Radial-Arm Saws Reviews

I've had my Delta 33-890 12" Radial Arm Saw for almost a year and a half now and I'm just as happy with it as I was back in March of 2002. Not being a "professional" woodworker, the [money] price tag was a tough pill to swallow, but one look at Delta's 10" saw (the arm height adjustment on top of the column? whats up with that?) or the Craftsman 10" saw, made the decision much easier. The 10" saws are toys, mostly plastic, with a flimsy, cheap feel to them; perfect for the weekend warrior who needs to crosscut some pine 1Xs. (I suppose, in a perfect world, Delta would make a 10" saw with the same quality as the 12" model...I want the 12" QUALITY, more than I need the 12" CAPACITY). The 33-890 12" Saw is very solid, well constructed, all steel or cast iron. My unit had a shipping weight of 320 lbs (everything...including the skid it was on) and it's definately a two person job to set up. Since my saw is part of an 18 ft. custom made saw table, incorporating my Delta mitre saw, I didn't use the legs that came with the saw, but they were very well made and appeared quite robust. I would say it took 3 hours to fully unpack and adjust the saw before use. All adjustments turned out to be dead on right out of the box, except for the 4 point levelling of the table. The manual is well written and easy to understand. The blade that comes with the saw is a bit cheesy, but not bad to start with. I'm currently using a Freud blade. All in all, this is an excellent piece of equipment and a pleasure to use. The action of the saw is smooth as silk and the 2hp motor is very capable. It's a saw that the experienced hobbyist can grow into, and worth every penny. I would highly recommend that you look at the 10" saws and see how cheap they feel.....you'll want the 12" saw...I guarantee!

This is an excellent saw! It has a very heavy duty frame and leg assembly. Very sturdy throughout. All cuts are precise once all setup adjustments are made. The motor has more than enough power for cutting dado's or making thick cuts. 10" saws look delicate next to it. It's made in the USA, exhibiting excellent quality throughout. The only saw that might be better, would be one made by the "Original Saw Company", and you will spend alot more. For the money, this saw is hard to beat. No complaints here. I'm very happy with my purchase.

I replaced my "antique" radial arm with the Delta 33-890. What a difference! I build furniture, and I had trouble with my old one staying square. The Delta is built like a tank and after initial setup and adjustment I've never adjusted anything and it's always dead square. It has plenty of power to crosscut 3" thick White Oak planks. I rip on a tablesaw so I can't say how it does in that operation. The only complaint about the saw is the steel blade provided with the saw. It seems to me that for the money this machine costs, they could send a carbide tipped blade. I put a Forrest WW1, (12" 60T) blade on my saw and this is the best crosscut saw I've used.

Used one extensively at a past jobsite. Very well made and reliable.

I just finished a large timber framing project and this saw mad it soo much easier, you can cut thru any wood, the 7.5 is way more power than you will ever need, but i like it.the 18 inch blades are very hard to come by and pricy. I ran it with 230 on the job site but now it is in my shop on 460, not a hard conversion the hardest part is getting a electrican to rewire every thing (not many houses have 460 running to there house). This saw will cut thru any wood as if you just were pulling the arm,and for 7500 it isnt your average siding cutting, dado choping kindeling cutting radial arm saw.

This blade out preforms most blades in it's field. For the price you can not beat it. Another winner from Frued. Excellent blades where quality counts. thanks again for your quality. Greenhorn Wood Design. Donna Wolfe , President

This will do exactly what it said it will do, cross cut counter tops. I am sizing a lot of pre-formed counter tops. I just need to cross cut them.

The salesperson, Emily was helpful in explaining what it would and wouldn't do. I had priced some radial arm saws and they were about $8K, using hard to find 20" saw blades and required 3 phase power. This thing is so simple. Assembly was minimal taking about an hour. (If I bought a second one, it would take about half the time for assembly.) I bought the dust collector and a 100 tooth saw Blade. I made about 600 to 700 cuts before I needed to sharpen the optional 100 tooth blade. I live the way the dust collector sucks up the saw dust on the table top. I haven't needed to sweep the dust from the table top yet.

The cons were the dust collector I bought. It took about an hour and a half to put together but did the job collection the dust from the table and saw. I would also buy two of the 100 tooth saw blades so I have one in the machine when the other one is getting sharpened.

All in all, an outstanding investment. Beats the heck out of my Dad's antique radial arm saw.

I'd give this a 4.5 if I could. I only rates a 4 for crosscutting. It does a nice job, but nothing outstanding. For sheetgoods, however, it makes extremely nice cuts without any tearout. I've cut baltic birch plywood, MDF, MDO and perfect cuts every time. For these, I'd give it a 5.

I've had a Freud ripping blade on my table saw for quite a while and have been impressed. So when I got tired of the raw cuts from my SCMS (that's Sliding Compound Mitre Saw) I bought the Freud LU91M010 60 tooth blade on and it cuts like butter. No tear out and glides across the board. I upgraded from some 40 tooth dewalt crosscut blade that was probably more suited for construction. (...)it is a pretty good deal compared to the forest. I didn't get the teflon version because every one complains that it doesn't do anything but put read paint on your wood.

I bought this blade based on reviews here after looking at several much more expensive blades. I've been using it to trim out a house in a very cheap (Delta MS250) mitre saw and it has really exceeded all my expectations. I've made hundreds of cuts in PFJ millwork with almost zero tearout. I've since bought a couple other Freud blades that I've been very happy with. I do have to say that I am a noob at this and my only other hands on experience is with the blades that came in my saws (all cheap ones!)

Laser Guide # 21367 Radial Arm Saw

After mounting the Laser Guide on my ancient 12 inch radial arm saw according to the instructions, the red laser light was so diffused on the wood to be cut that it was useless. I was about to return it, when I noticed that the light was hitting the inner edge of the carbide tips on the 80-tooth blade. Said saw blade is .110 inch thick, except at the carbide teeth, where it is somewhat thicker. I tried several thicknesses of brass shims made for dado blades between the Laser Guide and the blade -- a 0.020 inch shim was the thinnest that moved the laser beam off the carbide tips and onto the wood. (E.g., a 0.016 inch shim left most of the laser beam on the carbide tips.) With that shim installed, the laser beam became a bright thin line at the precise location on the wood to be cut. The beam is as thin as a line drawn by a just-sharpened number 2 pencil. Start the saw and less than one half second later, the laser light comes on.

Depending on the blade on your saw, you may need a different thickness of shim, or no shim at all. (The instructions fail to mention that a shim between the blade and the Laser Guide might be needed.) If the kerf on your blade is the same as the blade thickness, you probably will not need a shim; otherwise, it would seem that a shim (or two) would be necessary. (Kerf: The area removed from a board by a saw, determined by the thickness of the blade plus the amount of set to the teeth.) I used a brass dado shim, because that is the only kind I own.

This device will ONLY fit a saw with a 5/8 inch arbor, which is the standard size on most radial arm, chop, and compound miter, saws.

The instructions say to replace the outer blade washer with the Guide. Instead, I sandwiched the Guide between the shim and the original blade washer, which worked fine.

Cons:

... A bit pricy. After buying at Amazon, I found nearly identical models at our local Home Depot and Lowes, for less money...

... As mentioned above, for the laser beam to shine on the precise edge of the cut, a shim of the proper thickness might be needed. If you do not own shims, do an Amazon search on dado shims. Multiple shims of various sizes can also be used, in lieu of a single shim. The shims do not need to be brass.

Pros:

... Cuts may not be more accurate with the Laser Guide, since I was pretty careful before; but it is now much easier to tell exactly where the spinning blade will cut, before cutting anything. So, in that regard, fewer mistakes should be made. I.e., using a square, pencil in a fine line on the work to be cut, and align the laser beam precisely over that line, and the cut will be exactly there.

It inspires confidence when you can see exactly where the blade will cut. The only thing you have to remember is the blade will cut to the RIGHT of the laser beam (assuming you have mounted the guide on the left side of the blade).

... The beam reminds you to keep your fingers away from the blade path.

... The pencil line on the thing to cut does not have to be on side closest to the blade because the laser beam projects over the entire saw table. I.e., if the line is on the non-blade side, the laser will [also] hit it there.

... There is a productivity advantage when cuts do not have to be absolutely accurate; e.g., as in making wooden stakes for plants. Mark where to cut and it you can align the blade to that mark MUCH faster with the laser than would be possible by aligning the blade teeth.

... The device comes with three wafer-sized batteries already installed. It also comes with 6 spare batteries -- a nice touch. Have not used it long enough to rate battery longevity, but when they die, the guide has to be removed from the saw, since it needs to be on a table to remove two tiny screws; then replace the batteries.

... For feather-edge trimming, you do not need to mark the piece to be cut. You can eye-ball the amount to be cut, based solely on the laser beam.


I rated this item at 4 stars (versus 5) because the sales information and instructions fail to mention using a shim, and now I have one less shim available for dado work.

Simple, effective tool. Easy installation and spot on guiding. Learn your marking habits and you will cut better than ever before. Check around for pricing, and new "dual side" lasers. You won't be disappointed.

I have used this for more than four-months. I can tell you - you will hear all types of "hype" about this unit.

Most individuals do not read the instructions and they should. The documentation says "align the laser line with your cutting line". Not off-set - not in-set, just dead on! This has worked very well for me and it can for you.

There is no waste, overcutting or undercutting. If you eyes can see straight, then you shiuld be able to master this after the first cut. This has made my DeWALT 706 a more usefull tool than before - saves time too.

The saw is powerful, and is just what I wanted. But, I am disappointed with the appearance. The casting at the end of the arm, just under the on/off switch is missing a chunk. This does not reflect good on Delta's inspection practice.

Purchased this from Amazon after my local Delta distributor quoted me a delivered price $450 above Amazon. Box was in good condition upon delivery and the packing done at the factory was well thought out to minimize damage in transit. Setup was easy and alignment was perfect right out of the box.
I used the local distributor for my cabinet saw last year because the price was competitive and I had read all kinds of horror stories about shipping damage/issues for heavy items on Amazon customer reviews. Because of the price difference I took the chance this time and am very satisfied...absolutely no issues with the motor freight. The saw was deliverd to my house on a liftgate truck and the driver had a pnuematic lift and moved it with no problem right into the garage. I haven't been able to give the saw a good workout yet but I cut 40 ft of red oak for some bookshleves and performance is as expected.

The good news is that the RAS was promply delivered (purchased via Amazon). Also, the documentation is very good and its pretty easy to follow the instructions to set the RAS up and get good square cuts.

The bad news, however, is that the RAS motor ran maybe 30 seconds before it quit! Big disappointment here as you can understand.

More good news: Called the Delta customer service line and got to talk to a live human (with only a minimal delay while listening to elevator music). After maybe two conversations where they gave me things to try, it was determined that the best course of action was to take the motor to a local (about 20 miles away) authorized service center. Turns out that the switch was defective from the factory (contacts fell out). The service rep had the switch on hand and fixed it while I waited. Saw is running fine now.

Another positive: I contacted Amazon (via Email) and they were more than willing to send a truck to my house to pick it up for a return with full refund or replacement.

I'd rate the Amazon and Delta service as excellent ... but the quality control at Delta factory as poor.

The cast iron arm and vertical column are very rugged. I'm extramely disappointed, however, in the sheet metal stand. There is a considerable amount of flexing where the column attaches. With very little force I am able to deflect the saw blade by 1/16? Also, the angle brackets that attach the table to the stand are not bent at 90 degrees. When I clamp the table down, the angles force the table to bow by about 1/8" in the center. I just purchased some steel channel and plan to fabricate my own stand that has some structural integrity. The other problem I encountered was the ability for the stop clamp to maintain position. I had a very difficult time squaring the blade to the fence until I realized this clamp was slipping. I've tightened the clamp as hard as I can and it is easily displaced with the slightest jolt from rotating the arm from 45 degrees back to zero. I plan to disassemble the machine, clean out the grease around the clamp and rough up the surface of both the clamp and the column. Once I've fixed the clamp and have built a new stand I'm sure this will be a nice machine...however, with the amount of money spent I shouldn't have to do this.

the delta 10in radial arm saw is one of the best on the market,one big factor is ,how easy and quick you can square the saw.this is the most important factor,on a radial arm saw,a out of square saw is useless.the saw is quility made.all steel no plastic.made to last a live time.

Based on other on-line reviews I purchased an RS830 from Delta and received it on 10/21/2005 with a missing part (the work surface, or board as Delta calls it). It is now 12/07/2005 and I still have not received the missing part after 4 calls to the 800# for customer service and several e-mails to customer care (as they call it). I would like to use the saw some day instead of tripping over it in my workshop. It better be more reliable than their customer support which has gotten me to the point that I will probably never buy a Delta product again.

Maybe you'll get lucky, but I tried twice with this saw and both units went back. The construction of at least some of the parts is cheap and not precise. Both units that were delivered to me had poorly made bases. The arm and column attach to a base that supports the table. This base is formed from two identical metal pieces which resemble squared off "C's". These are butted together and then welded into a rectangle. On the first unit I got, one long side of the base was bent inward about an inch near the middle. The second unit was misformed or damaged at a corner. The short fasteners for the legs weren't long enough to work at the damaged corner without bringing the base back into its intended shape.
Worse than the base problems perhaps, are the poor materials used on the short shaft which locks/unlocks the arm swivel. After attaching the table legs and standing the unit up, the shaft just fell off. Upon closer examination, the shaft -which outwardly appears to be a solid piece of 3/8's inch thick black steel - is nothing of the sort. Mine had sheared off exactly where it meets the column exposing a cross section of the now broken shaft. It is formed from a hollow black metal tube into which a "filler" metal is poured. This filler, so far as I can tell, is simply cheap "pot metal" of no real strength. I surmise it was designed to have enough strength necessary to take the normal screwing motion for the lock/unlock of the arm, but no attention was paid to it's strength should ANY angular force act on it (the same motion as turning on your car's turn signal). I'm not saying one should be able to hang by the shaft or misuse it, but it seems it doesn't have enough strength to stand up to normal wear and tear. Adding insult to injury, the assembly instructions are clearly erroneous in describing leg attachment: they instruct you to put a washer onto the bolt and then put the bolt thru the hole on the base. But the washer cannot go on first or the bolt won't seat properly.
Maybe if you're fortunate enough to get a unit from a good production run AND fortunate enough to have it get thru shipping unscathed, perhaps it will make decent cuts. But I never even got a chance to turn the machine on.

This is one great saw. It takes awhile to set it up. Once it is set up, it's a very accurate machine. I mean dead on accurate at any angle!!! This saw is built like a tank, yet simple so it should last many years. Like I said, It's a great saw. Possibly the best!!