Delta Uni-Saw/New Model Owners

Hey Richard
I got the best deal and best shipping rate from www.toolplus.com, $2806.50 delivered to my shop
with lift gate service. That was without rebate.
this is a well designed and built saw. I have the 3 hp 52” model. my dislike is the dust collection is not what
I expected, but it could be my 1 1/2 hp collector. The arbor lock works great and you can change from one
blade to another in no time. the large throat opening gives me plenty of room to get my big hands in. I really
like the riving knife you can adjust it up and down or remove it all from in front of the saw without having to
reach down inside the saw. If you cut a lot of plywood you will appriecate the extra 2 or 3 in. in front of the
blade. The fence is dead flat I could not get a 0015 feeler gauge between it and a 36” starrett straight edge. I am
a little concerned about the little laminate piece they have glued to the cam lock that rides on the rail it
just looks like it might not hold up over time. but I guess time will tell.
As the hand wheels go I love them , both are as smooth as silk. And seem to be well machined.You can also
adjust the 0 and 45 degree stops right from the front of the saw above the handwheels. no climbing inside
the saw. Delta got it right this time.
I have completed two sets of kitchen cabinets, one oak and one hickory, plus several maple butcher blocks
on the uni and have no complaints.
I would buy this saw again. hope this helps Phillip from Ky.

Phil thanks for your review of your saw and where you got it from. The more I read and look the more I like this saw …

Richard

Richard,
Ditto what Phil said about the saw, the little laminate piece he mentioned I did have to glue back on. Every once in a while I do check the angle of the blade vs. the reading given. I check it with both my Wixy angle meter and a Starret tool. Always right on the money.
If you go through the reviews I did one a long time ago, May .2009 I think.
I did have some problems in the begining mostly due to being a new product for Delta, in a new plant. they were going through a lot of big changes a the time. And some of the problem goes back to the Woodcraft dealer not really knowing what they were sellong for sure. I think I was the first to get one of the new saws in the Mid West from what Delta told me.
One thing great about Delta is they admitted they dropped the ball and did what had to be done to correct any errors made by them. They did it quickly and with class.
I also have the very first mobile base made for the new saw, it was custom made for me by Delta. The base wasn’t even available as a option when they made mine. This is what I mean about Woodcraft sharring the initial blame. I wanted a mobile base with my saw and Woodcradt Cincinnati took the order. And when it was delivered without I was pissed. And I let everyone know it. A week later a truck pulled up in front of my place with a delivery from Jackson TN. it was a mobile base with a sealed envelope. Inside was a hand written letter from the VP that headed up the new saw. He supplied me with his home phone number, his cell, the private number arounf the answering service/voice mail system at Delta. The only thing he asked was that if I have any problems at all to please call him first any time of day or night.
So my opinion of Delta is very high, and would recommend them without reservation.
I have never been able to use my mobile base due to having the Delta side table and outfeed table. The base will not handle the outfeed table. Given the choice of base or outfeed table, I cant live without my outfeed table.

-- Taigert - Milan, IN

Taigert, I appreciate you sharing your experience about your saw. I think you are right about working out the bugs when they first came out. From what I have read some had a few issues at first but the new ones rolling out of the factory as of late have not had any issues from the reviews I have read.

Thanks again Richard

Richard,
As I said after the shake down of the shipping bugs and such, I have had no problems with the saw. It was a bit of a beast to assemble, if I remember correctly it came in 5 boxes. I bought the big saw with the 52” fence. So make sure you have at least one person to help you put it together and set up. The only really heavy part was getting the saw body down off it;s pallet. I used a 48” Starret straight edge to line up my wings, again a extra set of hands and a rubber mallet sure help.
If I had one complaint with the saw, it would be the location of the on/off switch. I have a habit of turning the saw off from accidently bumping the switch with my leg. But I put it more in the operator error catagory, the ease of hitting the off button needs to be there for emergency shut down. It’s been two years and slowly but surely I am getting better at avoiding it.
Try to get them to throw in the extra riving knife and a couple of blank inserts. The inserts are expensive if you buy them later. And if you use a dado stack you will need to get the low profile nut to hold the dado on the arbor. It was a pain in the butt to find that I couldn’t use the dado blade at the size I needed, at 6 pm when there was no where to get one and I had a job to deliver the next day, that had about 50 dado’s to get cut.

-- Taigert - Milan, IN

Taigert, thanks for the heads up on the low profile nut for a dado blade I wouldn’t have know about that if you didn’t mention it. I haven’t given up on getting one, but I just bought a used Oneida Pro 2000 Cyclone for a good price that I just could not say no to.

Richard

Rustynails
If you buy the new unisaw they now ship both arbor nuts with the saw
the low profile for dado blades and the big flange nut for regular saw blades.
and as taigert said, I too find myself accidently shutting the saw off, because the switch sticks out proud
of the guide rails.

I purchased a new unisaw and it arrives tomorrow along with an 18” drill press. I hope they are as good as everyone says. The unisaw is a 5 hp 52” fence more than I was originally going to get. It was 100.00 more for the 5 hp over 3hp I could not help myself.

Woodmaster 1 / Where did you order it from if I my ask? Also please keep us posted on the whole process of assembly and how you like it. Did you order the mobile base with it as well? Also I am sure you know about this already but just in case you did’t there is a $300.00 Delta rebate on that saw till the first of the year as well.

I ordered it from tools plus and got the mobile base and I have rebate paperwork ready to go as soon as I get the bar code off the package. I will try to take pictures of the assembly as I go, but my eagerness to get it assembled could cause me to skip a few pictures.

No regrets. Best saw i have ever used, last saw I will ever buy. I have been through a jet contractors saw and a general 50-260. Hands down no BS the Unisaw makes the others look and act like plastic toys from CrapDonalds.

Woodmaster1, How’s the new saw coming along? Any pics or comments so far on assemble and such?