Sell SCMS in favor of RAS?

[theminor]

My dad gave me his old Radial Arm Saw recently and I've started using it for cross cuts. Right now I have it set up, sharing a fence with my Sliding Compound Miter Saw, and I have to say, I'm starting to like the RAS better, at least for cross-cutting. Admittedly, my SCMS is a 12 inch blade Harbor Freight that I got on sale for a very low price, but it has been a great tool for me so far and it was surprisingly accurate, after some adjustments. So I do like the SCMS, but I feel like the added crosscutting width capacity on the RAS is a real plus and it really is a nice, but old, machine (and don't worry, I never plan to use it for ripping, as I've heard how dangerous it can be on an RAS - I have a bt3100, so there is no need anyway).

I like the RAS so much, in fact, that I am questioning my need for a SCMS. Can anyone suggest things I will need my SCMS for now that the RAS cannot do? I can't think of any. If there is no reason not to, I'm thinking I will sell my SCMS which will also free up some valuable shop space. Any ideas?

[cgallery]

The BF is more portable and could be taken to a friend's/relative's to help w/ a project quite easily. Plus it probably won't go for much if you try to sell it. Just a couple of thoughts.

[bmyers]

Portability. I dunno, 1 think I guess it that you can't just pick up the RAS, throw it in the trunk of your car and take it to your MIL's house to score some brownie points with the wife laying down wood flooring.

But that may or may not matter to you.

A SCMS just does one thing and usually pretty good, it cuts miters. A RAS does a few more things but jigs make doing those thing better. Like cutting angles for an 8 sided clock face frame. Those sorts of stop detents are builting into a CMS while a RAS might be more trial and error to get the cut right. Even at 45 degrees, unless you have a jig for the RAS, it's a little slower to setup because there are more things to check for alignment but offers a bigger table to stage the wood.

In the end, it's all a matter of preference. Whatever you feel comfotable with safely making cuts, thats the machine to use. They both make boards shorter.

Then there is a matter of space. If you have room for 3 machines that make boards shorter then great, keep them all. If you're running out of room in the shop then walk up to the machine with the most dust on it and sell it off.

Bill

[Eric]

If you have the room I'd hold onto the SCMS and the RAS.

Then you'd be able to have a dado blade on the RAS and still use the SCMS to do your cross cuts, and still have another setup on your table saw.

If you don't have the room, or want to open up more room I'd just store the SCMS, because you're probably not going to get as much money out of the thing as it's potential usefullness is worth.

[theminor]

All very good points. Portability is important and although I'd thought about it a bit, you guys have made me think twice about the importance of a portable tool like this. I really do like the idea of having a dedicated dado cutting machine. I'll have to ponder this. I'd probably cut more dados and rabbits if I had a machine set up and ready to go for them...

[p8ntblr]

Eric makes a very good point. HF products don't have a very good resale value. And if you have to do a bunch of compound cuts you'll be glad you held on to it.

[cabinetman]

I like the ability to have both ready to use. There are times that end cuts or multiple cuts are made on the RAS and immediately taken to the SCMS. I find that doing miters and bevels on the RAS takes much more setup time than a SCMS, and then re-aligning the saw.

Blades do make a huge difference in the performance of the machines. On the RAS, a negative hook blade will be safer and easier to use and provide good cutting performance.

[mikeinkcmo]

This is what I did a few years ago and its really handy when you need two setups for dados and miters.