EXACTLINE™ LASER ALIGNMENT SYSTEM Question

[mauiguy99]

will the exactline system fit on my ms1290 saw? Is the laser line bright enough to be seen in daylight?

[BrandMan]

The exactline laser will not mount to older RIDGID mitersaws. The blade guard and the upper blade cover have been changed to accomodate the laser.

As for day light. With the wide variations in lighting, ambient conditions... hard to give you a one size fits all answer. We have used the saw in sun light and have been able to see the line. I would suggest that the best answer is that in direct sunlight - you results will vary.

[MikeInMs]

I got the laser on the miter saw i just bought (MS1290LZ). Please save you money. the line is bright but shows nowhere near the saw blade. I E-Mailed support but got a very very unhelpfull answer. basicly I was told to live with it and learn how close the drawn line needs to be laser line. for this i paid $597.

[Bergybits]

:confused:
I was planning to make the MS1290LZ my next purchase! Is this a set-up / adjustment issue? Comments from any other purchasers? I would like to know now before I buy!

From what I have seen of other MSs in stores, the PC model has a laser beam on both sides of the blade. Last week, a post was made concerning the fact that the 1290 has only one laser beam to the left side of the cut. Is a double beam better than a single beam?
:confused:

[BrandMan]

EXACTLINE is built into the arbor washer. When you tighen down the blade to the arbor, your EXACTLINE is aligned to the kerf of the blade. There is no adjustment, nothing to get knocked out of alignment. The beam falls directly to the left of your cut line, or the kerf of the blade. Makes it quick easy and reliable for set up and reference use.

[MikeInMs]

well if the laser line is aligned with the blade kref why was i told to practice getting the cuts right after i explained that the line on my saw was 1/8 to 3/16 from the kref.

[snotzthedog]

Mike, The laser line and the cut line do not overlap. You have to put the right side of the laser beam on the cut line of your board. The saw kerf will not cut directly on the laser beam, it will be on the right side of the beam, which is about an eighth inch from the center of the laser beam. I believe the saw blade blocks a portion of the laser, so there is no adjustment to make, and I dont see any way it could be off, because the shadow of the blade is the right edge of the laser line, but I could be wrong about that. hth

[MikeInMs]

FatBoy

thats my problem the laser line ends 1/8 to 3/16 from the blade it self. the blade can not block the laser beam.

[measure once...cut twice]

The truth of the whole lazerline debate is that no lazer is going to line up EXACTLY with the cut... it will always be off. The purpose of the laser is to make setting up a cut a bit easier by referencing from the lazer line. Another thing to keep in mind is that not all carbide blades are alike. the lazer is going to be off more or less depending on how wide the teeth are on the blade.

[snotzthedog]

Mike, Sorry I'm not very good at explaining stuff. If you taqke a square and scribe a cut line on a board and put it on the miter saw and pull the trigger to make the laser get going and lower the saw until the line is solid across the board, the cut line can not be under the red line at all. It has to be on the right edge of the laser. To tell the truth, Ii find it easier and faster to lower the blade down and looking at the teeth on the blade to align the cut before I start the saw. Apparently Ii'm not very good at typing or spelling either.

[BrandMan]

The key thing to remember with EXACTLINE, or any Laser alignment tool, is that it is a reference. As for the distance change - because you are moving the laser close to the stock as you lower the saw. That is why it is suggested that you test, or experiment.

[lehigh99]

But I was told by a Home Depot associate you have to turn the saw on (blade spinning) to see the laserline. If I am trying to line up a cut, itsn't that a bit dangerous to have the blade spinning?

[SuperDave]

Originally posted by lehigh99:
But I was told by a Home Depot associate you have to turn the saw on (blade spinning) to see the laserline. If I am trying to line up a cut, itsn't that a bit dangerous to have the blade spinning? You're correct, the laser is centrifugal - it only works when the blade is spinning. For the life of me, I cannot understand how this laser line is an improvement, or even a useful feature. My contractor customers are looking at it, and laughing. I don't use it as a selling point any more.

[BrandMan]

The blade guard is slotted on the bottom to allow a dotted line to appear across the work piece. Keep in mind - the laser is not to be a direct replacement for manual alignment of a cut. It is a visual reference to reinforce that everything is correct. I would offer that this is true of most any laser alignment system offered today.

[tule guy]

:confused:
i am new to this site, please forgive any bad format.
i am responding to superdave's comments as to weather LASERLINE technology has any benefit, or is it just a "gee whizz---look what i got for Christmas toy?"

i am in the market to replace my old miter saw (DELTA 10 inch) wich has served me well for the last 10 yrs. i am not a pro working in the industry, but i want a tool that is dependable and user frendly.

it seems that most of the saws available now have the laser feature, but, i am not convinced that it is necessary.

should i be looking at the Dewalt 10 inch as opposed to the Rigid MS1065LZ ?

[JJC]

tule guy,
I just bought the ms12900 the 12" slider compound miter other week the one with out the exactline laser. My local HD made a real good deal on it. From all I've heard/read about it you might want to see if they have a non-laser model they are willing to deal on. I don't think you will be upset with which ever saw you purchase the Ridgid or Dewalt.

[mr man]

I honestly don't see what the big deal is. Are the saws not the same price they used to be? You don't even have to put the laser unit on if you don't want to.

I like the newer saws much better over the old, laser etched miter gauge filled in with paint, looks very precise, a much nicer finished surface on the deck, and to top it off you get a great working clamp that Dewalt wants $40 bucks for seperatly. The 12" saw also includes a decent shop stand for those that won't move it around much. Hard to beat for the price of them, considering the life time warrenty.

For me, they have the dewalts beat for what you get for the money, with our without the laser.

[RIDGID MAN #1]

Mr. Man,
Don't get me wrong, I love my new Ridgid tools...this lifetime battery deal is SWEET. But on the subject of Miter Saws: As a woodworker I want the most accurate Miter Saw available. Accuracy, accuracy, accuracy...that's the name of the game. I read "WOOD" and other woodworking magazines which give prduct reviews all the time (they claim that they do not take kickbacks, free products, etc. from any manufacturer so they are unbiased). Every woodworking magazine rates Dewalt Miter Saws the highest. This is consistently the case. I have a 12 inch compound Dewalt that I love, though I am presently converting some tools to RIDGID. From everything I've read they are the most accurate saws on the market (unless you want to shell out $2200 for some Italian rig). Woodworker magazine said that lasers on Miter Saws are a "marketing gimmic." Furthermore, Dewalt has a portable stand that is pricey but SWEET.

Can you please tell me (ie. sell me) why the Ridgid saws are superior? I'm not "trolling," just real interested to get the facts and more than willing to convert my rig to a RIDGID if I can be sold on it.

Thanks Mr. Man...you are the MAN!!!! :cool:

[imported_RichB]

I'm in the market for a 12" sliding compound miter saw - been looking at them for some time. I've narrowed it down to 2 choices - the Dewalt DW708 or the Rigid MS1290LZ. Any info that might help in my decision making would be appreciated. P.S. Dewalt is offering a $50 rebate if you purchase the saw before July 2004 bringing it in at around $550 vs. Rigid's $600.

[Dimitrin]

I too am about to make the 12" slide saw purchase, and am somewhat concerned why there was no answer to the previous question regarding a comparison between the Dewalt and the Ridgid.
Any one got any real info?

[Desmo888]

If accuracy is your primary criteria for a compound miter saw, then take some time and look at the Hitachi 10' slider.

The saw is precise, the laser is dead center of the kerf, and everything is adjustable.

The laser is bright enough to see in medium light out doors (in full sun you will need a baseball cap to create shade for the laser) and the beam is controlled by an on/off switch.

[Dimitrin]

Thanks for the reply.
Right now H.D. has the ms1290lz for $547.00.
They are offering 10% off any Ridgid purchase if you open a commercial account. They are also giving a $100.00 gift card when you purchase this saw. 10% is about $55.00 plus the $100.00 gift card puts that saw at about 392.00. I took the plunge today and did it. Also got 10% off of the Ridgid MSUV saw stand as well. Total package at about $575.00 plus tax. The "laser" comes unattached and in its own separate bag. That is where I am sure that it will stay. Imo "lasers" are a cheesy gimick. My old chop saw is 16 years old and I've really felt like it was a good opportunity to snag a new one. I have a project comming up where the homeowner has the Dewalt 12" scms mounted on the Ridgid stand, so I will be able to use both saws side by side for a couple of days. I will post my opinions everywhere possible.
I hope that I will still want to keep my new Ridgid after the comparison!

[Dimitrin]

These are the results of the side by side comparison with the Dewalt 12"csms.
The job was several arched cased openings and arched windows with casing and returns.
Here is what I determined...
-the dewalt needed calibration on the bevel and the slider tubes (as did my ridgid out of the box).
-Dewalt has no preset stops on the bevel, Ridgid does.
-The Dewalt preset stops on the mitre table will "suck" the table into them when it is close,(example: you cannot get 31 degs. or 32 degs. because the preset stop at 31.6 degs. will override and "suck" it in to 31.6) This in my opinion really "sucks".(humour intended)
-The ridged has a much larger table than the dewalt. That larger table was a definite advantage on this particular job as follows:
All the arched returns and casing pieces needed to be cut to fit. Since you cant place a curved piece of trim squarely against a square fence, you must scribe a template outline on the saws table with a pencil in order to keep your cuts consistent. The larger table provided a longer template to align the trim with.
-The table on the dewalt will rotate past all of the preset mitre stops without the release being pressed. Once it is actually in the preset stop, it will stay there, but when the released is momentarily actuated to rotate the table to a new position, it will continue to rotate to the furthest possible range of its travel without the release being operated throughout the movement. This was not necassarily a bad thing, though
the ridgid has a much smoother and deliberate miter adjustment mechanism.
-The Dewalt saw was noticably lighter, which is a good thing. Dewalt had no trigger safety on on-off switch, This was not necassarily a bad thing.
- The dewalt had less depth of cut, which equates to less cutting capacity on wide boards.
-The Dewalt does have a better depth of cut adjustment, though thats not a adjustment that I personally would use much.
-On both the passive dust collection was useless.
-The Dewalt does not have a laser. Now previously I had thought that a laser was cheesey crap, but on this job I started to appreciate its ability to properly align the blade with the cut to be made before the blade came into contact with the trim piece.After realizing this, and becoming accustomed to it, I noticed that it took more time and concentration to align the blade to the cut to be made on the trim piece when using the Dewalt. RIDGID PAY ATTENTION: I do wish that the Ridged had a laser on both sides of the blade, this would be a low cost imporvement.
Both saws were (and still are) mounted on the Ridged mobile miter saw stand, (which I can only say good things about).

Both saws are a pleasure to use, though I am glad that I chose the Ridgid over the Dewalt this time.
You may want to check out: http://www.toolsofthetrade.net/articles/showarticle.asp?articleID=2173&partID=2
Dimitri

[ 09-08-2004, 11:20 PM: Message edited by: Dimitrin ]

[paulbartell]

I have used a borrowed Dewalt 12" sliding compound miter saw and recently purchased the RIDGID 1290LZ. Reason was the laser(I'm thinking...accuracy accuracy accuracy) and the lower price. Biggest difference is in the table. The size of it is massive compared to the Dewalt. Degree marks are accordingly wider and larger making them easier to see. The bevel scale is also larger making it easier to read and adjust.The holddown clamp is quite useful too.

Gotta tell ya though that I agree with several other posters on the laser pointer. What the *#@? good is it if it doesn't paint a mark EXACTLY (I mean PRECISELY) where the blade is going to contact the work. What's the point of a "general reference", I mean, lowering the blade to contact the work is a better general reference, isn't it? I think this amounts to marketing gimickery and I wish RIDGID would make the promise of high accuracy good. The reason I came to this forum today was to find out if anyone had info on how to adjust the laser line's position relative to the actual kerf location.

In my humble opinion... There ARE NO knowledgeable sales people at the Home Depot, you can be sweeping floors at the Wal*Mart this week and passing out bad information about tools at the Home Depot next week... any fool can get a job there.

By the way, the BEST DEAL I found on this saw was at http://www.cumminstools.com where you can buy a factory reconditioned one for about $430 with a 1 year warranty.

[BadgerDave]

Unfortunately, there is no way to adjust the laser. Ridgid, Craftsman, Protec, and Ryobi, to name just a few, there are more, all use this style of laser. None of them produce a laser line that is the actual cutline. :mad:

[ 10-17-2004, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: Badger Dave ]

[imported_blade burner]

I bought the LaserKerf. Works great

[bob bridgewater]

I like the way SNOTZHEDOG said it about the laser line! I will never trust a set gadget on a tool I move and bump around day to day job to job. Maybe I'm old school,but like on a chop saw I will always lay the teeth on the side of my mark I wish to cut, trusting only my own eyes. I feel the laser guide line is just a cheep gadget to sell a tool to the inexperienced home owner.

Always protect and trust your own eye!
Bob B

[Goldenwing]

And I am one of those home owners/hobbyist woodworkers that got tricked into buying this saw because of the laser. I have a ton of Ridgid tools, won't list them all here, and when I wanted a compound miter saw I did research and was happy with what I read about the Ridgid. No where before I bought did I see anything in print, particularly not from Ridgid, that said the laser line would not align with my mark on the board. I want to be as accurate as possible and seeing a laser on this saw, I thought it would be dead on. I sure was tricked. Dont get me wrong. I love the saw, and would not return it. It is such a great tool and I use it as much or more than any tool in my shop every day. But why did Ridgid promote this saw with a laser, giving us all the impression that it would be more accurate than ever before? I lower my blade and line the teeth up with my mark, so why bother with the laser since it is not on the line? I understand there is an after market laser that will fit my saw and will fall on the line, but fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I still do not believe that for my purposes there is a better saw out here, however, it still bothers me that I was duped into buying this saw because Ridgid was not accurate with the accuracy of the laser on the saw. They did not show a picture on the box of the laser off the mark. They knew before releasing the saw and I still believe they should be held responsible for misleading adverising. It was not done blatantly but in a more subtle way. Shame on you Ridgid. Murray

[Goldenwing]

And I am one of those home owners/hobbyist woodworkers that got tricked into buying this saw because of the laser. I have a ton of Ridgid tools, won't list them all here, and when I wanted a compound miter saw I did research and was happy with what I read about the Ridgid. No where before I bought did I see anything in print, particularly not from Ridgid, that said the laser line would not align with my mark on the board. I want to be as accurate as possible and seeing a laser on this saw, I thought it would be dead on. I sure was tricked. Dont get me wrong. I love the saw, and would not return it. It is such a great tool and I use it as much or more than any tool in my shop every day. But why did Ridgid promote this saw with a laser, giving us all the impression that it would be more accurate than ever before? I lower my blade and line the teeth up with my mark, so why bother with the laser since it is not on the line? I understand there is an after market laser that will fit my saw and will fall on the line, but fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. I still do not believe that for my purposes there is a better saw out here, however, it still bothers me that I was duped into buying this saw because Ridgid was not accurate with the accuracy of the laser on the saw. They did not show a picture on the box of the laser off the mark. They knew before releasing the saw and I still believe they should be held responsible for misleading adverising. It was not done blatantly but in a more subtle way. Shame on you Ridgid. Murray

[elchuy]

Contrary to one post above, there is a laser device that can be aligned right onto the cut made by the blade:

http://www.laserkerf.com/


I recently purchased a MS1290LZ. It seemed the better deal when compared to the nearest equivalent DeWalt model - DW708, being that it had a larger work surface (Heavy! See below), lower price ($547 vs. $599) and the now questionable laser. I figured whether the laser works or not, it’s was just cheaper. I feel that DeWalts are generally overpriced, not bad for a Black & Decker brand…

And true as stated in above previous posts, the laser is mounted on the arbor so the laser line it emits is “perfectly” parallel to the saw cut, albeit about 1/8” off to the left, but nonetheless parallel. It will not go out of alignment as such there are no adjustments. If you can get used to this setup, then everything should be fine right of the box. But don’t purchase it solely because of the laser feature, or you will be disappointed.

Personally I agree with others that the laser is kind of “hokey” if not useless. Being centrifugally actuated, you kind of have to “rev” the blade to see the laser line to adjust your piece to make your cut - kind of an awkward, if not risky way to work. I will probably remove this arbor mounted laser and get the LaserKerf.

Other than that I was pleased with all the features and quality, although sadly the first one I got had the sliding action out of alignment. Had to return it to H.D., got another one which turned out fine. ??? One more warning: this thing is HEAVY! Just getting it out of the box was task in itself.

Lotsa Luck!

[ehaley]

I myself am also satisfied with the MS1290LZ, with the exception of the laser. But then again, I cannot complain as I bought the saw for $400.00 from Home Depot. They marked it down because it was a "slow moving" item. Too bad they didn't do this with my TS3650!! LOL. Anyway, accuracy is a major concern with me, and although I can use the whole teeth-to-the-mark technique, I prefer a laser that shows exactly what the blade is going to remove. This is the sole reason I bought the laserkerf. I only wish that Ridgid would partner with laserkerf and make this item standard with the MS1290LZ. Ridgid should re-name the Exactline Laser Alignment system to the Off By 1/8th-3/16th So You Had Better Account For It Laser Alignment System. But seriously, Ridgid makes some awesome tools, but I think they missed the mark with this one. Pun intended.

[Walt Cullop]

Originally posted by Badger Dave:
Unfortunately, there is no way to adjust the laser. Ridgid, Craftsman, Protec, and Ryobi, to name just a few, there are more, all use this style of laser. None of them produce a laser line that is the actual cutline. :mad: Then you should check out the Hitachi models. The laser works of the power not the blade. It is mounted in the body of the table and can be adjusted to either side of the blade or right down themiddle