The Delta Rockwell saws that are usually considered "best are the turret arm models (the first one you show). They are awesome saws and the turret arm is quite handy with angled cuts. The Dewalt saw usually considered best are the solid cast iron arm saw. The 1400 is one of them, they are easily identified by the elevation crank being on the top of the column. The Dewalt saws have a tumultuous history being sold a couple of times to different parent companies. It was B&D that started the cost engineering improvements that ruined the brand. That second Dewalt is one of them. It took B&D a couple of years to screw everything up, so early on in the buyout they kept producing the quality saws like the 1400. One comment about some of the older saws. They were produced in the days of steel sawblades, cutting a much thinner kerf than the sawblades of today with the carbide teeth. So these saws had what's considered a small motor, so of them have 1/2 HP, more common is the 3/4 HP. This isn't a bad thing, but when using a carbide blade you need to watch your feed rate to avoid stalling the motor. Even so, the HP ratings are "true" HP (unlike your 3 1/2 HP router). and they are adequate for most use.

 

I'm partial to the turret style saws.

I inherited Dad's Craftsman RAS (circa 1974). I couldn't get that saw to make a repeatable cut no matter what I did.

I found a Delta-Rockwell Super 990 (turret style saw, circa 1962). Bought it for $75 from Craigslist. As soon as I got the Super 990, the C-Man went out with yesterday's mashed potatoes. The Super 990 is a 9-inch saw, but it holds adjustment well and makes a great square cut every time. (Note: When I got rid of the C-Man, I also ditched the blade guard that came with it. I wish I had kept the blade guard because it would have enabled the Super 990 to use a 10" blade.)

 

The problem these days is finding a newer Delta turret. Older turrets may have problems.. After I sold a second Delta turret, I haven’t seen any on Facebook since..

 

The two main issues I’ve had with radial arms are 1)power and 2) holding 90°. I‘ve owned 3 long arm type saws - and old AMF/🙂DeWalt, a Craftsman, and a Ridgid. The DeWalt was by far the best of the three. The Craftsman was horrible and the Ridgid wasn’t much better.

Without any research I intuitively felt a turret style saw would be more solid. My last and final one is a Rockwell very similar to the one picture. Not the greatest power in the world, but with a thin kerf it does fine. No question, the best I’ve used. That said, my conclusion based on my experience with radials and sliding miters is they are not precision saws - at least not accurate enough for fine furniture or critical cuts like rails. I’ve just never gotten the degree of accuracy and reliability as a table saw sled.

I think the DW 1140 is probably a good saw. But my choice work be the Rockwell turret.

I leave mine set at 90, so far every time I’ve checked it’s unchanged. I use the jig pictured for cutting miters.

Picked this up for 50 bucks.

 

Is that miter cutter your own doing, or one from John Teneyck (woodnet)?

 

It’s mine.

 

You want a turret with locking pins.

 

Good call starting a fresh thread. Radial arms can be great, but condition matters more than brand. Check for smooth travel, solid alignment, and motor health. If you share the three models, folks here can chime in with more specific pros/cons.

 

This is an interesting twist. Someone recently posted this Ryobi RA-2500 on Facebook Marketplace in my area. Asking $150. Anyone have any experience with this one? Looks like it's barely ever been used.

 

Why do you need a Radial Arm Saw..

 

I know nothing about Ryobi, but here in KC a Delta turret is selling for $300..

 

I could be a good saw, but it would be a pass for me, just based on my own experience with Ryobi tools. I think Ryobi has made improvements, but this has to be old Ryobi, which wasn’t good at all.

 

I started with Dad's old DeWalt 7740 which was "ok" but now have a Delta/Rockwell turret which is a much better saw, at least for what I do. I think I paid $50 for the Delta. It's kind of like having a Bridgeport for wood.

 

I've had RASs on and off for some 50 years: Craftsman, DeWalt & Rockwell branded. The turret was a 16" model which was great until my guys dropped a building on it. (No, literally!). Just got another C-man 10". With RASs, moving them is what messes up the adjustments. Built into a workbench or not otherwise moved, the alignment doesn't change. rwe2156's RAS table is a great way to avoid alignment changes. Just my two-cent's worth...

 

Okay, I must admit I am a bit of a RAS nut, as I have owned several in the last 25-years or so. The reason for this is that a carefully set up, quality RAS is equivalent to a quality, well set up TS. My shop is 10x20, so a TS takes up too much space and demands center-of-the-shop positioning, whereas the RAS permanently lives against a wall. I do use a track saw for sheet goods break down and the bandsaw for ripping.

The Delta and DeWalt brands are the only ones I would consider, due to general quality and because replacement parts can be found in eBay. The Radial Arm Saw Forum over at Delphi Forums is the go-to forum for all things RAS. Here’s what I’ve had:

• DeWalt Power Shop, similar to the one you’ve shown, except the elevation crank was mounted forward on the arm (CI with plastic cover) and there was a useless angular swing gauge. Weak and the base had too much flex.

• DeWalt 790, a great relatively modern, well powered, CI arm, contractor’s saw in 12” version. The base needed reinforcement.

• Rockwell 3390 (I think that was the number) CI turret arm. An excellent, similar vintage to the 790. As a modern RAS with CI arms and front-mount elevation crank and power buttons, this model has good ergonomics, but the base needed reinforcement.

• Rockwell Delta 30C (10”-12”) and 40C (14”) Classic turret arms. These are the best IMO. They are seriously beefy contractor saws designed to be set up longer term on job sites and built to last in harsh conditions/handling. I am selling the 40C because I need the space and my track saw and bandsaw cover the cutting tasks I used it for. Once I built the proper flat/true tabletop and tuned the saws, they have cut without issue for years.

Because the tabletop is considered consumable, I use a loose 1/4” MDF cutting skin that I move around as needed to get zero-clearance cuts. The skin is inexpensive and spares my “permanent” tabletop the cutting that eventually wears them out, which then leads to poorer accuracy. The best skin I have found to be made from remnants of cheapo engineered flooring, like Pergo. Because of both faces being coated and the wear surface being a tough plastic film, these stay flat through humidity changes and wood easily slides across during cutting. The fence is also a consumable and I use primed MDF trim, available from the big box stores, because it does not splinter and yields great zero-clearance kerfs.

Be patient and better DeWalt and Rockwell Delta options will come up on Craigslist. Good luck!

In general, the post-1965’s RAS have cut a lot of corners, with the worst of which being the loss of the CI parts. Newer saws also have bases that are too narrow and too flexible to do a good job of keeping the column plumb and stable.