RIDGID MagSwitch Featherboard

[-MIKE-]

by MagSwitch Recently reduced in price by 10 bucks, down to $30.

I've always thought these devices were way overpriced for what they do.... and I still think the $50 ones are...... but at 30 bucks, I had to try it. And man am I glad I did.

This is one of those items you buy and immediately think to yourself, "Why didn't I get one of these years ago?"

It does what it say it does. The magnets are strong enough and the easy on/off switches are *so* much easier to deal with than turning knobs on a bolt to tighten and loosen a standard featherboard.

[J. Clarke]

Thanks for the heads-up. Been thinking about one of those for a while, have to see if Home Despot has one next time I'm in.

[Steve Lusardi]

You have to read the submitted comments rating the article. This is the comment below and he downgraded the product to 3. Idiots are everywhere.

"This item might work great, but many table saw tables are non-magnetic. It will not stick to my shopsmiths tables or my father in laws Craftsman table saw. I have yet to find anything that it will stick to. Make sure a magnet will stick to your table before buying this."

Steve

[-MIKE-]

Thanks, Steve. That was awesome!

[Robatoy]

The downside of granite saw table tops. (Also the mitre slots are raising questions.)

[-MIKE-]

And anything with an aluminum table isn't worth its weight. (thank you ladies and gentlemen, I'm hear all week, tip your waitress.)

So are the slots chipping on the rock tables?

[Leon]

I have one of those and they do hold very tightly under some circumstances. Unfortunately I often find that the best placement is directly over the miter slot and there is not much hold in that location.

[-MIKE-]

I suppose the next logical step would be to make one with a bit of lateral adjustment.

Thinking out loud... find some steel miter slot material and tap a couple holes to thread some set screws to lock it in place.

[Neil Brooks]

As the younger brother of the product rep FOR MagSwitch, I tend to agree with you. I also think their entire woodworking-applicable product line is equally useful, with resaw fences, and 'universal' MagJigs.

Signed ... the little brother with an aluminum-topped table saw :-(

[-MIKE-]

I lover their stuff, but I wish it wasn't so expensive. I think if they lowered their prices by 30 percent, they would sell 5x as many products.

My personal experience was that I would never have bought the Ridgid featherboard at 40 bucks, but $30 was enough to entice me.

[Neil Brooks]

If I disagreed, I'd argue with you ;-)

My impression (no more than that): they're trying to take their retail sales to a much higher level (more wholesale), to allow them to get their costs down, while maintaining their target margins.

Selling to, and through, a handful of distributors is MUCH simpler than a model that's largely dependent on retail outlets to move product. Requires a lot more infrastructure.

Tough economy, though, and all that stuff ....

[-MIKE-]

Hopefully some more of the bigbox stores will pick them up and they can bring the prices down. I hope they don't have an exclusive with Home Depot.

[CW]

I would say that if yoiu are going to do that, just stick with the ones that fit in the miter slot in the first place. Save some money.

[-MIKE-]

That's what I thought, but the convenience of this thing when you're on the solid surface is worth any added inconvenience when over the slot.

When setting in place, you usually have to fold the stock you are cutting on the table. You can hold the stock it in place with one hand, and with the other single hand you can hold the featherboard in place and turn the magnets on with a single finger on that same hand. One easy half turn and it's stuck down.

Most slot featherboards do not allow that and the knobs have to be turned several times to tighten.

I can set the MagSwitch in place, ready to cut, in literally a couple seconds. And when I want to take it off the table or put it back on, I simply lift it straight up or set it straight down. I don't have to slide it out the the miter slot, nor insert it into the slot, which I find to be about as convenient as buttoning a shirt with one hand.

[-MIKE-]

oops. "hold" the stock

[CW]

The feather board that I have expands in the slot to hold so there is no sliding. Just drop it in and tighten. I rarely ever find use for a feather board though.

[-MIKE-]

I have those, too, and they take quite a few turns to tighten.

Then I guess you won't be buying one.

[J. Clarke]

I have two different types of "drop in the slot and tighten" featherboards but the magnetic type just seems more convenient.

[Hoosierpopi]

Thank you all for the OP and comments on this product as I, too, looked upon it admiringly until noticing the fifty dollar price tag.

If my local HD has one at thirty bucks I'll bring it home and try it out - if it won't stick (or I don't like the way it do stick), I can always return it in a few days and get full credit - right?

Thanks again

[-MIKE-]

Yes, you can return it. I'm fairly certain the price markdown is company-wide. It wasn't a sale price or on clearance. It was a "new lower price" dealio.