# Which saw would you reccommend: Porter or Ridgid?



## spunwood (Aug 20, 2010)

I just learned a rather inexpensive lesson. Yesterday, I was resawing a piece of wood on my $60 Mastercraft "10 inch saw. The wood kicked back slightly, but I returned it to its position to continue onward. Suddenly it jammed back into the opening infront of the blade. I was not using a zero tolerance insert. The blade seized up and the machine shut down. Smoke curled forth and the beast made an awful stench which my wife kept commenting on. I removed the wood, pressed the reset button, and tried to run the saw, only to experience an awful chattering and grinding noise as the blade turned.

If I had to guess, the spindle (arbor?) which hold the blade and attaches it to the motor was torqued out of position, and the motor is pretty much toasted. It is not worth fixing the machine which has served as a wonderful companion as I began my woodworking. And the machine taught me three lessons before it died: don't for a piece of wood, inspect it for knots, and USE A ZERO TOLERANCE INSERT!

On the bright side, the lesson was very inexpensive considering the price of the saw and that all of my fingers are still attached to my hand.

But now we are looking at new saws. Two that we have considered, using coupons and other discounts are:

The ridgid 4510 from HD

&

The PORTER-CABLE 10" Cast Iron Stationary Table Saw with Caster Set from Lowes

If you weren't looking at price, which is the superior saw?


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

The old adage, "A poor carpenter blames his tools" comes to mind, but then my Grandfather always said, "buy a good tool once and it will be worth the price, buy a cheap tool twice, and your money is wasted, but the somewhere along the way my wife learned on of my father's saying and shrieks, "WHADDA YA think we're made of money. SO there…. if what other people say is important then now you've got three more to weigh.

I found my Ridgid 3612 as a floor model. I've put a fair bit of money into it with blades router table, and endless jigs etc. I've been very pleased with it and have turned out some very nice pieces with it. No matter what tool you've got you've gotta have good technique to go with it. buy what makes sense for where you are in you work and the time you can play with you toys.


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## terry603 (Jun 4, 2010)

i don't remember which magazine it was.
they did a test just a few months ago with about 5-6 portable saws,dewalt,bosch,craftsman,ridgid,etc.
the bosch was considered the best by a slim margin…with the ridgid taking the final decision
because it was 150.00 less.


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## mathom7 (Jun 6, 2010)

While I wouldn't consider myself an expert, in my opinion unless you need the mobility of a portable saw choose the cabinet saw every time.

Most of the saws I've used have been work site saws, and even the best direct drive portable can't provide the accuracy and flexibility of a decent cabinet. I bought on of the Ridgid 4511, which is considered a hybrid, and I enjoy it immensely.


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## Howie (May 25, 2010)

I have a Ridgid 3650 that has been exceptional I think. Boise…it came from HD. If I had to choose between PC or Ridgid, I would take the Ridgid. Just my HO.


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## rsmith71 (Jan 26, 2010)

I've looked at the new P/C saw at Lowes. I like what I see in the store but can't find any reviews on it yet. Till I get more info on it I'll just keep my Delta.


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## spunwood (Aug 20, 2010)

Thanks folks. I really appriciate all this input.

Brandon


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## stevenhsieh (Jan 8, 2010)

First of all, what wood were you cutting?
Second what is your budget.

I suggest you to stay away from both of them

I don't want you to make the same mistake like you have with the 10" table saw you have right now,
unless you *REALLY NEED* it portable.


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## patcollins (Jul 22, 2010)

I think people are getting the traditional contractor saw and the jobsite (benchtop saw on rollers) mixed up.


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## cutmantom (Feb 2, 2010)

I have used the hitachi which I beleive is the same as the PC and I didn't like it at all, I would go towards the rigid


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## Claymation (Sep 9, 2010)

"Suddenly it jammed back into the opening infront of the blade." Not sure from your description what happened here. You did have at least the OEM insert in, right? What opening was in front of the blade? Were you ripping a very thin piece?

You can measure the spindle alignment with a good square in relation to the table saw's top and miter gauge slot. If you damaged the spindle, a mounted blade will no longer spin true. Sounds like the smoke was from binding wood. If your saw is a belt drive, the belt could be shredding and making a noise as you describe. I have an old Rockwell TS (retired) that made an awful noise when the belts start to go. The belts had "teeth/gears" on them and if they started to wear out they would scream.

Your choice of saw will depend on many factors. I am not a fan of portable saws, but if I had to pick, I go with the PC.


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## iamwelty (Nov 14, 2009)

Ridgid is where I would go… I've been pleased with all of my Ridgid tools and their warranty is "priceless"


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## woodtoyZ (Aug 19, 2010)

Its also nice to move up the food chain to a saw with a quality fence. I can't wait to upgrade my contractors saw.


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## kosta (Mar 20, 2009)

ridgid makes some really good tools and all there tools come with a lifetime warranty


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## sawblade1 (Feb 11, 2010)

Porter cable, I had nothing but good with them


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

> "If you weren't looking at price, which is the superior saw?"
> 
> I personally like option #3, Grizzly. At the beginning of summer (May 2010) I had ordered the 10" Grizzly G1023RLW for $1175, but after waiting because of an extended backorder delay (this was a new release) I ended up changing my order to an in-stock 10in. G0690 for $1150 and ordered the T10222 router table attachment for $375 to complete my dream machine.
> 
> All said and done including shipping, I paid a total of $1713 for my "Ultimate Tablesaw" w/ router table, and that was TWICE what I had originally budgeted for in a tablesaw. Now that I am several months down the road of ownership, I HAVE NO REGRETS AT ALL. I guess I should show you the tablesaw that the new Grizzly replaced so here it is. At 58 years of age I figured that I did NOT want to go through replacing the tablesaw AGAIN and wanted something that would last the rest of my life. FWIW, I think this Grizzly fits the bill. I believe what everyone on LJ has said over and over again, and that is buy a cabinet saw IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, no if's and's or but's about it.


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## davidswoodwrks (Aug 14, 2010)

I would go with the R4511 from ridgid, if you can find it on sale its 0nly $300 and *IS THE BEST SAW FOR THE MONEY!!*


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

In this case, it's more a matter of which saw type best suits you than brand name quality/loyalty. The Ridgid R4510 is a portable jobsite saw, whereas the Porter Cable PCB270TS is a full size stationary saw. Unless you NEED the portability of a jobsite saw, the stationary saws tend to have all the advantages from mass/stability, torque, table area, space in front of the blade, quiet/smooth operation, materials of construction, to long term reliability.


















Other stationary candidates in this price range are the soon to be available Ridgid R4512 and the nearly identical Craftsman 21833, allegedly both made by Dayton.


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## terrilynne (Jun 24, 2010)

You-cant-go-wrong-with-porter-cable


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## stevenhsieh (Jan 8, 2010)

The new Ridgid R4512 new table saw will coming out, 
it looks like the same design like the Craftsman 21833. But who knows.


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## RandyMarine (Mar 5, 2009)

I have the Ridgid R4511 Granite TS…I love it…my uncle has a PC TS and a Craftsman…and I think the Ridgid is the better saw…I have used all 3 and I feel the R4511 is solid, sturdy, easy to use, and the right price.


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## mark88 (Jun 8, 2009)

ridgid hands down… this one answer may make you take it…. LIFETIME WARRANTY!


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## kosta (Mar 20, 2009)

If ridigid made crappy tools and put a lifetime warranty on them then they would have gone out of business by now


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

I get the feeling there's a lot of confusion and misinformation in this thread. It's worth mentioning again…one of these is a portable jobsite saw with a direct drive universal motor, the other is a full size cast iron stationary saw with a belt drive induction motor. It's like comparing a 4 cylinder mini truck to a one ton diesel duelie. How many of you are intending to recommend a portable jobsite saw over a full size stationary saw to someone who didn't mention portability as a requirement?


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## Toughskin (Oct 8, 2009)

Every gentlemen here has their own opinion. The stationary saws such as the PC pictured above is gonna give you stability and weight that will makes cut wood a cinch. I would personally go in, play with the saws. Get an idea of the touch, how smooth the cranks turn, the feel of the fence if it seems solid and then ask the sales associate to turn it on. You will know which one you want in the end.

I own a Rigid R4511 with a granite countertop. I love the feel of it and won't be trading up anytime soon.

Before that, I had a mastercraft benchsaw mounted on a stand that would dance across the floor if you were not standing on it. I know if it would have flipped over, it would have chased me around my shop.


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## PeterH (Sep 20, 2010)

Whenever I have a question of what tool is the best I go straight to my "secret" advisor. A place where hundreds of people have actually bought used and reviewed their purchase. Amazon.com!! I just sort the products as best selling and then start my research by reading customer reviews on whatever it is I am buying.

*First type in table saw:*










*Then sort by best selling:*










Now just start with the first table saw and read what actual customers are saying about that particular saw:

Best selling table saws on Amazon.com

I have made great purchased doing my research this way.

Best of luck
Peter


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## NathanAllen (Oct 16, 2009)

Depending on space I'd strongly suggest a hybrid, while they aren't a significant step up in price the stability (weight) and fence alignment are going to be significantly safer than a benchtop. Current contractor saws (Delta, Jet, Powermatic) are in the same price range; but lack a rivving knife. Of the two you listed the PC will be more stable, which is as important of a safety feature as the fence and rivving knife.

However, in my opinion the two best value/feature table saws right now are these.

Steel City 35920 - $699, Craftsman 22116 - $799
These are starting to get thin on the ground since Woodcraft and several other retailers dropped SC tools. It's replacement, the 35990G looks like another Woodtek/Orion/Grizzly saw but is a straight contractor saw. 
The Craftsman is other remaining in the same line as the R4511s, but with the upgraded fence. This saw is one of the stand-outs in the otherwise sad Craftman branded line.

Grizzly G0715P - $758
New for Grizzly, rivving knife but otherwise same solid design as the other Grizzly table saws.

Sadly the R4511s appear to be gone, but the R4512 should be out soon and I'd take a look at it instead of the mobile R4510. If you're tight on space and want to get away as cheap as possible until you need to upgrade I'd suggest a Ryobi BT3000/3100, they're significantly safer than the standard benchtop and can be dialed in fairly well.


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## zonkers (Aug 18, 2010)

I'm lost! I just read and can't find a post on L J where somebody is selling a '94 model Unisaw with all the bells & whisles for $1600.00


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

We own the R3650, R4511 and also the portable Ridgid ts now. I love them all.

I would go with a stationary cabinet or hybrid saw and I would tend to stay away from Porter Cable. Some manufacturers are good at a few things, and Porter Cable makes great routers, otherwise a lot of their tools look "cheap" in my opinion. I do own about 8 PC routers and love those. Plus, I have in the past read a lot of bad reviews on the Hitatchi contractor saw and the porter cable TS that took Hitatchi's place at Lowes looks nearly identical.

I would look to land a cabinet saw off of CL. Or, in our case we have managed to find great value with great deals on our Ridgid TS purchases. I have spent 880.00 on all three of our Ridgid TS.


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## derosa (Aug 21, 2010)

I bought the hitachi ts that everyone keeps mentioning and I am quite happy with it. It did have the defect of the tape measure on the left side being off but otherwise is fine. I find it does build up sawdust inside that accumulates over 3-4 hours of use but having a dust collector instead of a shop vac would make a lot of difference. The adjustments are easy and setting up the blade angle guide was easy as well. The main table was nice and flat and I will be building a torsion box to replace one of the bolt on metal extensions so I can add a router table to it. Extra nice is that the rails are built to accept additional extensions so when I go to the torsion box I'll add legs and an extra 2ft of table that the fence can run on. As for power it isn't 3hp, it maybe close to that when run as 220v but at 110 it isn't, that hasn't stopped it from easily running through 2" oak and purpleheart without slowing down. Also it was the best value I could find anywhere for 400.00


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## thiel (May 21, 2009)

I find the Porter-Cable tablesaw suspicious. PC is a HANDHELD powertool brand, not a stationery brand. Makes me think that people have slapped a sticker on an import with the vague hope of capitalizing on the good PC name, even as they destroy it.

Buy a used Uni, or Delta, or even an older Craftsman. You'll be happier in the long run, and you won't feel so bad when you replace it with a cabinet saw


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## docholladay (Jan 9, 2010)

The new Porter Cable saw at Lowe's is a Delta saw. Delta and PC are the same company. The Porter Cable tools are basically the home shop series of tools that used to be sold under the Delta brand. I agree with the folks that have indicated to stay away from the direct drive saws, however, the two saws that you are looking at, are not direct drive. Every Delta or PC tool that I own (2 routers, a table saw and band saw) has been a quality tool. However, more and more, it seems that, under the PC brand, they are trying to get more and more into the consumer market. That usually means, cheaper, lower quality tools that are priced and targeted more at the mass market. I've noticed this in the lower cost cordless tools and some of the hand power tools under the PC brand. However, the same is true of the Ridgid tools. None of these are professional grade tools. However, they very well may be good tools for a home, hobby shop. However, do not have the idea that you will be getting a professional level of tool for a hobby, home shop price.


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

It's true that PC and Delta are under the same corporate umbrella, but I'm not aware of any similarites between the design of any full size Delta table saws and the PCB270TS…the Delta 36-980 contractor saw series and the Delta 36-715 hybrid series are the closest I know of, but are quite different under the hood. The PCB270TS is nearly identical to the Hitachi C10FL that Lowes discontinued…I haven't seen it for sale anywhere else, which leads me to believe that it's a model that's unique to Lowes. The only significant difference I've noted are the inclusion of a riving knife and an updated set of wheels.


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## rickf16 (Aug 5, 2008)

I had a Delta bench top model with a stand that I got from Lowes. Paid 270 for it about ten years ago. I needed help in building my entertainment center. A friend of mine has a Unisaw, 51" fence with an outfeed table. As soon as I pushed a full sheet of cherry plywood through I realized just how* crappy* my saw was. I vowed then to get a new one. A year later I bought the Steel City hybrid. Love it! It does pay to invest the money once. This saw should last me awhile. Just my 2.


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## zonkers (Aug 18, 2010)

I could be wrong but I though Delta bought portercable and then Dewalt bought Delta. Now Stanley Black & Decker owns Dewalt. It is my understanding that when Dewalt did buy out Delta was when New Yankee Workshop lost their funding / sponsorship from Delta & Portercable. Boo Hisss!
Now couple the fact that all the above mentioned brands have IMO been going down in quality over the last few years with the fact that they stopped funding Norm. Knowing all this I can't bring myself to buy their produces… Well that is until after they had already delivered my new Unisaw and Amazon sent me my Portercable dove tail jig. ;{

edit: http://www.stanleyblackanddecker.com/products-services/our-brands


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## knotscott (Feb 27, 2009)

The Delta name has been owned and/or associated with several companies…Rockwell & Milwaukee come to mind. Some 6-8 years ago, Pentair bought out PC/Delta/, etc.. 3 or 4 years ago, B&D bought Pentair which put Delta/PC/DW/B&D,etc., all under the same corporate roof. Within the last year Stanley Tool bought B&D. It's getting harder to keep track of, and harder to buy and brand name reputation….buy the tool, not the name!


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## Domer (Mar 8, 2009)

I would agree that a portable saw would only be a good choice if you have to take it to a remote location.

If I had a choice between a Delta from Lowes and a Rigid from Home Depot, I would take the Rigid every time. It looks to me that the Lowes Delta saws are a consumer grade and not as well built as the Rigids from Home Depot. If you live in a smaller town, often times these are the only choices available.

However, it you live in a larger city or near one, I would go to a Woodcraft or some other store that specializes in woodworking tool to see what they have and recommend. I have never bought a Grizzly but know lots of folks who have and read lots of reviews and all of them give Grizzly high marks in their reviews.

Another choice you have to make is between a contractor's saw, hybrid, or cabinet saw. I recently changed from a contractor's saw to a cabinet saw and really like the cabinet saw. I think the cabinet or hybrid are safer because the motor is not exposed in the back. Most cabinet saws are 3hp or more and the extra power makes the cuts smoother and therefore in my mind safer. But the 3hp requires 220.

And lastly you have a choice between new and used. Often times you can find excellent table saws on Craig's List for very good prices.

Good luck

Domer


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## spunwood (Aug 20, 2010)

Well, thank you all for your helpful input. I ended up with the PC and so far I am loving it.

Maybe I will review it later
Brandon


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## jafet10 (Sep 28, 2010)

I know this will open a can of worms, but I would go with the Sawstop contractors saw. Not just for the saftey fetures, but also the quality. I have one & I wish I had gotten it sooner , or at least a higher quality tablesaw.


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## Firewood20 (Jan 15, 2011)

Good choice spunwood! I too have the PC stationary ts. It's very sturdy and has great potential to becoming my own. I primarily like that it's not a contractors saw, I feel you loose some precision with mobility. I just finished building a zero clearance blade insert for my PC and have many other ideas! I hope to post some in the near feature.


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## Surfside (Jun 13, 2012)

Well, thank you all for your helpful input. I ended up with the PC and so far I am loving it.

Maybe I will review it later

Where's the review?


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