Whats old is new again

[mtnman]

Check out this web site when you have your model # & Serial # for your Craftsman radial arm saw. There is a recall for many of the saws made from 1958 to 1992 . The old saw I inherited was eligible and I got a pile of new parts to make it safer to use and somewhat more accurate. And I've heard that others have taken the $100 cash. All I had to do was enter my #s on the web site and fill in my name & address.

[cpowell]

Holy Cow! I'll be checking that out as soon as I can find some numbers on it. Thanks!

[Bill Wilson]

The recall is with regard to the blade guard on the saw. Old Craftsman RAS blade guards left the bottom half of the blade exposed. The new guard has floating panels that cover the bottom of the blade. In order to make this new guard work, the table needs reconfigured to move the fence further toward the user, so they also send you parts to replace the table.

I got the recall kit for my Craftsman RAS several years ago. I hated the new guard. It was clumsy and awkward to use, so I put the original one back on. I also didn't like the fact that I now sacrificed a couple inches of capacity on crosscuts, so I simply modified the new table somewhat and put the fence back in the original position. The "new & improved" blade guard is laying in a box somewhere collecting dust. I did get a new table out of the deal, which I needed badly, so I was happy.

If you choose not to perform the upgrade, you can still be eligible to receive a $100 rebate instead. I think you have to remove the motor and send it in to prove you have disabled the saw though.