Radial arm vs. TS55 & MFT??

[Toolpig]

I never would have considered buying a radial arm saw before, but have come across a real bargain on a vintage DeWalt RAS (circa 1950's). 

So here's my question... I want to be able to make fast, accurate cross-cuts and dadoes with a minimum of setup & hassle.  I don't care about portability as I'm working in my garage 99% of the time.

Are there any Festool owners here who have a RAS?  If so, how do you make the majority of your cross cuts/dadoes?  With the RAS or the TS55/75 & MFT?

Thanks.

TP

 

[billybokay]

I threw out my R.A.S. years before I even heard of festool. It was my least used tool, took up lots of real estate and  had to go. It was a craftsman. Now with an mft 1080 and the 55, I can't see a use for it, except for the occasional dado .

 

[Greg in Memphis]

I gave my radial arm saw away to charity a week or two after I had a MFT / TS 75 setup going.
With the exception of making crown molding, there was no perceivable benefit in keeping the RAS to me.
If you are just getting that RAS as a collectors item, it just may pay off some day. I think as more people find out about festool, many more radial arm saws will be discarded, making them more scarce.

just my thoughts

Greg

 

[EdL]

I have a 16" DeWalt ras, it will crosscut or dado almost 24".
Someone else can have it when I die. It ain't going anywhere!

Ed

 

[The Dude]

I really hate to say this because of my current status as a FJ, however, we had an old DeWalt RAS (probably from the 50's ish.  Big Grey Monster with a red metal name tag) at a shop I worked at...the thing was a beast...in a good way...  With that said, I agree with EdL. 

On the other hand, it does take up a rather large footprint.  Too much to consider for me  ???  I suppose if I were to be utilizing an RAS somehow every day, and had the room, I'd go for it; if not, save the cash dude!

My .02

Timmy C

 

[Dave Ronyak]

I have used an old DeWalt RAS and used to own a 10" Craftsman RAS.  There is no comparison.  The old saw was smooth and highly accurate and repeatable.  Not so with the Craftsman.  One operation I found the RAS indispensible for was making longer side rails for some antique beds whose rails were too short for today's mattresses (and the owner was >6' tall, too).  I needed to cut deep narrow slots in the ends of the bed rails to enable reuse of the original hardware.  And the slots did not extend to the top edge of the rails.  With a small, thin sawblade in the RAS and the arbor vertical to the RAS table (sawblade parallel to table), those precision cuts were easy to make.  I cannot think of any other tool that I could easily setup and control to make similar narrow slots.  They had to be at least 2 inches deep, and then holes drilled into inside surface the sides of the the bed rails to insert metal dowel pins which secured the main hardware.

Beware that the old DeWalt RAS motors do not have any brake and will spin for a long time after being shut off.  That is a potential safety hazard.  In contrast, the Craftsman RAS motor was equipped with a rather quick electric brake which completely stopped rotation in only a few seconds.

Dave R.

 

[Toolpig]

I already have the TS55 and love it.  But even with an MFT, I think I'd spend as much or more time setting up for the cut than if I were to just step up to the RAS and make the cut. 

Thanks, folks.  I'll probably get it just because I love old tools (and new Festools!!).

TP

The people that don?t like radial arm saws are typically the ones that had a crappy one. The vintage DeWalts are not in this category. (some of the old Craftsman and Montgomery Wards RAS?s were re-branded DeWalts).

I have an old DeWalt (Craftsman Industrial) 12? RAS, plus a new DeWalt 12? SCMS, plus another 10? SCMS that I cannot tell you about. I would never consider using my TS55 in place of using any one of these saws--they just are not the same and should not be compared. Just because each saw has a round blade does not mean they have the same purpose.

When I need an accurate cut, I go for the RAS. When I need a quick and dirty cut, I go for the SCMS. When I need a portable ripping saw, then I reach for the TS55.

If you can pick up an old DeWalt RAS, then I would do it. You can always get the TS saw later when you can afford it.

 

[Loren Hedahl]

I have a Delta 12 in. RAS that stays in the shop and a Craftsman 9 in for portability.  The TS55 and MFT could do much of what either of those do, but in many cases not as well.

My TS55 is mainly for breaking down sheet goods.  Neither of the RAS excel in this.

However, if I could only have one saw, it would be the TS55 and MFT. 

 

[jonny round boy]

...plus another 10" SCMS that I cannot tell you about.

Hmmm....sounds intriguing. Why can't you tell us about it? Is it a secret? 

 

[greg mann]

...plus another 10" SCMS that I cannot tell you about.

Hmmm....sounds intriguing. Why can't you tell us about it? Is it a secret? 

He just did tell us about it.  ;D

 

[Dan Clark]

...plus another 10" SCMS that I cannot tell you about.

Hmmm....sounds intriguing. Why can't you tell us about it? Is it a secret? 

Jonny,

Hmmm...  I wonder which SCMS he's talking about?!?  ;D

Dan.

 

[jonny round boy]

...plus another 10" SCMS that I cannot tell you about.

Hmmm....sounds intriguing. Why can't you tell us about it? Is it a secret? 

Jonny,

Hmmm...   I wonder which SCMS he's talking about?!?   ;D

Dan.

Yes, I was thinking the same....

Though why the secrecy? Has he smuggled one across the pond ???

 

[Dan Clark]

This is purely conjecture, of course...  I suspect that there US-spec Kapexes ("Kapex's"?  "Kapexi"?) are floating around the US and are in the hands of certain, fairly well-known Festool users.  You might want to ask John, Jerry, Per, and Rick if they know anyone who might have one. 

Dan.

 

[Lou Miller]

I have an old DeWalt (Craftsman Industrial) 12? RAS, plus a new DeWalt 12? SCMS, plus another 10? SCMS that I cannot tell you about.

So Rick, do you have to give the Kapex back when you're done writing the manual for it, or do you get to keep it? By including the words, "that I cannot tell you about", you did just that. Should have just said that it was a 10.25" saw instead of a 10" though

BTW, I agree with your RAS comments 100%. I lack the room for one right now, but I still keep an eye out for an old Dewalt all the time. I figure if I stumble across one, I'll grab it and just put it in storage until I have the room. As great of a setup as the MFT with a TS saw is, its no match for a quality RAS in a stationary enviroment. Compared to a Craftsman or Ryobi, I'd take the Festool rig in a heartbeat. When I first started out, I used an old Dewalt on a daily basis, and there's just no beating it. When you factor its ability to take a dado blade, it really becomes a mismatch.

 

[Tinker]

When my shop consisted of ONE stationary power tool for lack of space for any other, that one tool was a DeWalt 10" RAS.  I used it for crosscutting (very accurately BTW), dados, rabbets, ripping (even 4x's) and sanding.  I have never had a kickback with it as I used proper and sharp blades and took shallow cuts.  When ripping, i always installed a shingle or two to avoid pinching the blade.  I did a lot of work with that saw until i acquired more space and was able to add a table saw, drillpress, SCMS and a few other goodies.  The RAS got moved out to the storage barn where it stayed on duty for a few more years as a site work saw.  I would throw a chain around the base and hook the ends to the bucket of my tractor and load it onto my truck, and off I would go.  eventually, i managed to bend the metal legs at about the same time i quit doing site work.  The saw is still out in the barn where ocassionally, it gets dragged out for service on some project where i feel the RAS is indispensible.  I just cannot bear to get rid of it.

Since i intruduced my ATF 55 and MFT 1080, i have not found the need to drag out the RAS, but if I had the room to set it up for permanent installation, I would drag it out of the moth balls once again. BUT, only if i still had space to set up the MFT or two in the same shop.  I agree with those who have praised the RAS for their various reasons. I can, however, work quite comfortably without it.  I cannot see myself going back to a WW shop with out an MFT and ATF 55 or (hopefully one day) one of its successors. 

I agree the RAS can be quite hazzardous, especially those like mine where the blade spins forever when you shut it off.  You really have to pay very strict attention to every safety precaution known to man when using one of them.  you don't get a chance for too many mistooks.  for some, the first mistook could ruin the rest of their life.  with the festool saws, one could, i presume, be somewhat less careful and still not lose fingers and certainly not impale themselves with flying kickbacks, or witness a saw blade climbing back at them looking like a huge shark ready to gobble them up with one bite. When all other arguements have been given in praise of the RAS, there is still no comparrison to the safety of the AFT or its successor, either on of the Festools TS's
Tinker

 

[Eli]

I've made some Festooks with my domino.....

Never had a RAS.

 

[Dave Rudy]

When I need an accurate cut, I go for the RAS. When I need a quick and dirty cut, I go for the SCMS. When I need a portable ripping saw, then I reach for the TS55.

If you can pick up an old DeWalt RAS, then I would do it. You can always get the TS saw later when you can afford it.

As soon as Rick's secret 10" SCMS is available to the rest of us, RAS should be unnecessary for Festoolians, imho.  Think I'll save the De Walt RAS money for the Kapex.  And if it doesnt get here soon, I'll have saved TOO MUCH MONEY and have to buy another Festool!

 

[Ned]

...In contrast, the Craftsman RAS motor was equipped with a rather quick electric brake which completely stopped rotation in only a few seconds.

Wonder how it got past UL, when later Festool couldn't get theirs approved?

 

[Mark]

I was using my Dad's old Craftsman RAS the other day and I can tell you the f-stop on my behind was clenched down to f64 (digital photo folks won't get this joke) seeing that blade spinning that close to my fingers. When I use my TS55 though I'm a comfortable f1.8 in the rear. Not missing the RAS at all though we made a lot of stuff with it. The Kapex will be a great compliment to the TS series but I'll have to cut a lot of wood to justify the cost.

 

[Toolpig]

Why do you think the KAPEX will make the RAS obsolete?  It doesn't take a dado stack, which is part of the appeal of the RAS for me.

TP

When I need an accurate cut, I go for the RAS. When I need a quick and dirty cut, I go for the SCMS. When I need a portable ripping saw, then I reach for the TS55.

If you can pick up an old DeWalt RAS, then I would do it. You can always get the TS saw later when you can afford it.

As soon as Rick's secret 10" SCMS is available to the rest of us, RAS should be unnecessary for Festoolians, imho.  Think I'll save the De Walt RAS money for the Kapex.  And if it doesnt get here soon, I'll have saved TOO MUCH MONEY and have to buy another Festool!