Tool Box Buzz

RIDGID® 10” Cast Iron Table Saw R4512 Review

Todd first introduced us to this tool almost 2 years ago and I’ve had it in my shop for almost a year. It’s the tool I use most often and is the center of my shop. I’ve built a lot of jigs and accessories for it including a router table to make it even more versatile. It’s funny but I’m not really sure how I got along before it. I had a cheap portable saw with a direct drive universal motor and a crappy fence. I’m so glad I upgraded and it didn’t cost that much. This is also the same saw as Craftsman 21833 and Masterforce model 2400036 but these saws are $100 more than the RIDGID and have lesser warranties.

Specifications:

• Input: 120v/240v AC, 60 Hz
• Motor: 13A (120v), 6.5A (240v)
• Blade Diameter: 10”
• Arbor size: 5/8”
• Rip Capacity: 30” Right of blade, 15” Left of blade
• Dado Capacity: up to 13/16”
• Cut Capacity: Depth at 90°: 3-1/4”, depth at 45°: 2-1/4”

Features:

• Front and Back Clamping Aluminum Rip Fence
• Fence and fence rail “T” slots
• One-step Mobility – easily reposition saw via single action foot pedal
• Die-cast Miter Gauge with Positive Stops at 0 and 45 degrees (right and left)
• Built-in Accessory Storage for fence and miter gauge
• Rail Spreader Bar – when combined with included hardware, spreader bar provides a convenient mounting surface for user extension table or accessory tables
• Fully enclosed Cabinet
• 4” Dust Collection Port
• Push Stick with Integrated Magnet
• Tool Free Anti-kickback pawls
• Split Blade Guard – maintains constant contact with the table surface, even when the blade is beveled
• Tool Free 2-position Spreader/riving knife

Warranty:

• RIDGID® Lifetime Service Agreement.

Assembly:

Assembly was quite an involved process. Thankfully the instructions are good and the parts are well marked. I took a few photos during the process to give you an idea of what was involved. All of the steps can be completed by one person except when the saw has to be flipped over. It weighs 267 pounds so take it easy and call a friend.

Assembly Issues:

• Two piece fence rails were tough to get flat and even. It took a few tries but works well now.
• The wings were hard to get flat. They hang just a little out at the edges.
• I had to elongate the holes of the left side fence indicator to get it adjusted enough. Just a quick touch up with a rattail file was enough.

What I like:

This saw has a lot of features for the price. First the mobility is really good. My shop isn’t huge so I have to move things around a lot, one quick push of the foot pedal and this thing glides out of the way. Second, an accessory table can be built to fit in the void to the right of the table top. Mine doubles as extra rip capacity and router table. Third, the dust collection is great. Most saws at this price point barely consider dust collection. Fourth, the fence has T slots for mounting jigs and accessories. Finally, the safety features on this saw are outstanding. The splitter, anti-kickback pawls, and blade guard are so easy to adjust and remove depending on the cut. I think RIDGID took some queues from the Ryobi lawsuit and made it easy to cut safely on this saw.

What could be improved:

While I like the saw a lot a few things could be improved. First, the throat plate is 1/8″ thick steel. It is difficult to build a zero clearance insert for this saw and I’m too cheap to buy one. I wish the saw accommodated a thicker plate so that I could make a bunch of plywood blanks. Second, the top isn’t dead flat. It dips just slightly at the center of the table. It hasn’t affected my work much though. Third, this saw could really benefit from cast iron wings. I’d pay for them even if they were available as an add-on. Some have complained online about alignment issues (that surface during assembly) but my saw is unaffected.

Where to Buy:

The RIDGID R4512 Table Saw is available at The Home Depot in stores and online for $499.

• RIDGID R4512 Table Saw

6 Comments

1. Shop Made Tools: Router Table on Tool Box Buzz

   October 15, 2012 at 8:29 am

   […] Made Tools: Router TableIn the review of the RIDGID R4512 Table Saw I mentioned that I had built a lot of jigs and accessories. The first one I built was an extension […]

   Reply
2. Roy

   January 5, 2013 at 9:53 am

   Hi,I bought a R4512 Ridgid table saw.I just watched your assembly and would like to know where you purchased the reducer and elbow for the dust collector.I was at Home Depot and couldn’t find anything like what you used.Your help would be appreciated.
   Roy

   Reply
   1. Jeff Williams

      January 5, 2013 at 11:03 am

      The 4″ coupler and the reducer was from rockler (or woodcraft) and the rubber elbow with the two band clamps was from Home Depot.

      Reply
3. Roy

   January 5, 2013 at 5:12 pm

   Hi Jeff,Thanks for the quick reply.Is rockler[woodcraft] have a web site?I live in Ontario,Canada.Hopefully i can find the rubber hose connection at Home Depot up here?
   Thanks for your help!
   Roy

   Reply
   1. Jeff Williams

      January 5, 2013 at 5:33 pm

      Rockler.com has the coupler and reducer. Any place that has dust collection fittings should have both the coupler and reducer. PVC plumbing fittings are the wrong size. Here’s the item on Amazon and the reducer is listed in the “Frequently bought together” section. 4″ Dust Collection Coupling

      Reply
4. Eric

   September 24, 2013 at 3:06 pm

   You can find a reduced (in Canada) at Busybeetools. I got mine for $2.

   Reply

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