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Today folks representing Ridgid stopped by the Popular Woodworking shop. Techtronic Industries North America, Inc. (TTI) Product Manager Jon Van Bergen and Paul Fitzmaurice of Imre Communications visited and they brought tools.
TTI is the manufacturer of Ridgid-branded power tools, a full line of power tools available at Home Depot. This morning the guys unveiled for us a 12″ dual-bevel miter saw, a 13″ thickness planer and a 3″ x 18″ belt sander (timing couldn’t have been better after the results of the recent blog posting on belt sanders).
We started with the newest thickness planer (R4330). The 13″, 15-amp machine is a new four-post design; the head travels up and down on four posts whereas the older version traveled on just two posts, so now it’s beefier. This new design also increases the knife count from two to three, so it makes 30,000 cuts per minute and runs 26 feet of stock during that same amount of time.
New features abound in the new planer. Ridgid has added the “Ind-I-Cut” depth-measurement system for accuracy in cuts. This feature allows you to predetermine the amount of cut for the stock. Nudge the material under the front edge of the machine, then lower the head until the indicator registers the exact depth of cut you select. The planer is at the stores now, but here’s a hint. It has the same SKU number as the older unit, so make sure you buy the new version (check the packaging for the knife count, and look for “three”).
The cost? $349.
In addition, Ridgid included the “Repeat-A-Cut” depth-stop setting. Use this to achieve equal thicknesses anytime by setting the depth stop and working the material to your selected thickness. The selection is determined by sliding a lever to one of eight stops.
The 12″ dual-bevel miter saw features a new “Exactline Adjustable Laser” that can be set according to your method of work. If you like the laser set to the left, right or dead center of the cut, all you need to do is position the beam accordingly.
What caught my eye was the 90Ã?º-crosscutting capacity for the saw. This bad boy cuts a 2 x 10 clean. That, for anyone not familiar with the home-construction industry, translates to 9-1/4″ of cut. That exceeds most of the competition by 2″ of cut or more. Do you really need a sliding miter saw? This 12″ miter saw should start shipping in the next few weeks. The price is $349.
A new variable-speed belt sander is due out in October of this year. It’s a compact unit that takes a standard 3″ x 18″ belt (no looking for special sizes). It feels good in your hand and the smaller size allows it to do more than just sand flat , think sculpting and rounding. A new feature brought to the table by Ridgid is onboard twin fans. One fan is directed at cooling the motor while the second fan facilitates dust collection. In older designs, the single fan does double duty and neither job is done to the best ability.
I noticed the rear roller is slightly larger than the front roller. Does this add to the ability of the sander? I was told it just looked good. Since you bloggers have issued a new directive on bringing belt sanders into the shop for review purposes, I cannot wait to get a hold this one. Look for this sander to cost just under a C-note.
We have the miter saw and thickness planer in the shop, so as we get time to put the tools through their paces, we’ll report back. They look good out of the box, but that’s the easy part. Keep an eye out for further information. And if you have anything specific you would like for us to address, send a comment our way or contact me via e-mail.
