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Table Saw Delima

2K views 5 replies 5 participants last post by  Maylar 
#1 ·
I recently purchased a packaged deal...

I picked up a 10" Delta table saw with unifence and accessories, a JET 14" band saw with a 6" riser block, and a 4" Precision joiner.

I purchased it all from my cousin whos late husband was a woodworker. The main reason for the purchase was the band saw. The 4" Precision joiner was thrown in as a bonus. I didn't have a joiner and was pleased to find out after some testing that it works great and is in excellent condition...not the ideal size but like I said, it was a bonus.

My question lies with the table saw but to understand, I need to tell you what I already had. I had been using a very old ('70's guessing) Craftsman 10" table saw that has one additional wing and the poor factory fence. I re-wired the motor to convert it from 220 volt to 110 volt when I got the saw. The fence sucks as it never stays parallel to the blade and does not lock into any measurement guide that is even close to accurate. I have however built my cross-cut sled, miter sled, spline jig, and an awesome lynn style box joint jig/sled around this table saw.

The newer Delta table saw came with a Delta tenon jig, 2 wings, side table, and the unifence which is over 5' wide. After setting up the saw I found the unifence to be very accurate, both with being parallel to the blade and with the accuracy of the measurement lines. On the down side, I found the saw to be VERY underpowered compared to the Craftsman.

Reading the HP on the motors:
Delta - 1 1/2 - 2 HP
Craftsman - 1 HP

The Craftsman saw can cut through 14/4 hardwood without flinching yet the Delta bogs down while ripping 3/4 pine...using the same new blade on both saws.

I already know the Craftsman motor can be wired to either 110 or 220 because I had to rewire the motor to 110 when I got the saw. I would have kept it 220 but didn't want to ever tie up the dryer outlet.

I'm no expert but by looking at the tag on the Delta motor, it appears it can also be wired for 220.

My question is...what would you do? Put the Craftsman motor on the Delta saw? Put the Delta unifence on the Craftsman saw? Could the Delta motor be wired for 220 and have a 110 plug at the end of the cord?...thus be underpowered?
 
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#2 ·
I can't explain why the delta saw has less power than the craftsman however any saw will run better wired to 220v rather than 110v. I would start there in running 220 volt service for the saw. If you don't have the ability of doing it yourself it shouldn't cost very much to have an electrician do it.

If the delta motor was wired for 220v and you hooked it to 110v the motor wouldn't start.
 
#3 ·
an easy test

Just wire the Delta motor for 220 and then test how well it cuts. If there is a major improvement, you are done, no switching motors, fences etc. It is a little known "fact" that the old Craftsman motors are very powerful for their 1 HP rating. They have massive windings and are very well made. I have 2 of the older ones.

It is a puzzle why the Delta motor does not perform up to expectations. I had the same Crapsman fence on my ganged saw setup and switched over to a Delta Unifence when they were still available. It made such a huge difference and a got a second one. :yes:

The Delta may have better trunnions and tilting mechanism, I don't know. The Craftsman saws I have are prone to clogging of the trunnion gears and screws if not used on a regular basis. The Craftsman open style extension grids are not a plus in my book. I have removed them all and used extra saw table tops as extensions so it's one continuous surface with no openings for wood piece to get stuck, caught or fall into.

Some other folks here have also joined 2 saws together to form a larger surface and to keep from changing out from a dado set to the saw blades. This is a huge advantage in my opinion. Just throwing that idea out .... ;)
 
#4 ·
I like the idea of having one large saw and it may be doable in the future but not right now. The craftsman has solid wings with the same surface as the saw itself, not the open grid style, I dislike those too. I'll wire the Delta saw for 220, put the correct plug on it and give it a try.
 
#5 ·
You might also check the pulley on the saw and on the motor and make sure they're the correct size. I've seen once or twice where people changed motor pulleys to get a faster speed, but that gives you less torque on the blade.

Not saying that's your problem, but a quick check to rule it out.
 
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