Did I Blow It? Ridgid SCMS.

[Jeff]

Ok, so I saw the posts last night about Home Depot's 20% off tool sale and decided it was time to get my new Makita LS1013 10" sliding compound miter saw. $399 after the discount.

I get to the store and notice last year's Ridgid 12" sliding compound miter saw for the exact same price (from $579). Would I touch most of Ridgid's new stuff? No. But I've had great luck with Ridgid/Emerson's tools in the past. Table saw, thickness planer, joiner. It wasn't planned that way, just kind of happened over time.

Now I know that the Makita is one of the most highly rated SCMSs on the market, but given my experiences with Ridgid/Emerson tools in the past I thought "what the heck, go for the extra capacity." Plus the Ridgid cuts at

60 degrees to both sides, blah, blah, blah. All-in-all, generally a better saw *on paper*.

I'm a hobbyist, not a contractor, and I'm not a heavy-duty user of most of my stuff, so I expect this to be a good tool for me, but does anyone have any opinions on the quality/accuracy of this saw?

Actually let me re-phrase that. "Love to hear some of your opinions."

Many thanks!

Thanks.

Jeff

[Charlie Self]

Jeff asks:

You'll do fine. Had one for more than a year and no problems at all.

Right now, I'm using a Bosch 4912, and it is the current be-all and end-all of SCM saws, but it is also the priciest of all SCM saws. What it will be like in a year, I can't guess, but it's well made, the upfront controls are fantastic, and it slices persimmon and osage orange like nothing. Great original blade, too. As I recall, the original blade on the Ridgid was pretty darned good, too, though I changed it for a 96 tooth Freud fairly quickly.

Charlie Self

"Man is a reasoning rather than a reasonable animal." Alexander Hamilton