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New Grizzly G0690 or Used '01 Delta Unisaw? :UPDATE:

6K views 18 replies 14 participants last post by  thelt 
#1 ·
New Grizzly G0690 or Used '01 Delta Unisaw? :UPDATE:

I asked everyone to give me their opinion here as to which saw to purchase, a new Griz, or a gently used Uni? Well I made arrangements with the seller to go look at the saw, and thinking I was going to like what I saw I brought along a down payment to seal the deal if I liked it. Well…...I LIKED IT! I'm telling you guys….this saw was in PERFECT condition. Not a scratch on it anywhere..the fence was tight and moved smoothly and locked up solid. The tabletop was dead flat. It fired up with a powerful whir and ran smoothly…would defiantly pass the nickel test. I gave it a thorough look over and even got inside the cabinet with a drop light. Cabinet mounted heavy looking trunnion. The hand wheels spun smoothly and the wing nuts locked them down tight. The saw was the upgraded version of the Uni at the time of purchase( he showed me the original invoice form Sept '01) which meant it came with the Beismeyer fence (the body of the fence is even Delta blue) and an upgraded on off switch located on the fence rail with a mushroom off button that you can hit with your leg. The guy saved all the lit including the assembly instructions, the manual for the saw and the fence, and he even cut the Delta label with all the serial numbers off the packing box and saved it! No exxgaeration..if it didn't have saw dust on it I would have thought it was brand new. This guy struck me as someone who wanted to do woodworking as a hobby and bought the best table saw at the time, and very gently used it a little over the last 8 years, and he took immaculate care of the saw. The mobile base is really nice and the saw rolls really smoothly on it. Needless to say, I shook his hand and said you have a deal..I didn't even bother to haggle with him…in my opinion that saw is worth more than a grand in the condition its in. I am going back first thing Saturday morning to pick up my new Unisaw and bring it home…hopefully by Saturday afternoon it will be back together and cutting wood in my shop! I am so psyched to get this saw….talk about the planets aligning themselves perfectly..I never have good luck like this!
(Blatant tool gloat) I AM THE PROUD OWNER OF A DELTA UNISAW!!!
 
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#2 ·
Congrats on the new saw. A few tips to moving it. Remove the fence, rails and the top. It will make it much lighter. The motor should be secured so it doesnt bounce going down the road. If the motor bounces it could break the arbor assembly, an expensive fix. The switch if mounted to the rails it will also have to be removed. Take a friend to help you load it.
 
#5 ·
I'm the worst one of all to get an opinion from because I am not as good of a carpenter as the rest of you are. I can only do some simple things. Price is not always a good deal. "Cheap can be expensive." However, not all the higher priced items are as good as some of the lesser priced item. Wish I could offer a decent suggestion to you but make sure it has a UL label on it. :)
 
#13 ·
I left a deposit to make sure it was mine. I am picking it up @ 9 AM Saturday morning. Its only about a 40 min drive from my house so I figure if it goes well I should be back and assembled by lunchtime or so. Then I have to go to the big orange box and make a jury rigged extension cord so I can temporarily plug it into my dryer outlet….but that will just be a 25' piece of 12/3 w ground and a dryer plug on one end and a NEMA 6-20 receptacle on the other. As soon as I get it home and running I will take a whole bunch of pictures and post them…the proud papa!

Matt: If you want to see it click on the link above to my original blog and there is a link to the Craigslist auction with pictures..

I feel real good about my descesion…the Griz is a nice saw but the Uni has got it beat…just the fence alone makes it worth buying! Its going to put a little tight pinch in my 1 car garage floor plan but I'm making room for this baby! I will have to re think my equipment layout a little..
 
#15 ·
Cardboard will work. If I were moving it I would use a couple of ratcheting tie downs and secure it all directions as well as possible. The other option would be to remove the motor, however it is heavy and usually a real PITA. There should be a bolt that screws into the motor bracket and a pin with 2 spring retainers. If you decide to remove the motor do it before you take the top off. The saw will need to be placed on its left side and braced so the tilt handwheel is off the ground. Disconnect wiring and remove the motor and belts. Its the harder option but its always better to be safe than sorry. If you can secure it with tie downs and cardboard, styrofoam you should be ok. Good luck with the move and keep us updated and get some pics of you and the new addition to the family
 
#16 ·
congrats David, this is great news!

This is how my Ridgid saw came:



you can see in the pic how they have the motor afixed in the cabinet for transportation, you could do something similar, and then as Ken suggested - tie it down so that it doesn't shake itself loose.

looking forward to see those sawdust of joy.
 
#17 ·
I definitely don't want to take the motor off. I have a plenty of ratcheting straps, I think I will just use those and some foam or cardboard to brace the motor. I am sooo excited….I feel like a little kid on Christmas eve! I will be ringing his door bell @ 8:59!
 
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