Synopsis: Some woodworkers say that the radial-arm saw is a dinosaur and has no place in the shop. Others, including Fine Woodworking editor William Duckworth, sing its praises as the best all-purpose cutting machine. In this article, Duckworth assembled and tested five radial-arm saws from various manufactures to determine the best features from each brand; here’s what he thought.

Mention the radial-arm saw to any online woodworking discussion in cyberspace or to a real-time gathering of woodworkers, and you’re bound to stir up trouble. Some woodworkers argue that this tool is a dinosaur—extinct—and has no place in the shop. Others still sing its praises in no uncertain terms. My intent is not to stoke any flames (hold the letters, please), but I will declare this: The radial-arm saw is not the best allpurpose cutting machine. The tablesaw has usurped that role. But if your budget allows both, you won’t regret having the use of both machines.

There can be no doubt that the advent of sliding compoundmiter saws, added to the safety concerns of radial-arm saws and the barrage of liability lawsuits manufacturers have had to defend, have all bitten into the market share of radial-arm saws sold. As an example, Fine Woodworking last published a review of radial-arm saws about 15 years ago. Three of the machines made and reviewed then are no longer available.

Even though the number of manufacturers making radial-arm saws has decreased, those that remain offer the buyer a wide range of choices. I assembled and tested five machines made by four different manufacturers. Both Delta and the Original Saw Co. offer many larger, more expensive machines. But I chose what I thought would be a fairly representative assortment that readers might be interested in. Three of the machines take a 10-in. blade; the other two take a 12-in. blade.

These are a bunch of apples and oranges

When Fine Woodworking publishes tool reviews, we’re sometimes criticized for not concluding for the readers precisely which tool they should buy. But for most woodworkers, spending money on tools is very much a budget-driven decision. So the best (and usually the most expensive) model is not an option for everyone. The radial-arm saws I looked at are good examples. With a range in price from $629 to $2,878, it’s simply unfair and unrealistic to expect that machines at the top and bottom end of that assortment are going to be even remotely similar in the quality with which they were built and the shop performance you can expect from them over a lifetime.

From Fine Woodworking #157

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