# To own a radial arm saw or not to own a radial arm saw?



## lumberdollys (Aug 28, 2015)

Which radial arm saw is better?
Dewalt vs Delta?
Both are early models, back when tools were meant to last. That time period.
Is a radial arm saw worth the space it takes up in a small hobby shop?

-CrossGrain Wood Products,


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## HerringImpaired (Mar 13, 2019)

I've got a sweet Dewalt Powershop 7770 in my shop. Too bad I never use it. Last time it was used was when I built my hot tub gazebo abut 12 years ago. I'd sell it, but you can't hardly give them away…. I see decent RAS's not sell at dirt cheap prices, $50 or less…. If you do a lot of work with dimensional lumber, then an RAS might be useful. YMMV


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## KTNC (Sep 12, 2017)

Hi lumberdollys:

About a month ago another lumberjock had a similar question. I made extensive comments there - reply #5. 
https://www.lumberjocks.com/topics/306785

In addition to the saws mentioned in that other post, I just finished restoring a 1950s DeWalt. Wonderful machine.

regards, Kerry


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## SMP (Aug 29, 2018)

I had an old Craftsman from the 60s that worked well. I used it quite a bit until I got my 12" SCMS. Its basically a more dangerous version of the SCMS. I tried using the various attachments, including the scariest machine known to man - the RAS with the molding cutter installed. After getting my SCMS, the RAS became my longer dado machine. Eventually i got sick of how much space it took up, whereas the chop saw could be stowed away in my cabinet. I tried selling it on CL for months. Was about to try to give it away, but finally some sucker took it off my hands for $20(listed for $25 for several weeks)


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## a1Jim (Aug 9, 2008)

Hi LJdollys, A lot of people have replaced their Radial arms saws with sliding Miter saws because of they take up a lot less room, there are some advantages in owning a Radial arm saw versus a sliding miter saw, one is that you can install a dado blade on a radial arm saw and you can rip boards with them, I don't usually recommend ripping wood with a RA but it is possible. Some of the old deltas are pretty solid saws.

https://www.artisticwoodstudio.com/videos


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Having had them all at one time or another I would much prefer a TS with a good sled, and a Miter saw to make rough dimension cuts. The TS with a good sled can make more precise cuts, so unless you are mostly doing dimensional lumber chopping for lawn and garden pieces, it will take your woodworking farther, faster, and safer.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I've had one for 35 years or so in my shop, except for a few years I went without….that won't happen again. I don't see them as being the only tool in the shop, and they certainly are second to a table saw…but they are incredibly useful. Much more than a miter saw (IMHO). But it does have to be one of the older cast iron arm Dewalts (I've had 5 over the years) or the Delta turret arm models…I see them as equally good in construction…and the turret arm might be more handy for angled cuts. So, if you have the room it's a really valuable tool….if not, you can get by just fine. BTW, there is another RAS I covet…a Northfield Unipoint; but those are generally not available and certainly out of reach for most hobbyists.


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## MPython (Nov 30, 2018)

My father bought a Rockwell 990 radial arm saw back new in the 1950s. I used it a lot and inherited it when he passed away. Back in the day, radial arm saws were promoted as the one-tool answer to a woodworkers many needs. It is not. Some of the operations that are do-able on this machine are terrifying. I know; I've done many of them. Some I wouldn't attempt on a bet. But it has its uses. I have mine set up as a dedicated crosscut saw with a long bench. It excels at breaking down long stock in my tiny shop. It is also good for dados and similar cuts. I've considered replacing mine with a modern sliding compound miter saw; but my set-up works well for me, so it stays. Most radial arm saws are not capable of consistent, accurate, square cuts. They require constant adjustment. Some are. The older, heavy DeWalts, Walker Turners and such, and the turret type machines are more stable than the single arm Sears Craftsman style saws. Mine is a turret style saw and is capable of accurate work, but I use it almost exclusively for rough stock breakdown and rely on my table saw for finish dimensioning. I don't rip on my saw at all; I find ripping on it scary. In my opinion, if you think of a radial arm saw as the Swiss army knife of saws, you will be disappointed. If you adjust your expectations and narrow your goals, you should be happy with a good radial arm saw.
My $.02.


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## GrantA (Jul 19, 2014)

I have 4 right now and I'm debating keeping them all or just a couple. I definitely would recommend one or two


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

The right one, yes. Like an older (pre-60s) DeWalt. And they can be had pretty cheaply ($100 or less) if you're patient.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

Why is it that RAS fell out of favor? Safety?


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

my vote is absolutely,ive had a craftsman ras for about 28 years now,this is my second one and it gets used every time im in the shop,id give up my miter saw before id give up my ras.many stay away because they say there dangerous,ive been using one since i was 12 and have never been injured yet.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

> Why is it that RAS fell out of favor? Safety?
> 
> - controlfreak


I had a RAS for 30+ years in my shop. It was a 70's vintage Craftsman that I used for crosscutting 90° only. I replaced it with a miter saw, not for safety reasons, I wanted a saw with a smaller foot print. I haven't regretted the switch.


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## JayT (May 6, 2012)

> Is a radial arm saw worth the space it takes up in a small hobby shop?
> 
> - lumberdollys


Like many woodworking questions, the answer is . . . it depends. For the work I do and the size of my shop, no, a RAS is not worth the space, a sliding miter saw handles anything I need nicely and is more compact. If you are doing a lot of crosscutting of wide boards, then it might be worth it. Only you can decide if it's an appropriate tool for your shop.

Growing up, a radial arm saw in my dad's shop was used for everything. He didn't have a table saw, so we crosscut, ripped, mitered and dadoed all with the RAS. If I had a large shop and could dedicate the space for one, I'd probably get an old cast iron beast and build it into a long bench along with a sliding miter saw. Use the RAS for 90 degree cuts and dados and the miter saw for angles. With a very small shop, I just don't have the space.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

When I started apprenticeship at 10yo the shop had a Craftsman 10" RAS that scared the crap out of me until I mastered it several years later. One of the few times I ever saw the old man have a saw accident was as he ripped down a foot square piece of 1/4" ply on the RAS. Fortunately he only lost a few layers of skin and we had to pull the work piece out of the wall. Also saw a guy at the lumberyard lose a couple of fingers on an old 12" DeWalt RAS. Safety difference is that a TS can be set for a shallow (non-amputation) cut vs the RAS has full blade exposure (amputation risk) 100% of the time. This is esp true on old RAS's without even rudimentary guards. SCMS's are much safer. Haven't had one in my shop and can't say I miss it.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

> Why is it that RAS fell out of favor? Safety?
> 
> - controlfreak


I'll offer my opinion. Sears starting touting the RAS as a one-machine-does-it-all tool. At eh same time they incorporated a different manufacturer (Emerson Electric) to build some conveniences into the saw that compromised the design. Out of all this they marketed a saw and attachments that worked extremely poorly (if at all), and even by itself the saw was a piece of crap. Once the word was out the broader story condemned all RAS machines as junk and sales fell off the cliff. Sears also had some aggressive pricing and were (probably) the market leader, making the impact greater than it should have been. In the meantime, B&D had assumed control of Dewalt and did their form of cost engineering that ruined a good solid design in the saw, just to compete with sears and the Craftsman line. So, in a nutshell…I blame it on Sears; but that's just the way I see it. There were quite a few other contributors factors to support the decline, but that's by far the largest reason (again, IMHO).


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## AlanWS (Aug 28, 2008)

> Why is it that RAS fell out of favor?


You do need to know what you are doing to use one safely, but then it can be quite safe. You should also learn to tune it up, so it can be accurate. Some of the newer ones might not be tunable to that degree, but the older Dewalts and Deltas certainly are. Read up. The Mr Sawdust book is tailored to the Dewalts, and is said to be excellent. The Eakes book has specific tuning instructions for Delta, Dewalt, and Craftsman models.

I think they fell out of favor because of the desire for new tools: a radial arm saw is much more expensive to manufacture than a miter saw of the same accuracy. So buying new, there is a large benefit to the miter saw over the RAS. That thinking has carried over to the used market, so you can get a very capable RAS at a very low price now.

With regard to the Dewalt vs Delta question, there is probably more capability difference among models of the two brands than between brands. Delta has a somewhat smaller footprint for a given capacity because of the turret design, which also makes the table more useful when you swing the arm to the left. But these only matter in very specific circumstances.

Some of the very old ones (mine is a Red Star, made before Delta bought them in 1948) lack detents that allow one to quickly return to a set angle. This could matter a lot or a little, depending on your planned use of the saw.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

As I have mentioned before I only use the Delta turret 12". If you can find better than you should buy it..


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## therealSteveN (Oct 29, 2016)

Just asking a question, not trying to start a fight.

Do any of you guys who are in favor of a RAS in the shop do your rip cuts on them? Any rips cuts.

I agree with Fred, that Sears is largely to blame for the decline in RAS in shops around the country, but for a different reason. They were advocating this wonder tool. that could do any cut, and they really pushed ripping on them.

Just wondering if anyone is ripping on their RAS?


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

I certainly don't rip on mine.


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## GrantA (Jul 19, 2014)

I have never and don't intend to make any rip cuts on a RAS

Y'all wanna see a cool RAS? It's actually called a Slash Saw, 18" blade give or take, this one had a 16 on it. I've got it partially disassembled, need to make a nice table for it. She's wearing a 5hp motor, that oughtta cut a dado…
Here's a link to some info if anyone's interested in checking it out


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Just asking a question, not trying to start a fight.
> 
> Do any of you guys who are in favor of a RAS in the shop do your rip cuts on them? Any rips cuts.
> 
> ...


ive had two sears over the last 30 yrs and never had a problem,the one i have now is about 15-18 years old and still going great.now the only thing i use mine for is doing 90 cross cuts,angles i do on the miter saw.


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## Smitty_Cabinetshop (Mar 26, 2011)

Yes, I use mine to rip whenever necessary.


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## ShopCat (Aug 7, 2008)

I would seriously consider alternatives to a RAS. Like many of the posters here my Sears Craftsman RAS was my first serious tool. I was soo glad when my wife bought me my Delta TS. I made do with the RAS, but other than construction crosscut it was never terribly accurate. Dust collection is even worse than my old Delta bandsaw, and they are infamous for having that problem. During my RAS era I was working with a lot of pine 2×4, and it was great for construction. But technology moved on and sliding chop/miters now own that industry, for very good reason.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> I would seriously consider alternatives to a RAS. Like many of the posters here my Sears Craftsman RAS was my first serious tool. I was soo glad when my wife bought me my Delta TS. I made do with the RAS, but other than construction crosscut it was never terribly accurate. Dust collection is even worse than my old Delta bandsaw, and they are infamous for having that problem. During my RAS era I was working with a lot of pine 2×4, and it was great for construction. But technology moved on and sliding chop/miters now own that industry, for very good reason.
> 
> - ShopCat


i have no problem with dust collection,as a matter of fact it's the best dust collection of any tool in my shop.check out my project on it.


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## KTNC (Sep 12, 2017)

> Do any of you guys who are in favor of a RAS in the shop do your rip cuts on them? Any rips cuts.
> 
> I agree with Fred, that Sears is largely to blame for the decline in RAS in shops around the country, but for a different reason. They were advocating this wonder tool. that could do any cut, and they really pushed ripping on them.
> 
> ...


I rip on mine. My main saw is a 1960ish Sears Craftsman saw and it's excellent and accurate. I don't have a table saw.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

hey if it works for you how can anyone argue it,right!


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## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

I don't own an RAS but if i was a smart man I would have bought a 10" RAS and a 10" miter saw for the same money i spent on the big DWS780 12" sliding compound miter saw. Which let me assure takes up as much space as most RAS saws the average person is going to own. It has an awesome kerf shadow lite which is accurate as can be but dust collection kind of sucks, it only provides a 16" cross cut, and requires a 36" deep cabinet/bench.


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## Lazyman (Aug 8, 2014)

Some RAS actually have attachments that allow you to do horizontal drilling. I don't own a miter saw or a RAS but after seeing Frank Howarth's Dewalt RAS beast, who wouldn't want one of those. I wish I had room for one. Besides, who couldn't use a little more horizontal space for tools and whatnot to collect on.


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## roofner (Feb 24, 2012)

I 've had 2 over the years. First was a rockwell used for years had big garage had the room. Got damaged from a roof leak in my garage. Second I bought where I live now I only have 10×10 shed . It was an old craftsman bought for $75 dollars and they had a program if your saw had a safety recall you got a free new table top. It was a great saw
but as others have said takes up a lot of space.


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

Watch this if you can bear it


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

Otherwise a sensible version


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## woodman71 (Apr 19, 2009)

Well hello Lumberdolly, I read your post and then hand full of replys . Maybe if no has ask the question have you ever used one, I checked your project page you don't have any post. I hope you see this and read it RAS is not for a beginner I don't know your skill level and this is my opinion. I have been woodworking since high school and have been do it a long time. The reason I say RAS is not for beginner is it saw that you can easily get confuse with. There are a lot things you can do with but it saw that not very forgiving. As no saw is but you can lost fast with RAS . Years ago I work with a guy who had RAS went to rip with it sent the board in the wrong direction rip the board out of his hands and across the room hit is hot tank luck for him all it did was put a huge dent in it. I hope you don't get discouraged but become informed to make decision that fits you


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Well hello Lumberdolly, I read your post and then hand full of replys . Maybe if no has ask the question have you ever used one, I checked your project page you don t have any post. I hope you see this and read it RAS is not for a beginner I don t know your skill level and this is my opinion. I have been woodworking since high school and have been do it a long time. The reason I say RAS is not for beginner is it saw that you can easily get confuse with. There are a lot things you can do with but it saw that not very forgiving. As no saw is but you can lost fast with RAS . Years ago I work with a guy who had RAS went to rip with it sent the board in the wrong direction rip the board out of his hands and across the room hit is hot tank luck for him all it did was put a huge dent in it. I hope you don t get discouraged but become informed to make decision that fits you
> 
> - woodman71


good points if your gonna get one learn how to do it safely,like i said i started using one when i was about 12-13 years old,i grew up with tools.it's one of my favorite tools.


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## MikeDilday (Feb 21, 2017)

I have a SawStop Pro saw and a Dewalt Sliding miter never seem to need anything else.


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## becikeja (Sep 12, 2010)

I have a 30+ year old craftsman RAS and to this day use it on almost every project.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> I have a SawStop Pro saw and a Dewalt Sliding miter never seem to need anything else.
> 
> - MikeDilday


A RAS is great for Dentil moldings or dado making of almost any kind. The table saw will do this but is more difficult with long pieces…


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

So the question was which was better Delta or Dewalt.

Does Dewalt have a locking mechanism for the arm. Not a break but a locking pin?


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## MikeDilday (Feb 21, 2017)

> So the question was which was better Delta or Dewalt.
> 
> Does Dewalt have a locking mechanism for the arm. Not a break but a locking pin?
> 
> - JackDuren


My sliding double bevel Dewalt has a slide lock for narrower boards and a lock to hold it in the down (closed) position for travel.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> So the question was which was better Delta or Dewalt.
> 
> Does Dewalt have a locking mechanism for the arm. Not a break but a locking pin?
> 
> ...





> So the question was which was better Delta or Dewalt.
> 
> Does Dewalt have a locking mechanism for the arm. Not a break but a locking pin?
> 
> ...


Is it a RADIAL ARM SAW?


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## nate22 (Jul 12, 2010)

I have a radial arm saw and it is the saw I use the most. I have been using one since I've started doing woodworking. I haven't had any problems with it and haven't got injured on it.


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

> So the question was which was better Delta or Dewalt.
> 
> Does Dewalt have a locking mechanism for the arm. Not a break but a locking pin?
> 
> - JackDuren


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

Jack, don't know which locking mechanism you refer to, but it (the older ones, solid cast iron arm)does have a positive lock on the arms and the carriage. The arm has positions machined for the 90º and the 45º positions. Coupled with a unique tapered finger it easily returns to position dead nuts. Other angles have a scale that has never worked very well on my saws, so I use an adjustable triangle to set them. The pic below of my first Dewalt you can see the miter position finger (top of the column, the lever pointing down) as well as the arm lock (the one pointing up at the back of the arm, it's actually a clamp).


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

Yes pull the pin and it locks into place…


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

So the Dewalt has the positve 45 left , 90 and 45 right pos. Locks as in the picture of the Delta. You only pull the pin to release it and reposition it in the other picture.?


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

It does not pivot on the back column….


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## wapakfred (Jul 29, 2011)

It has the stops you mentioned, but to move the arm you first release the clamp, and then lift the miter lock. After that the arm swings left/right easily. To position the arm with one of the machined stops, you reverse that process.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

The Delta also has the turn crank to lower or raise the blade in the front versus some that have it in the rear …much more convenient to get the depth correct….


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

I just can see enough to compare it to the Delta turret. I think I'd buy another Delta first….


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## robscastle (May 13, 2012)

This may be worth a read.

https://www.lumberjocks.com/PASs/blog/37392


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

Not sure the point of the post except he was being too aggressive with the RAS. Running dado blades aren't a problem. Bit there positive and must take care…


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## PaulDoug (Sep 26, 2013)

I had one for a while,,,, never again.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> I had one for a while,,,, never again.
> 
> - PaulDoug


Which one did you have? Why didn't you like it?

Some people don't like Dewalt cause it's yellow or Milwaukee cause its red. Not because the tool isn't good, they just don't like he color..


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## GaryCN (Aug 18, 2007)

> Yes, I use mine to rip whenever necessary.
> 
> - Smitty_Cabinetshop


Much safer to rip with a Skil saw using a guide, I have both a Radial and a Table but use the Track saw most of the time for rip cuts especially on larger pieces.


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## BlueRidgeDog (Jan 2, 2019)

It has uses, but is an obsolete tool. The only injuries I have been around in the shop involved one. What they can do safely is crosscut, but are they accurate enough for use? Some are, but most are not. Though I have one (storage) I would not give up floor space for it.

Those I know that use them, do so for more cabinetry work rather than furniture. The industrial one we had in the commercial shop years ago was hard wired for 90 degrees and were only used for panel work.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

obsolete i disagree with,ive used one for over 40 years and will until i die.as far as safety thats been debated to death,ive never had an injury,but you need to learn how to use one the right way.i do agree about 90 degree cuts,thats all i use mine for,not just cabinets but for all my woodworking,much faster than on a TS.they do take up some room but i have enough.


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

They have there place in the shop. I use to use mine mainly for square drawers and panels before running them through the shaper. Too many small uses and not enough to discard it….

When I worked at MantLe Craft in florence al a guy there use to make Dentil strips using a 1×6 or 1×8 at least 12-16 ft long. You should have seen him struggle using the table saw for this. It's nothing with a arm saw


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

Have used both. TS is safer. RAS has 'amputation' level of blade exposure at all times. TS blade can have limited (non-amputation level) blade exposure at all times. Same is true for any chop or SCM saw.

I inherited a chop saw for rough cutting long boards down to a more manageable length. If you have the space a RAS/chop saw with a good crosscut blade will complement your TS with a good rip blade. But, given space constraints in my particular shop I go with a small chop saw and the TS for both final crosscut and ripping (thank you Freud LU83 combo TK blade.) When I have to knock down a full sheet of ply I either get my 'one free cut' at the Borg or I break out the sawhorses and the circ saw. Circ saw makes rough crosscut that the TS easily perfects. So chop saw or RAS has limited use given the inherent danger level.

M


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## JackDuren (Oct 10, 2015)

> Have used both. TS is safer. RAS has amputation level of blade exposure at all times. TS blade can have limited (non-amputation level) blade exposure at all times. Same is true for any chop or SCM saw.
> 
> I inherited a chop saw for rough cutting long boards down to a more manageable length. If you have the space a RAS/chop saw with a good crosscut blade will complement your TS with a good rip blade. But, given space constraints in my particular shop I go with a small chop saw and the TS for both final crosscut and ripping (thank you Freud LU83 combo TK blade.) When I have to knock down a full sheet of ply I either get my one free cut at the Borg or I break out the sawhorses and the circ saw. Circ saw makes rough crosscut that the TS easily perfects. So chop saw or RAS has limited use given the inherent danger level.
> 
> ...


I wonder how many people know or knew they were suppose to run a negative cut blade on a RAS… many don't and find it more scary than it need be. Now I'm missing the end of two fingers from a tablesaw. There as dangerous as any other saw….


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

yeah pretty much every tool in the shop can be dangerous if not used properly,i guess we should all just give up woodworking that way we'll be safe!


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## LittleBlackDuck (Feb 26, 2016)

If the shekels are not totally constrained, go the *Kapex*, best move you'll ever make (other than the Rotex).


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## MalcolmLaurel (Dec 15, 2013)

I like the my RAS, don't own a table saw. On one hand the exposed blade seems dangerous, but at least you can see exactly where it is. I started with Dad's DeWalt which he bought on the advice of his chief cabinetmaker (he was a renovation contractor), but recently I replaced it with an older Delta, the kind that pivots in the center of the arm. For the kind of work I do it just makes more sense, and yes, I frequently do long rips with it. In some ways it's kind of like having a Bridgeport for lumber.


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