Ridgid R4512 table saw, Should I keep it?

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.
Home depot still shows them on their site, but Ridgid says they don’t have any to ship and don’t know if they will continue offering them. There is no availability from Ridgid.
If it were me, I would take it back! I have enough stuff I have bought that is no longer made and can’t get parts to repair it.
I do have some Ridgid tools and like them, but if you are having problems now, do you think you will be able to get parts in the future?

-- Steve: Franklin, WI

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. :)

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....

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

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.

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.

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

Return it? Perhaps. What would you buy to replace it?
Personally, if I just bought a new Ridgid and it was giving me fits, I’d be tempted to return it and buy a used saw. Afterall, if you’re gonna spend hours adjusting a saw, you’ll feel better about adjusting a saw you paid $200 for, rather than $500.
Otherwise, about the only other play would be the new Delta from Lowes.

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.

Why not check our Grizzly. I just bought a 14” Bandsaw in November. I really like it and the build quality is fantastic.
I don’t have their table saw, but there are tons of reviews on this site and others that rate it very high.

-- Steve: Franklin, WI

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.

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?
It might be worth a few hundred more!
I live in Wisconsin and Menards sells the same saw as the Ridgid and they are closing them out for $429. I have to be honest and say I wouldn’t buy that one either just because they aren’t available anymore.

-- Steve: Franklin, WI

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.

Found one here for $759 Canadian shipped. eta 1-2 months though.

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.
Maybe someone else here can chime in with the name of the company.

-- Steve: Franklin, WI