Does anyone actually own one of the Ryobi table saws that FHB reccommended in their last issue.My policy is to not buy Ryobi hand tools but the old 81/2″ radial arm saw I got 20 years ago is still going. Idm like to hear real users pros and cons.Ive got a good cabinet saw in the shop and a cheapo Protech for ruff framing and dont want to spend another $500 for an occasional use saw here at home.Theyre’ $149 at Cummins International.
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I know two people with that saw (both are DIY'ers). They both say they like the saw.
I own the Ryobi BT3100(its the next one up) and I think it works well, it has a great fence and can also be used as a router table.
I can tell you that if it ever breaks make sure you have a spare (thats how I ended up with my Bosch). I brought mine in for a warrantry repair on the lift mechanism and it took over two and a half months.
IMO I dont care how good your tools are if I have to wait that long for them to be fixed. I think that should've been part of the test, that certainly makes it less of a value.
DIY'er #3 here. I just got it, and I love it. I learned how to use a table saw with a big cabinet one. The table saw I had was a small Craftsman I bought because it was cheap - but it was so flimsy and light weight I never felt safe operating it.
The Ryobi is simple to operate, and feels very sturdy (it didn't look it in the picture). The ability to rip a 2x4 vertically is nice too.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
I have one, I thought the review nailed it. The depth and tilt knobs are a pain and getting worse but I like everything else I can think of. Just remembered, I don't like the miter gauge it's loose in the T-slot and short so the whole piece can shift mid cut if you have it pulled out all the way. This seems to be what I want to do fairly often unfortunately. This may be par for the course for machines at this level though, the reviewers give the miter gauge their highest rating so what do I know?Everything is a bit lightweight so I was able to push the blade into the fence when I had it set close for a shaving cut. Probably it's nicest feature is how easy it is to move around and fold out. Any particular concern or question?(p.s. I paid $210 at Home Cheapo, sob!)
Knowing ur getting what u paid for is whole lot easier than finding out the hard way.I dont expect much from any miter guage that comes with most saws and dont use that function much out in the field when i have a scm saw there anyway. Whats the adjustment problems again? U know at $210 i mite think a bout it hard...but at 150 hmmm.Can u make a zero clearence throat plate? Thats what drives me crazy with the cheapo take along Ive got.Doing trim im always cutting narrow short stuff and the huge mouth of mine is waiting to suck them in.Thanks
My BIL has one. I used it at his house one day and thought it was disasterous until I figured out he had never done any of the tweaking needed.
The adjustments needed were easy to do and we had it running true in about 15 minutes. Rip fence needed adjustment for parallel ( 2 screws + patience) and the stop needed adjusting for blade squaring (1 screw + patience).
After adjusting, the saw worked fine. You will never confuse it with a cabinet saw for power, but as a job site saw it was certainly acceptable.
Jim