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The saw is a high quality product but not easy to assemble if you have to do it alone. Robson's review here very carefully. The new Craftsman costs 50% more than the Delta, and strikes me as being inferior in many respects, but, all things considered, I would probably buy the Sears if I had to do it over. I bought this to replace a very old Craftsman which had a great blade guard and was very easy to assemble. If you are thinking about buying this saw, I strongly urge you to read B. In addition to the weight, some of the bolts are nearly impossible to install because of obstacles. Nonetheless, 4 stars because, except for the problems mentioned, this is an awesome saw And while I am absolutely loathe to run a table saw without a blade guard/splitter, the one on this saw is so awful I'm afraid that I will have to remove it permanently.
It is quieter than the older model I used to have. My boyfriend threw away his old hand saw. The Delta 36-980 table saw was purchased as a gift for my boyfriend to help up us build our new garage. It's the best little unit for anyone that works with wood, novice to expert. He was taken back when he used it for the first time on 4'x8' paneling. The 30" fence stayed in place and the cutting guide is true in measuring distances from the blade. Making angle cuts on long boards are a breeze.
He has never used one before, but I used to have one and knew what they could do. Cuts are easy to do and rides smoothly across the saw. As far as I am concerned, Delta tools are the best. It came with the stand which made life easier.
The assembly was fairly straight-forward, although lengthy.One word of advice, have a 13mm ratcheting box-end wrench when you go to assemble the stand. You either need a short screwdriver or have to push the guard sideways to clear the screw. The T-square rip-fence is heavy and solid as a rock. Fortunately my home's wiring was able to support a new 20A breaker. Amazingly smooth, accurate and nearly effortless to move. I really feel you'd be hard-pressed to find a better built, more solid saw with a fence anywhere near as strong in this price range. Everything, blade, fence and miter gauge was nearly perfect right out of the box. They are heavily coated in cosmoline, or a similar product and are a mess to deal with.
The saw's roller system is fantastic. I had no need for any blade adjustments, so after a fresh coat of wax on the table I was on to the test run.I found this saw does pull a good bit of power when starting up. I've never been a big fan of them and I get annoyed quickly when I can't latch the guard up when measuring from fence to blade. When you put the wheel mounts on the bottom of the legs, you'll be required to get a nut way down inside where it's nearly impossible to reach and hold the nut. The flip side of that is the cast iron parts were all in perfect condition without even the smallest speck of rust. The guard just plain sucks. Granted the hardest material I had on hand was some 3/4" oak, so take that for what it's worth. In cutting some test material, I never noticed it lug down or lose speed even when ripping with a 50 tooth combo blade.
After most of the day spent assembling, I finally got it put together and went to check the settings. I couldn't get it to deflect without a very forceful push on the tail end--such a force would never be present when cutting. I initially installed the blade guard/splitter assembly, but then removed it. The insert is held in place with a single screw that is partially blocked by the guard. This is an amazing improvement over my last saw that shrieked like a banshee.
It slides like it's on ice. This is an irritation and I think Delta could have simplified this step. I didn't make it past the garage as the box was just too heavy for me to pull up the two steps that separate the garage from the house. Delta has made a near perfect saw that will be a pleasure to use for years to come.
I must say this is the best table saw I've ever used. The saw is packed in one HEAVY, huge box and the fence in a second. I wrestled the box out of the car, onto a dolly and into the garage, hoping I could get it inside and nearer to the basement stairs, where my workshop is located. I had help getting the saw and fence box in the back of my SUV, but getting it out was all me.
So no more problems with power although the saw does brown-out the lights a tad when starting. When running there is little more than a high-pitched hum from the blade. The fence slides on three nylon pads that in turn ride on the heavy steel rails bolted to the front and rear of the saw. If I had to point out a flaw with this saw, this would be it. The lack of clearance is also a pain when removing the table insert.
Let me tell you, after getting everything downstairs, I felt like I had been a fight. The guard is designed to latch up when the table insert is removed to allow easier blade changes but even here, it sits too low and gets in the way of the blade wrenches. The motor seems plenty powerful. This one is no different.
Moving this 300lb tool around takes little effort and it sits solidly when in place. You can also get this saw with a Biesemeyer fence, but it's a pretty expensive option and not very much different from Delta's T-square fence.When you get this saw home, I hope you have a strong friend to help unload/move this behemoth. I looked at the Unifence option, which is amazingly versatile, but I just couldn't justify the extra expense for it. A second word of advice, be prepared to do some cleaning on the cast-iron pieces. I bought this saw to replace my old jobsite saw that I had outgrown--what an improvement.From the beginning, I decided on this model with the T-square (T2) fence primarily due to price.
The fence required only the smallest tweak on the adjusters to get it perfectly square. Even with the soft-start it was too much for my 15A breaker--it tripped on the first start up. What a great design. The guard does not lift very high and does not latch, meaning you'll have to hold it up with one hand while measuring. I unpacked the box in the garage and carried the pieces down to my shop piece by piece.
It uses a soft-start system that brings the blade up to speed incrementally over a period of a few seconds. I made several cuts in various material and never felt I was even close to needing hearing protection. I would think one would be better off having this saw run on 220v, although I realize that's not an easy option for most of us, myself included.I am amazed at how quiet this saw is.
Easy to assemble, easy to zero alignment and measurements. Very quite operation compared to the cheaper models out there as well as MUCH less dust when hooked to a shop vac. There are many good saws but you will not be disappointed with this purchase. For context, I'm a beginner in woodworking and my last table saw was a Delta model that they now call "Shop Master". Note, you will need a dedicated 15A 110V outlet, do not use any other items on the circuit while using the saw's 1.5HP motor.
This table saw is outstanding in comparison. It took me several hours to assemble as I did so carefully. Some manual directions seemed off from the assembly hardware but not enough to effect assembly, or it missed something. This saw easily gives me clean cuts to 1/32" with the rip blade provided.
What is the difference between this and a cabinet saw. I will admit that I am a total Delta fan and have several pieces from them, but I guess that is a product of being a happy and satisfied customer. Let's face it, we want the saw to look nice and have some nice features, and it does, but the real critical factor is accuracy and this saw delivers.One of the other very noticable features about this saw is how quiet it is. Saved $37 & had it delivered for free right to my shop within two days.Now, about the saw. I needed a saw desperatly when my previous Delta (20+ years old), finaly gave in.
I actually have music playing in my shop and still hear it with the saw running. Amazon couldn't (read: wouldn't) try to beat another online deal, so I went with CPO Delta. The cabinet. [.]. It is a large heavy and heavy duty saw that is so accurate it is amazing.
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