With the difference of the majority of the types of machines of work of wood, the radial saw of arm has a clear genesis: it was invented by Raymond De Walt de Bridgeton, New Jersey. De Walt requested the patents in 1923, which were published in 1925. De Walt and other later made patent many variations on the original, but the original design of Walt' S (sold under the workman of wonder of moniker) is remained the most succeeded: a circular web directly led by an electric motor was held in a yoke slipping along a horizontal arm which is a certain distance above a horizontal surface of table. Before the arrival of the radial arm saw, the saws of table and the saws of hand were generally used for the timber crosscutting. The saws of Table can easily tear actions, but they are awkward to push a long piece of actions in the width by a web of table.

On the other hand, when a radial saw of arm is used for crosscutting, stationary remainders of actions on the table of the saw, and the blade are drawn by the actions.

Starting in the seventies, late, the saw made up of mitres started to replace the radial saw of arm slightly, but only for crosscuts and cuts of mitres since it cannot carry out cuts of tear. The radial saw of arm can less sure once be used by an inexperienced operator or not trained, but dangerous is not once used correctly. In the hands of an experienced operator, the radial saw of arm can without risk cut the mitres made up necessary for reinforcements of image and door, tear the timber with precision to the width, the languages of cut and the grooves, and make the variable dadoes. The majority of the cuts are followed with an adjustment and require more material are removed, sometimes a tiny quantity (it is easy to make that). Like the saw of mitre of compound, the radial saw of arm can make these cuts with the absolute precision, but is able to make a larger variety of the cuts, including most complex.

In the store at the house the radial saw of arm is an alternative to the saw of table. The two machines can tear, crosscut, make simple and the composed mitres, dado, mould or form, make tenons, make the mortises, the cut of cone, and the groove open. The radial saw of arm requires of less release or space in the store to handle the action with the rise. A saw of arm requires only the release on the sides, while a table saw the release of the needs at the sides, in the front one, and inside postpones. The saw of arm is perfectly effective constant against a wall, where because the saw of table wants to be placed in the center of the store to give all around the release. With some accessories the radial saw of arm can be used as fashioner, a disc or the grinder of drum, a grinding machine, one to plane external, or a horizontal boring machine, while a table saw secondary uses are limited to the grinder of fashioner and disc. To only come short from the radial saw of arm is that it cannot make the finger assembles with covering joint which it can of saw of table.