Thread: RAS decision to be made - perth area

If you have 3 phase in the shed (or at least at the main switch board) it's a no brainer.

if you don't have 3-ph power then it's almost a no brainer. The cost of getting the 3 ph saw working and buying suitable blades wont be recovered by selling the smaller RAS

Originally Posted by ian

If you have 3 phase in the shed (or at least at the main switch board) it's a no brainer.
if you don't have 3-ph power then it's almost a no brainer. The cost of getting the 3 ph saw working and buying suitable blades wont be recovered by selling the smaller RAS

I have a similar problem with a 3P Dewalt RAS and am tossing up what to do with it.
Being DELTA wired means it cannot be used with a 240V VFD.

Sorry to sound a bit negative about this but our experience with the RASs at the mens shed is that they are getting harder and harder to get rid of.
We've kept one of the 3P 2HP RAS and it makes me nervous every time I hear it start, and even when it used to be switched off because the blade used to take longer than 2 minutes to stop. Last year I put a 3P VFD on it that incorporated a brake and now it stops in 4s.
The only RAS we were able to sell had a 14" blade on it which probably why it sold, but otherwise there has been little interest.
We had a 10" Dewalt that we could not sell and ended up giving it to another mens shed.
Even though RAS are different beasts, as well as taking more room, the price competition from cheap drop saws and SCMS is I think one of the causes.
I see even a small (216mm) Dewalt saw can be had from Bunnings for $399

I'd have to agree Bob. I keep a close eye on eBay and Gumtree and see Radial Arm Saws for sale in good condition all the time. The ones that are priced $400+ rarely sell and then only if they are a sought after model or have a feature that sets them apart like the 14" one you quote. A stock standard 250 or 300mm deWalt RAS in good condition can be had for less than $200 ( in Sydney anyway ) Some of them come with a bundle of spare blades and other accessories as well. The other thing that the SCMS's have is excellent safety guards and portability - something that the RAS's definitely don't have.

Stewie