Buy the one you have been wanting... (the DeWalt) ...
2 reasons .. .and the most important one is that is the saw you really wanted... .The fancy Lazer is with doubt useful, but I still view it as a gimmick...that may make me forget the measure twice cut once rule that it took me years to understand...
Russ - yellow and black is good. It says so right in the Bible on page 139. Check it if you don't believe me. Forget the laser. You and I and millions of other wooddorkers have been making waste without a laser for millenniums without lasers. Hell, all that doggoned laser is, is an insult anyway. It's the gadget that screams out "see, I told you not to cut there" every time you get in a hurry. All right - look at it this way. Real men don't need lasers. You'll have the satisfaction of impressing all of your friends and watching the looks of marvel on their faces as you tell them you cut all of the boards for the exquisite mahogany and walnut warbledegoober the way the craftsman of old did - without a laser.
My Dewalt 'laser' consists of 1/4" masonite about 2" x 15" carpet taped to the fence. Damn if doesn't show where the blade is going to cut on either side every time
No, I don't see the problem. Get the DeWalt and be happy.
You will always have doubt with the Ridgid. Besides, the laser may be OK for framing, but I want to bring the blade down and know for sure where it will hit. I don't want to have the saw running for the laser to go on and light things up so I can make fine adjustments while a blade is spinning at
I had the DW706 until my neighbor ripped it off.... It was, and still is a great saw. You MUST factor into your evaluation that RIGID *DOESN'T" actually manufacture ANYTHING that they sell with the Rigid name. It's all outsources to presumably pays their child Indonesian labor the least so that they can provide it at the lowest cost, hence your 150 savings.
In ten years the DeWalt will probably still be running square, true, plumb and 5x5. In ten years you the Rigid will probably be 1) dead 2) impossible to get any parts for or 3) they will have switched manufacturers 5 times and you will be SOL.
Doubt is an evil mistress. In ten years, you won't remember the hundred bucks or so you saved - and you'll STILL have to shell out for what you REALLY did want, the DeWalt.
Case in point - about 6 years ago I purchased a Rigid "Lunchbox" planer the T1300, I think.... It was about 400 bucks. I *really* wanted a stationery planer but was impatient. Today, I need, and have needed a the real thing, a stationery planer, for several years. I wish I had saved my sheckles for a bit longer and spent another 3 or 400 bucks. Now I'll have to drop
9-1,400 to get what I want and I've already spent 400 bucks on the Rigid.
The suggestion about picking up a refurbished unit is a GREAT one. I picked up a DeWalt 12 volt drill with 2 batteries for about 100 bucks at Harbor Freight and have beat the hell out of that drill for 7 years. Only this year has one of the battery packs gone kaput. I did have another cheaper drill and it didn't last even a year or have near the power or endurance. So, check HF as well for refurbished...
I also agree with the other posts - piffle on the laser gizmos... Learn the craftsmanship to make you cuts accurate and you'll gain an additional measure of satisfaction.
You didn't mention what you will use it for. If it will see a lot of action outside, I have doubts about the visibility of the laser. But since I haven't used a laser outside, I may be wrong. I have to wonder if the salesman was pushing the Ridgid for a reason? I know they don't get a commission, so maybe he was being helpful.
If it helps at all, I have a crew of 8 framers do> It is finally time to buy the 12" slidding compound miter saw I have
I own a 100 year old home. I am always 7 projects away from finished. Not only that but I read Fine Wood Working. The plan is to someday actually do some fine woodworking. (I have two kids under 4 so I tend to do projects in 20 minute spurts. Not condusive to fine wood working) However this to shall pass.
My table saw is a MiniMax scoring table saw with a 1"arbor and most of my blades are 12" blades. Not only that I recently bought 3 brand new Sytimatic 12" blades for 40 bucks. So I lean toward the 12" miter saw. (yes I know I slipped in a gloat there.)
Speaking of 1" Arbors. do you think I could find a good deal on a dado blade set have them drilled to 1" and still have them cut true?
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