AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 703
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Post by AzRockGeek on Oct 1, 2020 9:38:06 GMT -5
In my opinion, the Jenkins/Royal is one of the best slab saws out there. It has a very compact design for an 18" saw, the vise is extremely easy to use, they are easy to repair if necessary, it is a work horse.
I have owned and flipped a lot of slab saws, my Jenkins and my Great Western are two I will not part with.
Tim
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Post by oregon on Oct 1, 2020 10:59:21 GMT -5
In my opinion, the Jenkins/Royal is one of the best slab saws out there. It has a very compact design for an 18" saw, the vise is extremely easy to use, they are easy to repair if necessary, it is a work horse. I have owned and flipped a lot of slab saws, my Jenkins and my Great Western are two I will not part with. Tim Looks similar design to the smaller R&M saws - I also was intrigued by that design, compact and simple as you say, seemed to work very well. My biggest concern was on those was about the metal on metal for the vise carriage - what does one do when that wears and things start getting sloppy? Simply looks like (accurate) sized holes bored in cold steel.
Also the indicator said the blade/carriage on mine was pretty well aligned, but I don't remember if there was much adjustment possibility for the arbor or the carriage?
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AzRockGeek
has rocks in the head
Member since September 2016
Posts: 703
|
Post by AzRockGeek on Oct 1, 2020 14:57:12 GMT -5
Mr oregon brings up and excellent point, what maybe be easy for some people to fix may not be easy for a beginner. If you look at it, grab the vise and see if there is excessive movement up/down, there should be a little play but not super sloppy. Also, check the bearings in the blade, try and pick up the blade by pinching it at the top of the blade and lifting it up, there should be no movement at all, try it from side to side as well. If the bearings are bad, they can be easily replaced, but would drop the value of the saw as it needs repair. Make sure the small feed motor on the back is turning when on, they sometimes go bad. |
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Post by Mel on Oct 2, 2020 12:09:59 GMT -5
Thank you guys for the input!! This was used by "The" rock guy in our area (shop closed 25 years ago) but he bought it new. I expect it's been well maintained since he kept it back after selling the rest of his equipment.
My husband is mechanically inclined, so I'm not very worried about repairing it, more about where to find $1500 (rocks aren't paying the bills yet).
I guess bottom line is that I'm not sure what I should do about it just yet but am very happy to hear confirmation that it lives up to the quality test.
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