Ridgid - TS2400LS (Rating: 4)
I bought this saw after some research. Age old argument Bosch vs. Ridgid. It was on sale at Home Depot, so argument settled.
When I first bought it I had not shop or shed. It folded right up and sat in the living room.
Utility
I have built countless window screens, ripped trim, and even cut the 7' parts for giant garage doors with this baby. I have ripped also plywood sheets, and re-sawn chunky 2×8's with this saw. My contractor has one too and rewaws 20' beams with it.
Accuracy
I was able to set it up to fairly accurate with much tinkering and squaring of the fence, which is suprisingly accurate once monkeyed with. Crosscut accuracy greatly improved once I built a crosscut sled for this saw
Once you use a good cabinet saw by any maker you will know what they mean when they say that these saws would not be recommended for fine furniture work. The big saws are extremely heavy, their fences are solid, and
the adjustments stick. On a big saw you can rely on the fence.
That said, you can do really good work with this saw if you want to spend the time adjusting it and tuning it. I also put a good blade on the saw.
Accessories-the average
The guard is your typical junk, but I kept it on and tweaked it straight unless I was doing a through cut. It has anti-kick back pawls.
The saw comes with an average miter gauge.
I never bothered to buy a dado set, but it would probably be happier with a 6".
Accessories-the awesome
The stand is awesome. You can go all terrain with this, into a truck, up stairs, slalom through a crowded shop or job site. It is perfect.
On board storage: The gauge, fence, guard/splitter, and blades/wrenches all store on board.
Sliding table: The right table slides out so that you can do wider rips, and then slides back in for convenient storage. I have seen some people hang a router on this space.
Dust collection
Is not good. The base of the saw is open allowing dust to spill everywhere. Even with a shop vac or other system hooked up, dust is a problem. It builds up inside of the nooks and crannies too.
Price
Home Depot sells these for around $500, but if you have a credit card with them and they send you a 10 or 20% off coupon you can get it for less.
Epilogue
I placed the following ad on craigslist recently as part of a deal with my wife to get my new cabinet saw:
This is a great table saw for homeowners, contractors, and hobby woodworkers. Retails for $450 plus tax.
Comes with all original parts(miter gauge, blade, rip fence, guard) and manuals.
I took very good care of this saw and it has served me well.
Comes with awesome portable stand that lets the saw fold up into a small space. Extremely movable.
Video Review of the Saw:
Specs from the Ridgid Site:
Powerful 15 Amp motor - heavy duty power with soft start
Soft start - provides smooth starting, prolongs motor life, and reduces breaker tripping
Tool free blade guard
Retract-A-Rip™ fence and rail - maintains rip dimension accuracy to the blade, provides 25 in. rip capacity while maintaining portability
Micro adjust fence - for fine adjustments
"T" slot miter gauge and slots - provide additional accuracy for crosscutting
Single handle bevel/height adjustment - for quick, easy blade adjustments
On-board storage - keeps rip fence, miter gauge, extra blades and power cord within easy reach
I sold it for $300 bucks in about 1/2 an hour. There were several calls instantly. So the good news is that these saws hold their value.
Will I regret selling it. Maybe, if I get into working out of the home. I would buy it back at that point.
Summary
Good portable saw. I think I miss it.
I bought this saw after some research. Age old argument Bosch vs. Ridgid. It was on sale at Home Depot, so argument settled.
When I first bought it I had not shop or shed. It folded right up and sat in the living room.
Utility
I have built countless window screens, ripped trim, and even cut the 7' parts for giant garage doors with this baby. I have ripped also plywood sheets, and re-sawn chunky 2×8's with this saw. My contractor has one too and rewaws 20' beams with it.
Accuracy
I was able to set it up to fairly accurate with much tinkering and squaring of the fence, which is suprisingly accurate once monkeyed with. Crosscut accuracy greatly improved once I built a crosscut sled for this saw
Once you use a good cabinet saw by any maker you will know what they mean when they say that these saws would not be recommended for fine furniture work. The big saws are extremely heavy, their fences are solid, and
the adjustments stick. On a big saw you can rely on the fence.
That said, you can do really good work with this saw if you want to spend the time adjusting it and tuning it. I also put a good blade on the saw.
Accessories-the average
The guard is your typical junk, but I kept it on and tweaked it straight unless I was doing a through cut. It has anti-kick back pawls.
The saw comes with an average miter gauge.
I never bothered to buy a dado set, but it would probably be happier with a 6".
Accessories-the awesome
The stand is awesome. You can go all terrain with this, into a truck, up stairs, slalom through a crowded shop or job site. It is perfect.
On board storage: The gauge, fence, guard/splitter, and blades/wrenches all store on board.
Sliding table: The right table slides out so that you can do wider rips, and then slides back in for convenient storage. I have seen some people hang a router on this space.
Dust collection
Is not good. The base of the saw is open allowing dust to spill everywhere. Even with a shop vac or other system hooked up, dust is a problem. It builds up inside of the nooks and crannies too.
Price
Home Depot sells these for around $500, but if you have a credit card with them and they send you a 10 or 20% off coupon you can get it for less.
Epilogue
I placed the following ad on craigslist recently as part of a deal with my wife to get my new cabinet saw:
This is a great table saw for homeowners, contractors, and hobby woodworkers. Retails for $450 plus tax.
Comes with all original parts(miter gauge, blade, rip fence, guard) and manuals.
I took very good care of this saw and it has served me well.
Comes with awesome portable stand that lets the saw fold up into a small space. Extremely movable.
Video Review of the Saw:
Specs from the Ridgid Site:
Powerful 15 Amp motor - heavy duty power with soft start
Soft start - provides smooth starting, prolongs motor life, and reduces breaker tripping
Tool free blade guard
Retract-A-Rip™ fence and rail - maintains rip dimension accuracy to the blade, provides 25 in. rip capacity while maintaining portability
Micro adjust fence - for fine adjustments
"T" slot miter gauge and slots - provide additional accuracy for crosscutting
Single handle bevel/height adjustment - for quick, easy blade adjustments
On-board storage - keeps rip fence, miter gauge, extra blades and power cord within easy reach
I sold it for $300 bucks in about 1/2 an hour. There were several calls instantly. So the good news is that these saws hold their value.
Will I regret selling it. Maybe, if I get into working out of the home. I would buy it back at that point.
Summary
Good portable saw. I think I miss it.