Ridgid R4221: Issues Abound

[Conductor562]

As some of you may have read in the other thread, I picked up the Ridgid R4221 for $300 with stand on Black Friday. I'd normally be sceptical of a deal that seemed this good, but having good faith in Ridgid as a brand, I didn't pay it much mind and went for it.

 

From the moment I took it out of the box I wasn't happy with the saw. My first issue was with the bevel adjustment. It was awkward to say the least. It can be set up to operate 2 different ways and while this may have been an attempt to please everyone, it ended up just being overly complex. I really wanted to like the saw because who wouldn't like a quality miter saw for $300, so I resigned myself to just having to get used to it.

 

My next issue was with the miter lock. The problem was that it didn't work...at all. Upon attempting to make it operational, I discovered random grinds on the underbelly of the saw. Not exactly a fatal flaw, but a sign of poor workmanship and an unrefined manufacturing process for sure. I returned the saw and exchanged it for another.

 

On the second saw the miter lock actually worked. The mechanism was part plastic, which gave me doubts as to it's longevity, and again, the operation was somewhat awkward. The same grind marks were also present, which confirmed a more widespread manufacturing issue. Still, I really wanted this saw to work out, so I planned to get used to it.

 

I made test cuts with the first saw and everything was dead on. 45's, 90's, everything was dialed in right out of the box. With the second saw, I didn't get around to making any test cuts until today. Again, everything was dead on, however, something was clearly amiss. 

 

Check it it out and see if you hear it:

 

 

The Saw starts slow as Ridgid saws have a tendency to do, but after coming to top speed I noticed small hesitations accompanied by random vibrations easily felt even without making a cut. To make sure I wasn't crazy, I got a second opinion from Mrs. Conductor who confirmed my findings. I couldn't tell if it was a blade balancing issue with the crappy stock blade, or something with the motor. I put a new Avanti on it and while it did seem to help a little, the issue was still very much noticeable. 

 

Could it be an issue of simply needing broken in with the new brushes or something? a defective switch? or is it just a poorly manufactured saw? I'm not a newbie at playing with tools by any means. Over the course of my life I have used many such saws from just about every manufacturer you can name (except Festool, everyone around here was to poor to be a Festool snob like ChrisK) and I've never had a saw sputter like that. It concerns me.

 

I'm not unrealistic. I didn't expect to get $1000 performance from a $300 saw, but I did expect more than this from a Ridgid product. I don't make a living with a saw, but I do occasionally do things on the side for profit and even if I'm just working for myself, I pride myself on shit being right and I like tools I can count on. I don't need top of the line equipment, but I would like to have something that works. That being said, I think it's best I just return the saw. I'm not happy with it and could not in good concise recommend the saw to anyone. It's a nice idea to market a quality Saw for $300, but the 2 I had were not quality saws.  

 

I'll probably go with a Dewalt. The 709 is on sale for $379, so I may go that route. I might even spring for the 780, just depends on what kinda mood Mrs. Conductor is in tomorrow ?

 

[khariV]

Something is definitely not balanced with that saw. It sounds almost like the blade is rubbing as it spins.  I'd say bring it back and try a different brand - a Ridgid miter saw isn't in your future. 

 

On a positive note, the Ridgid MSU stand is a heck of a steal at $99 still, so you can always pick up one of those to go with whatever you settle on for a saw. 

[Conductor562]

I went and got the 780 today. Night and day difference

[KnarlyCarl]

Awesome. You can't deny the heritage behind DeWalt Miter saws. I have an older DW703 simple 10" for the few times I make smaller cuts

[Conductor562]

I have a Dewalt table saw and a Dewalt planer, so any other color would have awfully out of place. Color wasn't a deciding factor, but it is a nice bonus.  

 

[OldDominionDIYer]

Blade wobble has plagued earlier production serial numbered units of this saw.  I picked one up last Black Friday (Nov 2017) and was fortunate to find that my unit exhibits no such issues, thank goodness.  I had read that RIDGID had made some manufacturing changes and that later model serial numbers (essentially 2500 on up) were not showing the same issues.  I got mine (and it is a high serial number unit) with the gravity stand (which I love) and after assembly it checked out to be wobble free and true so I was really pleased.  When I got it I knew I would have some time before I really needed it in case I had to work through any issues or go a different route but I was one of the lucky ones who got a good one out of the box.  The RIDGID website showed it as discontinued when I went on the register it so it wasn't on the market very long. Obviously they felt it was better to get out of it and try again!