitely want get get a close, inside look at arbor, motor mounts,
belts pulleys, the arbor tilting gears, all the bolts,etc., and with a
flashlight, anywhere you can see inside the motor for signs of rust.

Normally, I would chalk up that table rust to normal humidity/non-use
rusting that occurs on those iron tops. However, in the picture of his
jointer, there appears to be what might be rust on the tops of the
adjustment wheel-cranks.

That is all speculation, obviously, but it's cause for concern. *I*
would want to carefully inspect it as I described above. I would also,
most certainly want to hear and see the thing run. Best case scenario,
that table top rust is just light surface rust and the rest of the saw
is spotless. Worst case, the thing was in a flood. There were a lot of
'flood tools' on craigslist Nashville after the 2010 flood.


I concur. I own one just like that and have never had any problems with
it. But The price and the rust gives me pause.


You might be better able to speak to the price.
From what I can gather, it was about $800, new, is that accurate?


More like $700 When I bought it about 18 years ago. It was a floor
model and they threw in a Jet dust collector like the one in the
picture for $100 more.

--
 GW Ross 

 If voting changed anything, they'd 
 make it illegal. 

On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 19:16:04 -0700 (PDT), Michael
wrote:



That alignment issue scares me a lot, but it's 10 percent off right now and I've got a 50 dollar gift card somewhere, so that brings the price to $450.00.

If I have the option to return any saw with imperfect alignment, this might work out.

I have had the saw for over a year. It is a hobby but I have ripped
some 2" maple and made a fair number if cuts. Out of curiosity I
measured the alignment by using a digital caliper to measure the
distance from a tooth to the far end of the miter slot. I got
measurements that were repeatable within +/- .001". The reading at
the front and back of the blade were the same. So I would say the
alignment is within .001". This is good enough for woodworking.

Another use I have is making segmented bowls. With 12 segments there
are 24 cuts per ring. Any error in the cut is cumulative. Initially
I was using miter saw and the rings would not close. They were off
by a degree or more. I built a sled that allows me to tilt the blade
to cut the segments. I dial in the desired angle, cut the segments
and they fit with no discernible gap. No adjustment needed.

HD is good about taking stuff back. If you get a bad one just return
it. Any product will receive some negative reviews but 181 out of 200
(90%) reviewers recommend this product. And you know what to look
for.

I got 10% off because Lowes and Home Depot are very generous in giving
a discount to all disabled veterans.

Ray

On 9/11/2013 6:03 PM, Michael wrote:
On Wednesday, September 11, 2013 4:02:52 PM UTC-5, Ray wrote:
On Wed, 11 Sep 2013 10:29:57 -0700 (PDT), Michael

wrote:







So for my uses (hobbyist) and price range, I think I've settled on finding a used Jet. Any thoughts on this saw (quality and price)?



Thanks.



http://appleton.craigslist.org/tls/3995302654.html



Have you considered RIDGID 13-Amp 10 in. Model # R4512, I own one and

am quite happy with it.



New price is $1 less than asking price of the Jet.



Ray

According to this guy, this Craftsman saw is the same as the Ridgid R4512. Did you have issues with alignment?

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...#reviewsWra p

Criticism13 found this helpful
joelav
Jul 5 , 2012
Be careful of alignment issues
First off, let me clear up some misconceptions. This is NOT a JET, Grizzly, or Rikon saw rebranded. This is NOT a cabinet saw. Even though the motor is enclosed, the trunions are table mounted; not cabinet mounted. This is however, the same basic saw as the Ridgid R4512 with minor cosmetic differences. This saw has 2 fatal flaws that need to be taken into account before purchase, and need to me taken seriously: 1 - The blade is known to change alignment with height adjustment. This will cause your cuts to be off my as much as 1/16" of an inch for every 10" of wood you cut. You could have a difference of almost half an inch if you rip an 8 foot board. That is a very serious problem that will ruin your work. Not only that it creates a dangerous situation. If your rip fence and blade are not in alignment, it creates a dangerous kickback situation. It cannot be fixed, it cannot be adjusted out. Fortunately, there are examples of this saw (and the R4512) that do not have this issue. PL
EASE test your alignment BEFORE you assemble this saw. Google "alignment issues, R4512" and you will find the procedure. It is simple and only requires you install the blade and have a metal ruler handy. If you saw fails this test, return it. It cannot be fixed. 2 - The fence rail is an issue. Because it is in two pieces, when you have the fence closer than 3" to the blade, the clamping force can change the geometry of the fence, causing misalignment. With that said, if you get this saw without the alignment issue, it is an excellent saw. If you are really careful clamping down the fence, you can avoid the geometry change. There are also many aftermarket fences that fit this saw. Again, there is not as much information out there on the craftsman version, but it is nearly identical to the Ridgid R4512. If you want to do additional research before getting this saw, consider all the reviews on the R4512 as well. In addition, the blade is a throw away. I wouldn't even bother cleaning the
grease off and installing it. This is not uncommon and most blades that come with any saw are cheap. You are buying a saw that can provide professional results if properly set up for under 700$. That is a great bargain. Do youself a favor and get a good quality blade or two. If you decide to use the included blade, please do not judge the performance of the saw based on that. I have used it, I can confirm it is terrible. There is no doubt about it. I hope Sears and the others that sell this saw can clear up the manufacturing issues with the trunions. Craftsman has taken a beating lately, and this saw is a real gem and could restore the faith in the brand that our fathers and grandfathers once had. I cannot stress this enough - TEST your saw for the alignment issue. It is extremely common. It cannot be fixed, and it will ruin your work and possibly create a dangerous kickback situation.



You are not going to want a saw with alignment issues!!!!!! THINK OF
YOUR SAFETY.

Far better to spend more for a better saw. If you cannot afford one
now, save until you can.

On 9/11/2013 9:16 PM, Michael wrote:
On Wednesday, September 11, 2013 8:17:58 PM UTC-5, -MIKE- wrote:
On 9/11/13 6:03 PM, Michael wrote:



Ray



According to this guy, this Craftsman saw is the same as the Ridgid

R4512. Did you have issues with alignment?



http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...#reviewsWra p





One major advantage to newer saws is the riving knife.

It acts as the splitter and never comes off the saw which is nice when

you're not making through cuts or when you need to rake the guard off

for whatever reason.



I would thoroughly investigate that alignment issue because that would

be a deal breaker. If it's something that can be fixed in your first

major set-up and alignment-- in which you adjust the blade, slots, and

fence all parallel to each other-- then no problem. But if the trunnion

mounts are not adjustable/shim-able then it's no better than a $200

bench-top table saw.





--



-MIKE-



"Playing is not something I do at night, it's my function in life"

--Elvin Jones (1927-2004)

--

http://mikedrums.com



---remove "DOT" ^^^^ to reply

That alignment issue scares me a lot, but it's 10 percent off right now and I've got a 50 dollar gift card somewhere, so that brings the price to $450.00.

If I have the option to return any saw with imperfect alignment, this might work out.



Price should never trump safety!!