When it comes to woodworking projects, table saws are standard in every workshop.
Radial arm saws? Those tend to be a less common tool in the modern workshop, but you'll still find many master woodworkers using one daily. The primary purpose of a radial arm saw is for making cross cuts while table saws are generally used for rip cuts and other specialty cuts.
However, you can perform cross cuts on a table saw. The reason radial arm saws stick around is because they've been in the shop forever and they're easy to leave set up for operations that require numerous crosscuts.
The benefits a radial arm saw have over the table saw are:
- Increased cutting depth for thicker materials
- No limit on the width of the material being cut. The fence limits the width of the table saw.
- If only performing cross cuts, there's no need to constantly re-adjust and re-align for a perfectly square cut.
However, the benefits of the table saw over the radial arm saw are greater.
- Table saws are considered safer for several reasons, which we'll cover below.
- Modern table saws can perform the same cross cut and maintain the same or better quality cut
- Table saws will be approximately the same price, or some in cases, cheaper than a true radial arm saw
- There are many more types of cuts you can perform on a table saw that are safer and easier.
Why is a table saw better?
A table saw is safer than a radial arm saw - here's why:
- You only expose as much of the blade as you need to use.
- A table saw's blade rotation pulls the piece down, the radial arm saw's blade rotation pulls the piece up.
- Rip cuts on a radial arm are difficult and can be dangerous
- There is no riving knife or splitter on a radial arm saw
- There is no blade guard on a radial arm saw - Many radial arm saws were recalled because they weren't sold with a blade guard
Blade Exposure
With a table saw, only the amount of blade you need to use is exposed for the cut. The rest of the blade remains beneath the surface. For example, if you are cutting a 2x4 (actual measurements of 1.5" x 3.5") with its shortest side up, then you only need to expose a little over 1.5" of the blade.
On the other hand, with the radial arm saw, the entire bottom half of the blade is exposed regardless of the thickness of the material. Parts of the blade that aren't actively cutting the material are exposed and pose a potential hazard.
Rip Cuts
Rip cuts are possible on some radial arm saws, but require the blade to be rotated 90 degrees and be perpendicular to the cutting fence. The work piece than has to be moved laterally across the operator's body to be cut.
The safety issue is that the operator may need to reach out around the blade to complete the cut. The work material cut bind up against the fence if it's not 100% straight, thus causing the saw to bind. In this scenario the operator has to either stop the saw and re-align everything or reach around while the saw is powered on to move the material - neither of which are desirable.
Riving Knives or Splitters
Modern kiln-dried wood, like the 2x4's or other lumber you'd buy at Home Depot or Lowe's, undergo drying stress, also known as 'casehardening.' In layman's terms , this means the outer layers of wood, around the center, become drier than the inside of the wood.
Thus when the wood is cut, it will bend, twist, and move in various directions depending on the location of and amount of moisture. This becomes a safety issue when warped wood can start to move toward the spinning blade. If the wood even slightly begins to move toward the blade, it can pull your hand into the blade.
The video below demonstrates what can happen if you do NOT have a riving knife or splitter present on your table saw. The same can happen on a radial saw, given there is not a riving knife or splitter. While this video shows an intentional movement of the wood, the same can happen on wood that is moving in a straight path. The tension can be released inside the wood and it may start to veer towards the blade on its own.
Blade Guards
On radial arm saws, the blade guard must be manually moved out of the way in order to make a cut. This is extra steps and can add time to projects. A table saw has a blade guard that will automatically raise and lower with the blade height adjustment. It provides protection against kickback that may occur due to warped material or
Apart from the safety aspect, table saws offer the ability to make a greater number of cuts than a radial arm saw for the typical woodworker. Plus, they're easier to set up and break down for use at different locations.
Where to buy a radial arm saw?
Your best bet at finding a true radial arm saw for personal or hobbyist use is to look on the secondhand market. Ebay, Craigslist, and Facebook marketplace will be your best bet.
Otherwise, commercial level radial arm saws can be purchased new and will run upwards of $4,000+ USD.
Radial arm saws were once fairly common and easily purchased at Sears (you'll find most of the secondhand ones are Craftsman models). However, radial arm saws have been mostly replaced by sliding compound miter saws.
Why were radial arm saws phased out?
Radial arm saws aren't dangerous when used by an experienced operator, hence why they're still available at a commercial price point. However, to an inexperienced consumer, a radial arm saw can be dangerous because there is a bit of a learning curve to using one correctly.
With the introduction of the compound miter saw, the radial arm saw began to be phased out in favor of other power saw designs that were easier and less dangerous to operate and at a lower cost.
A sliding compound miter saw can be packed into a box fully assembled. While we're not 100% certain on how Sears and Roebuck packed the original Craftsman radial arm saw we can say it either had to be fully assembled in a larger box or required assembly after purchase.
Manufacturers may tend to shy away from products that require assembly as it's not as marketable and requires a budget for support for consumers who need help troubleshooting.
Sears sold their 8", 9", and 10" radial arm saws from 1958 through 1992, well before the digital age and internet accessibility we have today. That means an added cost for support staff to man the phones.