Author Topic: RAGE (Read 14459 times)

LazyBkpr · « **on:** December 14, 2013, 09:13:45 pm »

no, no.. its just a saw!!

http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Power-T ... B0030M2TCC

I figured it should do for cutting a bit of wood to make boxes frames etc..
My Radial arm saw DIED some time back.. I have been looking for a replacement.. to be perfectly honest.. I am very dissatisfied with new equipment... NOTHING I looked at will last the same 30 years the saw I had did... Cheap.... VERY cheap construction.. plastic and aluminum for major components doesnt cut the mustard.. the saw I had was cast iron and steel with ALUMINUM guards...
I looked at some USED radial arm saws... the good ones were..... 30 years old... Well built, and costing 200 to 300 dollars... but... whats to stop them from dying just like my 30 year old saw did? SO i re assessed my needs...
I dont need a head that swivels and tips.. I really just need something that will mount in my table and cut STRAIGHT.. so i can cut 19 5/8 sides etc, one after another... My radial arm saw hasnt changed angles in about 9 years, but it DID cut a lot of boards repetitively.. so I opted to get a sliding miter saw instead... Already have one.. but dont want to mount it permanently in the table.. so.. I looked at several and for some reason this one stuck out.. I looked at 600 dollar miter saws, and a couple 99 dollar saws... will let you know how this one works out...

Menards had a sale going when I stopped in there today... I bought a stack of 1x8x12's at 5 bucks each and a pile of 2x8x8's at about 6 each.. 1/2 ply was 14 bucks so I got a few sheets of that as well.. OH, then there was the buy one get one free sale on 40 tooth tool shop carbide 10" blades at 5 bucks each.. yes, 5 bucks to buy ONE, and get one free.. limited to TWO per purchase... I was informed by the clerk she could do multiple transactions so came away with a few of those as well...
5 bucks for TWO ten frame medium boxes??? cant get much cheaper than that with NEW lumber.. at those prices I can assemble a complete hive for under 30 bucks.. frames and all... not counting time of course...

In case your wondering.. ALL of this is ZOOKEEP's fault!! HE posted the honey spinner and made my cabin fever go through the roof!!

Perry · « **Reply #1 on:** December 15, 2013, 07:23:41 am »

I have to agree with you completely!

It's Zookeep's fault!!! :mrgreen:

blueblood · « **Reply #2 on:** December 15, 2013, 03:12:25 pm »

Ah man, I was just in Menards last night. How long is that sale going on, do you know?

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #3 on:** December 15, 2013, 08:46:00 pm »

Sorry Blue.. not sure... I saw the price.. grabbed the boards and RAN to the checkout!!! It's OK,, the paramedics said the people I took out on the way to check out will recover..

blueblood · « **Reply #4 on:** December 16, 2013, 08:15:20 am »

Ha! No worries, I will run in there again and check. I like to pick out boards that are cracked or otherwise marred at Home Depot. I ask the manager for a discount. I haven't been denied yet. The going rate of discount on those boards is 75%

G3farms · « **Reply #5 on:** December 16, 2013, 10:05:31 am »

Dave that is what I do also, head for the cull lumber bin. The HD here spray paints a streak of purple paint on the culls so that the cashier knows what it is. HHMMMM :twisted: :lol: :lol:

robo · « **Reply #6 on:** December 16, 2013, 10:26:37 am »

Quote from: "LazyBkpr"

I have been looking for a replacement.. to be perfectly honest.. I am very dissatisfied with new equipment... NOTHING I looked at will last the same 30 years the saw I had did... Cheap.... VERY cheap construction.. plastic and aluminum for major components doesnt cut the mustard.. the saw I had was cast iron and steel with ALUMINUM guards...
I looked at some USED radial arm saws... the good ones were..... 30 years old... Well built, and costing 200 to 300 dollars... but... whats to stop them from dying just like my 30 year old saw did? SO i re assessed my needs.

I'm with you on this, there is a lot of junk out there these days. I still think it is hard to beat the old DeWalt RAS. If I didn't have a 30+ Craftsman RAS that is still going stong, that is what I would be looking at. Like you said, these used older saws still cost more that the new junk that is out there, but they are built like tanks. Parts are still readily available. Worst case you need to get the motor rewound, but then you have a saw that will last the rest of your life. I don't know, I have something for old tools I guess :roll:

Best of luck with your new saw....

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #7 on:** December 16, 2013, 07:03:56 pm »

hmmm... I hadnt considered getting the old one FIXED... I wonder if there is even anyone around that still works on them... Only electrical shop I knew of that did that kind of stuff closed about 5 years ago. I'll have to look into that before I toss it in the junk pile.

G3farms · « **Reply #8 on:** December 16, 2013, 07:17:52 pm »

I see the older craftsman RAS on craigs list going for cheap all the time around here.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #9 on:** December 16, 2013, 08:33:44 pm »

I found one for 200 bucks, exact same as what I had in every detail... I just didnt want to spend 200 bucks and have it pooch on me in three months.. The Miter saw will do all I need it to once I get it mounted in the table.. Should be a pretty easy life for a saw designed to cut metal.

iddee · « **Reply #10 on:** December 16, 2013, 08:40:39 pm »

Metal doesn't make dust. Wood does. It may not have sufficient dust shields on it.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #11 on:** December 16, 2013, 09:18:00 pm »

If you look at it, its designed for wood, but built heavy enough to cut metal. The blade I believe is at least half the ability, the high torque motor the other half.. being a sliding miter saw I have my doubts about how well it would last in a production metal shop, but for cutting a board that may have a nail or two left over it should do well... We shall see soon enough...
My new suits were shipped two days AFTER the saw, the suits arrived today, the tracking info says the saw is still sitting in DesMoines... Not sure how long its going to take to get here... Havent heard from Mann Lake on my order from them yet either.. usually they have things shipped within a day or two.. might be busy with Christmas orders... It's been a pretty good Christmas so far!!! Now to get that extractor dug out of that guys garage and see what its going to take to bring it back to life!

BoilerJim · « **Reply #12 on:** December 17, 2013, 09:49:28 pm »

Quote from: "blueblood"

I like to pick out boards that are cracked or otherwise marred at Home Depot. I ask the manager for a discount. I haven't been denied yet. The going rate of discount on those boards is 75%

That's kinda funny Blueblood. I do the same thing. I don't know if it is a good thing or a bad thing when they now know me by name?

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #13 on:** December 20, 2013, 09:38:33 am »

Well, the tracking Info says the saw never left DesMoines.. contacted UPS and Sears.. UPS said I had to contact the seller.. so I sent sears an E-Mail... Wanting to know if they were going to ship another one or what the plan was.. Got the reply...

Dear Scott,

Wondering about your return/refund request? We are pleased to inform you that we have received and processed your request. If you paid by credit card, your credit will be posted to your account within 5-7 business days depending on your financial institution.

I didnt request a refund!! I requested the SAW I ordered!

SO!!!! Not only did they NOT send another one.. I get to wait 5-7 days for the refund, then another 3 - 5 days for another one to be shipped (from a different source of course!!)
NOT EVEN impressed with Sears.. Had they simply shipped another one, I would have STILL gotten it LONG before I even get my refund, I would have been satisfied if not happy... It isnt SEARS fault UPS lost it, broke it or whatever happened to it.. But they (Sears) SERIOUSLY dropped the ball... A quick mail or a phone call since they had my number and I'd have not been too unhappy with them.. the LACK of care and support IS however disturbing. I'll NOT be ordering anything from them again.

On the UP side, I got my Order from Mann Lake shipped through SpeeDee in two days, so pretty much ready for SPRING to arrive....
"taps foot impatiently" :?

Zulu · « **Reply #14 on:** December 21, 2013, 12:17:59 am »

My guess is they ran out of them , which is why you got the refund. Happened to me some time back on a Sears item too. Never got a rain check or anything. They are no longer on my list of stores I frequent.

As for the Sliding miter vs RAS , wise move, so much better. My RAS is used for some repetitive work, but my table saw does 99% of the work, they are all on the same level and all on wheels , so can line them up or move them out as needed.

Did you look at having the motor rewound, often not as expensive as you might think. My friend only charged me $50 fixing an old motor. Typically they do the bearings at the same time.

Sliding miter is on my wish list, my std Dewalt miter saw is used all the time and good up to 10" wide boards on a 90 cut. But angles are only about 7.5", when I bought mine , my wife bought the stand for me and what a pleasure having it on a good stand.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #15 on:** December 21, 2013, 10:37:41 am »

Yes! A good stand is a MUST have item.. Bought a cheap table saw and am quite happy with it for what I do but the cheesy legs didnt last long.. need to build a good sturdy table for it and raise it up about four inches.. for the 90 bucks I paid I figure I can go get another one about every six months

Actually hope to go get two more just like it so I can set them up and leave them set up.. makes doing frames easier if all the dimensions remain exactly the same.

tefer2 · « **Reply #16 on:** December 21, 2013, 11:11:30 am »

I'm done with buying anything from Sears ever again. We bought a new refrigerator that wasn't in stock and had to be shipped to our home. The first one was damaged and the delivery driver circled the dent with a marker. They sent a replacement and it turned out to be the same damaged one from before. After talking to the gal from India again, they were to make sure they sent a new one next time.
Well the next one finally came and It was the same damaged one from two times before.
I have a real problem with customer service people from a foreign country. That added to the fact that K-mart bought them out pretty much ended my shopping there.

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #17 on:** December 21, 2013, 07:01:54 pm »

Didnt know K-Mart bought out Sears??? Ahhh well.. seems to be the trend nowdays. cheap and fast.. feel like I am in the Philippines without leaving home...
Was about to order a new RAGE and started reading reviews... kind of glad I did.. lots of issues.. though.. Mounting it in my table and cutting a straight line pretty much makes all the problems null and void... still.. I think I'll go look at the Dewalt and Bosh tomorrow.. I realize manufacturers (OF EVERYTHING) DESIGN their equipment to fail so you buy a new one, but I would prefer it failed after fifteen or so years rather than two or three...

LazyBkpr · « **Reply #18 on:** December 23, 2013, 05:44:17 pm »

well... its the Dewalt.. double bevel all the bells and whistles, but no laser, which is fine since I've never used one before...

All mounted in the table to replace the Radial arm saw, had to do a bit of shimming to make it perfectly flush with the table, and had to fuss with it a bit to make it true 0... but ran four boxes through it and put them together.. I LIKE the soft start and the brake. Screwed a stop to the table and ran 8 side boards off, moved the stop and ran the front and back boards... SLICK!!! I like it.. its not a RAS but its also about a grand cheaper than the ONLY RAS I saw I MIGHT buy.. now to see how long it lasts!!!

G3farms · « **Reply #19 on:** December 23, 2013, 06:20:45 pm »

That sho is a nisun!! Looks like you almost had to make a hole in the back wall for it to fit!