[rob.hough]

Hello everyone. I'm just looking for personal experiences here. I've got a budget between $500-600 and I'm wanting to buy a decent saw. Last summer I bought a cheap Hitachi table saw that is wretched. I can cut straighter lines using a circular saw and cutting guide...

The three saws I'm currently looking at are these:

Delta 36-980
Jet 708100 JWTS-10
Grizzly GO575

I really want something that will give me a solid platform to work on. My current saw is very unstable. The fence is next to pathetic and it the table top area itself is just dismal. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Big Dave]

I've got some Grizzly equipment and have been very happy with the quality. I do not however have a table saw from them yet.

My personal choice would be the Grizzly.

Don't really know anything about the others.

 

[edp]

Saw Choice

Of the three listed, I would probably select the Jet. It provides the 220 volt option which I personally prefer, it looks to have integral castors and is a right tilt. I have never worked with a left tilt as the Delta is.
My current saw is a Jet Cabinet saw and I have been very pleased with it but my previous saw was a Grizzly contractor model which also performed well.
Another option you might consider is the second hand market where $500/$600 can frequently buy you quite a bit more.
Good luck

Ed

 

[s4s4u]

I have not been impressd with any of the Jet tools I have or have had. Every Grizzly tool I have has been excellent and I am slowly replacing the Jet "junk" with Grizzly. By the same token I am upgarading about 1 price level as I go so that may have something to do with it. I have found the people at Grizzly to be more than helpful when I ask advice, or need service. Go Grizzly! JMO, Rod.

 

[TexasTimbers]

Rob,

I always check the used market first. You can run across diamond in the rough. The saw I currently own was manufactured up until the mid nineties, sold for $15K, and there was a waiting list to get one. I bought it for around $600.
While that may be a rare find, it serves to illustrate the potential of finding old American machines that last generations.

Barring that, I owned a Grizzly 10" cabinet table saw once and was well pleased with it after I got the bugs worked out.
As my signature line says, I try to avoid buying anything on brand alone, but sometimes certain companies seem to excel at certain models, tools, or areas of business. I don't own a single Steel City tool, but I sure will give them a hard look next time the used market fails to produce any of my tool needs. I think you should take a serious look at them but call them too. You might be suprised.

 

[edp]

I have not been impressd with any of the Jet tools I have or have had. Every Grizzly tool I have has been excellent and I am slowly replacing the Jet "junk" with Grizzly. By the same token I am upgarading about 1 price level as I go so that may have something to do with it. I have found the people at Grizzly to be more than helpful when I ask advice, or need service. Go Grizzly! JMO, Rod.

All manufacturers produce entry level/not quite there equipment. If you make the mistake of buying it and assuming that it will perform as top shelf equipment, shame on you. Your comment regarding Jet Tools would lead the uninitiated to believe that they make "JUNK". That is not the case. Jet and Grizzly run parralel lines of equipment and Jet is normally one step up within comparable price brackets. I personally use both Jet and Grizzly for my major pieces and find that each bring strong points to the table. It just depends on your focus.

Ed

 

[rnt80]

I'd echo texas timbers, check for used stuff first. In my neck of the woods there are always a lot of table saws on Craigslist and you can find some pretty good deals. If I may make your decision process even more difficult...I suggest you take a look at the Ridgid 3650. I've had mine for about four years and I love it. It's been my experience that every 3650 owner I've come across has really liked the saw. Ridgid, like any other manufacturer, does produce some stuff that we wouldn't wish on our worst enemy but the 3650 is their flagship. I think it runs around $500. Both extensions are cast iron, it has the best mobile base I've ever used, the fence may not be a Biesmeyer style but it is a great fence with an awesome microadjust feature that I have used time and again. Just something to think about. Good luck with your search and let us know what you end up going with.

 

[s4s4u]

All manufacturers produce entry level/not quite there equipment. If you make the mistake of buying it and assuming that it will perform as top shelf equipment, shame on you. Your comment regarding Jet Tools would lead the uninitiated to believe that they make "JUNK". That is not the case. Jet and Grizzly run parralel lines of equipment and Jet is normally one step up within comparable price brackets. I personally use both Jet and Grizzly for my major pieces and find that each bring strong points to the table. It just depends on your focus.

Ed

Look, I'm not simply talikng about general quality for price range here. I am speaking of design flaws and manufacturing errors along with a complete lack of customer service. I will never buy any Jet tool again, period. I am happy you have had good luck with yours though. To me, JUNK!

 

[reabdet21]

Unisaw

You should be able to locate some good used equipment and save a lot of money. I had been looking for a few months and today just came home with an older unisaw probably made in the 50's or 60's for $450. I am not sure of the date but someone might know. It is model 89-9725. It says Delta Rockwell on the tag but Delta on the sawdust access door. It has one of the single phase large round motors that uses 11 amps so it is just over 1 HP. It was rewound about 5 years ago. One of the three v-belts is missing but it ran very smoothly It also came with a biesermeyer fence system and extended table. He included a tenoning jig that he got with the saw when he bought it 5 years ago. It is very heavy but no name plate on it. If someone could let me know who made it, I would appreciate it. On the bottom, it has a casting number 462-01-054-2001. It has a hand grip that looks like what was on the really old hand planers. The casting is very heavy and is mounted on a heavy metal plate about 1/2 inch thick. It looks like it was never used. Were any companies making something like that in 2001?

 

[Joe Lyddon]

Hello everyone. I'm just looking for personal experiences here. I've got a budget between $500-600 and I'm wanting to buy a decent saw. Last summer I bought a cheap Hitachi table saw that is wretched. I can cut straighter lines using a circular saw and cutting guide...

The three saws I'm currently looking at are these:

Delta 36-980
Jet 708100 JWTS-10
Grizzly GO575

I really want something that will give me a solid platform to work on. My current saw is very unstable. The fence is next to pathetic and it the table top area itself is just dismal. Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated.

I personally like Grizzly... I have their G0555 Band Saw and love it... other people I know love all of Grizzly...

I remember seeing some good advice... it was...

Get the most that you can afford...

If you can come close to a Unisaw, Steel City, RIKON, wait, save, and get the best at the start instead of getting there in steps...

IMHO...

 

[rob.hough]

Lots of great advice. I have been watching Craigslist like a hawk for about 2 months now. Nothing has really cropped up though. I've seen this thing pop up a few times but I honestly don't know what I'm looking at:

Sprunger 1.5hp TS

I've found a Powermatic contractor table w/52" micro-glide fence for $650. I haven't been able to find much info on those unfortunately.

The Rigid, thus far, sounds like the best overall deal to me. I'd like to keep my price under $650 if I can help it. This would allow me to purchase a decent blade as well.

 

[TexasTimbers]

Craigslist is not the only place to look. Ebay is a minefield but you can still find some deals.

Government auctions are a a great place. There are also State Government auctions you know. I got my saw through a little known auction put on by the state of Tennessee. The University of Tennessee was "upgrading" one of their table saws and put it in a state auction. My only competitior was one of the Instructors who could not stand to see the saw go tooo cheap so he bumped it a few times or else I would have gotten it for less than $300.

If you will spend a day online you will almost certainly find a good deal, but it takes diligence. They won't just pop up on top of google.

Rob I would not spend $650 on a *new* contractor saw much less a used one, Powermatic emblem or not. For not much more you can get a new heavier, hardier, cabinet saw from Grizzly or other import company.
What many fail to realize is that many of the import companies like Grizzly and Jet and Steel City and even Delta and all the rest, many use the exact same Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers for many tools.
While some companies require stricter tolernaces and have closer QC, oftentimes the the only thing different is the paint, badge, and marketing. What stands out is customer service and parts distribution and warranty issues etc. Many of the machines are exactly the same animal made by the same company and maybe even touched by the same hands in that factory.

 

[Nancy Laird]

What many fail to realize is that many of the import companies like Grizzly and Jet and Steel City and even Delta and all the rest, many use the exact same Chinese and Taiwanese manufacturers for many tools.

I have to correct you regarding Steel City. SCTW went to China and built their own manufacturing facility, which they own. They are NOT having their machines made in the same factory with Delta, Grizzly, Jet, etc. The Steel City cabinet saws are going to give the other brands a real run for their money. If you can buy Steel City, it's worth the $$$.

Nancy

 

[nailgunner7]

Rob,
I drive a Delta Unisaw. I bought a Jet and hated every cut I made on it. If you can hold out for the bigger saw, then do it. You'll be happier in the long run. I have seen the Grizzly though never used it. If you are going to invest in a contractor model atleast get some thing with cast iron decking and a good fence. I believe that with tablesaws, size does matter.

Scott A. Mordecki / Nailgunner7

http://fallentimber.mysite.com

 

[TexasTimbers]

Thanks for the correction Nancy. They need to put you on the payroll. I have never seen anyone so ardently loyal to brand before.

I will say that I had read some 2 years ago when they rolled out at the Atlanta IWF I think it was that they do not manufacture all of their own tools - but some of them. Maybe that has since changed.

Not a big deal to me Nancy I do not have an axe to grind. I still compare a tool to another tool by feature and performance and sometimes price, and not the wrapper. No single company makes the best tool in every category and never will.

 

[Nancy Laird]

Thanks for the correction Nancy. They need to put you on the payroll. I have never seen anyone so ardently loyal to brand before. Scott Box told me in Vegas that if I lived in Tennessee, he would! Tom Guertin also told us that we are his best salespeople!!! We love their machines and have a great deal of confidence in Scott, Tom, Mark, Jim, and all the crew that they will continue their QA to provide the best machines that can be made. It was really funny in Vegas; we were in the SC booth talking to Scott and Tom, and David walked over and talked to a lookee-loo about a SCTW jointer and may have convinced him to buy it. And he was in his Woodworker's polo that he had worked the booth in that morning!! For the record, Woodworker's DOES sell SCTW machines, so he wasn't being disloyal.

I will say that I had read some 2 years ago when they rolled out at the Atlanta IWF I think it was that they do not manufacture all of their own tools - but some of them. Maybe that has since changed. They are also quarrying the granite for the new granite tops (and jointer fence) from their own quarry a few miles from the manufacturing facility in China.

Not a big deal to me Nancy I do not have an axe to grind. I still compare a tool to another tool by feature and performance and sometimes price, and not the wrapper. No single company makes the best tool in every category and never will. Which is exactly why we have such a rainbow in our own shop.:yes: All of our machines aren't SCTW--we have a Delta drill press, a Delta Unisaw, DeWalt radial-arm saw (old - 50s vintage), DeWalt scroller, Hitachi resawing band saw (with a 3" blade!!! ), a couple of old 50s-vintage Atlases (lathe and band saw), and several Woodtek green-and-yellow.

Nancy

 

[BULLHART]

Of the three choices that you provided above, I would choose the delta. I do like grizzley tools, but with this product line, I think delta has them beat. That big heavy, one piece cast iron table is beneficial IMO. If you could save up just a couple hundred more delta's hybrid saw is a nice little saw for the buck.

I run a Unisaw mysself. I've had longevity problems with jet tools.

 

[woodman42]

My experience with my Powermatic table saw has been excellent.
If you can find a used one for 600 bucks in good condition it would be well worth it. I bought mine at a woodworkers show in Houston new and got a good deal.

 

[rob.hough]

I think I found a Rigid 3650 with a vega 50" fence, a couple of blades and a dado set (all freud) for $400. Sounds like a fairly decent deal to me. Gonna check it out this weekend if it hasn't already been sold.

 

[TexasTimbers]

Sounds like a heck of a deal to me too. The two blades and dado - if it's the stacked dado, could be worth a big chunk of that alone.