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Forum topic by Blurrytree | posted 01-13-2014 04:42 PM | 3645 views | 0 times favorited | 40 replies | ![]() |
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01-13-2014 04:42 PM |
Topic tags/keywords: r4512 alignment miter riving knife home depot ridgid table saw 0001 0005 runout blade height trunnions Hi there, I purchased a Ridgid R4512 brand new recently. I am fighting a mental battle of whether or not to return the saw. 1. Missing bolt from rip fence. Waiting on replacement has crippled the entire operation. 2. Cannot align the riving knife to the blade since the rear vertical adjusting set screw is in such a dumb spot that it won’t even move into place. I suspect it is a defective part. 3. I hate table mounted trunnions! Well, at least I think I do because aligning this saw is terrible! I suspect that it just goes with the territory. Anyway, I have the blade to miter aligned at 90 degrees. I am getting 0.001” runout at about 50% of blade heights…yay! But, I am getting 0.005” at the other 50% of heights. Noooo! Usually it can be tweaked by wiggling the height wheel. But I don’t check between cuts with a dial indicator so I consider it unpredictable. 4. My 45 degree blade tilt alignment is poor. I am getting +-1/15000” runout from blade to miter. Do I live with it, adjust and mess up my 90 degree adjustments or what? I could tell myself now that I will rarely do angle cuts but is that true? and should I accept that? These are my biggest concerns. If you had this saw and were in my situation would you return it? I am just a amateur hobbyist at best, I don’t have 220v available and 110v cabinet saws are a little tough to come by here. The cost of this saw is right in my budget. I was really hoping to buy new since I have a ton of used tools and am tired of used. Thanks everyone |
40 replies so far
#1 posted 01-13-2014 05:13 PM |
This is just my 2 cents, but I was looking at buying the Ridgid Jointer and called Ridgid today. I was told by 2 people at Ridgid that they are no longer offering either the Jointer or table saw. -- Steve: Franklin, WI |
#2 posted 01-13-2014 05:34 PM |
Thanks for the insight Steve. I am not one to jump at speculation but that is very unsettling. Taking it back is a mission but can be done. I was almost ready to accept the flaws because of my impatient nature. :) |
#3 posted 01-13-2014 05:40 PM |
The R4512 has a well documented history of alignment problems (Google it for details). Not all are effected, but it sounds like yours might be. If it is, I’d exchange or return it for a good one. -- Happiness is like wetting your pants...everyone can see it, but only you can feel the warmth.... |
#4 posted 01-13-2014 05:43 PM |
I aligned the trunnions on mine to get the blade aligned properly. Just like with other machines, setup is never pleasant for me, but there was no major barriers. Some slight loosening of bolts, some tapping, checking with square and/or dial indicator attached to piece of wood riding in the miter slot, there was really no real issue, just a bit of hassle getting it just right. I also used a clamp in the back to dial in the alignment just right before tightening the trunnion bolts…don’t forget to remove the clamp afterwards, before angling the blade… As for alignment not staying put when the blade goes up and down, my advice is to check how much you tighten the knob on the height wheel after each move. Tighten it well and consistently. If I had 3000k burning a hole in my pocket, I would definitely buy myself a Sawstop cabinet saw or something fancy like that, but in the meantime I’ve been happy with the Ridgid personally after the initial setup. I haven’t had to touch it up since. -- David - Tucson, AZ |
#5 posted 01-13-2014 06:01 PM |
Knotscott, I have read through all those posts 100x looking for some sort of comforting response that isn’t there. haha I am hesitant to do an exchange since I do have to drive out of town since and the entire process is a bit of work. David, I have noticed that tightening the knob on the wheel does affect the accuracy. That is part of my wiggle the dial technique to keep it aligned. Glad to hear you are happy, that is reassuring. I am so torn. Options are limited but it is still a $600 investment which is substantial under the circumstances. |
#6 posted 01-13-2014 06:13 PM |
Honestly, from reading your post, the way it’s written sounds like you’ve already made up your mind (just an observation). If it were me though, at the very least I’d exchange it. The process of taking it in is going to be no worse than having to return it anyway. If the Home Depot you’re going to has another one in stock for you to check out, inspect it in the store – that way you save yourself a trip if it’s also defective. Regarding the alignment issue, I really don’t believe it’s something that has been “fixed” with a tooling change. If you look at the posts of people saying it’s been fixed or they have a problem, there is no correlation to date code. It’s my belief that this problem is a manufacturing variability issue more than anything. Bottom line – don’t just trust the date code and think you got a good one. Check it out. Unfortunately, I think this issue mars what’s an otherwise decent saw. Should you get one with proper alignment and without the other issues you mentioned, I think you’ll be happy. For every documented alignment, there’s just as many, if not more, happy owners. |
#7 posted 01-13-2014 06:33 PM |
gtbuzz, One of my personalities has made up my mind lol… I am closer to just giving up on it and being done with that saw altogether. Perhaps that is a tad premature and excessive. It took them 30 minutes to get the saw down with a forklift and it is a 2 hour round trip drive for me. I am not trying to come across as unwilling to give it a chance but I have already spent hours on “setting up” the thing only to discover this. I agree that a pre-purchase check would save a lot of trouble but I also worry if I could check it that easily in store. I admit I would feel a tad high maintenance going through one or two saws in store to check for an issue that not everyone seems to think is a problem. But that is just me. Thanks for the reply, something to consider |
#8 posted 01-13-2014 06:34 PM |
Return it? Perhaps. What would you buy to replace it? |
#9 posted 01-13-2014 06:40 PM |
And that is the problem I am facing. It seems that if I go with a new saw this is one of the top contenders. There is however a Craftex CT146 that is the exact same saw as the discontinued Ridgid T3660. My reasoning against that one was the lack of the mobile base, not as good of a warranty (although I am not overly thrilled about the support I am getting now from Ridgid) and while subjective it does not have a riving knife. The Craftex was just on sale for the exact same price as the ridgid and as a bonus it has cast extension and the fence rail is all one piece which is a huge plus over the ridgid. |
#10 posted 01-13-2014 06:56 PM |
Why not check our Grizzly. I just bought a 14” Bandsaw in November. I really like it and the build quality is fantastic. -- Steve: Franklin, WI |
#11 posted 01-13-2014 06:58 PM |
I have looked at them but it is nearly double in price once I factor in shipping etc. I have not ruled them out though it will just take a little longer to get one. |
#12 posted 01-13-2014 07:13 PM |
I just went on Grizzly’s site and a G0732 is $749 with shipping. I don’t know how much you paid for the Ridgid, but if you are having problems out of the box, what happens later down the road? -- Steve: Franklin, WI |
#13 posted 01-13-2014 07:26 PM |
Hi Steve, Well I am in Canada so the shipping will be more. If I was in the US I would buy that saw. I paid $499 ($600 after tax) for the Ridgid. I have been hit with import fees in the past and they are hard to predict. I can look into it though or look for a Canadian dealer of a comparable saw. The grizzly are an attractive price. |
#14 posted 01-13-2014 07:27 PM |
Found one here for $759 Canadian shipped. eta 1-2 months though. |
#15 posted 01-13-2014 08:13 PM |
There is a company in Canada that sells the same saws as Grizzly, but I can’t remember the name. Grizzly sells in the U.S. and this other company sells in Canada. -- Steve: Franklin, WI |
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