# Table Saw advice



## tbaker1350 (Jan 16, 2015)

Hello everyone,

I'm looking to jump into the world of wood working. I have attempted a few small projects and have decided it's time for a decent table saw. I've narrowed my options down to the Delta 36-725 from Lowe's or the Ridgid R4512 from Home Depot. They seem to have virtually the same specs and features. I'm leaning slightly toward the Ridgid simply because of the offered lifetime warranty from Home Depot. Just loooking for some input here from folks who have experience with either of these saws. These models are pretty much at the top of my budget, at least what I'm willing to spend at this point as a new woodworking hobbyist. Thanks for the feedback.

Trey


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Between those Two saws, it comes down to the delta has a better fence, the ridgid is cheaper and uses a more traditional cast iron trunnion vs the aluminum delta. 

Keep in mind there's also the craftsman 21833 which is a bigger motor version of the ridgid. 

Given all three to choose from, I likely would pick the delta based on the fence and the mostly positive reviews it's gotten. 

The ridgid/craftsman were known to have an issue that caused the blade to come out of alignment as it elevated, but that seems to have been fixed as of late.


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Steel City cast iron*

I kinda like this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Steel-City-10-in-Cast-Iron-Contractor-Table-Saw-35990C/203012669


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

That's a great choice too, but for the price your almost the same as a grizzly 715


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Follow up question, do you have a budget max? We may be able to point you at some other good deals if we knew.


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

tbaker1350 said:


> These models are pretty much at the top of my budget, at least what I'm willing to spend at this point as a new woodworking hobbyist. Thanks for the feedback.
> 
> Trey





^ Thats for Ryan.



Between the two Id go with the Delta, and thats not from owning either but looking at both in person so take it for what you will. If I had the room for a floor mounted TS and wanted something 'new' Id go out tomorrow and buy that Delta from Lowes. It just looks like a quality unit for $599 IMHO.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Oops...missed that line. 

With that budget Id pick the delta


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## woodnthings (Jan 24, 2009)

*Hey Trey*

For what it's worth, a tablesaw will last a lifetime. I bought a 10" Craftsman some 50 years ago and it never really died, I parted it out. There's very little to wear out or go wrong. If you get one with a powerful motor, a good, accurate fence that will make your initial endeavor much less frustrating.

In my opinion the fence is the heart of the tablesaw, which is mainly used to rip boards to width, something no other tool can do well. There are other tools that crosscut very well, such as radial arm saws, miter saws and you can make a sled for your table saw that will improve it's crosscutting performance greatly.

So, knowing what I know now, I would aim high., and go for the best possible saw I could afford, even wait a while if necessary. A budget of $700 is near the bottom for a quality saw, another $300 will get you quite a bit more and $1200 will get you a GREAT 3 HP Grizzly.
I have owned a few table saws in my woodworking career and still have all but that first one. They range in price from $500 to $3500 and each has it's own good qualities. 

If you get a saw that you are not totally happy with and then want to sell it, you will not have saved any money if you can't at least break even. That's my free advice for Ya. :yes:


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

I gave the Delta a good look a few weeks ago and was surprised the quality was good and better than any other box store saw. Go for it. Nice fence style. I wish they would make it with a single piece back rail but that messes up the shipping. 

Al


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Yeah, it's essentially the delta t2 fence with a two piece rail. I don't think I've ever seen a saw in that price range with as good of a fence.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Another point...they build the delta saw all the way up to 52 inch fences and cast iron wings, so it's upgradable with factory parts of you ever want to.


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## tbaker1350 (Jan 16, 2015)

Thanks for all the input. Nice to find a forum that people actually respond to a post. I was leaning toward the Delta, you guys are just confirming what I was thinking. Home Depot needs to take a lesson from Lowe's. The Ridgid R4512 may be a nice saw, but all my area HD stores don't have a display model to look at. Heck, they don't even have the saw in stock, I would have to order it and wait for it to be shipped to the store.

I know a good saw will last many, many years. However, being that I'm just starting in this, I don't want to go too crazy and drop a bunch of cash on a table saw, as I need many other tools as well (router, blades, bits, etc). You guys know how pricey good tools are.

Trey


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## Al B Thayer (Dec 10, 2011)

Well Trey I heard HD needs the money anyway. 

Al


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

tbaker1350 said:


> I know a good saw will last many, many years. However, being that I'm just starting in this, I don't want to go too crazy and drop a bunch of cash on a table saw, as I need many other tools as well (router, blades, bits, etc). You guys know how pricey good tools are.
> 
> Trey


A table saw is one of those tools thats hard to kill. The mechanics are dead simple and generally pretty rugged, so as long as you don't abuse it and its workable out of the box the saw will be around for a very, very long time. I think theres a few guys here still using 40's and 50's era saws. 

Somewhat off topic for the post (sorry), but the other tools you mentioned are fairly inexpensive. You can get a darn good router in the 80-120 range, and a starter set of router bits for 20-50. The blade for the table saw is a bit iffier on price though. Learn from my mistakes, buy a good one at the start. Little bit expensive up front, but still cheaper than replacing a $20 blade every month and gives better results to boot. Ive been using the craftsman 50t combo blade and I love it, runs about $60-70, but everybody's got a favorite blade. 

Let us know how you like that delta. I'm thinking about pulling the trigger myself on one of those later this week, it'd be nice to see what others think of it


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## bbonifield (Feb 9, 2015)

This was a really helpful post everyone. I am currently looking to upgrade from a Ryobi RTS21, and I was looking at the Ridgid R4512. I was about to pull the trigger, and now you all have me thinking about the Delta instead. One of my big complaints with the Ryobi is how terribly inaccurate the rip fence is along with how horrible the miter gauges work. Based on everything here, it seems that the fence is a lot nicer on the Delta, and that certainly gets me closer to happiness.

Did either of you guys end up pulling the trigger on the Delta. If so, thoughts?


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

bbonifield said:


> This was a really helpful post everyone. I am currently looking to upgrade from a Ryobi RTS21, and I was looking at the Ridgid R4512. I was about to pull the trigger, and now you all have me thinking about the Delta instead. One of my big complaints with the Ryobi is how terribly inaccurate the rip fence is along with how horrible the miter gauges work. Based on everything here, it seems that the fence is a lot nicer on the Delta, and that certainly gets me closer to happiness.
> 
> Did either of you guys end up pulling the trigger on the Delta. If so, thoughts?


I havent got the money put together yet, but as soon as i have the money in hand im going to get the delta. Funnily enough, you touched on the one thing that makes the decision for me: the fence. The ridgid and delta seem identical in every other aspect, but the fence on the delta seems superior, if for no other reason than the fact that is uses the bisemeyer standard 2x3 guide rails. The ridgid fence probably works just as well, but i like knowing that if i want to swap out the fence on the delta to something like the VSC head, i can


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## dogfather (Feb 9, 2015)

I have an old delta ts back when delta meant quality, I'm sorry to say they are not these days. Not to say for the $ it will be just fine. Just remember no matter what make you decide on ,check your fence to the blade and miter slot with a dial indicator and make the appropriate adjustment. A good blade makes a huge difference as well.


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## tbaker1350 (Jan 16, 2015)

I haven't pulled the trigger yet on this table saw. I have definitely decided to go with the Delta, between all the good feedback about the saw and the overall look/feel of it at the store, I've concluded that's the one for me. BTW, Home Depot....you really might want to consider having a display model in the store for folks to look at, take a cue from Lowe's!!

I'm having to hold off on the saw until I have the $$ (come on tax refund!!) In the meanwhile, I did go ahead and purchase a router set. Went with the Bosch 1617EVSPK. Lowe's dropped the price on this 2.25amp fixed base and plunger router set from $219 to $189, plus I had a $25 off coupon and a gift card. I was like a kid in a candy store, had to have it. Bought three bits as well, Bosch 3/8" straight cut, a 3/4" straight cut, and a round-over bit, all 1/4" shank just to play with. I know, the 1/2" shank is better, tell that to Lowe's, cause there wasn't a single Bosch 1/2" shank bit on the shelf. Hoping to the the table saw soon, but no real time frame on that.

Trey


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## chirpfarm (Jan 30, 2012)

I have the Ridgid. It has been a good saw for what I use it for, but I'd really like to have the fence from the Delta. I think I'd give the Delta a shot if I were to do it over, but that saw wasn't made when I bought my Ridgid. The ridgid fence isn't terrible, but the delta is way better.


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## wumpabill39 (Dec 30, 2013)

I looked and did some research on both saws, by a far margin it is the Delta for me,love the fence


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## tbaker1350 (Jan 16, 2015)

Well, pulled the trigger and bought the Delta today. I swear I'm worse than a dang kid, just couldn't stand it anymore. Went to Lowe's for something else and just couldn't stand to walk past it anymore. I noticed that Lowe's was having a big sale this weekend and was advertising 10%-25% off appliances $399 or more. I figured it didn't hurt to ask, so I talked to a manager and asked if he could help me out any. He took $50 off, which makes this saw the same price as the Ridgid.

Like most of the reviews, I found the two-piece rail system to be a bit of a pain to assemble. Overall though, assembly wasn't that bad. I was missing 4 of the 7 screws needed to secure the rail to the track, but the 3 I had was enough to get it assembled. I'll contact Delta about the missing screws Monday. As best as my inexperienced self could tell, the blade was square to the table. Made some minor adjustments to the fence and I think I've got it pretty dang square. Saw is surprisingly quiet, runs very smooth and makes nice cuts. Plan on making a zero clearance insert pretty quickly and a cross-cut sled as well. My wife already has a list of projects for me to get started on, so this bad boy is undoubtedly going to get used.

Thanks again for all the input guys. Really helped me make what I feel is a solid investment.

Trey


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## Chamfer (Sep 6, 2014)

Congrats, Im jealous.

Let us know how you like it once youve put it through the paces.


Enjoy!


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

Congrats


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## Rebelwork (Jan 15, 2012)

Congrats on the saw:yes::yes:, Don't bother Delta with screws, have Lowes open another and give you the screws needed.


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## tbaker1350 (Jan 16, 2015)

*Saw follow up*

Ok, so a follow up on the Delta saw so far. I have made a zero-clearance insert and today finished a cross-cut sled. I figured I would have a hard time getting the fence squared. Using the 5 cut method, I was hoping to get somewhere close to .010". Amazingly, on my first attempt at setting the fence, my results were a cut that was only .004" off! Next plan is to make a router table insert for the right side of the table and a fence system that will utilize the saw's fence.

As for projects, my wife and I finished a window cornice. It's a simple design, but it's what she wanted. Thanks again for all the input, I'm quite certain I made the right choice.

Trey


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## tbaker1350 (Jan 16, 2015)

*router table addition*

My project for this weekend was adding a router table onto the right side of the table. Used the Kreg plate and leveling kit as well as a Bosch under table mount. Was a bit of a pain to get everything lined up, but it turned out pretty nice.

Dust collection was a bit of a trick, but I found a cheap solution. The saw has a 2.5" port and the Shop-vac adapters sold at Lowe's were also 2.5", so nothing would actually fit up. I used a 2 inch to 1.5" PVC coupling fitting that fit nicely over the dust port and has a screw clamp to tighten everything up. Nice fix for $4.90.


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## notskot (Feb 22, 2015)

Nice job with the RT, and congrats on the saw. If you haven't already, get the most from your investment by upgrading the stock blade. The Irwin Marples series is as good a bargain as any in the $30-$40 range. Enjoy!


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## tbaker1350 (Jan 16, 2015)

*saw blades*

I was wondering about the quality of those blades. I bought an Irwin classic 60 tooth and it's ok, but I had a good bit of tear-out on some oak plywood I was cutting, way more than I expected. I bought a Diablo 80 tooth blade which seems to cut very nice, just hoping it lasts because that was a $55 blade.


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## epicfail48 (Mar 27, 2014)

tbaker1350 said:


> I was wondering about the quality of those blades. I bought an Irwin classic 60 tooth and it's ok, but I had a good bit of tear-out on some oak plywood I was cutting, way more than I expected. I bought a Diablo 80 tooth blade which seems to cut very nice, just hoping it lasts because that was a $55 blade.


Three words: Zero-clearance insert. Wait, maybe thats two and a hyphen. Or four if you count the hyphen as a word. Anyway, a zero clearance insert does a fantastic job backing up the wood fibers so they cut instead of splintering out. Another couple tricks are put a piece of tape over where youre making the cut and use a utility knife to pre-score the cut line. Both work wonders. 

Also, i know you just bought 2 new blades but i would be remiss if i didnt recommend the 50t Craftsman combo blade:
http://www.sears.com/cm-circular-saw-blad00c50/p-00917029000P?sellerId=SEARS

Relatively inexpensive, compared to other more expensive *coughForrestcough* brands, and so far for me has done a great job of everything ive thrown at it, from ripping solid and sheet wood to crosscutting to occassional dado-ing. Is there a good verb for cutting a dado? Anyway, yeah


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## notskot (Feb 22, 2015)

tbaker1350 said:


> I was wondering about the quality of those blades. I bought an Irwin classic 60 tooth and it's ok, but I had a good bit of tear-out on some oak plywood I was cutting, way more than I expected. I bought a Diablo 80 tooth blade which seems to cut very nice, just hoping it lasts because that was a $55 blade.


I'm not a fan of the Irwin Classic or Irwin Marathon series, which are more disposable construction bladess....those are different animals than the Irwin Marples Woodworker series, which are made in Italy. (just look at the construction differences, and the carbide, etc) The Freud Diablo blades are considered good value too....also made in Italy. The Marples and Diablo lines are fairly similar.


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## laxin213 (Jan 25, 2013)

Glad to hear you're enjoying your Delta! I have a rigid contractor style table saw for about five years now and I did have the power switch replaced on it after burned out ... my rigid did not have a soft start feature and it just immediately torques up to max speed and I think that had something to do with the switch burning out.. I had to send the saw to Home Depot I brought it to a store and rigid fixed it, it took over three months I was without a saw so they do have a lifetime warranty but major inconvenience. 

+1 for the Freud blades I have a 60 tooth it rips well in quarter sawn oak and no burn marks. 

I'm waiting and saving for 3hp grizzly table saw with a big side table, also waiting on shop space. Glad to see you like the delta I saw that in store actually like 3 months ago, the fence was impressive to me


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## CcCaraway (Apr 6, 2015)

I wood recommend looking at a used tablesaw. You can often find a good used Delta unisaw, Powermatic 65 or 66, or if your lucky a General 350 for what you will pay for contractor style saw. If you are interested in using your saw for anything more than ripping 3/4 inch pine boards, like cutting 8/4 hardwood. The difference between the two is bicycles and airplanes. I spent my first several years woodworking thinking i was doing something wrong or wasn't "good" enough because of a inferior tablesaw. Cutting straight, clean, burn free is where even a twenty year old ( or 40yr old) cabinet saw will shine. As far as a fence is concerned you can retrofit any saw with a great fence. All a t/square rails consists of is a piece of 3×3 L and a 2×3 piece of tubing. After that I think the best fence on the market is made by a company called Very Super Cool Tools. Everyone with a basic T-Square should take a look. VSCT.com I am olny sharing this because I recently purchased a 3hp cabinet saw used.... made the fence rails myself. .. and bought the fence for less than you can buy a Delta, or Rigid.


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## b0y9ggz (Aug 20, 2013)

Have you checked out Craigslist? You can find great deals there.


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