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I would swear by it
Rating: 5
Power tools: you either swear BY them or swear AT them. This is one I would swear by, despite those who swear at the blade wobble. More on that later.
Having had mixed experience with Ridgid (I swear by my TS3650 table saw, but swore at my now discontinued 14 inch band saw) I was actually looking at a competitor's product when I saw the R4221 had greater specs at a lower sale price. I am very happy with it. Movements are smooth and fluid without drag or binding, making precise setting very easy. The head is well balanced so it doesn't flop to one side when setting bevels. The instruction manual is clear and well written (yes, I'm one of "those guys" who reads manuals) making assembly relatives quick and painless. The preset detents are crisp, solid, and tight, making the standard cuts easy to obtain. The miter detents were off by a fraction of a degree, but I was able to adjust it to true without much trouble. Coupled with the MSUV cart and a self made measuring cutoff table, and this a valuable addition to my shop.
Now about that notorious blade wobble. I read the reviews after I made the purchase (I normally do a lot of research before buying) and I was alarmed by the number of people that had problems with wobble. It doesn't seem to matter if it is the R4221 or R4222 or the specific serial number, the problem seems to be random. I hope Ridgid can get the issue resolved, otherwise they've killed a terrific product. I make furniture and regularly need to cut 5/4 by 12+ inch by 8-12 foot red oak boards sometimes with a 83 degree bevel. This has been time consuming and sometimes dangerous with hand held saws or the table saw. It is a lot quicker and easier with the miter saw. Even setting the bevel is easy with the help of a digital angle finder. So far cuts have been very smooth and clean, with nominal tear out, even after I seriously dulled the included blade cutting some U channel that I only thought was aluminum. I'm sure that I after I get a new vibration free blade the cuts will be almost polished.
A couple of minor issues. The blade brake pulls the saw downward when it is engaged. Not a problem when making through cuts. However, when making stopped cuts in vertically held boards, it will cause tremendous over cutting. The solutions is to carefully lift the saw out of the cut before releasing the trigger (which Ridgid strongly discourages) or to use the depth stop. I haven't used the depth stop yet, but it looks like it would take three hands to set it correctly. Also, when the brake first engages, the entire head torques slightly clockwise. When cutting boards wider than 6 inches, this results in a barely perceptible groove in the left hand piece from the side of the teeth cutting into the board. (see second and third photo) The groove can definitely be felt, but is virtually invisible when boards are joined. The LED sighting takes a little getting use to, but it is precisely accurate.
I would definite recommend this saw with the caveat that you should be prepared to switch to another one if you get a bad one. Ridgid, do us woodworkers and yourself a favor and get that blade wobble under control.
by Wild Hare on 2020-08-10T17:00:00 Fantastic Miter Saw with Class Leading Capabilities
Rating: 5
First of all I recognize I was fortunate that my saw does not exhibit any of the "blade wobble" others speak of. I have a higher serial number unit that has had very little issues compared to the earlier lower serial number model. Mine worked flawlessly after assembly and I couldn't be happier! RIDGID really built a fantastic unit in this Model R4221 12 inch Miter Saw. They designed a compound sliding miter saw that cuts 70 degrees in both directions, has the best type of kerf shadow LED marking system, blade brake, great ergonomics in a solid platform. If your looking for small and portable this is not your saw, but if you can handle the size and weight it will likely be the last miter saw you will ever buy. I have yet to use all the features but all my cuts thus far have been spot on. I did purchase the crown molding jigs and a second clamp so I won't have to keep moving the one that is provided from side to side. I am completely satisfied with this purchase, and will recommend this to my friends and family. By the way I am a DIYer, not using it professionally, although I think it would be a stellar performer for most professionals.
by OldDominionDIYer on 2018-01-21T16:00:00 Outstanding
Rating: 5
I have been waiting years for the next generation of this saw to come out. Worth the wait great saw from the new light guide, to the crown stops not to mention the 70 degree bevel very impressed nice work ridgid
by Justbuildit on 2016-08-06T17:00:00 Greatest addition to my arsenal!
Rating: 5
First off, I read all of the reviews on this site and other sites to determine if I was making the right decision purchasing this saw. I saw everything that everyone had to say about the "Blade Wobble" and whatnot. So, I knew what to look for as far as the serial numbers when I went into my local Home Depot. The particular saw that I got started with a "1804", so I wasn't too concerned. I got it home, unboxed it and begin to verify if it were square and whatnot. It was pretty dead on! Pairs perfectly with my Ridgid Table Saw.
by Lunchboxmunchy on 2018-07-08T17:00:00 Great saw and it cuts like a boss!
Rating: 4
I did not have the wobble issue so many people have mentioned. Perhaps Ridgid fixed the issue or it was just a bad batch. It is also possible that people missed the step about adding oil to the outer blade washer. FYI there are two blade washers (inner and outer), the manual clearly states to remove the outer blade washer and place a drop of oil on it. After oiling the outer blade washer, you replace the outer washer and re-assemble the saw (more details in the manual).
I bought this saw for home use and love it! This saw is likely overkill for the projects I have but I bought the saw hoping to have it for a lifetime.
I would recommend this saw to anyone looking for a superior quality saw loaded with excellent features. The other huge bonus is that the saw comes with a limited life time service warranty.
The LED cut line is not a "laser guide" LED thus it can be hard or near impossible to see the cut line when cutting outdoors in the sun.
Overall, I give the Ridgid R4221 4 out of 5 stars because I haven't it long enough to say it's a long lasting, reliable product.
When I bought my Ridgid R4221 there was a Father's Day promotion so I also received a free Ridgid MSUV (AC9946) Mitre Saw Stand. The saw and stand are usually sold separately.
by bskoreyko on 2017-09-08T17:00:00 Blade wobble still an issue
Rating: 3
I knew what I was getting in to with a known performance issue concerning the blade wobble, however, this saw really had everything I need. After seeing multiple posts that the blade wobble was fixed after certain a serial number sequence, I felt somewhat comfortable in buying it. Well, my SN is 1852 and I can assure you the blade wobble is still there. Darn thing cuts anything I throw up there with ease. Most of what I do is rough work, so precision isn't a priority for me. However, the wobble is very noticeable and does impact the squareness of cuts. Will be sending it in for a warranty claim. We'll see how many I have to cycle through before they make it right.
by Joe Burrow on 2020-06-02T17:00:00 Not a square cut among them
Rating: 2
I bought this saw because all of the other Ridgid power tools I purchased have been awesome. After I setup the saw I performed my first cut. For an unknown and reoccurring reason, the blade cuts straight about two-thirds of the way across a piece off wood, then it appears the blade shifts and the cut takes a small angle change. The result is a cut that isn't square. Doesn't matter what type of wood, how thick, sliding or down motion, etc. I kept around an old Delta mitre saw and have used my father's DeWalt sliding mitre and never had this issue. I'm severely disappointed, especially after having read that Ridgid had resolved the issue.
by Unsatisfied Customer on 2020-09-19T17:00:00 Wobble - not what I expected from this brand
Rating: 2
I bought this saw based on price and brand quality compared to others out there. When I set up the saw and put the blade on, the saw had significant more wobble than I expected. I took the blade off and reviewed the set up per the instructions and still had the same issue. I did buy a red blade, but did not switch it out yet. Any suggestion on anything I can do to adjust it or am I stuck with a wobble on the saw?
by CarlosWoodWorks on 2017-02-18T16:00:00 Ridgid 12 in bevel sliding saw
Rating: 1
Had to return it cause the blade had a bad wobble after only a few times using the saw . Was going to exchange it for a new one but after reading a lot of reviews and seeing that this is a very common thing I decided to just return and buy a different brand .
by erasmod1 on 2020-10-22T17:00:00 Blade wabble
Rating: 1
Got this saw today was so excited to have another ridgit miter saw for my crew to work with, all the options on the saw were what convinced me to purchase the saw, got back home set it up and as soon as I ran it I noticed that the blade was wobbling way too much, I set my 90 degree square and gently turn the blade by hand to check the reason and I tell you what after marking the blade on zero turned it around and the blade was almost 1/8" away from my square. I have many ridgit tools that I am very happy with but this one is not!! going back to return it tomorrow
by Gcpitt on 2017-06-11T17:00:00 | Read the specs, compare, buy this saw!
Rating: 5
OK .. First off, I must bow my head in shame.
Even though I have a ridiculous amount of Milwaukee tools and nothing yellow, after reading all kinds of reviews from "experts" I fell for it and bought a DWS780. They were saying things like "Yellow tools have been in the saw business forever, they know what they're doing".
Well, after 2 days of having that saw, I happened to be at a friend's place who just bought the Milwaukee. I used his saw and couldn't get over how much smoother it was in every way. The rails glided so much better, were on the bottom instead of the top, the tray rotated better, it had a passive start, constant RPM technology, an electric brake, a gear driven motor so no belts to stretch and break, the fine tuning actually came in really handy and did an awesome job, the digital readout was a welcome added bonus and the whole saw in general just feels better to work with!!! OH!! And the dust collection is night and day! Its SO much better on the Milwaukee!!
For a tool I plan on having for years, the answer was clear and I returned that yellow piece of junk asap and got what I KNEW I should have bought in the first place! The only explanation I can think of that the yellow tool had more votes in the comparisons is those people are too sold on their yellow collection and have never bothered to even look at the specs of other saws!
I also got to try out a blue just the other day and while the axial-glide system is maybe even slightly smoother then the Milwaukee, the Milwaukee is still by far better because of all the other reasons listed above and also that blue saw didn't seem to want to give an accurate cut, not sure if it was the blade or the saw causing the flex, but it just assured me that I had made the right choice in exchanging for the Milwaukee.
After just over a month now with my Milwaukee, 1,200 feet of hardwood floor, moldings and currently working on building kitchen cabinets, this saw has worked wonderfully for me and I love it!
RED TOOLS ARE BETTER!
by Pete on 2018-10-31T17:00:00 Best SCMS on the market
Rating: 5
This saw is the workhorse of the 12 in SCMS's. We switch off between this saw and the DWS780, and I prefer this one. The direct drive provides a smoother start and more consistent cut, and the power is noticeably better in large framing lumber and hardwoods. The digital miter gauge is very handy, as well are the lights, but the bevel adjust is the best in class. The detant override and fine adjust also work very well in correlation with the digital readout.
by DirtRoadDesigns on 2014-04-26T17:00:00 Better than its competitors.
Rating: 5
This saw surpassed all expectations. I've used it for a little over 1 year on job-sites and it has performed flawlessly. It's accurate. It gets thrown in the back of the truck everyday and still performs as if it were new. I've used it to frame porches, garages, and install thousands of feet of exterior trim. I've owned the DeWalt, Ridgid, and Makita versions of this saw. The Milwaukee is by far the superior saw. Don't waste your money buying anything else.
by funkymunkyluvn on 2012-07-23T17:00:00 What sawdust?
Rating: 5
Outstanding dust collection! I use it in my shop at home and it's the best I've ever seen, I use a dewalt 12" slider at work and the dust collection is terrible. Milwaukees bevel handle and slide action are far batter than dewalts. The work lights they incorporated really come in handy when I take it onsite and often times operating it in a area not very well lit. Very happy with it! Highly recommend it.
by Peterbuiltcustoms on 2012-08-07T17:00:00 best miter saw
Rating: 5
i saw comments on the right fence non sliding. here a little trick to let it slide just take a buffer and grind the mini stopper near the fence lock knob and the little round demi circle down center of the fence and et voila its slide
by djby on 2016-01-03T16:00:00 2 years of ownership
Rating: 5
I love this saw and it is my go to saw for the majority of my work. The only flaw is the lights, which are way too weak for field work. I installed a custom made axle and 10" wheels and it can now be rolled around in field,yard and construction sight without flipping over. Some small scews have rusted or corroded due to wet sawdust, and the mitre saw roller supports need a redesign as they are off center and not alligned. I would, however, recommended this saw to anyone without reservation, as a trusted heavy duty tool.
by Boots on 2012-10-28T17:00:00 Best Miter Saw On the Market Today
Rating: 5
I own a building material store and I build custom furniture as a hobby business. We have sold several miter saws over the years, and this is the only saw that customers come back in to tell us how much they love it! I have owned several dewalt models and they simply don't compare to the Milwaukee. Positives
It came out of the box 100% accurate.
Adjusting the bevel with the large paddle handle is easier on this saw than any other.
It slides smoother than any other saw on the market.
The soft start motor makes it easier to handle and reduces fatigue. It also lets you concentrate on holding the workpiece instead of ensuring the saw doesn't jump up out of your hand.
The dust collector seems to pick up a larger percentage of the dust than other saws. Bad things:
1 - The right side fence does not slide. Not the end of the world, but seriously...what were you thinking?
2 - The blade guard is clear, but you really can't see through it to make accurate cuts. It's good enough when cutting framing, but skews your vision too much to cut trim. I have to pull the guard up, set my piece, drop the guard, then cut. It takes some getting used to but the positives far outweight the negatives.
3 - If you turn the miter table too quickly, the digital read out gives you a number that is way out of whack. Returning it to 0 degrees or a preset stop seems to reset it.
by BK on 2014-09-09T17:00:00 its the best saw made
Rating: 5
grind the right fence and it will slide
by scotty on 2014-01-11T16:00:00 Lights...
Rating: 4
The two lights are not enough for good view sawing.
And the protector blade are not clear to see the pencil line on Wood . I like to change for à Led lights....
by Coss on 2014-08-22T17:00:00 nice first try
Rating: 3
Nice first try for a miter saw from Milwaukee.
It has a few flaws, though:
mounted on a stand, the cord does't reach the floor- unacceptable if you want to use a cordreel
compound cuts are only possible 45/45 left and even less right
the right fence doesn't slide over- it has to be removed as soon as you need the right bevel
can't cut 3 pieces 2x stacked- my other saw can
The trully good: this saw is HD. I bet, it can fall off your pick up without any damage. It was dead on both square and bevel out the box.
Great framing saw- for finishing there are better ones
by Qualityworkcalgary on 2013-02-22T16:00:00 |
