Rigid Tablesaw Review

Editor’s Note: This saw was recently recalled for faulty blade arbors. Apparently the blade arbor can break when the saw is equipped with a dado set. Saws affected have date codes between CD0829 and CD0837 and were sold at Home Depot stores between January 2009 and July 2009 for approximately $600.

The model number and manufacturing date code can be found on a metal plate on the rear of the cabinet. Saws with an “Arbor Inspected” sticker directly above the plate or an orange square on the outside of the package are not included in the recall.

Consumers should stop using the saw and call Ridgid (866) 539-1710 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit www.ridgid.com  to schedule a free on-site.

Ridgid Tools has a new, 1-1/2-hp tablesaw, a hybrid between a cabinet and contractor-style saw, with an attractive $600 price tag. The R4511 is a left-tilt saw that has a built-in roll-around base.

I recently gave it a test drive in the Fine Woodworking shop. Two things immediately caught my attention: a new-breed riving knife, and a top and wings (1-3/4 in. thick) made from granite.

Unlike cast iron, granite won’t rust. And while both can be machined perfectly flat at the factory, cast iron sometimes will warp slightly over time; granite won’t. On the downside, granite is more brittle than cast iron, making it susceptible to chipping if, for example, you were to drop the rip fence on it.

Power is provided by a 13-amp, TEFC motor. Like on a cabinet saw, the trunnions mount to the cabinet, a feature that makes it relatively easy to adjust the miter slots parallel to the blade should the top ever shift out of adjustment. The top was almost perfectly flat, with only a few 0.001-in. to 0.002-in. dips.

The high-profile riving knife, which includes a blade cover and pawls, was easy to remove and replace. Unlike a standard splitter, a riving knife moves up and down with the blade, staying closer to it and better preventing kickback. It also angles with the blade, meaning it can stay on the saw for those cuts. But I was disappointed that Ridgid doesn’t currently offer a low-profile riving knife (often called a shark fin) that can be used when the high-profile can’t, such as when making non-through cuts.

Using a 10-in.-dia. testing plate, I measured blade/miter-slot parallelism at 0º and 45°. At 0º, the difference was only 0.002 in. But at 45º, the measurement grew to 0.032 in. Anything more than 0.007 in. or 0.008 in. will affect the accuracy of a bevel cut. To correct it requires some time under the saw table adding shims.

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