# Should I sell my Radial Arm Saw?



## TheThom (Jul 1, 2011)

A couple of years ago I found an old Craftsman radial arm saw at a yard sale for $75. I bought it. It was lumped with other stuff that I negotiated, so you might be able to take a few bucks off that price. I don't have the model number handy, but it comes from that window where Craftsman made some pretty awesome saws.

Anyway, it's a couple of years later and I find that I don't really use it. It needs some tweaking to make the cuts perfectly true, but after doing some reading, it sounds like those tweaks don't really last and need to be repeated frequently.

I have limited space in my garage and have this large tool that I don't really use.

My question: is there anybody out there that swears by their radial arm saw as indispensable? Does it do things that your miter and/or table saw just won't? If I sell it, what's a good price to put on it?

Thanks for your input and opinions


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I do swear by my RAS, but it's not a C'man. (had 2 in the past….more or less like yours). I now have Dewalts, and find them indispensable. You do know about the Craftsman recall? For certain models,they may give you $100 for the return of the motor, they handle everything…send you a box, have it picked up and then send a check.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I've used mine since 1978. The new shop layout does not allow the space, so I'm selling mine darn it.
Lots o' luck selling it for what it is really worth. $110.00 if you're lucky. I've seen 'em go for $50.00.
Bill


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

If there was any way you could salvage the RAS, I'd say keep it. I would not ever sell mine, and I've had it for about 26 years. In 1985 I bought 3 Craftsman tools…..a 10" table saw, a 10" RAS, and a 3 h.p. chop saw.
All 3 are still going strong today. Not one bit of trouble with any of them. The ras is used only for cross-cutting long stock…it's never moved out of 90 degrees. Once set up and tweeked, it's there. I hardly ever use my chop saw. Some time back, I built a saw cabinet (that's what I call it) and I have my chop saw and ras all on the same plane.. I can handle a 20' board easily, and it crosscuts to about 15"...It does things a chop saw can't, in my opinion, and I hope it last a long time….I'd sure miss it, cause it was American-made then…
Here's a pixs of my set-up…..


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## Sawkerf (Dec 31, 2009)

My first "serious" saw was a Craftsman RAS I bought in '76. I used it for several years, but was never really comfortable with it - and seemed to spend a lot of time adjusting it.

After I got a table saw, the RAS quickly became a place to accumulate "stuff", and was rarely used. After I got my SCMS, the RAS got sold. IIRC, I got $50 and was glad to get it. - lol

I guess there are two kinds of people - those who swear BY their RAS, and those who swear AT them. - lol


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Q: Is there anybody out there that swears by their radial arm saw as indispensable? 
A: I wouldn't part wiith my 1958-ish DeWalt MBF 9" RAS.

Q: Does it do things that your miter and/or table saw just won't?
A: Yes. The RAS does crosscuts up to 19", and my miter can't touch that. Add a dado set and it does that task better than a TS. I use my RAS for ripping as well. Could be that my TS doesn't have a great fence, but the RAS for ripping is a great tool.

Q: If I sell it, what's a good price to put on it?
A: Try $150. Can't hurt. If it doesn't sell, let it sit for awhile then list again later for $100, etc. etc. You've kept it this long, why not a few more months while you sit out a good return on investment?

PS: A nice setup like Rick has shown above, if you can make the space, adds tremendous value to the tool. I'm working on my bench like that now, BTW, but won't be including a powered miter. That only goes to 'job sites' when I need quick and dirty cross cuts of 8" widths or less…

Good luck!


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## rance (Sep 30, 2009)

If you have a sliding miter saw, you could probably dispense with it. I started with the RAS passed down from my father and used it a LOT many years ago. I'll never get rid of it, no matter how little I use it, mostly sentimental reasons.


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## richgreer (Dec 25, 2009)

I can see that I will be in the minority here. I had a Craftsman RAS and got rid of it. Part of the problem was the space it was taking up. I have 3 saws for major cuts. They are my table saw, sliding compound miter saw (SCMS) and the Festool plunge saw. There is virtually nothing the RAS can do that I can't do nicely with one of these 3 saws. I cannot do a 19" crosscut with the SCMS, but I can do that much and much more with my Festool.

It is conceivable that a dado set in a RAS is better at some things than a dado set in a TS. I think the advantage would be marginal and not sufficient to keep the RAS.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Hey Smitty,

I'm glad you give the info about using the dado set on the RAS.. I forgot to mention that. I did it for many years until I got my new Unisaw. Then I put my old Craftsman t.s back-to-back with the Uni, and now I use it to cut all my dados and rabbits..that's all it does, and the Uni for eveything else. I use the Uni, along with a crosscut sled to cut all miters, so the RAS never has to be moved out of 90. I've thought about getting a slider, and probably will if this saw ever goes out, but until then….NOT.!!

When you get your RAS cabinet built, post some pixs of it, please….I'd like to see it.. Thanks..


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

TheThom - Sorry for derailing your thread, this won't take long…

Rick - I really like what you've done re: RAS setup. I have a long wall (17' or so) that I just completed in my shop space and its' there that the cabinet will be built. Check my workshop posts; there are a couple of pictures of the partition 'in-work' and as it sits now (painted and bare). I'm more intimidated by this build that I was of my workbench, which is really strange for me. But I'm working up sketches and will start banging wood (hopefully) soon and will post.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Smitty,

Thanks for the compliment on the saw cabinet..I took a look at your shop, and I saw where you are going to build the cabinet (I think it is to the left of the drumset?). Should give you plenty of length to handle the long boards…Wow… you drink about as much coffee as I do….lol. Naw…don't be intimidated by that build…piece of cake…if you build cabinets, you can build the saw cabinet…Mine is actually 3 cabinets that I built seperate to work out the spacing for the RAS and chop saw. All are the same highth and depth, just different configurations of drawers. I designed it to fit my needs, and I had the room , so I went for it. My router table at the end (check out my shop pixs, and woodshop pixs #2 in my blogs) is the same highth as the cabinet, if I use a really long board,which is not often….
@ The Thom: Didn't mean to hijack your thread either….we just carried away with a build….lol. Sorry…


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## TheThom (Jul 1, 2011)

Rick, That is amazing. Undortunately, my current job (military) makes me move around. That prevents me from setting up something like that. But it might be enough to make me hang onto the saw for someday….

Do you find that you have to frequently adjust it to make your cuts perfectly square? Or once adjusted/manipulated does it stay. I had heard that they quickly move so I hadn't gone to the detailed trouble


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## SPHinTampa (Apr 23, 2008)

I love my RAS. Most of my projects until my closet build are done exclusively on the RAS - no TS.

However, the footprint, once you get a decent tablesaw is a problem.

However, I don't think a SCMS, once set up with extension tables, is a lot smaller and it is a lot less versatile.

I would get the John Eakes book - Tuning Your Radial Arm Saw - spend an afternoon to get it set up properly and I think you will happy.


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

I got rid of mine due to space and lack of use. A sliding compound saw can do most of what a RAS will except you can put a Dado blade on a RAS and rip with it if you want to do something that dangerous but I Imagine there are those who still do rip with RAS.


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## Rick Dennington (Aug 27, 2009)

Thom,

Thanks…...I understand about the military…..I was in the Army for several years, so I know what you're saying about moving around a lot….Now to your question: Like I said eariler, I never have to adjust mine, cause it doesn't move. Once I got it set up and adjusted where it is now (has been for about 4+ years), it's been dead-on…...But…if you have to constantly move it around, you'll have to tweek it every now and then. Not hard, just time-consuming..Hanging on to it si something to think about for when you get out of the military….The old machines like these are better built, and once fixed up, can be very beneficial.
Like Shawn said, get a good book on how to tune it up….it will help you a lot to understand things…I still have my instructions for mine…I never throw those things way…
One thing Jim mentioned: I've never ripped or even tried to rip with mine….too dangerous for me. That's what a table saw is for….


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## Jeff28078 (Aug 27, 2009)

I gave up mine years ago for a table saw and miter saw. Donated it to Habitat and took the tax deduction. I haven't missed it because like you it took up a lot of room and couldn't do everything the other two saws could.


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## BilltheDiver (Jul 2, 2010)

One of the reasons I don't part with my old Dewalt RAS is specifically because my shop is so small! I have interior floor space of 10'7"X17'. Right in the middle is my Unisaw with the xtension set up as a router table. The RAS is tucked into a corner next to the drill press (it's table is often used as a support table for the RAS). Although the Uni is on a mobile base, it would be a pain to cut long planks to length on the Uni. With the RAS I open the garage doors and have plenty of clearance and the cabinet for more storage. It actually save me space!


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

i've got a craftsman RAS i bought used about 20-25 years ago. I will always have a RAS in my shop. Its probably one of the most used pieces of equipment, second to the table saw.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

My RAS gets a workout (up, down, angled, etc.) and comes back into square without issue. And yes, I rip , with it. Matter of fact, ripped two 84" pine boards a couple hours ago and have lived to tell the tale… ;-)

As far as 'room,' I only have a table saw and RAS set up as permanent stations. They're very complimentary, and wouldn't volunteer to 'lose' either one.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

My RAS gets a workout (up, down, angled, etc.) and comes back into square without issue. And yes, I rip with it. Matter of fact, ripped a couple of 84" pine boards a couple hours ago and have lived to tell the tale…

;-)

As far as 'room,' I only have a table saw and RAS set up as permanent stations. They're very complimentary


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## Guss (Sep 19, 2011)

I really like the really old ryobi RAS for cross cutting and getting my wood to a manageable size. the one i have also has a 1/4 router and can be set up as a spindle sander. but for really accurate cuts i still prefer a tuned table saw and a good gauge. I do like my RAS a lot better than my sliding miter saw but if i had a table for it like my RAS i may like it more that I do. If I didn't have the room i would just have a table saw not the RAS


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## techbob (Jul 3, 2013)

I've used my 1960 something Craftsman RAS for cross cutting, ripping, dadoing and rabbeting sanding. The threaded spindle on the right side holds a drill chuck for mass production dowel joints in cabinet frames.
There's a lot that can be done with this cast-iron beauty.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

Some woodworkers have used these saws for years and learned all the saws ins-and-outs. Its a little unrealistic to think they are going to give any other answer to your question but to keep it. It has served many of them well for a long time.

However, if you don't have the experience with the RAS and lack the room, and use it rarely, then you have probably answered your own question.

No idea what the saws worth is ,or what you may be able to get out of it if you decide to sell.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

I purchased my Craftsman RAS used sometime back around 1993 for $50. The table top had gotten wet and was falling apart, but otherwise it was in great condition. Quick fix was to throw a piece of plywood on it with a 2×4 as a fence. I used and abused it like that for years and never had an alignment problem.. always gave me great and accurate cuts. That plywood table top did take a lot of abuse though, and eventually started looking kind of shabby. I had thought about replacing it, but never really got around to it.. then-Emerson came out with their RAS recall where they would give you a new blade guard, handle and table top for free if yours was on their recall list (or pay you $100, your choice). Sure enough, mine was one of the recalled models and a couple of weeks later, UPS delivered a big heavy box to my front door; free of charge. Was perfect timing 

If you don't use yours and it's just taking up space.. then sell it. Makes no difference if someone else finds it invaluable or not, it's YOUR use that counts. But don't expect to get much for it! The market is pretty much non-existent and they are going for pretty cheap. One option is to see if yours is on the recall list.. if it is, you can opt for the $100 offer, which is probably as much as you will get trying to sell it (at least around here; your area may be different).

Cheers,
Brad


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## uncledavid (Jun 24, 2013)

Nice set up Rick, looking at your saws gave me some ideas…


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## TheThom (Jul 1, 2011)

Wow - someone decided to revive this thread from 2 years ago.

Update: I was unable to sell the saw, even to the local pawn shop. I ultimately donated it to a local non-profit thrift store and in the space it used to take up, I now have a Delta dust collector I found for a good deal on craigslist


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## fredj (Jun 4, 2013)

I have a Craftsman RAS. Before I got a sliding table for my table saw I used the RAS a lot. Now I only use it for roughing out. In my experience RAS tend to slowly (some not so slowly) drift out of square with use. I'm sure somebody out there has one that they swear by it to be the truest saw they ever used, but I'd think that is rare. Also a RAS can be about as safe as playing in traffic. If the wood to be cut is not flat against the fence the saw can catch in the wood and jump forward. I saw a 12" RAS snag in 8/4 oak and break the steal plate at the end of the arm then spin 20 feet across a shop floor. How the man using the saw didn't loose and arm or a leg I don't know.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

I wish I had been able to keep mine, but lack of space in the new shop required me to sell it. 1978 model, used it for everything, sold it for $150.00, paid $178.00 for it new in '78.
Bill


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