- Joined
- Apr 14, 2014
- Messages
- 3,169
This is a little off topic as far as metal working is concerned, but I thought I'd ask anyway. I've been doing some repairs around the house including repairing the deck and permanent benches. I've been using my Dewalt 740 radial arm saw (circa 1975) for most of the cutting work. It still functions, but it's getting tired. On one of the last cuts a flat spring that helps hold the head at the proper mitering angle broke. It's a 3" long, 2" wide, T shaped affair about 1/16" thick with a hole at the intersection of the legs of the T.
I'm in the process of disassembling the arm and head to retrieve the piece still attached to the saw. Along the way I've found more problems like one of the pulleys for the head raise and lower system is loose on the shaft, the hand grip on the miter locking handle is deteriorating to the point it should be replaced, and the table needs replacement among other things. At this point I'm assessing whether or not to put more money into the beast. To top things off the saw is old enough that there are almost no electrical or mechanical replacement components available. About the only parts still listed are a few nuts, bolts, and washers.
My question is are these machines now considered dinosaurs? They seem to have been by in large replaced by compound miter saws. There are a few higher end brand machines available, but they list anywhere from $2,500.00 to $12,500.00. I'm interested in a good machine, but can't justify that kind of money for the use it gets. The Miter saws look interesting, but most are meant to be portable, and aren't nearly as stable as my current machine.
Bottom line I need to make the decision as whether to attempt to repair and refurbish the current machine, or let it go and invest in a new machine. Since I haven't bought a saw of this type in 45 years I could use some guidance as to what's available, what I can expect as far as quality and versatility are concerned, and what I need to spend to get a quality machine so if I decide to buy a new one I won't be kicking myself six months down the road.
I'm in the process of disassembling the arm and head to retrieve the piece still attached to the saw. Along the way I've found more problems like one of the pulleys for the head raise and lower system is loose on the shaft, the hand grip on the miter locking handle is deteriorating to the point it should be replaced, and the table needs replacement among other things. At this point I'm assessing whether or not to put more money into the beast. To top things off the saw is old enough that there are almost no electrical or mechanical replacement components available. About the only parts still listed are a few nuts, bolts, and washers.
My question is are these machines now considered dinosaurs? They seem to have been by in large replaced by compound miter saws. There are a few higher end brand machines available, but they list anywhere from $2,500.00 to $12,500.00. I'm interested in a good machine, but can't justify that kind of money for the use it gets. The Miter saws look interesting, but most are meant to be portable, and aren't nearly as stable as my current machine.
Bottom line I need to make the decision as whether to attempt to repair and refurbish the current machine, or let it go and invest in a new machine. Since I haven't bought a saw of this type in 45 years I could use some guidance as to what's available, what I can expect as far as quality and versatility are concerned, and what I need to spend to get a quality machine so if I decide to buy a new one I won't be kicking myself six months down the road.