JC, I don’t have time to do a review of the Ridgid OSS, but for the money, you can’t go wrong. Simple to operate, the dust collection works fairly well and I’ve used it on just about every project since I’ve acquired it.
As for those naysayers of Ridgid tools, here’s my $0.02. I’ve got the Ridgid table saw (ts3650), the aforementioned OSS, planer, 12” compound sliding mitre saw, 14” bandsaw and the hammer drill, circular saw, flashlight and recip saw combo pack and last but not least the Ridgid router. And I agree, this stuff probably isn’t quite up to DeWalt standards, but the price isn’t either. I agree the bandsaw isn’t the greatest, but for 349 bucks, unless you take the wimpy 3/4 hp motor and try to resaw, well…..it’s worth 349 bucks. The 24v handtool combo has worked very well. Granted I don’t do this for a living, but for my use, they have been great. If it wasn’t for the spindle lock, I’d love the router. It’s got some great features, lighted collet area, dust collection etc. The planer is probably my favorite. It works great for a 2 blade design, almost no snipe as long as you remember to lock the cutter head. The tablesaw has been really good too. I do believe it beat out most of the other saws in a magazine comparison of contractor’s saws. (Wood Magazine maybe?) Don’t get me wrong, I’m going to upgrade to some better equipment in the future, but for now, that orange looks good to me.
I guess if DeWalt is on the high end of things, I’d rate Ridgid at the upper middle range. I don’t think you can beat Ridgid on a dollar for dollar basis, especially for a weekend flunkie like me. There, I feel better now…...lol.
-- Carl Rast, Pelion, SC
