Upgrade to Ridgid??

[madera]

I’m relatively new at woodworking thinking of selling my two year old BT3100 and Ryobi 10” band saw to upgrade to the cast iron Ridgid versions of both. Anyone know of problems with these Ridgid products?

Thanks, JR

[Knottscott]

The Ridgid BS is nowhere near as well respected as the 3650 contractor saw. The BS tends to be prone to unacceptable vibration...some of that can be tuned out of the equation, but not all. Those issues still seem to be more prevalent than they should be, but there are many that work fine. Popular sentiment puts the Grizzly G0555 and the Craftsman 22401 higher up the list on the 14" BS bargain list.

The 3650 is considered a nice contractor saw in that price range, with a decent stock fence. The Herc lift and blade adjuster are some of it's better features. Early on it had some minor issues with motor fan blades being bent due to an oversized screw and causing some vibration....all resolved. There was a larger issue with some miscut threads on the arbor...that's been resolved too unless you get an older machine. Some earlier models had stability issues but those should be long gone too. The remaining minor knocks are the limitation of the 2-1/2" dust port vs a 4", the number of turns it takes to raise and lower the blade, and they still see a number of broken fence handles out of the box...take a peek while in the store before bringing it home.

Here's a couple of recent threads about some current TS deals. There are some discussions about the advantages of going with a hybrid TS instead of a conventional contractor saw with an outboard motor.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=32704
http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=32755

[messmaker]

You can't do much if any better than a ridgid contractor style TS. I think you might find a better BS and a very nice Hybrid TS at Sears. I think they are on sale .

[stormdog74]

Can't speak to the BS, but I have the TS and I think it is a great saw, especially for the price.

Here is some more info on it - found it useful when I was shopping for a saw:

http://benchmark.20m.com/reviews/Rid...650Review.html

[Cheeky]

I’m relatively new at woodworking thinking of selling my two year old BT3100 and Ryobi 10” band saw to upgrade to the cast iron Ridgid versions of both. Anyone know of problems with these Ridgid products?

Thanks, JR

don't think i've ever heard a negative comment about the Ridgid TS. the BS has mixed reviews. you should visit the ridgid forum for BS opinions.

[final_t]

Speaking from someone who owns the BS, I would give it a total miss and go with the Grizzly, or a Rikon if you can swing it. Otherwise, you'll be spending a lot of time and money to get it tuned up (Ridgid's tech support seems to think that slop in the mechanicals is fine and dandy and out of plane is a design feature).

[Thom2]

you should visit the ridgid forum for BS opinions.

there's my chuckle for the day LOL


I had a Ridgid BS and it served me very well as it was my first BS. It did indeed have some vibration issues that I tried and tried to work out, altho' I never did replace the tires (which I think really were the culprit), I did put a link belt on it, balanced the wheels ... blah blah blah ... it got better but still not 'right' in my mind.

I got lucky then and happened onto a 10 year old Delta 28-203 for $200'ish ... I sold the Ridgid and kept the 'old' Delta. I've gotta tell ya tho' ... WHAT A DIFFERENCE when I turn that thing on, it's night and day comparison between the two!!!!

Unless I stumble upon a powermatic or something for really decent money, I'll most likely have this Delta till the day I die. You might wanna consider looking at the used market, I was totally shocked that a 10 year old saw ran better than my 'tuned up' 2 year old unit.

[madera]

Still pondering upgrade

WOW!! What a great forum. Sounds like the Ridgid TS is solid but the BS is questionable. How does the Craftsman 22144 TS for $467 and the Craftsman 22401 BS for $379 stack up against the Ridgid TS and the Grizzly 14” BS? Have them in my Sears online shopping cart but have not pulled the trigger. They are on sale until tomorrow.

Thank you so much for all the great responses.
JR

[Ken Massingale]

As you can tell from my avatar, I really like the TS3650. I've had it for around 2 years, added a router table extension, and couldn't be happier.
I have a short piece of 2 1/2" DC hose connected to the connector on the TS and that is connected to a 4" hose, and I find the DC on the TS very adequate. The 36" rip capacity along with the room in front of the blade were important factors in my decision.
The couple of small issues/questions I had initially that resulted in calls to Ridgid support showed me that their support was excellent. Price was a factor in my decision at the time, I now could get a higher price TS but see no reason to do so. The 3650 has all the power I need and makes clean precise cuts.
HTH and good luck with whichever TS you decide to purchase.

[Stytooner]

I don't own the Ridgid TS, but I feel I should make you aware that the blade guard system on the Ridgid is the same old style guard that has been around for ages. It only has a mounting point behind the rear rail. Nothing right behind the blade. While it does a decent job, it is by far less than optimal. It does install and remove pretty quick though with just a single thumb screw behind the mount. If you are planning to put a nice outfeed table on it, you will have to make some modifications to it in order to access the blade guard mount.

OEM guards on saws that have two points of mounting are more flexible for making aftermarket or shop made splitters. Having a mounting point right behind the blade provides more stiffness to the splitter where it is needed. Just something to consider when you are looking at prospects hands on.

[drumpriest]

Overall the TS has had great review, my 2 negative comments on it are the lack of riving knife, and dust collection issues. These are true of most contractor saws, so it's not as though the Ridgid is alone in these troubles. The hybrid saws are better equipped for DC, and some of the newer upcoming models will have riving knives, as it will soon be the law of the land.

As for the BS, at 3/4 hp you can do better in the same price range. The craftsman 14" is 1hp with bigger resaw (though you can riser the Ridgid to 12", again @ 3/4 hp, you'd be better with a bit more omph).

So I suppose I'd say research places other than Home Depot for tools as you want to upgrade. You may find these are the best solutions for you, but they certainly aren't for everyone. Honestly define your needs over the expected life of the tool, the weigh the options.

That's my advice.

[russd]

Ridgid bandsaw

I have the old grey ridgid bs and have never had a problem with it Got it and a riser block when they were on clearance a few years back. Mine has been on a shop built base since day 1, maybe thats why I have never had a vibaration problem, that said IMO there are better band saws out there now,more HP ,better dust collection,larger table....

Fine woodworking magazine has a review on 14" BS in the new issuse.
http://www.taunton.com/finewoodworki....aspx?id=29198

[madera]

Thanks for the information. I ordered at Sears online, the Craftsman 22114 hybrid TS ($467) and the Craftsman 22401 14” BS ($379).
Your feedback was really helpful.
Thanks again, JR

[Knottscott]

Thanks for the information. I ordered at Sears online, the Craftsman 22114 hybrid TS ($467) and the Craftsman 22401 14” BS ($379).
Your feedback was really helpful.
Thanks again, JR

You did really well on those two for what you spent. Congrats and enjoy!