[MahiMike]

Originally Posted by Holladay

I am with you on that. That is why I was looking at new table saw.

Found this. I am not a Contractor but value a decent table saw and quality. This scored well.

Best Budget Table Saw Under $300
SKIL 3410-02 120-VOLT 10-INCH TABLE SAW WITH FOLDING STAND

Looks like a Christmas present. It should not be a problem with the family. No more ER visits with a thumb almost lopped off.

BTW, my radial arm saw is my favorite. My Dad had one and the versatility is amazing. I bought it at the White Cloud,KS flea market for $35, 20 years ago.

Q. Are radial arm saws obsolete, especially when you take into account the latest compound miter saws out there on the market? And are they safe?

A. (Rob Johnstone) "Radial arm saws are great and a very useful power tool. With the increasing popularity of power miter boxes and their slide-arm cousins, I can understand how the question could be asked, but my answer is they are in no way obsolete. The main reason they remain a great option for woodworkers is their versatility.
R.J. DeCristoforo used the radial arm saw for so many operations it would simply amaze you. He routed, sanded and did horizontal boring in addition to actually cutting wood with it. In fact he used it so often, I wonder if he could do woodworking at all without one. Paul Eckhoff of Ridgid Tools made the versatility point quite strongly when I posed the question to him. Ridgid introduced a brand new radial arm saw this year and I asked him point blank why they did it. Paul offered the opinion that radial arm saws offer a woodworker more options than a table saw. So if you think of radial arm saws as a power miter box on steroids, you might feel that their days have passed. But if you understand their remarkable versatility, you just might wonder what you are doing without one".

This is my "go to" saw. Lots of questions...space, contractor, heavy duty, jobs needed, ease. Quick cut, throw on the board, flip a switch...cross cut done.

The is a bazillion tools a "shop" should have. I my mind, this is one of them.

So let's continue. When I looked at the radial arm saw vs table saw I was thinking about ripping. I see some of them now have sliding guides to make them more versatile. Guess you can rip on that.

Which one to get $300 or so?