RIKON Power Tools – Where manufactured?
SGriess58
| Posted in Power Tools and Machinery on
I recently found a brand of power tool I had not seen before and wanted to know more about them.
RIKON power tools advertises themselves as being an American company, and that they’re woodworkers who build tools for woodworkers. However, it is virtually impossible to find out where these tools are ACTUALLY manufactured. I saw a post or two on another website that asked a similar question and the answer was “over seas”. That’s a pretty broad answer.
I am specifically interested in finding out where the RIKON 18″ Deluxe Band Saw, Model 10-345, and the 3HP Table Saw with sliding table, Model 10-110A are manufactured.
Does ANYONE out there know the answer to this question?
Replies
None are made in US,though they do use some US made motors. I suspect there isn't a single answer, but that machines are sourced variously from China and Taiwan factories. But what difference does it really make? What counts is how the specifications are written and quality control assured, where ever the goods are produced.
I could be wrong but I believe that RIKON was founded by some guys who left Delta some years ago.
Rikon origin
I believe Rikon was started by the guys who used to run Woodworkers Warehouse/Trendlines.
AFAIK, Rikon is owned by Richen Enterprises. I have a Craftsman 12" bandsaw that is believed to be made by Richen Enterprises that's made in China, and has many parts in common with similar Rikon saws.
Baldor motor is available
The saw normally ships with an anonymous motor but Rikon offers a Baldor replacement (Model 13-933) built to fit this saw. Not sure if you can order the saw with the Baldor or if you have to replace the motor the saw comes with.
NO ReplY From Rikon
I wrote them an email asking the same question, "Where are your bansaws made?" That was over two weeks ago. I still have not gotten a reply. I don't know of any companies (what few are left) that manufacture their product in America, by Americans that do not loudy and proudly proclaim "MADE IN USA".
You can pay extra and get a motor made in USA. But, I suspect the rest of it is made in China, Taiwan, or some such place. No Thanks! I will spend my hard erned cash in the American economy. I will buy used.
SLC
From Rikon's website
"RIKON’s ISO9001 certified factory in located in Qingdao, China. In addition to being officially IS09001 certified, they utilize the systems of 6-Sigma and 5S Management. This assures consistent, top quality products, allowing us to stand behind our products with a 5-year warranty."
Depending on the machine' Rikon has definitely upped their game. I just bought a 14 inch bandsaw ' 10 326 model. This crushes laguna and jet. It is made in Mayanmar(Burma)
Well..., a couple things...
ISO9001 certification means you've documented a process. It can be a horribly bad process, but you've documented it.
6-Sigma and 5S are buzz-words that every manufacturer will say they're following, or inspires them.
As an American, I setup 3 China-based manufacturing entities... they will manufacture to what ever spec you pay them to - from sublime quality and tolerances to stuff not worth pushing over the side of the container ship.
The only proof is the equipment provided and the customer service behind it; and you know these only through years of products and services in the market.
From my research on different products, especially bandsaws, the Rikons have tested well, and is generally regarded as a step ahead of Delta (another Chinese company), and at least on-par with Jet - though, Jet continues to live on its reputation.
My guess is that my comments will make some people upset; but that's my view.
For the last couple of months i've been building out a hobby woodworkshop. I have attempted to contact all of the popular vendors tech support before i purchase. After looking and trying Jet and Laguna and Rikon 14" bandsaw i was 80 percent convinced i would go with the Rikon. I called Rikon Tech services . Believe it' a human answered the phone and really knew what he was talking about. Just closed the deal. The finish.,true specs and 5 yr warranty sold me. Ive had it 3 months and Not sorry for a second. A few days ago i was at a Woodcraft store and they had a Jet 12 inch variable speed next to a Rikon 12 inch variable speed. Almost identical in design' except the Jet has 1/2 hp and a metal cover. Rikon has 3/4 hp and plastic cover. Rikon looks a bit beefier and sells for at least 100 less' in my case on sale' 180 less. The Rikon table is a better design. I will update when the drill press gets here. But the saw ishands down the best. In fact' one of my buds put his Laguna 14 twelve up for sale so he can buy one.
Like the ubiquitous Ford F-150 pickup, things are made from parts supplied from a lot of places. Hard to believe how little of a Ford pickup truck is made in America anymore ;-)
Glad you found the support folks at Rikon to be so good. This was also my experience with an anomaly on a small bandsaw; they couldn't have been more helpful.
This is a deal maker/breaker for me. Useless attempts to reach Laguna and Jessem (both fine tools) many years ago still has me not even stopping to browse if I see their name on something. A stumble in this area can really hurt a seller.
Tough to get up from a first impression I guess. I've had my Laguna SUV for a coupla-3 years now and I've found them easy to get hold of and quite responsive. Perhaps they've seen the light.
I'll post a well-deserved for Oliver Equipment (I'm not associated with them, or anyone else): these guys have resurrected an excellent old brand, and have provided excellent equipment behind them. Their equipment is more for the industrial market (you won't see them advertise), and their customer service is spot-on. I have one of their oscillating spindle sanders - after burning through two Rigid machines and returning two Jet machines; my grandchildren will be using this. I had a shipping issue with the carrier, and Oliver step in, and made it right.
@_MJ_ You are correct. I am definitely pointing out how my few impressions stuck with me. Both Laguna and JessEm have had a roller coaster customer service history over the last couple of decades. I always love to hear the good stories and hope they stick. I just can't seem to stop picking the scab ;-)
I agree MJ. I have a 14/12 and after using it for a while I noticed a 0.002" lip on the outfeed side of the split where you slip the blade through on blade changes. I had resawn several logs and just started doing some finer work on boards; the leading edge would catch on that lip sometimes. I called them and spoke to a human. Without any prompting from me they sent me a whole new table. I mark that as exceptional customer service. Heck, I just filed down the offending lip and am still using the original table; it's fine. I didn't ask for a replacement...
As far as Rikon being better than Laguna, well, I bought the Laguna so you already know what I think.
Have the same issue with my 14/12. Might give them a call as I think the lip on my table is a bit more pronounced.
In my understanding, I refuse to purchase anything made in China, but after reading the coment from Mdorsam comementer # 6 according to him
Good luck with that!
adding to my comment just a few minuets ago. If Rikon hase a 5 year guarantee, I may have a second look at it. Thanks John Griffin St. Lazare Quebec, Canada.
Just to clarify one or two things.
I have spent a career in international manufacturing.
IMO, and in my experience, the issue with Chinese or Taiwan sourced goods is not the manufacturing process or the manufacturer... it is the specifications that companies request and pay for, inclusive of the tolerances, quality of bearings, service life projections, quality control, and a myriad of other factors. Also, their cost-structure is a fraction of that in American/Western manufacturing plants - considering volume (product run sizes and economies of scale), labor costs, pollution control and safety costs - I know that's a lot of things, and they all add up. I am not a fan of skimping on any of these, but as a consuming society, we demand the lowest price... at whatever cost.
Again, it is not my intent to get a soap-box or offend anyone; from my experience, this is what I know.
I have one Rikon machine, an 18" bandsaw which I've been happy with.
I had to replace the motor after about 10 years of light use, which didn't make me happy.
Unfortunately the 2HP replacement motor was unavailable, but I found a 3HP for a very reasonable price.
Qingdao in China is a very modern and hi-tech city. I've just bought the Rikon 10-326. It's interesting that in Australia it has some small differences:
≈no power outlet on the main upright
≈no hex tools
≈has micro-switches on the doors
≈has a 1.5 HP motor (240 Volts is standard mains here so that is a standard plug)
I laughed at the Rikon site advertising that it has a 'mechanical brake (natural run down)' With those large cast iron wheels and ribbed low friction drive belt it takes 15 seconds to come to a stop. I hope in the next model they put electrical braking on the machine. [that might allow it to stop in < 10 seconds] I may design a mechanical braking system for the Rikon. Two friction pads applied to the blade sides in the lower compartment controlled with a PID control system could bring the saw to a nice controlled stop in a few seconds. I looked at the Taiwan models here in Australia (Hafco / Carbatec) and although really nice machines the same price point does not take 1/4" blades. I don't know if I'll use a 1/4" blade but the machine is more versatile with that option. The Taiwanese machines still use V belt and many models are only single speed. The ability to use a lower m/second speed for acrylics is nice. (and that is probably where I'd use the smaller blade). Another thing about Chinese equipment: most all Mig / Tig welders are made in China. My Mig welder is Chinese and uses hi-spec Korean IgBJT for the switching components on really nice fibreglass boards. It's really well built. Even the variable controls on the front are not variable resistors but electronic choppers with infinite rotation and digital readout. Price: Cheap. Some really nice things are made in China today. Laguna bandsaw, I looked at and read the reviews - it's got a good brand name but it does seem there are things to know like the 'ceramic' guides which are only steel blocks coated in ceramic which wears off and they need replacing at quite a cost. I think if the product serves well and is strong and reliable, it's great. Oh... finally, where are all the onsite table saws made now? Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, Metabo, Ryobi etc.. all made in China. Sawstop is the exception. I'm really impressed each time I see the USA made Sawstop product. Bosch copied it but Sawstop sued them in litigation for breach of Patent. OK. Enough said :)
After much research and checking I went with the Rikon 10-326. What a huge disappointment. Quality issues on everything except the finish of the table. Paint and finish is terrible with overspray and discoloration. The frame welding has pits and blowouts everywhere. The table tilt trunion bearing surfaces are incredibly rough with deep gouges, tool mark chatter and some parts are not even ground, just rough casting mated to a poorly ground bearing surface. The blade adjustment arm doesn’t return to a parallel position when retightened. It has to be forced back to parallel, There are small set screw adjustments that need to be attended to for setting up the tracking to compensate for out of square manufacturing. Getting everything to track properly is an iterative process. Turn one set screw and you find yourself chasing around to come right back where you started. Sold a Delta 14” cast iron with riser block because of the need for more resawing power. Sure do miss it. Should have put a bigger motor in it. There are more issues that could be added to this rant. When I took the photo’s of the issues to the dealer I was told “What do you expect from China”. “Big Sigh” When you look at the other manufacturers they all have the same frame, table, fence and setup. My guess is they all are sourced from the same factory with a few modifications. On some the blade tension is above and on some it’s below, but it’s still the same machine. It’s now covered up and parked in the corner and hasn’t been used for a couple of months. Also the wheels on the dolly base interfere with the cabinet door in the bottom storage when you open the door. ‘Nough said. Caveat Emptor.
This combo planer/jointer unit was first designed in Germany and marketed through a company called Electra-bekum. It was sold in Canada through Record Marples - Toronto and Lachine. I purchased mine on or about 1989-90. They did not stay on the market long and now it looks like after many years a Chinese group has acquired the design and drawings and now produces it.
Mine has been a great performer for many years. the over under dust chute has been redesigned but the rest apart from the blade design ( two blade roller in my unit) appears the same. What goes around....
The 10x6 belt/disc Rikon sander I just bought is made in China.
I’d like to buy MUSA, too, but we have to live in the world that exists, not the one we want.
The quality depends more in the company their noses to grindstone.
On the Rikon lathes, the Rikon lathes are made in China. The 70-220VSR I have is made in China. If you want "made in USA" try "Robust" and One-Way" brands.
Do you like your Rikon 220vsr? Been looking at lathes, seems like a solid machine and very good warranty.
I checked out six lathes, with minimum specs of 1hp, 12x18, reverse, variable speed, 3" (or more) ram travel, warranty length. I chose the Rikon 70-220VSR. Got it April 2020, And no hick-ups as of yet. Performs better than I expected. The Ram is 3 1/2" & has measuring incruments on the ram. I purchased mine through Menards with the Menards 11% rebate sale. Delivered free to the Menards store near me. Jet was a close 2nd then Grizzly. I did consider the "Turncrafter Commander 12". Great price, but had no reverse.
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