# R4512 - 3 out of 3 at my HD had alignment problems



## Tennessee (Jul 8, 2011)

On mine, the raise/lower worm gear attached to the handle popped it's C clip, and allowed the gear to back into the moon gear attached to the motor, until the handle worm gear jammed. HD would only allow me to pack it all up and bring it in so they could send it to Atlanta, since I was over 180 days.
I decided to fix it myself and put in the proper C clips.

While in there, I studied the system and the moon gear has a way on it that rides against another way on the main frame of the unit. If they are mating, it is just about impossible for the blade to shift. There is a large shoulder bolt that rides through the main frame, and holds the motor/moon gear assembly against the frame way. Only by that bolt being loose could the blade shift. If it was bent the blade raise/lower would jam. Wonder if all these blade shifting problems go back to somebody just not tightening the bolt correctly at the factory or possibly not putting in a washer?


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## Craftsman70 (Jul 31, 2012)

Tennessee if you are right, I'll be so mad (at myself for not figuring that out). Hopefully someone else with the same saw that has the problem can try it and post the results.


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## jeffski1 (Nov 29, 2008)

sorry to hear about this…probably have to move up to a higher price point for a better performing saw…


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

I was lucky in that when I owned my 4512, it didn't have the QC problems that others have suffered with. Blade alignment was spot on and stayed that way. My probem was with the design flaw of the split rail system. If you own a 4512 and you're lucky enough to have a "good one"-i.e. one without the blade alignment problem-then simply upgrading the fence system is a realtively easy fix to the saw's fatal flaw, and you end up with a pretty nice machine for the money. I was ready to change saws so I just bought a cabinet saw and was done with it. Good luck on your next saw.


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## Marty5965 (Jan 27, 2013)

I have the Craftsman 218330, which is, I believe, pretty much the same saw and pricepoint. It does not have that issue. You might want to look at them. Sorry you were disappointed with the Ridgid.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I have one of the duds and mine is the 21833 Craftsman.
I bought it about a year before Ridgid started selling them; think it was in 2010.
I really don't understand how these saws get so many good reviews.
Even if mine did not have the problem I would still be very disappointed with it.
I have pointed out on here many times they are designed on the bleeding edge of failure.
I would be amazed if this saw lasts more than a few years of light use.


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## Craftsman70 (Jul 31, 2012)

Crank49, have you tried to figure out what the point of failure is that causes the arbor and/or trunnions to shift? Any chance its as simple as Tennessee suggested, that it could just need the right bolts tightened up


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

No, Craftsman, Shortly after I got the saw I had a cutback at work and then my job got axed. Been too busy hunting work and trying to make reduced pay (democrat economy) stretch far enough that I don't lose everything. 
Have my home and property up for sale and will be moving into my late in-laws house which is much smaller and in town when it does. They both passed away in the last 6 months and we have an extra house as a result.
On the positive side, I'll be building a new shop with some of the proceeds from selling the farm.
Think I'll fix that damn cockeyed TS with a SawStop in the coming year.


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## Craftsman70 (Jul 31, 2012)

Crank49, sorry to hear all you've been though this past year. Hope things improve.


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## aatwatch (Mar 18, 2013)

I purchased the 4512 around 5 weeks ago and have had great success. I had to take the first one back after assembling it because the cast iron top had a dent in it when I flipped it over. They took care of it but it still sucked hauling a 300 lb saw back to the store. Nevertheless, now that I am up and running I have found the saw to be nice and straight after my initial calibrations and have not experienced the arbor rocking described when raising and lowering the blade. The saw is solid and for a normal hobbyist woodworker it is a great saw at a price that you can convince your wife on.. expecially since they let me use the 20% off HF coupon!

Trying to convince the tool snobs that the 4512 is great probably won't happen but I don't care. I personally don't believe a $2000 cabinet saw is necessary for a garage hobbyist but that's just my opinion. It's kind of like playing guitar, I bet Stevie Ray could make a pawn-shop special sound a little better than a begineer with a Les Paul.

I suck at woodworking though so you probably shouldn't asborb anything I am soapboxing about!


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

I resent being called a tool snob because I object to shoddy Chinese machinery looking products being sold at a price that drives quality manufacturers out of business.

This saw is a Yugo. Some of them might get the job done for a while, but they damage the entire market in general.


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## aatwatch (Mar 18, 2013)




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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

aatwatch, I'm glad you like your 4512 after 5 weeks of ownership. Hope yours holds up for you.


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## Craftsman70 (Jul 31, 2012)

Well I got in touch with Ridgid customer service again and offered my help. I figured it would really help their quality assurance department if I could offer them a series of serial numbers in a batch sent to a store that all have the flaw. Here was their response:

"I apologize for the trouble. I have not heard of this issue. If there are saws that are doing this there could be a defect with the trunnion. I will send your information to the tech support supervisor to view in case there are others that have the issue. Unfortunately I can only suggest to take to a service center to be examined, they can order needed parts or to exchange again at Home Depot.
Best regards,

Tim B.---
One World Technologies, Inc. "

I'm crossing my fingers that they pass on to someone who is interesting in solving the problem, but realize they may ignore it.


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## kajunkraft (May 7, 2012)

I have had the 4512 for a little over a year now. It is a step up from the various contractors saws that I have used for years. I have become progessively dissapointed with Ridgid overall. I would love to have the funds and space for an honest to goodness cabinet saw and thought the 4512 would be a great compromise. It's been OK but not even close to great.


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## Craftsman70 (Jul 31, 2012)

kajunkraft - besides the possible alignment issue and the known split fence issue, what else would you say is a negative?


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## kajunkraft (May 7, 2012)

Craftsman70 I never used a saw with safety equipment until I got the 4512. Didn't know that the riving knife was not supposed to wiggle! Called Ridgid and they had no idea. I finally found three very small set screws which hold the bracket to the motor casing. Tightened them and the knife is solid. Recently my saw started bogging down when ripping cedar (soft). Seemed like an electrical problem, it even started up kind of like a soft-start router. Called Ridgid and they could only tell me to take it to a repair center. That is easier said than done! The only repair center in my area said they could not help me unload the saw and that it would be at least 4 wks. before they could even look at it. Finally I decided that the drive belt may be worn. Replaced it - better now. Really didn't mean to be too negative, overall I pretty much like the saw. Don't think I have alignment or fence issues?


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## Craftsman70 (Jul 31, 2012)

kajunkraft - that does seem premature for a belt to wear out. To summarize the issues I mentioned: The alignment issues is that a few machines don't have large enough wholes in the castings to get aligned. Then there is the blade shifting right and left with height adjustment which mine had. The split fence issue is that some people have reported the front rail sags in the middle (where the two parts meet) and causes their fence to tilt inward at the top so its not 90 with the table. They are able to fix that last issue by loosening the rail bolts setting it straight again and re-tightening the bolts. The only other thing I heard, but heard less often, was the riving knife handle sometimes becomes too hard to move without pliers or too loose like yours… but that seems minor.


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## buck_cpa (Mar 26, 2013)

I have the same issue with the raise/lower mechanism. I was raising a dado blade last night and I saw a c clamp fall out of the bottom and it wouldn't go up or down after that. I bought it 82 days ago, so I'm in luck on the return policy with HD, but quite frustrated that I have to drive that heavy mother down to HD and assemble another one - takes a good 3 hours to put together (for me at least). From my internet (re)search, it looks like this is a common problem. Otherwise, the saw is pretty solid. It boggs down a little too easy for my liking, but I guess I'd have to invest another $500 to get a saw that won't. I installed a router table setup on the right side of the saw, which is a nice feature.


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## Craftsman70 (Jul 31, 2012)

Well, its now very apparent to me that Ridgid doesn't care one bit. I had replied with them again offering more information. They said they've never head of the issue and no one else has reported it. I told them all they have to do is google it to know there is an issue. I gave them the specific HomeDepot store and managers name who has three defective ones in stock now. I wasn't trying to get one fixed or replaced since I returned mine, I am just trying to help them realize there is a problem so they can look into it for themselves, but they don't seem interested.


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## kajunkraft (May 7, 2012)

Craftsman70 - well now that you mention it, I guess I did have alignment issues. When I tried to correct it was difficult to get anything to move. I kept loosening the bolts until finally the motor fell completely out. That was not easy to get back in place! I will check my fence again when I get back to my shop on Saturday, but I do think it is OK. The removal of the riving knife is pretty easy but re-inserting it is kind of strange. My overall thing about Ridgid is very much like your comment that they don't care one bit. I have a lot of various Ridgid tools. Sometimes I get around to registering them; sometimes not. The lifetime warranty is certainly one of their major selling points, IMHO. However, it seems like a whole lot of trouble to register. They want the ORIGINAL sales recpt. (as does my accountant), the UPC thing off the box, pre-register on-line and print that out to include with your submission, blah, blah, blah. Then they tell you that it will take 12-16 weeks to be processed, by which time I have long since forgotten about it. I was using my table saw today and noticed a strange noise. You know, you just know when something doesn't sound right. Maybe a sliver of wood trapped by the blade under the plate? Looked all through and found nothing. I am beginning to wonder if this was a good purchase. I am liking Makita again. Have some Bosch tools that work fine. Porter Cable stuff seems OK. I even use a B&D belt sander that is pretty old but keeps on ticking. Have a couple of Jet tools and Grizzly. Seems the only concern at this time is the 4512.


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## cdhilburn (Jan 19, 2011)

I had the Craftsman 21833 also and sold it because of the alignment issues. I LOVED that saw and thought the fit, finish, fence, features, etc. were great for the price…if it were accurate. The 4512 is basically the same saw and I have wondered quietly for some time now why they haven't had the same issues. For the record..I love HD orange tools…not HD so much but something about that HD orange looks really good in my shop!!! Good luck getting it resolved!!!


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## SouthGalinSF (Apr 11, 2013)

I am jealous of people who got a good R4512! I bought one recently and just returned it due to the blade shifting alignment. Didn't have time today to check out another one, but the Home Depot return policy was great! I think i really wood have liked that saw.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

I noticed in the 4512 owners manual, it seems to say that to lower the blade or raise the blade, you turn it one way to lock it/unlock it, and then the opposite way to raise it or lower it.

I wonder if some of these alignment issues might be related to not locking or unlocking the blade properly prior to adjusting the height ? Not sure I totally understood the instructions. I don't own this saw but almost bought one a few months ago. Ended up getting a 3650 off of CL.

Does anyone follow what I'm saying in regards to the wording in the manual on adjusting blade height ? Perhaps you could clarify that for me ?

Have to be honest though. I find it difficult not to be skeptical when I hear someone say they encountered three saws with this defect. No disrespect meant . But to my knowledge , there aren't any recalls on this saw, and many satisfied owners .

Seems you must have been the most unluckiest purchaser ever of this particular brand.

In your defense though, one of the cons of this saw as reported by a consumer research group, has been the difficulty in aligning it properly. Otherwise it got glowing reviews. I don't think its unreasonalble to expect a saw to be accurate without resorting to shims or adjusting trunnion mounts to get an accurate saw.

Regardless, I feel bad for your experience.


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## cdhilburn (Jan 19, 2011)

Ron…I hear what you are saying. But I had the 21833 that is basically the same saw. If you look around for 21833 alignment issues you will see it everywhere. That isn't to say that they are all bad but enough to know that there is a problem. I think that there are many out there who do not use a table saw to the precision that fine woodworkers do. And that being said at that price point maybe it isn't expected to be as accurate. Hopefully it is a bad batch and he'll get a good one. If I could get an accurate 21833 or 4512 tomorrow I would take it in a heartbeat!!!!


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## Craftsman70 (Jul 31, 2012)

Ron, can't blame you for being skeptical, but that's what I encountered. I'm actually starting to think they were not "defective" and that just some of us are more picky about our saws. It would be fine as a carpentry saw. I am thinking this because I went to Sears tonight and played with the 21833. I didn't have an adjustable square with me and had to eyeball it, but I think that saw moved slightly, maybe 1/32 of an inch when changing height. It definitely moved when it hit the top, but the ridgid moved more. So, I'm starting to think its an inherent part of the design of that mechanism and some people are pickier than others. I could be wrong… I just haven't found one that goes straight up and straight down without the blade shifting a little to the side.


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## NormG (Mar 5, 2010)

I have owned the 21833 for slightly more than 3 years. I had some initial issues, but after replacing the very thin washers with thicker ones the saw has performed very well. I use thin blades in thicker stock and does not slow down at all. If I could afford one, I would by a cabinet saw


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## Lawdog (Mar 20, 2013)

Mine has the same issue but I realized that if I backed off the elevation knob the blade would settle back into place and my alignment remained true. I've just learned to live with it. Hasn't caused any problems so far. Cuts are true and blade is aligned with the miter slots.


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## Craftsman70 (Jul 31, 2012)

Lawdog, you bring up a good point for R4512 owners who come across this topic. The problem can be delt with by backing off the elevation knob every time the hieght is changed.


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## 47phord (Apr 10, 2012)

I have the Craftsman 21833 and I have to say none of the fixes mentioned here work. I have completely disassembled the blade lift mechinisim, cleaned it, retightened it, nothing helps. As far as I can tell, without any fancy measurement tools, it was machined incorrectly. In my case, the back of the blade shifts to the right as you raise the blade, no amount of monkeying with the elevation knob is going to fix that. I've learned to live with it, as I can't afford to replace it right now (or anytime in the near future), but I don't like it. Based on what I have read, it seems to depend on what day of the week your saw was built on as to whether you get a good one or not.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I have used a couple different 4512's that my students had purchased and found them all to be very good for their price range. It's a real shame that they have had the problems they have had with this saw given that it fits so well into many folks budget. Lets remember a that this saws price is not that of a Saw Stop or even a Grizzly. I know when we make a purchase the item is suppose to do what it's designed to do,but we also know that many times items that are lower priced have less bells and whistles and sometimes lack in quality and lack top notch customer service. My experience with these kinds of problems were back in the 80s when I could only afford sears saws . I had to do what others had stated here haul the saw back and forth to my local sears repair center and later on go and purchase parts that had failed all of this repeatedly for the two years I own that saw. Was I wrong for buying a cheap saw ? I don't think so,but I did learn that if I didn't want to deal with low end saws woes I needed to stretch my budget. I purchased a powermatic 66 and have been using it every since with out any problems at all for the last 25 years. This saw cost many time what the sears saw cost and was a giant stretch of my budget but I'm sure glad I made that stretch. I know for many the purchase of the 4512 is a financial stretch but before you buy one weigh carefully the possibilities that you could be one of the unlucky ones who have ended up with one of the problem saws and the actions you will need to take to overcome those problems. Have a Happy Independence day.


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