What Delta says they are trying to improve, and will get it right.

I’ve always considered the old Unisaw as being the penultimate of table saws. When I saw a short demo of this new one I was really excited to see what they’d come up with. They had to know there was a LOT of anticipation and that they had a lot riding on this, I’m really surprised that they would drop the ball. Would you mind posting a review on the performance of the saw if they ever give you the tools you need to use it?

sorry to read of your woes ,
it seems to be the new bussenes way !.
lots of new arogant college grads ,
making a name for themselves .
and messing with good systems and people .
there are so many new changes that are only
money oriented !
i hope this is resolved for you and others soon .

-- david ,new mexico ,allheart

I don’t know what to say. This is a roller coaster of a review. Whining about a beveled edged that doesn’t line up from wing to wing? ... among other things. A 1 star review? I suppose if you are reviewing the magnitude of hassle to set up a new tool, but I read this review with interest on performance. There are always an array of issues setting up any tool I have owned. And you have chosen to be the Beta tester. Your hyped expectations have been brought back to earth, grow up.

Bait and switch? You’ve probably never purchased a new car. Every advertisement is loaded with options and you are only notified of this in a miniscule blurb at the bottom of the page (or screen) which is all but unreadable. Sounds like you are pissed off and have lost sight of reality. Every Manufacturer finds ways to load up with an offering of accessories as a long-term revenue stream. I think you need to look in those boxes a while, maybe Delta sent their corporate kitchen sink.

Better luck writing a worthwhile review next time.

-- Just 'cause a cat has kittens in the oven, it don't make 'em biscuits.

Wow…sorry about all the problems you are having with the new saw. Their is nothing in the shop as bad as buying a new tool and things not working out. As far as the mobile base, I suggest making one your self, I have always made I really hope it turns around and gets better soon.

-- Don S.E. OK

I’m with pitchnsplinters on this one…. this is a brand new product, and is expected to have some issues before things get ironed out. and from what it sounds from your own review- delta is working on it – however I wouldn’t expect this to happen yesterday.. some of those things take some time to balance out.

you complain that you didn’t get the outfeed table even though they show it in the DVD? I mean – come on … we are woodworkers… you should know what you paid for, and what should be in the boxes, and what shouldn’t. Delta just like any other manufacturer wants to show you the new product in all its glory – sure , with a couple of accessories to show you all they’ve got. I don’t see how’s that related to bait and switch – what more – you said that you got this DVD after ordering the saw – so it’s not like you made your purchase after watching it , hoping you’ll get everything in the presentation.

1 star ? wow, this saw must not even cut wood.hold on… sorry – I didn’t even see anything in the review that has to do with the saw’s operation.

Sorry – no mean to disrespect your stress of dealing with Delta, and I’m sorry you have to go through so much crap – but this just seemed more of a rant than a tool review to me.

I hope things clear out for you with this saw soon, and you could update it with some experience with the saw’s capabilities and operation. I really do.

peace.

-- When in doubt - There is no doubt - Go the safer route.

Hey guys….let’s keep in mind that these reviews are SOMEONES OPINION! We don’t have to agree. Civility is free and should be given extravagently. I am not even in the market for a table saw but found the review interesting. Lets not discourage others from posting reviews as I think this is one of the most valuable features of Lumberjocks. No slight was intended by this comment….but….I have a thick skin and welcome ALL replies. Again, it is only MY OPINION.

-- Don, Pittsburgh

did the saw come with a manual showing contents of what should be included?

Looking on the Woodcraft website they give the specs and what comes with the machine, as well as listing the add ons you can buy like the outfeed table, dado inserts, featherboards, etc. They also list a mobile base for it. So some research might have been in order there. However…

All that aside, realize that you’ve bought a top of the line tablesaw and yeah we all want our new toys to be perfect whether for business or hobby, but woodworking requires patience and dealing with frustration when a project is giving you a problem, and the same goes with machines. Particularly when you are just itching to use it!!!

I’m sure that Delta and Woodcraft will want to ensure that you are happy with your purchase and indeed you should be already. Wing problems, mobile base are small issues in the grand scheme of things, and though it make take some time to ship and get everything right, try to enlist their help and be courteous and you may find that will ease the path.

Post some pics for us when you get it set up. I run a smaller saw than the one you have, but I saw the new Unisaw at my local Woodcraft last week, and it surely will be the shining star of your workshop when you get it together.

I’d also like to hear how the saw operates once everything is together.

Don’t sweat getting it on the mobile base, just get a few buds over to help. My General 650 came fully assembled, minus the fence rails, as General attaches the wings at the factory. It wasn’t that big of a deal getting in into a mobile base with a few friends. I also put in, and then removed, my DJ-20 on a mobile base.

-- - Please help keep Lumberjocks an enjoyable escape by refusing to participate in political discussions. Simply spit out the bait and ignore the thread...

One star for a saw you haven’t used yet might be a little pessimistic. Give it a little time, who knows, it may eventually not even rate one star. It sounds a though Delta CS has gone the way of so many of the manufacturers. Today’s DELTA is just not the DELTA of old. Better quality control and customer service, equals less profit. Thanks for the review and I would be very interested in an update a some future time.

-- Mike

I understand your frustration believe me I do, but these things have a habit of working them selves out in the end.Please remember Delta is not a two bit firm you’ll likely as not come out good on this one.After that good review you deserve it Alistair

-- excuse my typing as I have a form of parkinsons disease

my opinion is that all reviews are someones opinion, and for that reason, i will read them as such. reviews include things that may or not matter to me and i will read them objectively and openmindedly, not putting down the reviews of others, because without the experiences, positive or negative, of the members of this site, there would be no reviews to read. in other words, if your intent when replying to a review is to say how bad it was, do us all a favor and dont reply at all. we are here to read a review of someones experience, not a negative comment made by someone who puts another down for the review they took time to share with us.

-- wm, brandon,ms

Hey RoadRunner I’m with ya there . Reviews are one of the reasons I visit this site , good or bad , it’s the only reviewers opinion of the product . Your expectation’s of a saw costing $35 dollars and one costing $3500 dollars are totally different . I would demand much more from the latter. If you bought a Dodge Neon expecting the fit,finish and performance of a Bentley you are gonna be one disappointed pup.

Thanks for the review and keep us updated .

I wholeheartedly agree with the idea that this is a forum that is used to state your opinion on a piece of equipment. I would also agree that when spending that kind of money, I know I’d want to know specifically what was coming in that package(s) because I’d spent a lot of money on it. Lastly I know I”d be as PO’d as you are if when it got delivered it had missing parts, wrong parts, broken parts. This is what a lot of us live for…that day arrives when you’ve finally made the decision, saved the money, and your new “got to have it” piece of equipment shows up, and we surely don’t want it to show up unuseable, for Any period of time.

Thanks for the actually fun, informative, amusing, and thought provoking review. And I do honestly hope it does prove to be the flagship of your shop and your faith, all our faith, is once again bestowed on some of those great names of woodworking equipment.

-- Scott, Irmo SC

Wow, I had hi expectations for this saw. I was thinking that this would be compalrable to the Saw Stop or Powermatic in quality. When you read those reviews they come in color coded boxes and are very easily assembled (per say) with all parts recived.

Sounds like the Made in America bit needs a bit of Demmings quality management.

Missing or upgrades bothers and boggles my mind. $3500 and the riving knives are extra? Dado and Outfeed I understand.

Wow 2 weeks with nothing back from CS and still no joy. Looks like Saw Stop or Powermatic go back to the top of my list for a Cabinet Saw. My local Woodcraft had one of these in several weeks ago and I asked about ease of assembly and they had no problems. I didn’t look super close but fit and finish was great.

Needless to say I am greatly dissapointed.

-- //FC - Round Rock, TX - "Experience is what you get just after you need it"

Who’s review should I trust more? The guy who paid $3K for the saw or the guy who gets paid $30K to tell me I should spend my $3K?

Here’s a plug for Spagnolo, AKA The Wood Whisperer, that guy tells it like it is.

It is true customers should really check the details before making the purchase. It is also true that sellers often blur the lines between what is available and what is included. These truths are not mutually exclusive.

BTW I have a Unisaw.

So at this point Delta gets one star? That is generous when you consider he can’t even use the thing yet. Maybe Delta will earn a couple more stars with some great service? Perhaps another when he fires it up. Then again, maybe not. I sure hope so.

-- tim hill www.newcalshop.com

Again I think you for the review. I just spent a TON on new equipment for my shop….and I expected everything to Be there when they said…in the shape they promise…with ALL said or implied accessorys…AND in working order…it should not matter that a customer spent $3500 or $35…it should be as said. To expect OR except any less you just be wrong.

I just got a new Grizzly Bandsaw….and it was missing a few parts, I called their customer service and they said “We are VERY sorry for this inconvenience” and asked what all was missing….they didn’t question me or doubt me just said “It will be shipped out first thing in the mornning”..two days later it was at my front door. Thats how customer service is supposed to be.

Back to your saw…While I can only imagine how frustrated you are at the moment…Delta AND Woodcraft are to good of company’s to let something like this slide…I am sure they will make it right and like many have already said…once all is made right this saw will be the flag ship of your shop !!!

-- Don S.E. OK

I thought about waiting for this saw to come out but went ahead and bought my Powermatic PM2000 instead. After reading your review and using my new saw I am pleased I did not wait. Good luck and keep us posted. Thanks for posting.

God Bless
tom

-- Mc Bridge Cabinets, Iowa

I think this should be a blog until you actually use the saw and can rate it correctly , by using it. I can see that your buying experience / CS issues rates one or less stars , but not the saw itself. If you want to talk about a P.O.S. Delta machine , I will talk to you about my X5 drum sander , which Delta and WoodCraft replaced for me with very little hassle . Unfortunately , the second machine is only slightly better than the first one was and now it is passed the warranty period (90 days WoodCraft satisfaction policy) regarding returns. So whether or not you use the machine during this time period , the clock keeps ticking….. I’ve bought my last piece of DELTA machinery…I would love to sell it , but I have a conscience !

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

please read the update

-- Ed - Milan, IN

Thanks for the update.I’m sure when all is said and done it will be a great saw

I read your entire tale and watched the videos as well before commenting…You still haven’t used the machine enough to rate it fairly , one way or the other. My JET cabinet saw also slices through Maple like butter and it is 5 years old….You were expecting to get 5 saw blades and 3 riving knves included with your saw when in fact the video states that the drawer will ”accomodate” those items , not include them. The video further lists everything that is included with the saw , and makes no mention of any outfeed tables or blade inserts. The only valid item that you mentioned was the rubber coated wrench handle. Once again , this should be a blog about your difficulties and not a review of the tool which seems to be incomplete as of your postings.

-- You know you're getting old when you know the difference between you're (you are) and your (belonging to you) AND how to use them in a sentence .

Words mean things – and ‘review’ does not mean ‘rant’.

To those who keep going on about how this is ‘just one guys opinion’ – that’s true. But this opinion is posted in the reviews section (as opposed to a blog), which means certain things are expected of the entry… Among them, that the review be a review rather than a rant, and that the performance of the tool be fairly and accurately reported. Jocks share their reviews not for amusement (the blogs and forums are for that), nor just for opinion (again, blogs and forums), but to provide reasonably accurate information about the tool so fellow Jocks can make informed decisions.

If we don’t hold to some kind of standard, then there is little point in differentiating between the various portions of the site. (This is why the forums have the Coffee Lounge and the Projects section asks if you are entering a completed project or not.)

This site stands or falls on the feedback and discussion we provide each other, good and bad. Just as we learn new skills by examining and discussing the projects posted, we learn to provide better reviews by examining and discussing the reviews as they are posted. High quality reviews enrich us all. Rants do nothing but decrease us all.

-- Derek, Bremerton WA --

EDC-
Aha!! Sounds like the frazzled nerves and frustrations have eased off now that we have power to the beast!!

Glad you got your saw together and fired up. I think we all go through a time in assembly when are like hopping around nervous with thoughts of did I buy the right saw, is it going to work properly, etc.

Then when all is finally assembled, power to the machine, turning on the switch and hearing a smooth hum, we settle down and smile.

Congrats, we want to see some follow up pics.

Agree with Cato...VERY glad for the update and to hear things are getting better…I remember while putting together my jointer…there was about two hours there I was sure I bought the wrong machine and was ready to throw it out a window (There is a little blip about me cussing and being glad my daughter was not in the shop)...but in the end all was well.

-- Don S.E. OK

I would guess that the original bill listed all of the items included with the saw. So that should not have come as a surprise.

However, not having the mobile base and being told after receiving the saw that it will be several months before one arrives would be a huge deal especially in a garage shop where most of us have to move the saw around.

Having Delta take two weeks to call back would also be a huge deal. I would have been calling them every hour on the hour. It is hard to believe a company selling expensive tools can be so unresponsive and especially to a market where there is so much interaction and most of us rely a great deal on other woodworkers to make decisions on purchases.

I cannot blame you for being very upset.

I hope this does not create a firestorm but I just bought a new SawStop 3hp Cabinet saw. I looked at the new Delta Unisaw, the Powermatic PM 2000 and the SawStop 3hp Cabinet Saw. I read as much as I could find on line, talked to the local Woodcraft Store, the other wholesale tool dealer in town, and as many people as I could find at the Woodworkers Show when they came to town. Except for the Delta and Powercraft employees, every person I talked to whether they owned the SawStop or not said that it is the best performing saw regardless of the safety break and their customer service was the best and especially vs Delta. They all said that was the saw they would buy if they had the money. It is a lot more expensive.

I had a few issues in putting the saw together. Only one small issue was SawStop’s problem and they sent me the new parts right away. The customer service folks at SawStop could not have been more helpful and I have been very happy with my purchase.

Now that being said, the Delta Unisaw is a brand new piece of equipment and the problems being experienced with the first deliveries most likely will be fixed on later deliveries. But that makes the poor customer service at the beginning all the more disastrous. Delta should have expected there would be problems at least in the beginning and so have extra customer service people around to take care of the early purchasers.

Domer

This has to be the whiniest review i have ever read and not getting an outfeed table. If you pay for an outfeed table you should not be allowed to own a table saw. Delta has had terrible customer svc for years that is nothing new. I had a drill press that the switch caught on fire and almost burned my shop down and they were ballsy enough to charge me 35.00 for one when it was 2 days out of warranty needless to say the last time i did business with them. I am hoping this new saw makes me change my mind about them though as I am very interested in it and the reason I read this review to find nothing but a bunch fluff that really has nothing to do with how this saw operates.

-- There is no growing in knowing where your going