Ridgid Circular Saw Review: Two Blades are Better than One. Sometimes. Home Improvement Appliances

June 29th, 2011 by Lee Jones

Ridgid Circular Saw Review: Two Blades are Better than One. Sometimes.

The Ridgid R3250 Circular Saw is unique among circular saws in that it has two blades that spin in opposite directions. This affords some great advantages like easy plunge cuts and being able to cut forwards backwards. The twin blades also reduce kickback, and enable you to cut a variety of materials. Despite its amazing versatility, the R3250 can only cut 1-1/32” deep. This is on par with competitors, but means you cant get rid of your other circ saw. Read on for our review. For even more pictures check out our Facebook album.

Its Different The R3250 has some important differences from your typical circ saw. The first thing youll notice is the lack of a shoe (you know, that bottom plate that slides over the material). Instead of a shoe, theres a small guide in front of the blade. Take some practice cuts to get comfortable. You should also keep in mind that double the blades, double the kerf. This is of small concern, but good to know.

Holy Cutting Ability Batman! The 10amp, 5,500rpm motor provided plenty of power, and cutting was exceptionally smooth. I really enjoyed how easy it was to make plunge cuts and the unnatural feeling of cutting backwards. There was no kick-back; and I didnt try to persuade the saw to generate one. Every cut was nice and clean with minimal tear out- another perk of the twin 5 blades.

The R3250 is also able to cut through a variety of materials like wood, plastic, pvc, plexiglass, aluminum, copper and steel . The only caveat is that you should utilize the wax sticks for cutting soft metals.

The two blades are not interchangeable. The inner blade is keyed with three offset pins making it easy to orient. The handy arrows on the blades and lower guard are also dead giveaways (for those that skip the manual).

I mentioned before that the R3250 features a 1-1/32 depth of cut. In addition, theres no depth adjustment.

Other Niceties I like the long, 10 cord as thats something you wont always find. The design is comfortable and balanced, and lefties will appreciate the ambidextrous front and rear handles. The auxiliary handle is also a welcome addition.

Every Ridgid tool Ive seen comes in a heavy duty contractor bag. Theres lots of debate over bags vs. hard cases and arguments for both sides. I like hard cases, but that wouldnt keep me from making a recommendation.

Motor: 120 V AC, 10 Amp
No Load Speeds: 5,500 RPM
Blade Diameter: 5 in.
Inner Blade Arbor: 1-1/10”
Outer Blade Arbor: 3/4”
Cut Depth: 1-1/32”
Weight: 7.3 lbs.

Includes: R3250 TwinBlade Saw, Inner Blade, Outer Blade, Blade Wrench, Heavy-Duty Contractor Bag, 6 Wax Sticks, Side Handle with 3 screws and Operator’s Manual.

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