Ridgid TS3650 Table Saw

I just opened the box on my new TS3650 last night. I only had about a 1/2 hour so I didn’t get further than reading over the manual. I hope to start assembly tonight. Any tips on the setup?

-- Scott Wilson - Bear with me, I'm learning!

Just follow the manual on setup. I’ve had this saw for about three years and I make my living with it. You won’t find a better saw for the price. It kicked into overdrive when I added a sliding table to it.

-- Dennis... www.closetdreams.com

For Scott Wilson’s question, Any tips on the setup?
Just follow the owners manual to a “T” and remember that you check the fence scale on the RIGHT of the fence not the left side when the fence is setup to the right of the blade, now guess why I said that. ;-)
Oh yeah don’t forget to wax the cast iron table.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

I also have this saw and will give it five stars and two thumbs up. I have a Ridgid 50 tooth thin kerf blade and it cuts edges ready for glue.

-- Maplewood, MN

Thanks for the review John.

I am a new woodworker looking to purchase a contractors saw for the shop, I’m torn between this saw and the delta (36-980) any one have experience with both that would be willing to offer a comparison?

-- David - Houston, Texas.

And here’s the specs on the saw:

Toolless blade guard can be easily removed or replaced. 40 tooth carbide blade for fast ripping and smooth crosscuts. IND-I-CUT Alignment Disc accurately aligns cut line with blade. New rip fence design with micro-adjust 36 Ft.’ rip capacity for ripping wider material. Up front controls for easier access. Herc-U-Lift Mobile Base for easy transportation. TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) Motor keeps dust and debris out of motor to extend life. Cast iron extensions with clamping surface allows jigs and featherboards to be clamped in place easily.

Toolless blade clamp can be easily removed or replaced
40 tooth carbide blade for fast ripping and smooth crosscuts
IND-I-Cut Alignment disc-accurately aligns cut line with blade
New rip fence design with micro-adjust 36 Ft.’ rip capacity for ripping wider material
Up front controls for easier access
Herc-U-Lift Mobile base for easy transportation
TEFC (Totally Enclosed Fan Cooled) motor keeps dust and debris out of motor to extend life
Cast iron extensions with clamping surface allows jigs and featherboards to be clamped in place easily
MFG Brand Name : RIDGID
MFG Model # : TS3650

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

When I put the Jessum slider on this saw, I moved the rails to the right and added an extension table for support. This allows me to rip to 42”.

-- Dennis... www.closetdreams.com

IMHO, this is the best contractor’s saw on the market. The ability to fine-tune the blade alignment, the casters, the fence, the general fit and finish are what led me to buy this saw over all the others when I was rebuilding my shop.
The only reason I don’t have it any longer is that I had a shot at a great deal on a Unisaw, so I sold this one to a classmate to help pay for it.

-- Furniture Medic- the prescription for damaged furniture

I bought the TS3605 about 6 months ago and love it. One thing I’m impressed with is the splitter and blade guard and how simple it is to detach it and reinstall it. It coomes off and goes on with a simple thumb screw so I’m very diligent at putting it back on whenever I’m ripping stock. One thing to note is that the thickness of the splitter plate precludes the use of a thin kerf blade. I don’t know this from personal experience but heard it on wood talk online from Tom Iovino who also has this saw. I know many people prefer to use a thin kerf blade with a contractor type saw due to the lower horsepower motor. That being said though, I recently resawed some red oak with my TS by putting the blade all the way up, running my piece through once, flipping it end for end and running through again. The saw didn’t bog down at all using the standard kerf blade that comes with the saw. A Ridgid 40 tooth combination blade.

I use a Forrest WWII thin kerf on mine with the stock splitter with no problems. A lot of thin kerfs are different though. Most are 3/32”, some are a litte thicker, some thinner. I guess it depends on the brand and style of the blade.

I too love this saw.

I’m 90% sure I’m buying this saw used this weekend, minus the Herculift. Anything to keep an eye out for? Any ideas on where to get a replacement lift (my HD does not stock them). I’ve seen two of the lifts on various craigslists around the country, but if anyone has one they want to sell, I’m all ears! (eyes?)

Jurg, FYI the lift comes with the saw as standard equipment at no extra cost. I’m sure others will agree that the lift works great.

-- Only the Shadow knows....................

I’ve had this saw for about a year and a half and I love it. I’ve cut 3/4” Dados with my Freud dado stack and it does great. The dust collection is decent when hooked up to my Ridgid shopvac. I really like the thumbwheel micro-adjuster on the fence. I use that on almost every cut. I have a very small shop so the integral casters were an absolute necessity for me. I have found the built in scale to be dead on when I use my Freud GlueLine blade. There are times when I wish I had a 3hp motor in it, but that will have to wait till I get my pennies saved up for a Powermatic. Even when that day comes I will keep this saw. If I had to do it all over again I would buy this saw in a heartbeat. Can’t beat it for the price.

-- Sawdust is life

I too have this saw and for the most part like it. It’s large table and extensions makes cutting sheets good easy and it is a big improvement over my old 10” Sears best contractors saw I bought 25 years ago. Power is ample and I’ve had no trouble cutting through walnut and cherry thats up to 4/4 thick.

The lift system works very well and I wish I had this type of wheels on my other tools. Dust system is ok but I keep a 2” flex hose in permanent position so I don’t have to keep reaching up underneath the saw to connect it. When connecting the hose, it’s ackward reaching through the back.

The only downside to this saw is the blade seems to be a bit too far back on the table I seem to have to lean over too far once the wood clears the blade. I’m 5”9” tall but seem almost off balance when pushing towards the back of the saw.

Overall, I’m very happy with this purchase.

-- Bob A in NJ

I got one and I love it. 2 years and still going strong…

-- Jason, AL

Great saw for this old cowboy. Love mine. Setup was easy (follow the manual).

-- www.NewMexicoSoap.com (My wife is a big time soaper)

I want to thank you for this review I just finished getting my shop ready and I have been looking around for a good table saw and I looked at this one at HD the other day and had narrowed it down to this one or another one I looked at, at Lowes. I read all the reviews on HD website and all of the comments on this review and have now decided to buy this one this weekend. Lowes does not have reviews, it only has a star rating system. I found the review on lumberjocks for the saw at lowes and after reading it and the reviews on this on I have made up my mind. Thanks again for all the comments and this review.

-- Paul Wylie, Rogers, AR

Paul, you wont be sorry. I have had mine for 2 years now and I still love it. I upgraded it by attaching a Bench Dog steel router table to the left side, and I use an Incra miter gage. I have a small garage shop (see avatar) and the herculift system is fantastic. Once it’s up on its wheels, I can push the saw with one finger. One drawback however is that the splitter is set for a thin kerf blade and the stock sometimes moves away from the fence behind the blade as you push it through if you use a 1/8 in blade.

Would I like a Powermatic 2000, a SawStop or even a Steel City granite top? Sure, but for the $450 I paid for the Rigid saw, I have definitely got my money’s worth.

-- Don Alexander, Jacksonville, Florida

Let me chime in about the Ridgid. I’ve had mine for over two years and I love it. It sits proudly in the middle of my shop. The fence system is great – accurate and smooth. The power for a contractor saw is more than sufficient for my needs and the mobile base works well.

For anyone considering this saw. reviews in two seperate national woodworking magazines listed this as either best saw or best value. I have had 2. (lost the first in a fire) and didn’t even consider anything else when I bought the replacement even though I had a great big insurance check in hand. I have 4 freestanding rigid tools and can’t find fault with any of them.

-- RTB. "dumb animals are not stupid they simply can't talk "

This is my second Ridgid table saw, and I have to say it is by far the best saw for the money. I run a Forrest Woodworker II Thin Kerf with a zero clearance insert and for the most part keep the stock splitter on. I apply a little Johnson Paste Wax to the top about every 2 months and she still looks like she did the day I pulled her out of the box.

-- www.gSpin.com