# Has anyone heard of Foley Belsaw Cabinet saw



## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

I want to upgrade my 3650 to a cabinet saw when I find a good deal on CL.

I found a Foley Belsaw table saw on CL, claims it is 20 amp, 2 1/2 hp motor wired at 220. I prefer nothing less than 3 hp but this saw pulls more amps then my 3 hp Grizzly shaper so I have to believe that it is at least or more then 3 hp.

Anyone heard of this saw?

Anyone know anything about this motor, is it closer in power to a 3 hp motor. I have reservation because my current saw is 1 1/2hp and I know saws with 2 hp motors are pretty much the same in strength as my current saw. But my current saw is 13 amps at 110.

I know about Belsaw planer/molding machines, never heard of the table saws but I would believe they are decent. Looks like a heavy saw.

Thanks for help.


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

Oh yeah, and the fella is asking 300.00. I might be able to get it for 250.00. I am selling my 3650 to a guy working with me for only 200.00.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Never heard of it. Seller may be confused.


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## TopamaxSurvivor (May 2, 2008)

Never heard of it either, but 20 amp @ 230 volt in the code calculations is about 3.5 hp and 13 amps at 110 is .75 hp.


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## surfin2 (Oct 24, 2009)

They advertized in magazines, machines for making your own moldings…


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

Yeah, I am familiar with Belsaw, I have seen several hit CL, but those have been planer/molders. Their planer/molder machines have a 5 hp motor so they do utilize decent sized motors.

Topa, I hoped you would chime in. I agree, although I am not an electrician so not really qualified to make that call. I do believe given the amps it is in the ball park in terms of power that I am looking for.

A long time ago I bought an older delta hybrid I thought was a Unisaw, my own ignorance. Turned out the saw was rated at 2 hp but had very similar amps as the 3650. When using the 2 hp saw it bogged down under similar cuts as the 3650 would bog down with so both had comparable power.

I will look into it. I am sure it will not be sold quickly and probably the fella will have to take less. The saw may be a strong table saw and a good deal but I think most will not even recognize what he saw even is. The saw does look solid, top is cast iron.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

You got me curious and I used my mysterious Search-Fu to locate this
little info gem

http://books.google.com/books?id=ja8HagveLRQC&pg=PA60&lpg=PA60&dq=foley+belsaw+table+saw&source=bl&ots=te8mfUf8eX&sig=L_RIqSU3uIrxdfM_GOpOiAxuTAc&hl=en&ei=tuq1TrjLIYOJiAL86Ll2&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CI0BEOgBMAk#v=onepage&q=foley%20belsaw%20table%20saw&f=false


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

OK Loren, I just have to say "Amazing" that you even found that tid bit of info. OK, so we can say it is definitely an older saw. But the add claims it as an 1 1/2 motor. Looks just like the one listed, or at very least very similar. But WoW… That is very cool that you were able to find that newspaper clip from yesteryear. I might still give it a look over and check more into it.

Loren, can you tell more, like what year that clipping is from and also if Belsaw is American made or not.


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## fge (Sep 8, 2008)

Looked closer, looks like clippings from 1986 but the photography looked much older than that. Also, looks like the saw is from Kansas City, MO.


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## jaydubya (Sep 13, 2010)

The clipping is from 1986-7. There are articles in there talking about the advent of fuel injection and the 1987 redesign of the Ford F-150 LOL


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Belsaw is all American made. Their foray into making table saws was probably
not very successful. They probably wouldn't have tried a few years later
because by then the flood of Pacific rim imports had started to push prices
down.

Belsaw was known for their sawmill and later for the various planer/moulders
they made over the years. Also they did well making locksmithing and 
sharpening equipment and selling "be your own boss" courses through 
ads in the backs of manly magazines. Actually their whole marketing proposition
was based around the idea that the Belsaw equipment would pay for itself
quickly. I'm not sure you can make that argument for a table saw, but
for the planer/moulders, sawmills, key making machines and so forth it
was a credible claim.


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## dustmister (Mar 14, 2015)

Any chance you purchased the tool? I am similarly finding one on CL and would love to hear how this worked out for you if you did?


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## MrRon (Jul 9, 2009)

I never heard of a F/B cabinet saw, but I have a shop full of their sharpening equipment. It was heavy well made machines. The only machine I still use is their carbide grinder for saw blades; not great by modern day practice, but adequate during their time. If they did make a cabinet saw, I would suspect they were good, but not up to the standard of a Delta Unisaw.


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## MrUnix (May 18, 2012)

*Any chance you purchased the tool?*

LOL.. this thread was from 4 years ago, so I'm sure he has had plenty of time to make up his mind 

But just because… here is one in the wild:








(from: http://vintagemachinery.org/photoindex/detail.aspx?id=18643)

Cheers,
Brad


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## klassenl (Feb 13, 2011)

The v-22 in there….......


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## jmo111 (Feb 16, 2016)

I have the same Foley table saw as in the Picture about 30 years now, its bees a great saw, I do wish I bought a Uni saw, but this saw has served me well for what I used it for, mostly home side projects. weekends projects , it cuts anything I shove in it , same motor as day one no problem in 30 years


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## Bugmike (Mar 13, 2017)

I bought one in the mid 1980's because I couldn't afford a Unisaw or the like and besides Foley let me buy it on credit. Used it until 2015 to make many cabinets and furniture. It had plenty of power for whatever I put through it and never bogged down. The only beef I had was that the miter slots were only 1/4" deep so it limited the after market jigs I could use. I bought a new miter gauge (Osborne Manufacturing) thinking I could modify it. Wrong! So I bit the bullet and bought a new Grizzly. It was a great saw and had some interesting innovations. I realize this is a little late and you have either bought the saw or moved on, but I couldn't pass up this thread without giving my 2 cents worth.


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## woodchuck69 (Oct 13, 2017)

I bought that saw when it came out for $900.00. back around 1985 or so. Foley was famous for their key making machines. They used to advertise in popular mechanics. Something like make hundreds in your spare time or be your own boss.The saw I had, had an electrical outlet on it too so you could plug an extension cord or other tools. I thought mine had a 2 horse motor but I may be wrong I'm old now.I bought it because it was made in America not china like grizzly or jet and it had cast extensions also liked the fact that all the saw dust collected in the base. There was a door on the back side so you could clean it out. The fence was as good as a old delta. It was a great machine,I made furniture and it worked super. A real workhorse. I wish I had it now.


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## Bill62 (Aug 8, 2019)

I just bought a Foley/Belsaw table saw model 490 220 v runs great but need a fence for it, anyone know where to purchase any parts?


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## Bugmike (Mar 13, 2017)

It was a great saw from the 80's but they discontinued it in the 90's. Foley sold their spare parts to a company in California. Talked to them once in the early 00's but they had a limited supply. Don't recall who they are. You will have to buy an aftermarket fence such as INCRA. May be very difficult to modify either the fence or saw as the Foley fence attached to the UNDERSIDE of the saw top. If the original rail is still on the saw, you might remove it and add a custom piece of angle iron to provide something to drill some holes into so as to install an after market fence. Good luck and I hope you didn't pay too much for your saw!


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