New Ryobi Portable w/SMT

[cwsmith]

I was in my local (Binghamton, NY area) Home Depot this afternoon and noticed they had four boxes and a display for the RTS-31, folding-stand 10" table saw.

While I don't see it on the RyobiTools.com web site, I am suspecting that this is a new product. It is very much like the BTS-21 which I got about four years ago for use at the other house.

The current BTS-30 replaced the BTS-21 as Ryobi's folding-stand, transportable saw. But it was equipped with miter slots and a typical miter gauge. With this new RTS-31, Ryobi has brought back the SMT.

The RTS-31 has a removable guard I presume, as it wasn't on the display model. But you could see the separate riving knife which is mounted on the motor bracket. I could see, what appeared to be a yellow "latch" or lever, which looked to me, as if it allowed easy removal of either the guard or perhaps even the riving knife. Questionable, as it was mounted behind and to the left side of the arbor and could only be seen when the blade guard was removed.

Problem is, that the store has very little display room for these larger tools, and this particular saw was up about chest high in it's folded position... so a bit difficult to examine at that height and the saw did not have a blade or the guard mounted.

Price was $299, which was approximately where the older BTS-21 was priced.

In any case, I like my BTS-21 and I've come to really like the SMT. It of course is NOT a BT-3K! The SMT is not removeable from it's left-side position, nor does it have the full travel of a BT-SMT. But none-the-less, it's still a highly desireable feature for a saw of this type. On my BTS-21, a nice feature is that the SMT fence can be mounted in two different positions, offering a bit more feed space in front of the blade. (I didn't take note if that feature is still on the this new model.) The new riving knive offers significant advantage (IMO) over the fixed spreader of the older BTS-21 though.

CWS

[gpro]

Good Buy?

I'm new to the forum and I just sold my old delta benchtop. I'm looking for a replacement and I have had my eye on this model. I pasted link of the manual for those interested. It seems like a good buy.

http://manuals.ryobitools.com/system...1_eng.pdf?2012

[Pappy]

Interesting. The SMT is adjustable with like the BT3 and the blade is adjustable to the rails/fence.

[dbhost]

I didn't have time to examine it closely, but the League City, Texas location on the Gulf Freeway had one out on display. It looks an awful lot like the BTS-21.

I had one of those saws, and assuming they fixed the lack of SMT adjustment, and gave it a decent riving knife, it might be a nice little saw...

[cwsmith]

gpro,

Welcome to the BT3Central forum!

Thanks for posting the RTS-31 manual. Did you find that on the Ryobi website... I couldn't find any information about this new saw there, at least at the time of my post.

I'll have to compare it my RTS-21 manual and see what other improvements or changes they have made; so, thanks again.

CWS

[gpro]

CWS,

I was googling around about the RTS31 and I ran into this forum. One of the other search results was the manual. I found it on Ryobi's website but it is not linked from their main web page. A lot of their manual is listed on the link below even the older models. You may be able to find the RTS-21 on their as well.


http://manuals.ryobitools.com/

gpro

[cwsmith]

Gpro,

Thanks for the link, I did download the RTS31 from your post and the RTS-21 when I purchased that particular saw some three years ago.

I try to find and download all my tool manuals either before or shortly after any purchase. I then take the "hard-copy" and store it in a plastic document bag, keeping them collected in storage folders (yeah, a bit overboard, perhaps )

I've spent my career as a technical illustrator and writer and documentation specialist. So even manuals for my oldest tools are usually backed up, even if I have to make the PDF myself (as was the case with my 1973, Craftsman RAS manual).

I generally do the same thing with projects, drawing them and keeping notes and specs documented and often in digital format too. Even my tool purchases and specs are databased. Just a weird part of my character I think!

CWS

[cwsmith]

Well today I'm back in Painted Post, so I took a look at my BTS21 and did some comparison to the new RTS31, at least as far as the manual would tell me.

Biggest difference is of course that the BTS21's "splitter" and guard assembly has been replaced with the currently required riving knife with its removable guard assembly as fitted to the new RTS31 model.

Size and other features are pretty much the same, and probably placed side-by-side, without the safety guards in place, would look pretty much alike... except for the following that I've noted:

The cord wrap extension on the BTS21 is now gone. This was located on the left side of the table and also acted as a foot-piece when the saw was folded and stood up on it's end. The cord on the RTS31, doesn't have a wrap area and so is just coiled up I guess.

Rear table extension and the right-side slide-out wing are still there, as is the same measurement system on the front rail. The fence is also the same, which rides on the front rail, but locks to the back lip-edge of the table (not to a rear rail as on a BT3).

The leg set folds up about the same, but on the older BTS21, the leg set was square-tube steel, bent and angled to form a sold support (each leg being one solid piece). With the new RTS31, the legs are round-tubes (I presume they too are steel, but I don't know); and, they are now two-piece which requires some assembly.

With regard to "assembly" the BTS21, required very little, just take it out of the box, unfold it, and place the rip fence, SMT fence, and guard onto the saw. The only actual "assembly" regarding any tools was to install the extension handle onto the front of the hand wheel.

According to the manual, the new RTS31 will additionally require you to install the two wheels and to add the four extension tubes to the legs and fasten them with carriage bolts and nuts. You'll also have to deal with the two-piece guard and anti-kickback pawl assembly (a worthwhile endeavor though).

Other than that, the two saws seem to be significantly the same. The older BTS21 came with a dust bag (pretty useless IMO) which has been dropped from the "31". But the "31" comes with a plastic push stick, more useful for sure, but if you're like me, you've probably already got a better push stick or will want to make one.

With regard to "adjustments", I think an early post (DBHost, I believe) mentioned lack of adjustment on the SMT. Well, both the "21" and the "31" employ the same adjustment method, a simple "eccentric" screw at the front left of the SMT track.

For aligning the blade parallel to the table, there are three bolts just under the front edge of the table on the "21" that are described for that procedure. On the "31", those same points are mentioned and the same illustration is used, but there are also two bolts under the table that are illustrated and instructed to be "loosened". I looked at my BTS21" and it also seems to have these same under-the-table points, though they are not mentioned. Perhaps I'm just mistaking these, as I don't think the illustration in the RTS31 manual is all that clear. But, perhaps seeing that saw from that angle might make it clearer though.

Lastly, the saws are quite a bit alike except for the guards. On the "21" you store the miter fence on the left side, in the provided molded-in extension. That has been moved to the right side of the "31" where it gets mounted next to the storage area for the rip fence on both models.

Still no place to store the blade guard when the saw is folded up for transport or storage though. You either leave it sticking out on the top of the table, where it's in the way and might be broken, or you take it off and carry it separately, just like on the older BTS21.

I hope this helps anyone who may be wondering about the differences,

CWS