I was wondering if anybody had any experience with the Rigid TS3650 Contractors Table Saw. I am just a hobbiest & would only be using it for my own entertainment, although I would like to start making some furniture. (My wife wants me to make a set of bunk beds. Uh-Oh!)
Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.
Replies
I had a Craftsman saw that I think was identical. I believe that the older (3 years ago) Craftsman were made by the same company. Any way, my saw was a good contractor saw for the price and I think that the Ridgid is too. I did have a hard time keeping the trunions alligned though. The Ridgid fence seems to be one of the better in its class. However a lot of people like the general and grizzly machines better. I think that FWW agreed in a comparison.
Mike
The Ridgid 3650 is made by Ryobi's parent company. It's predecessor, the 3612 was made by Emerson and was very similar to pre-1997 Craftsman saws.
At $597 the 3650 falls short of the General Intl, Grizzly, and Bridgewood IMHO which all sport a superior Biesemeyer type fence. The Ridgid's fence and rails are lighterweight aluminum with a plastic handle, and are more likely to be damaged over time than the heavy gauge steel on the Biese fences. The Ridgid fence is also a dual locking system which locks front and rear. While it does lock down tightly, because it must be perpendicular with both the front and back rails in order for the fence to be parallel with the blade, if proper care isn't taken everytime the fence is moved, it's possible to lock it down out of parallel. The Biese t-fence design is impossible to lock out of parallel once aligned, and deflection is still very low. The Ridgid fence has a 36" capacity vs 30" for the others, but there is no option to upgrade to a 52" rip capacity like there is with the GI, Griz and BW unless you go with a $300 aftermarket upgrade. (The same upgrade on the GI is $25-$80) 52" capacity allows you to cut to the center of a 4x8' sheet.
The GI and Griz also sport a stronger motor and better cast iron miter gauges, and come with dado inserts...an accessory that has been a problem for 3650 owners to obtain. Also, all three of these machines have stronger cast iron trunnions vs die-cast zinc on the Ridgid.
On the plus side, the 3650 is available all over the place...only the GI is available through dealers of the other saws. The 3650 also has a neat mobile base built right in, although aftermarket mobile bases are available for the others or one could be built. The Ridgid also has a serpentine type belt...the v-belts found on the others can sometimes vibrate if they take a set...a link belt remedies this for ~ $20. The 3650 also has superior stock DC, but DC is fairly easily remedied on the others.
Delta and Jet both have offerings < $600, but IMO their fences are not as good as the Ridgid's. The fence and blade and the most important factors in a good TS setup. Good luck with your hunt. I might suggest you take a look at the PM, upper end Delta's and Jets (~$850) at a good wwing store, just to get a feel for what the GI, Griz and BW offer at the same price as the Ridgid. Last January, FWW mag rated the GI #1 over 8 other saws from $550>.
Edited 5/26/2004 3:13 pm ET by scotty
I'd suggest looking at the Grizzly G0444 saw. It has a Beisemeyer-clone fence and extra-nice miter gauge. The Rigid is an OK saw, but I agree with comments above about the fence (never underestimate the importance of a good fence!). Price delivered is $513.00 See the link below......
If you've never considered Grizzly products, now's a great time. Their customer service is excellent and prices great too. Not all their tools are hits, but many like the table/cabinet saws, bandsaws and jointers are good buys.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/item.cfm?itemnumber=G0444
forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)
Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
That Grizzly G0444 looks like exactly what I need. I love the fence. My only concern is that I can't put my hands on it & the hassle that I would encounter if I needed it serviced.
Grande, there's not much to "service" with a contractor's saw. If there's something wrong with it when you get it, have them take it back (never accept the package if it's banged up on the outside).
If something came up later down the road that you couldn't fix yourself, any machine repair tech can fix it. Grizzly is very good about parts, and a contractor's saw is a contractor's saw -- no mysteries about any particular brand.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Well Forestgirl, I did some reading on this Table Saw & I decided to upgrade to the G0444Z to get the cast iron wings. It also comes with a 2 hp motor (as opposed to the 1.5 hp). I ordered it today & now I can't wait for it to arrive.
Congrats, Grande. Please let us know when you get it up and purring!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Forestgirl - I guess you'll be getting your usual commission check in the mail soon! ;-)
Grande - Congrats! Hope all goes well.
Don't I wish! Heard about a gal on the radio this morning who was drawn as the winner in a "own a jockey" contest (not exactly what it was called). She gets 1% of all the jockey's winning the rest of the racing season. Too cool!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Grande,
I'd be very careful if I were you....this is how it starts....a simple little request stimulates a thought.....an idea...and a small smile forms across the face.
It is easy enough to emerse oneself in a single thought and not consider the ramifications and how one thought begets another, and another.
Please Grande stay focused !! Call dibs on the bottom bunk right away....lol.
Hey there, BG. Your warning came a bit too late!! I got that small little smile last night! My wife is hoping for a Spring baby next year (like we have any control of that!).
For what it's worth, the April 2004 issue of Workbench Mag. rated the Ridgid TS52400LS as the "Best Value" for job site saws. I know that the model that you are looking at is different but I think that it shows how far Ridgid has come. It even beat out the DeWalt and Bosch saws.
Not commenting on this particular award, but I've seen some "Best Value" awards made simply because an item was cheap; there didn't seem to be any real examination as to how well it might perform.forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
Value does not necessarily imply that the machinery is cheap. Value is the best buy for your money. The best value could mean that it is cheap. But it could also mean that it is technically superior. In fact the best value means that the combination of price COMBINED with quality makes it the best buy. That is not to imply that Ridgid is the best quality saw. But last year Wood Mag. had it second in QUALITY (performance) right behind Delta.
I know that this award miffs some of the effete snobs in the woodworking world who wouldn't be caught dead buying anything other than a Grizzly, DeWalt, or any other high priced (read overpriced) equipment. It might also interest you that I bought my first Ryobi. Talk about inexpensive (NOT CHEAP). It is their latest oscillating spindle sander and it's fantastic. Good price too - under $100. It's $250 less than my old Bosch (talk about pricey) and it runs circles around it. Now that's value! I also bought one of Ryobi's $79 2 HP plunge router. It puts my two much higher priced Craftsman routers to shame!
All I am saying is that I was one of those woodworkers that had to have equipment bragging rights in my woodworking circle of friends. But after being gouged for years, I have gotten a little smarter and began to "think outside the box" when it comes to value. For the most part I've been very pleased with some of my newer, CHEAP, equipment.
Dom - I agree with your definition of value, but have never thought of Grizzly as high priced equipment (relative to others) before. Being a direct importer with no dealers, they usually offer comparable machines for less than Delta, Jet, PM, General, DW, etc. (That's not to imply they are identical in every way as the big names, but offer similar features of good enough quality to satisfy most...) Grizzly is largely viewed as value tools by many. Come to think of it, Grizzly's top contractor saw is $525 ($600 delivered) which puts it to your door for about the same or less than the 3650. So how do you view Grizzly and DW in the same "high priced" (read overpriced) category?
Edited 6/4/2004 6:07 am ET by scotty
Please re-read my post, for instance "Not commenting on this particular award..." and where I said "some...awards."
Wish I could remember specifics, but I know I've seen a couple of "Best Value" awards go to items I thought were a total waste. Not talking about the Rigid, though.
Grizzly is one of the discount tool lines many of us turn to to save money and get better value per dollar spent. forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl ;-)Another proud member of the "I Rocked With ToolDoc Club" .... :>)
The Ridgid 3650 is the successor to the 3612, made off shore. The basic design is the same, including trunions that are easily adjusted. The tolerances on the top are similar. The fence is excellent, despite the aluminum rails and face. The fence has a different part number because of different color scheme between 3650 and 3612. (I regularly adjust my rip cuts on the 3612 to 1/64 or 1/128).
The 3650 has a few improvements over the 3612 that I own ... the motor is a TEFC rather than open. The miter slots are t slots rather than plain. Although I can't tell the difference, there is some feeling that the 3650 base isn't as stable (stiff) as the 3612.
Overall I feel that this is an excellent contractor saw. Good enough that I haven't been able to justify the Grizzly cabinet saw I have drolled over.
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Charlie Plesums Austin, Texas
http://www.plesums.com/wood
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