Delta Saw

[Graham Knight]

Anyone have any opinions on Delta brand power tools, specifically a 10" table saw?
I need to buy a portable table saw to cut around 3/4 mile of WRC strip, after which I'll probably have little use for it.
I have an excellent Startright floor standing table saw at work which would easily do the job, but don't have the room around it to cut up to 6m long strip!
Would a Delta be up to the job? I've seen a used 1400W model going quite cheap.

[GregH]

Several years ago, I too was in the market for a 10" table saw. It came down to a choice between a Delta cabinet stye, and a Grizzley. The biggest gap was the price- $1500 for Delta and $900 to the Griz. Did a lot of surfing for owners' opinion and finally decided to go with the Griz. I couldn't be more pleased. It is solid and accurate. I've used it to build a boat (Ian Oughtred Acorn Skiff, now working on an 18' Cat) and also dozens of cabinets, etc. for customers- a part-time business. Even if I could now find a Delta used at a price comparable to a new Griz, I'd still go with the Griz.

[JimConlin]

The Delta product line spans from run-of-the-mill Taiwanese DIY grade tools to well-made tools a professional might buy. It would be helpful to know which model you're thinking of.
That said, with decent feather boards and blade, even the lightest of table saws is up to ripping thin strips of a soft wood.

[Bob Smalser]

Making a plywood base with a cleat set for your strip thickness and using the worm drive circular saw is easier for large runs.

[Chan]

Graham check this thread before you go out and buyhttp://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/vbulletin/upload/showthread.php?t=52413

Worm drive...That would be a west coast thing Bob..or left coast..:)

[troutman]

My little bottom of the line Delta has worked fine for years. I think the blade and fence would be more important than the saw in this case.

[Bob Cleek]

Pretty much what everybody said. However, I'd spend my money on a little-used Delta before I sprung for a new Grizzly. The Grizzly are good, and close to Delta. There is a catch, however. The GOOD Delta stuff holds its value far better than the cheaper Asian imports. (And Delta is reportedly offshoring itself these days.)

The fit and finish of a Delta will be a bit better than the Asian stuff, although Grizzly is at the top of the Asian heap. (Same factories make all of it, but some importers pay more for a higher grade of product.)

Delta has parts. Repeat, Delta has parts... for everything they've ever built. This probably the greatest advantage of Delta's top of the line stuff. The Asian stuff, however, is always going through product changes. Once they stop making a model, they stop making parts. You are soon in a bind with any older model.

The economics of "Amuricun Arn" are still better. Consider this. I just bought a two year old 3HP Delta Unisaw with a 50" Unifence and extension table, the whole works, reportedly (and by all indications) used only a few times by a guy who scared the crap out of himself, for $800. Hauled it out of his garage from under a bunch of stored household junk. (Watch the want ads and Craigslist.org tools for sale)

The Unisaw has been essentially unchanged since about 1936. I am relatively certain that I will be able to get my $800 back out of it, and then some, anytime I feel like selling it.

On the other hand, a comparable Grizzly new will sell for around $1600 and you'll have a hard time getting $1200 for it the next day. Give it ten years and I doubt it will go for the $800 I paid for the Unisaw.

If you are thinking of a contractor's model, again the Delta is the way to go. (Used, I'd guess you could find one for around $500 or less.) Beware of the cheaper models that look the same, but have less power and less beef. As with most any tool, the more 'arn, the more accuracy. You get what you pay for.

[Ed Harrow]

I've got a great Delta Contractor saw I'd love to sell you, LOL, but I think the shipping would kill you (tho I did get a couple of folks emailing me from Nigeria that were in desperate need of it. ;)

[Graham Knight]

Thanx for the replies, I've looked at ads for Grizzly tools and they look like good value, but afaik the brand isn't sold in the UK so it's not an option.
The Delta that I'm looking at is a Taiwanese model 36-525, I haven't seen many Delta power tools as they're not that common here, but those I have seen haven't been great quality.
But then I think what do I need from this saw? I need to cut a quantity of square edge 25mm x 13mm WRC strip, something I'd expect any half-decent machine to be capable of. On the other hand a used machine is something of an unknown quantity, and what happens if it breaks down halfway through the job?
I think I may pass on this one and look at buying a new machine, at least it'll come with a warranty so I can get my money back if it's no good! I've seen a Scheppach/Metabo machine that looks pretty good and won't break the bank, and I've had good experiences with Metabo tools.

GregH do you have any photos of your Acorn Skiff? I'll swap you for pics of mine, finished at Easter this year and in almost daily use since, a really great little boat. I've just had a new sail made for mine and can't wait to try it.

BTW the new project I need the saw for is a Selway-Fisher Ijssel 21.

[Ron Williamson]

if you buy a 10" saw and you find it under-powered,put a 7" skilsaw blade into it.
Often,the smaller portables tablesaws use what is basically the same motor as a handheld circular saw,with much more blade.
I recently bought back my 18 yr old Unisaw, for $500CDN.I traded it to a guy who never used it.
Keep your eyes open.There are deals out there.
R

[Matt-MN]

Graham,

I'll chime in here in regards to this saw, I believe I have a similar model Delta portable table saw as the one your looking at. It currently sells for $100US. Its not my primary saw anymore but I will say with a sharp blade, mounted on a piece of plywood and clamped to a sturdy surface it gave me a lot of pretty good cuts over the years. I still keep it around with a sharp blade on it for the occasionally use or if I have to take a saw somewhere. But for hardwoods and precision cuts the wood goes through my contractor saw (or now my neighbors cabinet saw.)
Its a direct drive saw so its plenty noisy compared to others but cuts well. I believe it was one of the Bob's (Cleek or Smalser) on the forum pointed out that these small saws do not make the repeated cuts as accurately so checking the fence often will be necessary as you rip strips.

Regards,
Matt

[D Burney]

Graham, I have seen other table saws on the web and have used many. I don't know much of the Grizzly line of table saws. I'm sure they're a fine product. I own a top of the line Delta contractor saw 36-982. Its portable, reliable, dead accurate and locally supported. I would have considered others if there was local support. My choice was the Delta. The local hardware stores do a great job supporting this line. If it was a Grizzly, things might have been different. One tip, back fill the underside of your miter gage with epoxy. When you mount a wood extension to it, it will not liken to warp the cast aluminum of the miter gage.
Good luck seaching for the saw.
Doug Burney

[Graham Knight]

You know I've been thinking this over all afternoon, and the more I think about it the more inclined I am to do the job with a circular saw instead of a table saw.
Several things I like, it takes up much less space for a start, I can cut 6m lengths in my workshop easily. Cutting two planks at once will greatly reduce the time it takes to cut the lot, and it is going to take some time. I can buy a brand new top quality machine for rather less than the price of a mid-range secondhand table saw.
And at the end of the day I'm left with a machine that I don't already have (I own 2 tablesaws already!) which I'm likely to use on other jobs.
Yes this seems the way to go, unless I hear any convincing arguments why I shouldn't do it this way?

[Dan Lindberg]

Not to be a smart axx, but, maybe it would be easier/better to do what ever is needed to allow the use of your existing table saws instead of cutting a lot of strips with a "skill" saw.

I do know of folks who have done it but the cuts aren't as nice or precise as those off a table saw.

Dan

[Bob Cleek]

You know, if this is a one-off job, cutting a bunch of stock to size, it may be more cost effective to take the lot to a milling shop and have them do it for you. They have the machinery to really kick it out at the lowest price. I'm not positive, but I'd expect the job may well come to considerably less than the cost of a saw.

[Graham Knight]

Dan, unfortunately using one of my existing saws isn't an option, the smaller one (a nice older Metabo benchtop) doesn't have the guts, it's used for small precision work only.
And to use the bigger one would mean moving it out of the workshop to give enough infeed and outfeed for the 6m planks, requiring the removal of a wall amongst other things!

Bob I have considered doing what you suggest, I haven't actually made any calls yet to get prices but I will, in fact the obvious place to start would be the timberyard that's supplying the WRC in the first place. If they can do it for a reasonable fee and deliver me a bunch of ready cut strip they can have the job, to tell the truth I don't really fancy doing it anyway whatever tool I use!