Thoughts on Delta 36-979

I don’t know anything about the delta but I just got done doing a lot of research on table saws less than $600 and the ridgid saw seemed to be the best buy locally. I can tell you that so far I love this saw, it is heavy, runs great and seems to have enough power to cut through harwoods without any trouble. The only thing I wuold like is a heavy duty fense but the one that comes with it is decent.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100007962&N=10000003+90073+502949+1600

-- Glenn, New Mexico

Hi Hesed,

I actually reviewed this on LJ along with a few other people. http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/79 I personally have been using this saw for over a year now and I love it. Although there is some plastic parts on it I assure you I have had no issues. Budget and wanting to stick to 110 power made this my choice as opposed to a cabinet saw. At 234 lbs (without a fence system) and having cast iron wings on this saw doesn’t quite make it light for a contractor style saw but it is by design much lighter then a cabinet saw and still stable. It is also a very quite saw. I opted to spend a little more money and get the beisemeyer fence as I think it to be one of the nicer fences on the market. Other accessories to consider are a nice blade (Freud 10” 50 teeth thin kerf combination blade), zero clearance insert and a tenoning jig. I crosscut almost exclusively on a TS vs. a miter saw or RAS so for me one of the best accessories to add is a cross cut sled. I made a simple but accurate one out of mdf and some maple ply. I think that if you end up going with this saw you will not be disappointed. Hope this helps.

-- Brian, Folsom, CA http://www.brianfullerdesigns.com

There are some excellent USED saws available from time to time. I bought my Unisaw 15yrs ago from a professional cabinet maker. The original sale sticker was still on the cabinet and I bought it for less than half what the sticker said. These saws are very well built,,IN THE USA,, and once set up they require little adjustment. This one humms when you switch it on, no whine and has never stalled in a cut.
I recommend you look around and see whats available in used machines built in North America.

Ed

I have this saw with cast iron wings and a T2 fence. I’ve been very happy with my purchase. I wouldn’t spend money on a Delta brand zero-clearance insert. I would just buy one from Woodcraft. They run around $25. I would highly recommend this saw as a good starter for someone getting into woodworking or starting up a moderate budget shop. Check out my review for more info. If you have any specific questions about this saw, just let me know. I’m more than happy to share my experience.

-- Joshua, Olathe, Kansas

I had that saw before I bought my cabinet saw. It’s a great saw. I would buy again if I ever needed a contractor’s saw.

deck

-- deck99

Thanks for the responses, guys. You’ve definitely put my mind at ease about this saw. I’ve done a ton of research and this looks like the best saw given my shop and budget constraints, but I think I’m just a bit hesitant to go ahead and take the plunge. I guess I’d better go for it before my wife changes her mind about letting me get it!

Hesed,
You’ll then need to get a dust collector if you don’t have one. This saw now has a nice dust collector pan below the blade. It really works pretty good.

Deck

-- deck99