Ridgid TS - good deal?

[jussi]

So here's another saw I'm considering. The guy with the Powermatic never emailed me back. I *think* this is the TS3612. My local BORG doesn't seem to carry this model so I"m not sure. Any experience with this saw, good, bad, ugly? He said it's currently $550 at BORG, is this about right ? The lowest he'll go is $300. Great, good, or horrible deal?

[Alex from Sac.]

This looks like the version previously offered by ridgid. The current models are TS3650 and 2400 portable version. The TS 3650 is an excellent saw I replaced my BT3 with it last year. Very quiet motor compared to the BT3 excellent power and cast Iron top with great rip capacity and comes with a herculift to make it easily moved in the shop. That used model shown is no longer sold at Home Depot the current TS3650 is 550. With a new saw it comes with a lifetime warranty as long as you register it correctly and is probably not transferrrable for the used one. If you can save up the money its a great saw, but for more information on the used one check the ridgid forum on the Ridgid website and you will probaly get more specific user reviews of that model. You may even be able to get a reconditioned 3650 from Home depot or Cummins tools sells recon. Ridgid products if price is your main concern. I hope this helps good luck.

[Cheeky]

that model is no longer in production and the borg doesn't carry it anymore. The 3650 is the only contractors saw (ridgid) that the borg currently carries (it's mostly orange).

food for thought: the 3650 is $549 and goes on sale for $499 every once in a while. combine the sale price with a 10% off coupon which is roughly 450. or with a 20% if you're lucky for 400. the new ridgid's have a limited lifetime service available, this one will not.

$300 is steep IMO.

[jussi]

that model is no longer in production and the borg doesn't carry it anymore. The 3650 is the only contractors saw (ridgid) that the borg currently carries (it's mostly orange).

food for thought: the 3650 is $549 and goes on sale for $499 every once in a while. combine the sale price with a 10% off coupon which is roughly 450. or with a 20% if you're lucky for 400. the new ridgid's have a limited lifetime service available, this one will not.

$300 is steep IMO.

Good point. Both of you guys bring up the Lifetime warranty which I never considered. Btw, does that cover labor as well parts? Glad I posted here first, I was all ready to buy it. I guess I'll be waiting for another sale.

[Cheeky]

Good point. Both of you guys bring up the Lifetime warranty which I never considered. Btw, does that cover labor as well parts? Glad I posted here first, I was all ready to buy it. I guess I'll be waiting for another sale.

it's not a warranty, it's a lifetime service agreement. but yes, it covers parts and service.

Ridgid LSA

[Knottscott]

The 3612 was the last of a long line of American made Emerson iron. The manufacturing switched from Emerson to Ryobi and went offshores after this model, so it was pretty well evolved at this stage, and there should be plenty of parts available in the rare event you'll need them. The basic guts of the 3650, 3612, 2424, and older Emerson made Craftsman contractor saws are essentially the same design. It's a well proven format and has all the essentials in place to be a nice lifetime saw. Most of what changed over the years were the bolt on goodies. It has cast iron wings and a mobile base...though the wings are webbed. The motor is a US made Emerson also. The fence is very similar to the current model, the guard's intact, and I see what appears to be a dado insert. $300 seems fair....not a steal, but a fair price on a solid well made saw....I believe it was going for ~ $600-$650 when new 3-5 years ago.

I can't imagine you getting substantially more saw for $300 than this if it's in good working condition....the right seller at the right time might have something comparable for $250, but that's an unknown factor and not a significant enough difference to kill a deal on a bird in hand IMHO. A new one would cost between 50% and 85% more and wouldn't gain you alot, so if cost is a consideration, it seems that something like this saw maximizes the value of your expenditure. If a new saw with complete warranty is what you're after, you'll need to downgrade the saw or upgrade the budget. Everything on the 3612 is a standard size and many components are upgradeable down the road if you choose....fence, miter gauge, wings, motor, pulleys, belt, switch, etc. Good setup and a good blade choice are the key factors to top performance from here.

Good luck!

[sweensdv]

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say, judging by the looks of the fence, that the saw is a model 2424 and not a 3612. The 2424 was replaced by the 3612 which had some features that the 2424 didn't have such as a micro adjustment feature on the fence. Out of the box the 2424 was setup to handle cuts of 24" on both sides of the blade while the 3612 setup was for cuts 12" wide to the left of the blade and 36" wide to the right of the blade. Although you could move the rails on the 2424 over to the right to mimic the 3612 you'll need to order the support rod that comes standard with a 3612 to do that correctly.

Al in all though the differences between the 2424 and the 3612 aren't all that great. While $300 would probably be a fair price for a well maintained 3612, I think it's a little on the high end side for a TS that has seen two upgrades in features since it was introduced at least 5 years ago.

[messmaker]

I have the 2424 Which is a year or so newer than this saw but very similar. It is as good as you will need. If this saw comes with a good blade or a dado stack then it is about right, otherwise maybe $50 too high. I would have a hard time walking away, if I needed a tablesaw.

[Knottscott]

Does the 2424 have the webbed CI wings? I remember an earlier version with steel wings but dunno which model it was.

[jp_spins]

I looked at at TS3612 not too long ago, the saw was in mint condtion and the asking price was $300, I ended up passing on the saw because it was too big so I ended up buying a new TS2400. But anyway I guess that $300 may be a fair price for the saw. If you look on the Ridgid forums you will find some people who prefer the older model with the Emerson motor to the new saw.

[jussi]

I emailed him and he said its the ts2424