Nothing more scary than putting a molding head on one!

Never had the bench space for one, didn't have one, didn't want one. Just sayin.

1960....My folks first house was built using one...

At the "Barn" of the construction company I worked for...they had one, and, I USED it the add planks to lift cages, and scaffolding planks.

Just another powered Saw, to me...

I'll never be without one again. But for sure there won;t ever be a molding head on mine, like Lew said it's a little scary.

Never mastered the rip cut on it.

Neither in or outside.

Board always went flying.

And could NEVER get it to cross cut square. Close, but not dead on.

Grew up with one my dad inherited from his dad. It was a Dewalt circa late 1950's. IIRC it was an 8". It had about every accessory offered at the time. My grandpa built kitchen cabinets and countless other projects with it. Dad used it some but after 3 moves sold it in the mid 1970's.

I bought my first one, a used Craftsman 10", 1hp, around 1980. It belonged an "old" guy who had bought it new in the 1960's. He had numerous accessories he gave me including a single knife molding head. I've never used the molding head on it. I quit ripping with it after it chucked a 4'+ piece of rough sawn, aged, white oak through an open shop door about 30' out into the yard.

I've replaced the motor bearings 1x. It's built one house, a couple of garages, cut thousands of feet of aluminum and vinyl soffit, vinyl siding as well as a number of shop projects

I still have the saw set up to do cross cuts only. I debated scrapping it and sending the power head back to Sears when they still had the $100 bounty; instead, I bought an identical saw with cabinet from the same era, with little use for $50 several years back mainly as a "parts mule." I honestly prefer using RAS over my CMS. Purchased my 10" CMS mainly for trim work at the time SCMS were just coming onto the scene.

Long story; lessons learned RAS...not for ripping inboard or out; just the sound of a molding head on one makes me pucker; dado stack almost as scary but doable; kinda fussy to keep set up for accuracy but possible; wouldn't be without it doing framing or siding work.

I learned woodworking on one, my dad did his ripping and cross cutting and dados with one and he taught me.

If your board went flying while ripping, it's cuz the feed direction was wrong, @smitty10101 😅

Once I get my next shop up and running I plan on having an RAS, I loved them.

Interesting stats:

Table saws are statistically far more dangerous than radial arm saws, causing significantly higher annual injuries (roughly 38,000–40,000) compared to roughly 350 for radial arm saws, largely due to their higher frequency of use. Table saw injuries often involve hands reaching into the blade during ripping, while radial arm saw accidents typically occur due to "climb cut" (the blade pulling itself into the wood/user) or kickback during ripping.

7 minutes ago, MrRick said:

while radial arm saw accidents typically occur due to "climb cut" (the blade pulling itself into the wood/user) or kickback during ripping.

And climb cuts only happen with improper setup. With proper set up climb cuts are practically impossible if not non existent.

Kickbacks are in the same class of accidents, improper set up.

When I was first starting, I read a book that described them as jack of all trades -- crosscuting, mitering, ripping, molding, dados and rabbets,verticdal and horizontal cutting, attach a drill chuck, sanding disk, on and on. I started with one, never stayed in alignment, and it scared me. Got rid of it when it was mostly just a spot to stack wood in process.