Possible new table saw

Dan Gonzales

Member
Messages
511
Location
Whittier, CA, USA
I know I should save my dollars for a big new Sawstop, but I have an opportunity to change my current saw out. Here's the scenario.

I currently have the Dewalt DW746 hybrid table saw with the standard stamped steel wings and the factory fence and 30" rails. It has worked very well for me. The fence is a lot better than the nitpickers out there complain about. The only thing I don't care for are the stamped steel wings which I am replacing soon. It has a 1¾ horsepower motor that can run at 120 or 240.

The opportunity is a 25 year old Delta Unisaw with the older jet lock fence on 50" rails, a 2 horsepower motor and it has both cast iron wing extensions. It was used as a secondary saw in a cabinet shop for ten years and then stored in the back with incidental use for the last fifteen. Asking price of $450.

I really don't care for the fence or the right tilt blade setup. But I do like the cabinet saw construction and that it can be setup with a true riving knife (I believe).

option 1 - Purchase this saw and sell off my Dewalt
option 2 - Purchase this saw, clean it up and sell it for a little profit.
option 3 - Skip the deal and keep up with my steady workhorse Dewalt.

If I keep the Unisaw I know I would have to invest in a new fence and I used a right tilt saw for a long time before my Dewalt.

All opinions welcome!

Cheers,
 
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I think that'd be a nice upgrade Dan, and at $450, there's some wiggle room to upgrade the fence as well. Saws like that have sold for $700-$750 fairly quickly around here...condition is a factor though. You could probably get $400-$500 for your DW saw. The Delta T2 fence is on sale for $129....I'd guess you could get $50-$60 easily for the Jetlock fence, so we're talking swapping your DW for a 2hp Uni with a T2 fence for roughly even money. You may notice a little power difference, but you'll definitely notice a difference in the weight, and the overall feel of the saw's mechanisms. Very little money spent if any, and a notable upgrade overall IMHO....no harm, no foul, and you can still pursue the Sawstop at some point.
 
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I'm with Scott. Although I don't know if the DeWalt saw would sell for quite as much as Scott estimates, I still think you could get a heck of an upgrade for not much money. This is assuming the Uni didn't need a lot of work beyond the addition of a new fence. The 2 hp seems a bit low for a cabinet saw, but being a Unisaw, you know there are upgrade motors available out there if you decided you needed more horses under the table.
 
another vote for the uni, if its in good shape you shouldnt go wrong at all.. and its much less than the saw stop.. like the others have said the fence can be changed out. but if this isnt what you want then wait for the saw your after. because you probally wont be happy till yu get what you want..even if others say that uni is a good deal.
 
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I'd personally pass, unless it was for a secondary saw, but more because of the right tilt. Again, a personal thing, not anything wrong with RT.
You say it can be set up with a true riving knife? Do you mean a splitter? A true riving knife goes up and down and tilts with the blade. A splitter just sits at the 90 degree angle. Now there is the BORK that mimics a riving knife. Bob may have one that will work with that saw. Investigate all variables before you make your decision. As far as the price of the saw, it's not bad. Someone locally is trying to get that for an old Uni that doesn't have a motor, fence, or throat plate!! Jim.
 
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