Old Ridgid Bandsaw - Practical Machinist - Largest Manufacturing Technology Forum on the Web

ramsay · #1 07-03-2009, 12:13 PM

Hi all: I have an old Ridgid bandsaw that I cannot ID as the tags are missing off of it.. I will try to add some pics as I am having problems with that for some reason.. Regards; Mike

ramsay · #2 07-03-2009, 12:16 PM

Hi all: These are two pics of the old bandsaw in the former post.. Would appreciate any info anyone can give .. All I know about it is that it takes a 9 foot by .750 blade and has a hydraulic cylinder for feed pressure.. Thanks; Mike

kpotter · #3 07-04-2009, 06:14 PM

We had a couple of old wiltons that were just like that and we had an enco as well they were all the same just different names on them

aametalmaster · #4 07-05-2009, 09:05 PM

They were 1,200.00 bucks in 1976 my dad bought a new one. Never saw another one...Bob

surplusjohn · #5 07-11-2009, 07:15 AM

I bet it was made in Spain or Portugal.

Mad Dad · #6 08-11-2009, 07:46 PM

For some reason I thought Ridgid was a fairly new company. Does Home Depot now own that brand? That's just about the only place I ever see Rigid tools.

aametalmaster · #7 08-11-2009, 08:02 PM

I don't think Home Depot owns them but they sure sell a lot of them. Emerson owns Ridgid..Bob
http://www.ridgid.com/Tools/About-Ridge-Tool/

Craig Donges · #8 08-12-2009, 04:37 PM

Bob is correct. Ridgid brand, manufactures by Ridge Tool Co.Is made in Elyria, Ohio and it's parent company is Emerson Electric. The line that you see prominently displayed at Home Depot mostly comes form the plant in Tennesee. I believe it to be the same plant that had previously manufactured the Craftsman line, before they went off shore.

Ridge Tool Company started in business in North Ridgeville, Ohio, hence the name. In about 1930 something, they moved into the defunct Garford automobile plant, located at 400 Clark Street, Elyria, Ohio, About 30 miles SW of beautiful downtown Cleveland, Ohio. I think at point they had 14 employees. For many years the mainstay was the now all familiar pipe wrenches we have all come to know and love.

Just as a side note, when Ridge quotes Home Depot on a given product, Ridge must supply a full breakdown of components. All the way down to the weight of the paint that is supplied on any given product. Man, in my small town way of thinking, that is surely splitting hairs!

I was in the plant last week and all seems well, although the are slow like everyone else.

Craig Donges

specfab · #9 08-16-2009, 04:34 PM

Everyone will surely also recall the stimulating Ridgid calendars that were often on prominent display in "manly", soon-to-be politically-incorrect environments in the '60s and '70s. Ridgid is not a new company, just a different company...

keithmech · #10 08-27-2009, 09:59 PM

I had one of those saws.First saw I bought back in 1976/77.
I think they where made by Emmerson.Only problem was the output shaft
on the gearbox kept breaking.After the second shaft I made my own from
4340,ran fine for the next 10 yrs.

ramsay1 · #11 09-01-2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keithmech

I had one of those saws.First saw I bought back in 1976/77.
I think they where made by Emmerson.Only problem was the output shaft
on the gearbox kept breaking.After the second shaft I made my own from
4340,ran fine for the next 10 yrs.

Got it from work.. They were throwing it in the scrap because it wouldn't work worth a crap with cheap blades.. They wouldn't spend the extra money for bimetal blades .. They told me to take it if I wanted it..
Wrote me a gate pass for it too...

It came to us military surplus and we used it for quite some time.. I never had any problems with anything breaking but I buy good bi metal blades.. Mike

Perry Harrington · #12 11-03-2009, 01:15 PM

I've been researching these saws lately. I have a 1981 Craftsman 7" band saw that is manufactured by Emerson Electric, according to the vendoer OEM prefix of 113. Emerson owns Ridgid. Emerson OEMed this saw to many different companies over the years, with various design changes. My saw has the belt running perpendicular to the cutting edge, with the motor parallel to the cutting edge. Other than the cheap bushings in the motor and the groan from the gearbox if I tension the belt a wee too much, it's been a good saw. The hydraulic downfeed cylinder was made by clippard. It cuts reasonably well with a new blade. I purchased the saw in hardly used condition for $400 locally. They were $1300 new in 1981 from Sears. I have the original manuals and tag.