Made My Decision

Good luck with the saw hunting. Until I read your post I’d never heard of granite saw tops. Sounds crazy to me. I’ve got granite kitchen counters, and the get chips in them through normal use. I can imagine dropping a tool and taking a good chip out of my TS top, or worse yet, cracking it.

Does anyone have a granite top? If so, how do you like it?

-- John

Keep checking CL. I picked up a 10” Unisaw last year for $500. The deals are there, just have to be patient.

Joe

-- "There are two theories to arguing with a woman....neither of them work"

Steel City/Orion makes the Cman 22116, so you should be able to find a comparable SC branded model. The SC35930 was nearly identical, but I’m not sure they offer that model anymore…it may have been revised to a 35950 but am not sure.

If you’ve got 220v, by all means go for the extra power and the additional robustness of the internal workings, but will be tougher to fit into budget without going used. (A new Griz G1023RL runs $1250 plus $99 s/h).

The Griz G0715P gets mainly good marks and fits your criteria. The Jet Proshops are nice but have not yet been updated with a riving knife.

Good luck and please keep us posted.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

I have a Ridgid TS 3650. I am happy with it. The new Ridgids are within your price range, but I was not impressed at all at the one I seen on the showroom floor. It and the new Crapsmans are almost identical except for color, and neither are worth the price in my opinion.
If you find a used one, the 3650 is an excellent saw. They are on Craiglist sometimes in my area for around $250.

-- http://wddsrfinewoodworks.blogspot.com/

Keep an eye out for a saw with a link belt drive. In the end you’re goning to want one anyway.

-- Darrell, making more sawdust than I know what to do with

I also have a 3650 and like it. I have used it every day for over 5 1/2 years now.

-- In God We Trust

I found this to be of some help a while back. http://lumberjocks.com/topics/32988

-- Darrell, making more sawdust than I know what to do with

In case I can locate one, what is the highest price I should pay for a used Ridgid 3650 or 4511 in very good to extremely good condition?? Thanks.

-- "Of all the things I have lost in life, I miss my mind the most."

What is a saw like this worth $$$$?

-- "Of all the things I have lost in life, I miss my mind the most."

I just replied to your personal message. I would buy it if you can get it for the amount discussed there.

If you get it, do you have a router?
In mine, I have a shop made router to the right of the table, mounted in between the fence rails.
It’s an easy job to build one and it serves a couple of puposes.
Of course it places your router table on you saw. I personally slide the fence over and use the same fence for my saw and router. Some people like a more traditional router table fence. For my puposes though, all I use is a straight fence.
It gives you more table space. As long as you don’t use it as a catch-all (I’ve been guilty of that a few times) it provides more support for wide stock.
It helps support the fence rails. On this saw, if you are cutting the maximum width stock, or upwards of thirty inches, the rails will sometimes flex towards one another. This usually is not enough to cause any problems, but I have had some hard to handle pieces (before putting in the table) that I hit the fence hard enough to move it. It was easily reset, but after the table, this was no longer an issue.

-- http://wddsrfinewoodworks.blogspot.com/

joek is right. Since you are in no hurry, kick back and watch CL. Check neighboring cities, anywhere you consider a reasonable drive for a large purchase. Also check the tools listings here, and at sawmill cr. or this new one, yakaz.com.

-- Dan V. in Indy

Depending on condition and extras ~ $225-$300 seems to be the general going rate. Every once in a while you’ll find someone asking > $400 for them, but I doubt they get it. While it does have cast iron wings going for it, it doesn’t have a riving knife and has an outboard motor.

I’d think the R4511 is worth in that price range too…I might go toward $350 if it’s really sweet, but the less you pay the more feasible a fence upgrade is. At the very least I’d want to get a new single piece steel tube rail for it from a steel supply house….steel tube stock isn’t too pricey.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....

If you are not in too big of a hurry, I may be able to come up with a unisaw for $500 or less. I’m going to look at it weds or thurs.
I see you are in Atlanta, are you familiar with the Lake Martin AL area?
Right now all I know about it is that it is 220V single phase and has no motor cover or fence.

-- If the old masters had power tools, they would have used them. So get off your damn High Horse.

Owner is asking $1000. PM66 have not looked at it in person.

-- "Of all the things I have lost in life, I miss my mind the most."

Looks great…if you have 220v, or are willing to install it, I’d move on that one if it runs well.

-- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth....