*Just completed a big trim project on my house **MyBest.Tools** Performed very well. Also appreciate how easy it is to move, set up and store with the integrated stand. No more cutting wood on my knees.*
Hey late to the party here, but I've had this saw for about 2 years or so now, and I thought I'd add my 2 cents. I'm very pleased with this saw, especially for the price. I went from a portable saw to this and it was a night and day difference. The fence is great and can be micro adjusted to square it up, as I have to do occasionally, I bought a dial indicator and made a jig so it rides in the miter slot so I can adjust the fence, it works very well. The one thing that I didn't like was trying to make a zero clearance insert. The way the insert is adjusted up and down only leaves a 1/4" or so on some parts of the insert. So making one out of Oak for example, which I did, makes it to thin and flexible. It worked for a while but the slight flex just wasn't good enough for me. I did finally find a zero clearance insert online, and it was the only one I found. I bought it and it works just fine, though it was like $50+ and I thought that was a bit high, but what are you gonna do. Anyway, the dust collection sucks but that goes for most the equipment I own so I don't lose sleep over it lol. I think if I were to ever upgrade again I would end up spending $2000 and up to make a significant improvement over this and I just can't justify it. Anywho just my opinion.
@@rycardin I bought it on amazon, it is a cheaper one, but I wasn't sure how well the setup would work and I didn't want to spend alot. Though it works just fine. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016R3GLB0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I got this saw around the same time. It was a huge upgrade for me. Those cursors on the fence and miter can be fine tuned to be exact by just loosening the 2 screws. I always check with my digital angle finder too however. Best things about this saw over the lesser saws is the fence and ability to adjust everything to be precise. The motor is so much quieter with no vibration over a portable saw. Runs super smooth. Take time and have patience with assembly and it will pay off huge. If you read the reviews on this saw, the bad ones are typically with people that didn't take the time to assemble and dial it in properly. Getting the stamped steel wings to mount true to the iron top was the only real trial and error part of assembly. I do still need to adjust my trunnion slightly but it hasn't been an issue since I aligned my fence, sled, and miter gauge to the blade instead of the track
Hi there, I’ve been using this same saw for 2-1/2 years and I’m very happy with it. Also I agree with your likes and dislike comments. So I would like to touch on 2 points you made. The blade: as noted on the riving knife “blade kerf cannot be less than 0.100” the factory blade kerf measures 0.100”. For a replacement blade, choose a quality full kerf blade of 0.125” this works very well. Riving knife adjustment: Do not try to adjust the riving knife with a blade less than 0.100” kerf dimension. There are two screws on the riving knife mount to adjust it as noted in the manual. If you riving knife is bent call Delta customer support they will send you a new one, they have been helpful for me. Thanks for your video about this saw.
You do have to spend some time setting the saw up... blade, fence, etc. But once done, the saw is great. Fairly compact which is Nice ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxXh-4_3-ZT1fFWP91ZV7iVqzElr0lEb-a I did get an Incra Miter Gauge which takes some setup as well. The stock miter gauge can be adjusted in the miter slot with a little painter's tape... this tightens up the side to side play a lot.
Good review. I share a lot (if not all) of the same thoughts on the saw. I did a review on my channel about a year ago. I still use the saw several times per week and love it. I am very happy with it. I did add zero clearance throat plate which helps a lot with small bits of wood from clogging up the not so great dust collection. Good job.
I've had this saw for a bit longer. It's a darn good saw for it's price. I got it on sale at Lowe's and still got my 10% vet's discount. That brought my out of pocket to under $500. I've had 2 main problems with mine: 1) I've never gotten the extension wings completely level. Some day I'll take it completely apart and go through a whole reset. 2) The tilt stops are just a bit short of the 90 and 45 marks. Using the Wixey angle gauge, I still get it exactly on the mark. I agree with everything said in the video. I do have an extra comment on the fence. Once I set it up it has always been dead on. Put it on 4" and I get exactly a 4" cut. I've got a couple extra blades, but still use the one that came with it. It still gives me a good cut and very seldom burns the work. That's easy to deal with - cut thing's 1/16 over, reset the fence and run through for a skim cut. At some point I will upgrade to a full cabinet saw. Oh, as for the sawdust out the bottom? That's just part of cleaning the shop. Relax while sweeping and vacuuming and get my mind off all work.
After watching many reviews and comparison videos; I went with the Skilsaw jobsite saw. Money, shop size and mobility played a factor; but the major selling point was the power. This saw easily rips thru hardwood lumber with no issues and no slowing down or "struggle". The fence is decent and the construction is what you would expect from what is supposed to be a tablesaw that is meant to be loaded onto and off your truck. At this moment, I have to share the "workshop" with a car, so getting a cabinet style table saw is just not in the cards for the moment. This saw can be easily moved around either in the workshop or even in the driveway on nicer days. You're absolutely right about not needing to spend $5000+ on a table saw. Although its my end goal to get either a Sawstop (until someone else is capable of stopping the blade from potentially cutting my fingers off) or a Grizzly, this saw is more than up to the task. I would recommend that for any table saw purchase (power tool purchase in general) that users look up how to make ADJUSTMENTS. Some saws are easier to align and some others are incredibly difficult. Most table saws-miter saws come aligned from the factory, and while they may come off the assembly line to within THEIR standards; shipping and setup can and will throw off alignment enough that it WILL impact your work. I make it a yearly "tradition" to clean up and re-align the table saw and miter saw to ensure that they stick around for as long as I can have them. That said, love the channel and look forward to seeing you achieve Shop Greatness
Glad your Skilsaw has worked out for you. I have not had such an experience. Have had mine just over a year, noticed my cuts were off,. It had come out of alignment with the miter slots. (not sure how, it is pretty much stationary in my shop) . I followed the steps in the manual to loosen the 4 bolts that hold the motor to the table at which point you are supposed to be able to manipulate it back into alignment. My guess is the bolt slots were not machined correctly as the movement I get out of it goes in the wrong direction making it even worse. Worked on this for two days, trying different methods, I just kept thinking I am missing something. Finally had to give it up. The only solution I see is to take it to a machine shop and have them machine the slots out. At which point I might as well just buy a better saw. Called Skilsaw cust support, they had no answer. Told me to take it to service center. Service center said I was looking at 6-8 weeks to get it back. Which is why I am now looking at other options. As with any consumer product, there will always be a lemon in the mix and that may just be my luck . I give my saw 1 star rating! Just my 2 cents Just as the positive review on this Delta saw here, I have read other reviews that have not been favorable. I guess it is luck of the draw whether you get a good one or not, just like any other product.
Well done video. Glad you left the weather alert in. Your expression was funny. I have a Jet bench top table saw that I have modified the fence and enclosed for very decent dust collection.
Just wanted to say that I was impress with your review and use of the saw so I decided on this model as well. Wish I could’ve used your link but Lowe’s had it here and I get it cheaper for being military. But I am definitely interested in building workbench and I can’t wait! It will fit my needs perfectly and I’ll be using your links to get the necessary parts! Thanks again! Keep up the great work!
Thank you for publishing this review. I have an old Craftsman contractor saw and am evaluating potential upgrades. My shop is small and I do not use a table saw frequently enough to justify a large cabinet saw, even if I had the space. Honestly, I was leaning toward the Dewalt 7491 as, in my humble opinion, it has the best fence and is the most solid option of the contractor saws (Sawstop contractor saw not included due to price). Based on your review and of the comments you have received from other owners I will really consider the Delta Table Saw. Thanks again, Ken
Hey there, I like your video and I bought this saw in Feb 2020. After about a month I am thrilled using it! Originally I bought a Rigid R45171 but promptly returned it, too light& too small. The steel wings are fine, I don’t need cast iron wings. The fence is great, the miter gauge is awesome, did you notice the three set screws in the miter bar? They can be adjusted to snug it up in the slot. No plastic on this saw. The belt drive, high(er) torque induction motor runs at 3450 with blade speed about 4000 so this saw isn’t as loud as the direct drive saws with plenty of power to use a full kerf blade. It’s hefty, spinning the blade hight adjustment wheel doesn’t shake the whole saw! A large work piece won’t tip this saw. About the only slight negative is there will be a small dust pile under the saw and without a zero clearance throat plate some dust will come out around the blade. I like it a lot very happy with this saw. I’m glad I didn’t get a job site saw as this fits my needs much better and for $600 it’s a good value. Your right about getting that 50 tooth blade, its like putting really good tires on great car just makes it better.
I just bought that saw a month ago. And oddly enough I have the same likes & dislikes as you. My biggest complaint is with the dust collection, or lack there of. Modifying that is top priority on the saw bucket list. Nice job on the video and I think you gave everyone a good honest review. Keep it up!
I've had this saw since 2014. My previous saw was a $99 Delta table saw that I pushed over trying to rip a 4'x8' of 7/16 OSB, the kickback almost took out my kidney. It's a decent saw for the money. My table had /has a little hump to the left of the blade opening, it's always bugged me but at my level of work wasn't a deal breaker. The power isn't great, I stall the blade ripping some 2x4's but the blade could use a cleaning. There are Allen screws on the saw for aligning the riving knife, it's a back and forth game but works. There's also a PDF you can get from Delta with blade to slot adjustment/alignment instructions that weren't in the manual in 2014. This saw served me well for six years using mostly dimensional pine and plywood but I've had a lot of 100 year old oak planks and beams given to me so my father in law gets this saw and I'm upgrading to the Grizzly G1023RWLX 5hp, can't wait.
I’ve had the same saw for a year now. I agree with your review. I recently converted it to 220v and it runs more efficiently and draws less amperage. Very quick and easy conversion.
Great review buddy, I’ve had mine about the same amount of time. Recently I found a nice benefit to be large rip fence replacing existing doors in my house. Being able to adjust door width up to 30” is perfect. My next project is trying to improve the poor dust collection by enclosing the bottom of the saw and moving the dust port to bottom center. Thanks for the videos and great channel
I have had this saw for over a year now and I like it...I agree with you on every point but considering I got it for 300 and some change I can't complain...like the videos,keep em coming!
Good job on the video, dude. Great presentation. I've had the same saw for 5 years and the same riving knife issue initially. There are small allen screws that are used to bring it into perfect alignment with the blade. Takes 5 minutes. Consult the manual for specific instructions. Hope that helps.
Mine lines up perfectly, but it sure doesn't install and de-install very smoothly. It always takes some jiggling, which is probably how most of them get bent.
Just wanted to say that while I am fortunate to already have a SawStop PCS, I watched your review anyway because I appreciate your quality content and thought process on tool reviews. I was not disappointed, keep up the great work. :)
I bought this saw five years ago. Absolutely love it. Like you said it’s not perfect but for the price it’s fantastic. Night and day from the contractor saws.
Great review. After researching for a while I decided this saw was the exact one I want. Bought a lightly used one today from a friend who is upgrading to a cabinet saw. Can't wait to try it out!
I purchased this same saw a couple of years ago. When my Harbor Freight saw of 32yrs died. I like this table saw a lot. It's much easier to move than my old saw. It comes with wheels that are attached to one side, that makes it easier to move around. Plus there is a reset button on the motor, you have to turn the saw over on the side to access it. But if the saw overloads the motor will automatically shut down. Hit the reset button and your back in business. Plus this saw is a great value for the price. Happy wood working. GF1 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😎
I'm with you there on the unboxing videos. Sometimes I learn a lot from watching the assembly, depending on how complicated the item is, but I don't need to watch someone I don't know opening a package. And yeah, wait until you have some experience with an item before you review it. One of my pet peeves is when a seller sends you an email soliciting a review a few days after you received an item. I'm busy, and most of the time I haven't even opened the item yet. Send that email a month or two out. Even then I am not going to rate durability. Yes, I'm looking at you Harbor Freight.
I've had this saw for about 4 years now and I'm real pleased with it. I did have to adjust the knife also but haven't had to touch it since. Also I took a piece of drop from a kitchen counter job and put it in to fill right hand side. Screwed it to the tin wing and used conduit straps to mount to brace. Didn't care for color but it was free. Lol
I’ve got the same saw and agree with pretty much everything you have said. I’ll add that I have found even better results adding a zero clearance plate as well. Great review!
Jason Price search UA-cam for zero clearance insert. It replaces the stock "blade cover" insert plate with one without such a wide gap for small cut offs to fall into. It also improves cut quality.
I've had the same saw for the last 4 years. I agree with everything you said, especially about the fence which is very very good. I would add though I dislike the throat plate. It is very thin and can warp slightly making adjustments difficult to keep it flat to the surface. Being so thin it makes creating zero clearance plates difficult as well. Also, the dust collection shroud makes it hard to clear debris obstructions from inside and there isn't much space to replace blades. All this being said I agree this is the best saw you can get for around $500.
Great to hear you've had the same experience. I do agree with the throat plate - its hung up a couple of pieces of plywood as I'm running them through it.
I have had this saw for the last 3 years and totally agree with both of you! Also, my riving knife has the same issue with being out of alignment. Worst part of all (for me at least) is the dust collection though.
Solid, well balanced review that pretty much reflects my experience with it. I used the hell out mine for almost three years before selling it to a friend after upgrading. The only failure I had was the fence lock handle snapped off...it doesn’t like to be cranked down too much. One recommendation I have is to periodically check the screws on the dust shroud. I adapted the dust port for a 4” hose and the extra weight combined with loose screws caused the shroud to contact the blade once. Sparks. Excitement.
I have the same saw, same things as you said. I had to tune the riving knife but now it’s great. Dust collection and zero clearance plate are my only needed upgrades.
I own this saw as well; always enjoy videos about it. Thank you for your insight. I, too, had issues with my riving knife, but after loosening the two bolts that handle it, got it aligned rather easily, so I hope that goes well for you, too. I ended up going with a dedicated rip blade and a dedicated 80T blade. I just couldn't get the quality of cuts with a hybrid blade that I was looking for. I, too, was using an Irwin Marples before. There's a guy who sells zero-clearance inserts for these online, his shop is Got Wood?. They are good quality; I've purchased both a standard and dado insert from him.
Great review ! I turned my base around when I put it together to make it easier to activate the mobile base , I've also added the Rockler sawdust collection bag to catch the sawdust that doesn't get sucked up , I also went the nice blue blade and not the red , I added the shop Fox classic fence and 7 ft rails for 54" ripping and for safety I have Kreg push stick , micro jig and several other push sticks and push blocks
Thanks for a good honest review. I picked one up today. You have inspired me to get back to woodworking and I find your videos very well done. I never would have attempted any of those cabinet builds until now ! thanks. Sure would love to see a video on the two table saw sleds you have. Cheers and thanks from Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦. Keep up the great job !
I bought this saw about s month ago and I am very impressed with it. My number one reason for this one over others in the price range was the fence. I’m glad I went with it because the fence is awesome!
I just bought a newer version of this saw after reviewing many videos and online articles. I can’t wait to use it! Your review is great and really well done. Definitely subscribed.
The riving knife can be adjusted. In the instructions it’ll show that you have two grub screws that align it. I have the same saw and it’s a solid addition to my shop. Great video, thanks for your insight and honestly.
I have the same saw with the same riving knife issue. I spent several hours with the instructions adjusting the screws and just can’t get it straight and square. It’s close but I often have to push it over with the use of a scrap mid cut. It’s a bit hairy. Any tips on fixing this?
i was between this saw and ridgids 4512... this video along with 731 woodworks helped me decide on picking this saw up in the near future.... i think you should do a video of a router insert in the wing next 😉
After one year I would agree with your points. One thing I did was reversed the fence locking lever because I didn't like having to hold it to slide but I know I am in the minority on this one. I added a wood extension where a router would go but no intention to put a router in, just for the flat surface. I also messed with adding a wood bottom which hs tricky corners but will try again when I get more time to mess with it.
Hey man, great review. Dust collection kinda sucks, and I agree with the issue on the riving knife. Someone else mentioned that the knife is adjustable, which is true, but it's a real PITA to adjust and I've never really gotten it right. In order to improve my 36-725, here's a few things I did...First I reversed the base so the kick down wheel is on the left side. It's easier to reach that way. Second, I took the left side table wing off and mounted a cast iron router table wing in its place. It required some drilling of the rails and the edge of the cast iron top to match up to the router table wing that I bought, but it works great. Then i took the extra stamped metal wing and moved it to the right side to fill the gap. It requires taking out the cross brace and again doing some drilling, but no more gap for things to fall into. As an added bonus, when the saw isn't in use, I have lots more work space now!
I had bought the Lowe's Kobalt table saw for $180 on sale. That's all is made by Delta. It is a very well-thought-out saw with accessory holders everywhere. I ended up returning it, because there was a dip in the table. when I looked at the other tables, all the Kobalt table saws had the same dip in it. while I really wanted the Delta saw in this video, my Lowe's did not stock it. I ended up buying the DeWalt 7491RS. The DeWalt is a pretty good saw, but I really wish I could have gotten the delta in this video, it just would have been a tight fit since it took up quite a bit of room.
I just bought one and assembly took about an hour and 45 mins without help. I am excited to get to using it and putting it through its paces. You have built some really nice items in your shop. I subscribed! thanks!
Thanks for a detailed video. I am considering this saw and the rigid R4512. After seeing the reviews on the rigid (which are pretty good) the thing I repeatedly see people complaining about is rigids customer service. I also see that with Delta but to a lesser frequency. Gotta pull the trigger on one of them right lol. I don't do wood working like you and others but when I do I want the equipment to perform the way it's advertised. Thanks again
I liked the Delta fence so much, I bought it separately (36-T30 T4) just to add to my vintage 1969 Craftsman 113. It is a great fence, providing me 36" right and 20" left rip capacity (my saw has 4 table extensions, including a router extension). Love it.
Great job on video, your pro's and cons are true. But I did fix the issue for saw dust on bottom of saw that dust collection missed. I made a canvas catch bag for cabinet that is velcro in place on inside.
Dewalt makes a portable saw that gas a 32.5” right cut and a nice folding saw. I have the saw and like it; it has taken the place of my contractor saw as it has everything including a nice rack and pinion fence and is much more portable moveable. The table is aluminum and while they aren’t always perfect mine was true within 0.05” across the table. The angle gauge dies suck on most, non-cabinet saws, and is no different on the Dewalt. I run a Diablo 80 tooth on mine and the cuts are as good as my planer. The price was $560 when I bought it but I believe it is down now. It was also perfectly aligned out of the box which I was great full for and has held alignment through a lot of jobs and a lot of moving around and loading and unloading from a vehicle and trailer. I sold my Delta, very similar to this saw, and have never looked back.
thanks for the review! the only thing id note is that you said you refer to the small, portable tablesaws you throw in a truck as "contractor saws", but contractor saws general just the kind like the delta you have now. the little ones are usually called jobsite saws
Great review and as a fellow owner of this saw I agree with all your points, my riving knife is also a bit off... Dust collection is the worst on this saw and I am about to modify mine by adding a rockler dust shield to the bottom opening, filing the rest of that area with plywood and then sealing the holes on the back with foil tape. I've seen some others do this and seems to be a good quick fix.
Wixy Angle guage 1) awesome 2) play with it a bit... The accuracy is +/- 0.2 degrees. Fine for lots of things, not for others...like resawing a 6" board. The digital read out doesn't let you creep up on the angle, and with +/-0.2 means you really have a bit more than 1/2 degree as you dial in...or more under certain circumstances. So once you land on your set angle, put the guage back on the table and reserve then check the blade again..I do this a couple of times to be sure, usually I have to adjust the blade. For 45 miters and 90 cuts, use a known reference like a machinist square or good combination square .... and test cut...adjust. But I do love my Wixy
Thanks for this. I have been researching my options and had finally settled on this saw. Getting ready to purchase it now. I watched your review to see if there were any deal breakers, and there aren't any. The biggest dislike for me is the fact that the ability to make zero clearance inserts is not an easy task. I wish Delta had designed a thicker, more sturdy insert.
Great review; told me almost everything I wanted to know (plus more). The current Delta comes with an anti-kickback device. Even the salesman agreed that when the device is installed, the saw cannot cut even a 2" x 4"! It may be the case that the device was not available when you made the video. Thanks, again. SJT
I have this model saw too. I built a plywood dust collection box with a 4" dust port under mine to help with dust collection. And it can be rewired for 240v if you desire. I actually plan on doing this within the year to get a little more from mine.
I have had this saw for over five years. It's been a workhorse. Good dust collection is a problem. I enclosed it as best I could with aluminum duct tape and cardboard and magnetic sheet (easily removed when angle cutting). Over those years the blade went out of alignment with the groves. Delta built in no way to adjust this. I had to bump the aluminum casting over with a hammer (which did work). The arbor is barely long enough for a stack dado for 3/4 inch. I thought the sheet metal wings would be a problem but it really hasn't been. I've built cabinets for kitchen and baths.
I just bought mine and I am good with it, the extension tables tend to get out of alignment, but no big deal, however I had to prep and clear coat the cutting area because I have to keep it outside. I do cover it and it has not rusted. I am in very humid Florida....
Dude! Thank you for this real review based on a tool used for 2 years vs a brand new, barely used tool! My table-saw died today and I’d been expecting to replace it with the Ridgid R4512. Then I saw this Delta model and got curious. Its primary issue, the need to tweak the fence rails, seems so much easier to manage than the Ridgid’s primary issue, the effed up trunion alignment. Why can’t anything just be built with reliable quality? 🤣
GREAT REVIEW! I had the same issue with riving knife, but it was easily adjusted and now perfectly straight. I would like to see a video of the router table being added. Looking forward to that. I'm planning on putting mine on a 4X8 workbench in the near future to save space and make it more easily portable. Really don't like the janky caster setup.
great review, have had the same tablesaw for several years, and for the most part it has been great, although as you mentioned the dust collection is terrible BUT I have finally found the ALMOST perfect solution for it
Great review and video. All your videos are precise and to the point. For the guys shopping for saws. I have this saw and delta disappointed me. The lead screw to raise and lower the blade stripped out. Took them over 6 mos to get the parts. It was under warranty but they require the entire saw to be taken to the authorized repair center. I had to purchase the parts from the authorized repair center. Mind you the saw was less than a year old. The new parts are so loose they are almost stripped. Had to have a machinist buddy make me a new screw. Repair center even advised against buying another delta. This was a hard pill to swallow as I learned on 1950s model delta that I am a 3rd generation family user of. No more delta for me.
Thanks man. I bought one about six months ago and was on the fence about whether to keep it. I've had similar issues with Rust on the top and getting the riving knife aligned. I think I will keep it though. It seems like it has been a good saw for you which is encouraging.
Hi there, I have the same saw with the 52" rip fence and cast iron wings. I agree with you completely on all the positives and negatives. Here are some solutions I have come up with. Dust collection- I have a $40 black Friday ridgid shop vac under my outfeed table hooked to a mini dust deputy on a 5 gal bucket hard 2" pvc piped to overarm dust collection with a custom bent acrylic fitting to suck up dust on top of the table. I also have my dust collector hard piped with 4" pvc into a Y fitting. One goes to the dust port on the back, and I actually cut a piece of melamine to fit the bottom lip under the saw and cut a large rectangle out and used a "Large dust chute" upside down to grab all that annoying dust that falls on the floor normally. The fence- is good for most things but I think it still sucks. I really wish I waited and bought the Entry level cabinet grade Sawstop. I actually snapped the handle locking the fence down once. Riving knife- I used to use the Diablo blades, but I upgraded to a Forrest woodworking blade which is the slightest C-Hair thicker, that in addition to giving the most gentle bend on the Riving knife it self to align it, really helped a lot Sorry for the long comment but I've spent many hours using and improving this saw, and figured I could save you a lot of time and frustration if you really want to. Also get rid of as much Flex line as possible. It decreases airflow greatly.
You can line up your riving knife with your blade by using the shims that come with a dado stack. I had to use a .3mm shim and now they align perfectly.
I also have this saw. Agree with all the points you made. But I have to add a couple negatives. I didn't realize it right away, but discovered my cast iron top is not flat! Looks flat, but lay a known straight edge across the table from front to back just to the left of the blade. My table has a high spot in the middle. About an 1/8 of an inch!! Turns out, I'm not alone. The right side is flat, and as a result certain cuts that require precision are troublesome. Also explains why the insert is never perfectly flush to the table all the way around. No matter how many times I try. Delta has not been helpful honoring their warranty about this. So I'm stuck with it. Also, the motor wasn't true to the table miter slots out of the box. Unfortunately, there isn't a designated adjustment mechanism built into this table to handle that. There is a method posted on line, whereby you can loosen critical bolts on the under carriage and start twisting and or rapping on the motor housing to try and adjust it into parallel. when you are trying to rotate the motor by such a small yet precise amount, this method is little more than hit or miss adjustments. This sounds pretty major I know, but the fence and general performance is fairly good. I did put a router table in the right side (major improvement since it also provides a flat surface over the full width of the fence ripping capacity). And I also created a decent over-arm dust collection accessory out of the stock blade guard. I posted a video of each of these mods if you are interested. The router table in particular was easier than I expected. Cheers, and great channel.
Mine was a real pain to get together lol. I fought with it A LOT to maintain good accuracy. Then calibrating the blade parallel with the miter gauge tracks and the fence was another headache. I have some blade wobble, even with my Freud diablo and Forrest blades, but I can’t tell if its only on start up and slowdown. Either way, 2 years later, I love it. Great saw! Decent power for a 110V saw, and the fence is incredible!
I've had this saw for several years now. It's a great saw for the price, and I don't regret buying it. My only major complaint would be that the arbor is not long enough to get a 3/4"+ dado stack on it.
Nice review. I have an old Grizzly Z series contractor saw in same category as yours, I've convludedxmine is a copy of the old Delta Unisaw in the same category. Food for thought - with the cast iron wings, mine tips the scales at around 350lbs. Very stable yes...a pain to move. Tuned up, I can resaw a 6" wide board and take off a vineer which is 0.01" thick...less than my 3/32 saw curf. The Freud Diablo blades are nice. I think they have larger carbide than the Irwin, but have not put them side by side. The Avanti blades are....not good..but what do you want for a $14.00 24 tooth rip blade...good enough for pallets...and the occasional nail you miss. Your fence is MUCH better than mine. Jay Bates has a nice simple router lift which fills that table top gap. Having just built his, ( search for Lever Router Lift Version 2 (XL) - 286 in UA-cam) I have to say it is both simple and looks like will work very well. if I recall, he gets the extension wing and the lift out of 1 sheet of 3/4" ply and 1 or 2 8 foot 2x4...I made mine from shop scrap and reclaimed pallet wood, so I can't confirm the materials list 100%
I also have the same saw. I had the same issue with the riving knife and found that I had a ton of saw dust built up in the bottom of the bracket that holds the knife. I blew the whole bottom out with my compressor and it seems to be working spot on now. Just another thought for you. Awesome channel by the way, keep up the great work.
Thanks.. I'm very much in the market to upgrade from my ancient crapsman (aluminum slotted top).. I make my living with my saw so it has to work well. I don't have dust collection at this point, but that's still temporary. The mess is pervasive to say the least. I'm strongly considering the 52" model and it does have cast iron wings as an option..
I am enjoying this saw for a couple of years! It's a major improvement over the direct drive Craftsman that I had. I looked at the Ridgid, but have read too many reviews saying that the blade angle changes while raising & lowering it. Plus the blue looks better than orange! One thing to do when assembling, is put the flip down caster inn the other side (left). This makes it much easier to use!
It took me a number of tries to get the riving knife right but since I did it hasn't needed adjustment for several years. Just a bit of saw dust can fall into the slot for the knife and throw it off. The sheet metal around the blade (aka dust collection) is crap. Mine argued with several small cutoffs that fell in and I had to tear parts of it out because it was so badly bent as to interfered with the blade. Finally, the throat plate is too thin and if you put and pressure on it, it will depress and throw off the accuracy of some cuts, especially miters. I've had my saw for abt. 5 years and would buy it again if needed. It gives you a lot for the money.
Will have it delivered Tuesday December 7th. I had a Ryobi 8 1/4" saw and for smaller projects it cut great but it was too small for my needs and had to rely on track guides and circular saws.
I'm interested in what you used on the cast iron top to reduce friction and protect the saw from rust? I live in coastal Virginia and it's killing me with rust on every tool I own that stays in my unheated garage. I even keep a cheap palm sander ready at all times to jump on it when I see it, then wipe it down and apply a coating of Glidecoat aerosol. Lasts a week or so then it seems to wear off. So... wondering if there is something better out there. Glidecoat runs $25 per can and that's pretty expensive when you use it frequently like I do. Thanks and keep up the great videos. Educational and entertaining!
I have the same saw and mostly agree. Dust collection however is awesome for me. No dust underneath ever, but it does throw it towards me/on top of the cast iron top. The throat plate is not ideal. There are adjustment screws to align it with the cast iron top, however there isn't one at the back left. This causes that part of the throat plate to dip down, under the weight of the board, just enough so that the board catches the lip and prevents you from pushing it through. Huge occurrence for kick back... Another issue is the power of the saw. 13amp motor is only as strong as, well a 13 amp motor. The saw struggles at times with thick hardwood or pine 2x4s with the equilibrium out of whack. When ripping 2x4s down the center if the two pieces decide two bend inward towards the blade, it effectively acts as brake calipers and brings the blade to a complete stop.
They call this a hybrid saw. Across between contractor and a cabinet saw. I have the same saw. I love it and would buy it again. I recommend it to everyone. Everything he said is true. Don't waste your money buying zero clearance inserts for it. They are only zero clearance about 4 inches.
I was able to improve dust collection by taping all of the gaps, removing the dust shroud around the blade, covering the back of where the dust port is with a magnetic sheet, covering the miter adjustment hole with another magnetic sheet that has a hole to cover the adjustment know (as you changer your miter, the sheet can slide with the knob), placing weather foam people use for AC units between the stand and the iron top, and then finally placing a dust cover underneath the table saw that has a 2 1/2" dust port. I had to reinforce the dust cover with sheet metal screws because the sticky backing wasn't strong enough. I also had to place a small frame within the dust cover because the shop vac would make it collapse within itself. Afterwards, I made an easy over the head dust collection using a photography wall mount light stand/arm and a bosch router dust collection hood with a piece of plexiglass. The wall mount arm allows me to move the arm up/down/side-side. It's not perfect but it works alright. Plus now that the metal dust shroud is gone, I can change my blades much easier! Great Video. Here are the links for what I used: Dust Cover/vacuum attachment: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HHN56HY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Router Dust Hood: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEBSBG0/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Wall mount arm: www.amazon.com/Neewer-Photography-Monolights-Reflectors-Centimeters/dp/B06XWSFX6D Y-connector for shop vac: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X957QMT/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Hose clamps for 2 1/2 shop vac: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M3JAR0O/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Magnetic sheets: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XNAHMC/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
@@ShopNation UPDATE: I added the Shark Guard riving knife dust collection and it works GREAT! I've been using it for about 8 months. Almost no dust gets past this combination. Or, I would try purchasing Sawstop's riving knife dust collector. I just purchased their guard and riving knife mount: www.thesharkguard.com/product/the-original-sharkguard-the-guard-that-started-it-all/ www.thesharkguard.com/product/pm66-splitter-mount/
Got the latest T2 model of this saw a few months ago. Delta made better the dust collection; not great but better. That's the only minus really. Fence, miter, blade parallel, all dead on right out of the box. I checked out your review before I bought, so thanks!
Very good review. I also have the same saw and agree with all your points. You mentioned the 120/240 volt difference and I believe that when I was setting up my saw I had the option to convert the motor to 240.
i just picked up this table saw. not even a month old. cuts good. needs a better blade. my one complaint. i went to remove the knife and as i lifted the handle up, it broke off in my hand, very little movement , hardly any resistance, basically loose, but i ended up with a broken part in less then a month. contacted delta customer service and typed in my complaint. i have not got a response yet. ill call there toll free number next . the store i purchased it at said to bring the table saw back and they would replace it. would be much easier to just replace the broken part. The Story Goes on. Lowes treated me great, they came out and picked up the other saw and dropped on a new one in the box. oh boy, i get to put another one together. got started, after a while it was time to check blade alignment. "Not Even Close". very close to a 16th out on back side of blade plus, i rotated the blade from 0 to about 22 1/2 degree's. then brought it back to 0. blade was still tilted on the plus side . not passed 0 it never got there. so me and a buddy spent a day with his dial indicator and got everything adjusted. Then i put the handle on the guide and set it on the saw to check for alignment. i tried to lock it into position. sounded like someone cracking walnuts. i removed the guide and turned it upside down to check a few things, the bolt went thru the cam and under side of cam was ruff like 45 grit sandpaper. nothing like the first saw, so i took the entire guide back to the store, they placed it on another saw they had for display and tried to lock it down, everyone , manager, assistant manager, tool area sales rep could hear the sound it made, so, they gave me another guide , went home and it worked like it was supposed to. So in short, ive gone thru 2 different saws, 3 table saw guides and hours of adjustment for a product that should of had some kind of quality control. sure others say, it was great out of the box, well, i was not as lucky as most of you. thought this report might help you prepare just in case you get a box like mine.
I just got into woodworking about 6 months ago and I picked up a jobsite saw. I've for sure already grown out of it though. I could really use a saw about that but the money situation is holding me back. Maybe some day soon though. Also the "riving" knife is bent to.
Wish i would have watched this a year ago, i could have told you how to align your riving knife, it is adjustable and very easy. Had the same issue and just dealt with it until i took a closer look and realized that it can be adjusted. I don't have mine anymore as my shop burned down two weeks ago.
I just got mine and built the last two projects on it after building many things on a small contractor saw. I agree with you and love it. I do hate the dust collection and plan on modifying it to collect at the bottom. Also I had the same problem with the roving knife on my last saw (I think I bent it). I’d consider buying another one if you can’t adjust it straight because mine on this saw (36-725) is perfect.
*Just completed a big trim project on my house **MyBest.Tools** Performed very well. Also appreciate how easy it is to move, set up and store with the integrated stand. No more cutting wood on my knees.*
No but seriously, this is my favorite type of review. One from a position of experience.
It's good to see a youtuber have a saw that's not a sawstop. It makes beginners believe they have to have a sawstop to be good.
Totally agree!
Hey late to the party here, but I've had this saw for about 2 years or so now, and I thought I'd add my 2 cents. I'm very pleased with this saw, especially for the price. I went from a portable saw to this and it was a night and day difference. The fence is great and can be micro adjusted to square it up, as I have to do occasionally, I bought a dial indicator and made a jig so it rides in the miter slot so I can adjust the fence, it works very well. The one thing that I didn't like was trying to make a zero clearance insert. The way the insert is adjusted up and down only leaves a 1/4" or so on some parts of the insert. So making one out of Oak for example, which I did, makes it to thin and flexible. It worked for a while but the slight flex just wasn't good enough for me. I did finally find a zero clearance insert online, and it was the only one I found. I bought it and it works just fine, though it was like $50+ and I thought that was a bit high, but what are you gonna do. Anyway, the dust collection sucks but that goes for most the equipment I own so I don't lose sleep over it lol. I think if I were to ever upgrade again I would end up spending $2000 and up to make a significant improvement over this and I just can't justify it. Anywho just my opinion.
Which dial indicator did you buy?
@@rycardin I bought it on amazon, it is a cheaper one, but I wasn't sure how well the setup would work and I didn't want to spend alot. Though it works just fine. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016R3GLB0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o04_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I got this saw around the same time. It was a huge upgrade for me. Those cursors on the fence and miter can be fine tuned to be exact by just loosening the 2 screws. I always check with my digital angle finder too however. Best things about this saw over the lesser saws is the fence and ability to adjust everything to be precise. The motor is so much quieter with no vibration over a portable saw. Runs super smooth. Take time and have patience with assembly and it will pay off huge. If you read the reviews on this saw, the bad ones are typically with people that didn't take the time to assemble and dial it in properly. Getting the stamped steel wings to mount true to the iron top was the only real trial and error part of assembly. I do still need to adjust my trunnion slightly but it hasn't been an issue since I aligned my fence, sled, and miter gauge to the blade instead of the track
Hi there, I’ve been using this same saw for 2-1/2 years and I’m very happy with it. Also I agree with your likes and dislike comments. So I would like to touch on 2 points you made. The blade: as noted on the riving knife “blade kerf cannot be less than 0.100” the factory blade kerf measures 0.100”. For a replacement blade, choose a quality full kerf blade of 0.125” this works very well. Riving knife adjustment: Do not try to adjust the riving knife with a blade less than 0.100” kerf dimension. There are two screws on the riving knife mount to adjust it as noted in the manual. If you riving knife is bent call Delta customer support they will send you a new one, they have been helpful for me. Thanks for your video about this saw.
You do have to spend some time setting the saw up... blade, fence, etc. But once done, the saw is great. Fairly compact which is Nice ua-cam.com/users/postUgkxXh-4_3-ZT1fFWP91ZV7iVqzElr0lEb-a I did get an Incra Miter Gauge which takes some setup as well. The stock miter gauge can be adjusted in the miter slot with a little painter's tape... this tightens up the side to side play a lot.
Good review. I share a lot (if not all) of the same thoughts on the saw. I did a review on my channel about a year ago. I still use the saw several times per week and love it. I am very happy with it. I did add zero clearance throat plate which helps a lot with small bits of wood from clogging up the not so great dust collection. Good job.
I've had this saw for a bit longer. It's a darn good saw for it's price. I got it on sale at Lowe's and still got my 10% vet's discount. That brought my out of pocket to under $500. I've had 2 main problems with mine: 1) I've never gotten the extension wings completely level. Some day I'll take it completely apart and go through a whole reset. 2) The tilt stops are just a bit short of the 90 and 45 marks. Using the Wixey angle gauge, I still get it exactly on the mark. I agree with everything said in the video. I do have an extra comment on the fence. Once I set it up it has always been dead on. Put it on 4" and I get exactly a 4" cut. I've got a couple extra blades, but still use the one that came with it. It still gives me a good cut and very seldom burns the work. That's easy to deal with - cut thing's 1/16 over, reset the fence and run through for a skim cut. At some point I will upgrade to a full cabinet saw. Oh, as for the sawdust out the bottom? That's just part of cleaning the shop. Relax while sweeping and vacuuming and get my mind off all work.
After watching many reviews and comparison videos; I went with the Skilsaw jobsite saw.
Money, shop size and mobility played a factor; but the major selling point was the power. This saw easily rips thru hardwood lumber with no issues and no slowing down or "struggle". The fence is decent and the construction is what you would expect from what is supposed to be a tablesaw that is meant to be loaded onto and off your truck.
At this moment, I have to share the "workshop" with a car, so getting a cabinet style table saw is just not in the cards for the moment. This saw can be easily moved around either in the workshop or even in the driveway on nicer days.
You're absolutely right about not needing to spend $5000+ on a table saw. Although its my end goal to get either a Sawstop (until someone else is capable of stopping the blade from potentially cutting my fingers off) or a Grizzly, this saw is more than up to the task.
I would recommend that for any table saw purchase (power tool purchase in general) that users look up how to make ADJUSTMENTS. Some saws are easier to align and some others are incredibly difficult.
Most table saws-miter saws come aligned from the factory, and while they may come off the assembly line to within THEIR standards; shipping and setup can and will throw off alignment enough that it WILL impact your work.
I make it a yearly "tradition" to clean up and re-align the table saw and miter saw to ensure that they stick around for as long as I can have them.
That said, love the channel and look forward to seeing you achieve Shop Greatness
Glad your Skilsaw has worked out for you. I have not had such an experience. Have had mine just over a year, noticed my cuts were off,. It had come out of alignment with the miter slots. (not sure how, it is pretty much stationary in my shop) . I followed the steps in the manual to loosen the 4 bolts that hold the motor to the table at which point you are supposed to be able to manipulate it back into alignment. My guess is the bolt slots were not machined correctly as the movement I get out of it goes in the wrong direction making it even worse. Worked on this for two days, trying different methods, I just kept thinking I am missing something. Finally had to give it up. The only solution I see is to take it to a machine shop and have them machine the slots out. At which point I might as well just buy a better saw.
Called Skilsaw cust support, they had no answer. Told me to take it to service center. Service center said I was looking at 6-8 weeks to get it back. Which is why I am now looking at other options. As with any consumer product, there will always be a lemon in the mix and that may just be my luck . I give my saw 1 star rating! Just my 2 cents
Just as the positive review on this Delta saw here, I have read other reviews that have not been favorable. I guess it is luck of the draw whether you get a good one or not, just like any other product.
Well done video. Glad you left the weather alert in. Your expression was funny. I have a Jet bench top table saw that I have modified the fence and enclosed for very decent dust collection.
Just wanted to say that I was impress with your review and use of the saw so I decided on this model as well. Wish I could’ve used your link but Lowe’s had it here and I get it cheaper for being military. But I am definitely interested in building workbench and I can’t wait! It will fit my needs perfectly and I’ll be using your links to get the necessary parts! Thanks again! Keep up the great work!
Thank you for publishing this review. I have an old Craftsman contractor saw and am evaluating potential upgrades. My shop is small and I do not use a table saw frequently enough to justify a large cabinet saw, even if I had the space. Honestly, I was leaning toward the Dewalt 7491 as, in my humble opinion, it has the best fence and is the most solid option of the contractor saws (Sawstop contractor saw not included due to price). Based on your review and of the comments you have received from other owners I will really consider the Delta Table Saw.
Thanks again,
Ken
Hey there, I like your video and I bought this saw in Feb 2020. After about a month I am thrilled using it! Originally I bought a Rigid R45171 but promptly returned it, too light& too small.
The steel wings are fine, I don’t need cast iron wings. The fence is great, the miter gauge is awesome, did you notice the three set screws in the miter bar? They can be adjusted to snug it up in the slot. No plastic on this saw. The belt drive, high(er) torque induction motor runs at 3450 with blade speed about 4000 so this saw isn’t as loud as the direct drive saws with plenty of power to use a full kerf blade. It’s hefty, spinning the blade hight adjustment wheel doesn’t shake the whole saw! A large work piece won’t tip this saw. About the only slight negative is there will be a small dust pile under the saw and without a zero clearance throat plate some dust will come out around the blade. I like it a lot very happy with this saw. I’m glad I didn’t get a job site saw as this fits my needs much better and for $600 it’s a good value. Your right about getting that 50 tooth blade, its like putting really good tires on great car just makes it better.
I just bought that saw a month ago. And oddly enough I have the same likes & dislikes as you. My biggest complaint is with the dust collection, or lack there of. Modifying that is top priority on the saw bucket list. Nice job on the video and I think you gave everyone a good honest review. Keep it up!
I've had this saw since 2014. My previous saw was a $99 Delta table saw that I pushed over trying to rip a 4'x8' of 7/16 OSB, the kickback almost took out my kidney. It's a decent saw for the money. My table had /has a little hump to the left of the blade opening, it's always bugged me but at my level of work wasn't a deal breaker. The power isn't great, I stall the blade ripping some 2x4's but the blade could use a cleaning. There are Allen screws on the saw for aligning the riving knife, it's a back and forth game but works. There's also a PDF you can get from Delta with blade to slot adjustment/alignment instructions that weren't in the manual in 2014. This saw served me well for six years using mostly dimensional pine and plywood but I've had a lot of 100 year old oak planks and beams given to me so my father in law gets this saw and I'm upgrading to the Grizzly G1023RWLX 5hp, can't wait.
I’ve had the same saw for a year now. I agree with your review. I recently converted it to 220v and it runs more efficiently and draws less amperage. Very quick and easy conversion.
Great review buddy, I’ve had mine about the same amount of time. Recently I found a nice benefit to be large rip fence replacing existing doors in my house. Being able to adjust door width up to 30” is perfect. My next project is trying to improve the poor dust collection by enclosing the bottom of the saw and moving the dust port to bottom center. Thanks for the videos and great channel
I have had this saw for over a year now and I like it...I agree with you on every point but considering I got it for 300 and some change I can't complain...like the videos,keep em coming!
Good job on the video, dude. Great presentation. I've had the same saw for 5 years and the same riving knife issue initially. There are small allen screws that are used to bring it into perfect alignment with the blade. Takes 5 minutes. Consult the manual for specific instructions.
Hope that helps.
I bought mine used, no manual included. Any chance you can tell me what you did to fix it?
@@rycardin
I will try to go thru the procedure again on my saw and make detailed notes. Be patient.
Mine lines up perfectly, but it sure doesn't install and de-install very smoothly. It always takes some jiggling, which is probably how most of them get bent.
Just wanted to say that while I am fortunate to already have a SawStop PCS, I watched your review anyway because I appreciate your quality content and thought process on tool reviews. I was not disappointed, keep up the great work. :)
I bought this saw five years ago. Absolutely love it. Like you said it’s not perfect but for the price it’s fantastic. Night and day from the contractor saws.
Great review. After researching for a while I decided this saw was the exact one I want. Bought a lightly used one today from a friend who is upgrading to a cabinet saw. Can't wait to try it out!
I purchased this same saw a couple of years ago. When my Harbor Freight saw of 32yrs died. I like this table saw a lot. It's much easier to move than my old saw. It comes with wheels that are attached to one side, that makes it easier to move around. Plus there is a reset button on the motor, you have to turn the saw over on the side to access it. But if the saw overloads the motor will automatically shut down. Hit the reset button and your back in business. Plus this saw is a great value for the price. Happy wood working. GF1 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😁😎
I'm with you there on the unboxing videos. Sometimes I learn a lot from watching the assembly, depending on how complicated the item is, but I don't need to watch someone I don't know opening a package. And yeah, wait until you have some experience with an item before you review it.
One of my pet peeves is when a seller sends you an email soliciting a review a few days after you received an item. I'm busy, and most of the time I haven't even opened the item yet. Send that email a month or two out. Even then I am not going to rate durability. Yes, I'm looking at you Harbor Freight.
I've had this saw for about 4 years now and I'm real pleased with it. I did have to adjust the knife also but haven't had to touch it since. Also I took a piece of drop from a kitchen counter job and put it in to fill right hand side. Screwed it to the tin wing and used conduit straps to mount to brace. Didn't care for color but it was free. Lol
I've had mine going on 5 years, love it and no problems.
I’ve got the same saw and agree with pretty much everything you have said. I’ll add that I have found even better results adding a zero clearance plate as well. Great review!
What is this zero clearance plate you speak of?
Jason Price search UA-cam for zero clearance insert. It replaces the stock "blade cover" insert plate with one without such a wide gap for small cut offs to fall into. It also improves cut quality.
Jason Price you can make it yourself or Delta actually sells one. You basically cut through the plate providing “zero clearance”
I've had the same saw for the last 4 years. I agree with everything you said, especially about the fence which is very very good. I would add though I dislike the throat plate. It is very thin and can warp slightly making adjustments difficult to keep it flat to the surface. Being so thin it makes creating zero clearance plates difficult as well. Also, the dust collection shroud makes it hard to clear debris obstructions from inside and there isn't much space to replace blades. All this being said I agree this is the best saw you can get for around $500.
Great to hear you've had the same experience. I do agree with the throat plate - its hung up a couple of pieces of plywood as I'm running them through it.
Have the saw... I echo everything you've both said.
I have had this saw for the last 3 years and totally agree with both of you! Also, my riving knife has the same issue with being out of alignment. Worst part of all (for me at least) is the dust collection though.
I’m totally gonna keep this in mind. I know I will need one of this some time soon! Thanks for the review!
Solid, well balanced review that pretty much reflects my experience with it. I used the hell out mine for almost three years before selling it to a friend after upgrading. The only failure I had was the fence lock handle snapped off...it doesn’t like to be cranked down too much. One recommendation I have is to periodically check the screws on the dust shroud. I adapted the dust port for a 4” hose and the extra weight combined with loose screws caused the shroud to contact the blade once. Sparks. Excitement.
I bought one about a year ago. I love the thing. The fence was the number 1 reason for buying it over others in the price range
I have the same saw, same things as you said. I had to tune the riving knife but now it’s great. Dust collection and zero clearance plate are my only needed upgrades.
I own this saw as well; always enjoy videos about it. Thank you for your insight. I, too, had issues with my riving knife, but after loosening the two bolts that handle it, got it aligned rather easily, so I hope that goes well for you, too.
I ended up going with a dedicated rip blade and a dedicated 80T blade. I just couldn't get the quality of cuts with a hybrid blade that I was looking for. I, too, was using an Irwin Marples before.
There's a guy who sells zero-clearance inserts for these online, his shop is Got Wood?. They are good quality; I've purchased both a standard and dado insert from him.
Great review ! I turned my base around when I put it together to make it easier to activate the mobile base , I've also added the Rockler sawdust collection bag to catch the sawdust that doesn't get sucked up , I also went the nice blue blade and not the red , I added the shop Fox classic fence and 7 ft rails for 54" ripping and for safety I have Kreg push stick , micro jig and several other push sticks and push blocks
Awesome! I’ll look into the dust collection bag as an upgrade 👍🏼
Thanks for a good honest review. I picked one up today. You have inspired me to get back to woodworking and I find your videos very well done. I never would have attempted any of those cabinet builds until now ! thanks. Sure would love to see a video on the two table saw sleds you have. Cheers and thanks from Ontario, Canada 🇨🇦. Keep up the great job !
I bought this saw about s month ago and I am very impressed with it. My number one reason for this one over others in the price range was the fence. I’m glad I went with it because the fence is awesome!
Dude, exactly what I’ve been looking for for this saw. Thanks for the video and keep it up!
I just bought a newer version of this saw after reviewing many videos and online articles. I can’t wait to use it! Your review is great and really well done. Definitely subscribed.
I was just taking a serious look at this saw yesterday. Thank you for the review.
You will not regret it. I have had mine for about 5 years, awesome. I am not a pro by any means.
The riving knife can be adjusted. In the instructions it’ll show that you have two grub screws that align it.
I have the same saw and it’s a solid addition to my shop. Great video, thanks for your insight and honestly.
Great, I will check out the manual! Appreciate the tip
@@ShopNation I have the same saw and live in the Houston area if you need help let me know email me at redchrisman@gmail.com
I have this same saw also. I didn’t want to pick up a Daddo stack until I found the blade guard plate. Where did you all find that at?
Linked in the description
I have the same saw with the same riving knife issue. I spent several hours with the instructions adjusting the screws and just can’t get it straight and square. It’s close but I often have to push it over with the use of a scrap mid cut. It’s a bit hairy. Any tips on fixing this?
I'm going to buy this saw soon. Your review helped me to decide.
i was between this saw and ridgids 4512... this video along with 731 woodworks helped me decide on picking this saw up in the near future.... i think you should do a video of a router insert in the wing next 😉
@Paul Cox Got it home last weekend, building a bench for it right now actually
After one year I would agree with your points. One thing I did was reversed the fence locking lever because I didn't like having to hold it to slide but I know I am in the minority on this one. I added a wood extension where a router would go but no intention to put a router in, just for the flat surface. I also messed with adding a wood bottom which hs tricky corners but will try again when I get more time to mess with it.
Hey man, great review. Dust collection kinda sucks, and I agree with the issue on the riving knife. Someone else mentioned that the knife is adjustable, which is true, but it's a real PITA to adjust and I've never really gotten it right. In order to improve my 36-725, here's a few things I did...First I reversed the base so the kick down wheel is on the left side. It's easier to reach that way. Second, I took the left side table wing off and mounted a cast iron router table wing in its place. It required some drilling of the rails and the edge of the cast iron top to match up to the router table wing that I bought, but it works great. Then i took the extra stamped metal wing and moved it to the right side to fill the gap. It requires taking out the cross brace and again doing some drilling, but no more gap for things to fall into. As an added bonus, when the saw isn't in use, I have lots more work space now!
Nice! I’m most likely going to do the router table addition
I recently bought this saw and agree 100%. Overall it’s a great Saw and I couldn’t be happier. Keep up the great videos!
I had bought the Lowe's Kobalt table saw for $180 on sale. That's all is made by Delta.
It is a very well-thought-out saw with accessory holders everywhere.
I ended up returning it, because there was a dip in the table.
when I looked at the other tables, all the Kobalt table saws had the same dip in it.
while I really wanted the Delta saw in this video, my Lowe's did not stock it. I ended up buying the DeWalt 7491RS.
The DeWalt is a pretty good saw, but I really wish I could have gotten the delta in this video, it just would have been a tight fit since it took up quite a bit of room.
I just bought one and assembly took about an hour and 45 mins without help.
I am excited to get to using it and putting it through its paces. You have built some really nice items in your shop. I subscribed! thanks!
Thanks for a detailed video. I am considering this saw and the rigid R4512. After seeing the reviews on the rigid (which are pretty good) the thing I repeatedly see people complaining about is rigids customer service. I also see that with Delta but to a lesser frequency. Gotta pull the trigger on one of them right lol. I don't do wood working like you and others but when I do I want the equipment to perform the way it's advertised. Thanks again
I liked the Delta fence so much, I bought it separately (36-T30 T4) just to add to my vintage 1969 Craftsman 113. It is a great fence, providing me 36" right and 20" left rip capacity (my saw has 4 table extensions, including a router extension). Love it.
Excellent. A coworker and I were just talking about this saw today. I'm hoping to get one soon
Have the same saw and I love it. Also built a router into it. Well worth the price imo.
Great job on video, your pro's and cons are true. But I did fix the issue for saw dust on bottom of saw that dust collection missed. I made a canvas catch bag for cabinet that is velcro in place on inside.
Dewalt makes a portable saw that gas a 32.5” right cut and a nice folding saw. I have the saw and like it; it has taken the place of my contractor saw as it has everything including a nice rack and pinion fence and is much more portable moveable. The table is aluminum and while they aren’t always perfect mine was true within 0.05” across the table. The angle gauge dies suck on most, non-cabinet saws, and is no different on the Dewalt. I run a Diablo 80 tooth on mine and the cuts are as good as my planer. The price was $560 when I bought it but I believe it is down now. It was also perfectly aligned out of the box which I was great full for and has held alignment through a lot of jobs and a lot of moving around and loading and unloading from a vehicle and trailer. I sold my Delta, very similar to this saw, and have never looked back.
thanks for the review! the only thing id note is that you said you refer to the small, portable tablesaws you throw in a truck as "contractor saws", but contractor saws general just the kind like the delta you have now. the little ones are usually called jobsite saws
Great review and as a fellow owner of this saw I agree with all your points, my riving knife is also a bit off... Dust collection is the worst on this saw and I am about to modify mine by adding a rockler dust shield to the bottom opening, filing the rest of that area with plywood and then sealing the holes on the back with foil tape. I've seen some others do this and seems to be a good quick fix.
Wixy Angle guage 1) awesome 2) play with it a bit...
The accuracy is +/- 0.2 degrees.
Fine for lots of things, not for others...like resawing a 6" board.
The digital read out doesn't let you creep up on the angle, and with +/-0.2 means you really have a bit more than 1/2 degree as you dial in...or more under certain circumstances.
So once you land on your set angle, put the guage back on the table and reserve then check the blade again..I do this a couple of times to be sure, usually I have to adjust the blade.
For 45 miters and 90 cuts, use a known reference like a machinist square or good combination square .... and test cut...adjust.
But I do love my Wixy
Thanks for this. I have been researching my options and had finally settled on this saw. Getting ready to purchase it now.
I watched your review to see if there were any deal breakers, and there aren't any. The biggest dislike for me is the fact that the ability to make zero clearance inserts is not an easy task. I wish Delta had designed a thicker, more sturdy insert.
Agreed!
Great review; told me almost everything I wanted to know (plus more).
The current Delta comes with an anti-kickback device. Even the salesman agreed that when the device is installed, the saw cannot cut even a 2" x 4"! It may be the case that the device was not available when you made the video.
Thanks, again. SJT
Man thanks for listing everything on Amazon. Really enjoy your channel keep it up!
I have this model saw too. I built a plywood dust collection box with a 4" dust port under mine to help with dust collection. And it can be rewired for 240v if you desire. I actually plan on doing this within the year to get a little more from mine.
Excellent review. This is the way reviews should be. You are setting a high standard. Keep it up.
I have had this saw for over five years. It's been a workhorse. Good dust collection is a problem. I enclosed it as best I could with aluminum duct tape and cardboard and magnetic sheet (easily removed when angle cutting). Over those years the blade went out of alignment with the groves. Delta built in no way to adjust this. I had to bump the aluminum casting over with a hammer (which did work). The arbor is barely long enough for a stack dado for 3/4 inch. I thought the sheet metal wings would be a problem but it really hasn't been. I've built cabinets for kitchen and baths.
Same saw for me. I love this saw for the price I paid. Thanks for the video.
I just bought mine and I am good with it, the extension tables tend to get out of alignment, but no big deal, however I had to prep and clear coat the cutting area because I have to keep it outside. I do cover it and it has not rusted. I am in very humid Florida....
Dude! Thank you for this real review based on a tool used for 2 years vs a brand new, barely used tool! My table-saw died today and I’d been expecting to replace it with the Ridgid R4512. Then I saw this Delta model and got curious. Its primary issue, the need to tweak the fence rails, seems so much easier to manage than the Ridgid’s primary issue, the effed up trunion alignment. Why can’t anything just be built with reliable quality? 🤣
I hear ya, the Delta really is a good saw but unless you want to drop $4k into a saw, you’re always going to have little issues.
GREAT REVIEW! I had the same issue with riving knife, but it was easily adjusted and now perfectly straight. I would like to see a video of the router table being added. Looking forward to that. I'm planning on putting mine on a 4X8 workbench in the near future to save space and make it more easily portable. Really don't like the janky caster setup.
Thanks for the review. I'm stuck between this one and the ridgid contractor saw. They are both quite similar.
great review, have had the same tablesaw for several years, and for the most part it has been great, although as you mentioned the dust collection is terrible BUT I have finally found the ALMOST perfect solution for it
Great review and video. All your videos are precise and to the point. For the guys shopping for saws. I have this saw and delta disappointed me. The lead screw to raise and lower the blade stripped out. Took them over 6 mos to get the parts. It was under warranty but they require the entire saw to be taken to the authorized repair center. I had to purchase the parts from the authorized repair center. Mind you the saw was less than a year old. The new parts are so loose they are almost stripped. Had to have a machinist buddy make me a new screw. Repair center even advised against buying another delta. This was a hard pill to swallow as I learned on 1950s model delta that I am a 3rd generation family user of. No more delta for me.
You nailed on the dust collection. I had to fix mine. Hahah it for 5 yrs, awesome saw. I built drawers on right side
Thanks man. I bought one about six months ago and was on the fence about whether to keep it. I've had similar issues with Rust on the top and getting the riving knife aligned. I think I will keep it though. It seems like it has been a good saw for you which is encouraging.
Hi there, I have the same saw with the 52" rip fence and cast iron wings.
I agree with you completely on all the positives and negatives. Here are some solutions I have come up with.
Dust collection- I have a $40 black Friday ridgid shop vac under my outfeed table hooked to a mini dust deputy on a 5 gal bucket hard 2" pvc piped to overarm dust collection with a custom bent acrylic fitting to suck up dust on top of the table. I also have my dust collector hard piped with 4" pvc into a Y fitting. One goes to the dust port on the back, and I actually cut a piece of melamine to fit the bottom lip under the saw and cut a large rectangle out and used a "Large dust chute" upside down to grab all that annoying dust that falls on the floor normally.
The fence- is good for most things but I think it still sucks. I really wish I waited and bought the Entry level cabinet grade Sawstop. I actually snapped the handle locking the fence down once.
Riving knife- I used to use the Diablo blades, but I upgraded to a Forrest woodworking blade which is the slightest C-Hair thicker, that in addition to giving the most gentle bend on the Riving knife it self to align it, really helped a lot
Sorry for the long comment but I've spent many hours using and improving this saw, and figured I could save you a lot of time and frustration if you really want to. Also get rid of as much Flex line as possible. It decreases airflow greatly.
Great feedback, thank you for sharing
You can line up your riving knife with your blade by using the shims that come with a dado stack. I had to use a .3mm shim and now they align perfectly.
I also have this saw. Agree with all the points you made. But I have to add a couple negatives. I didn't realize it right away, but discovered my cast iron top is not flat! Looks flat, but lay a known straight edge across the table from front to back just to the left of the blade. My table has a high spot in the middle. About an 1/8 of an inch!! Turns out, I'm not alone. The right side is flat, and as a result certain cuts that require precision are troublesome. Also explains why the insert is never perfectly flush to the table all the way around. No matter how many times I try. Delta has not been helpful honoring their warranty about this. So I'm stuck with it. Also, the motor wasn't true to the table miter slots out of the box. Unfortunately, there isn't a designated adjustment mechanism built into this table to handle that. There is a method posted on line, whereby you can loosen critical bolts on the under carriage and start twisting and or rapping on the motor housing to try and adjust it into parallel. when you are trying to rotate the motor by such a small yet precise amount, this method is little more than hit or miss adjustments.
This sounds pretty major I know, but the fence and general performance is fairly good. I did put a router table in the right side (major improvement since it also provides a flat surface over the full width of the fence ripping capacity). And I also created a decent over-arm dust collection accessory out of the stock blade guard. I posted a video of each of these mods if you are interested. The router table in particular was easier than I expected. Cheers, and great channel.
Mine was a real pain to get together lol. I fought with it A LOT to maintain good accuracy. Then calibrating the blade parallel with the miter gauge tracks and the fence was another headache. I have some blade wobble, even with my Freud diablo and Forrest blades, but I can’t tell if its only on start up and slowdown. Either way, 2 years later, I love it. Great saw! Decent power for a 110V saw, and the fence is incredible!
I've had this saw for several years now. It's a great saw for the price, and I don't regret buying it. My only major complaint would be that the arbor is not long enough to get a 3/4"+ dado stack on it.
Nice review. I have an old Grizzly Z series contractor saw in same category as yours, I've convludedxmine is a copy of the old Delta Unisaw in the same category.
Food for thought - with the cast iron wings, mine tips the scales at around 350lbs. Very stable yes...a pain to move.
Tuned up, I can resaw a 6" wide board and take off a vineer which is 0.01" thick...less than my 3/32 saw curf.
The Freud Diablo blades are nice. I think they have larger carbide than the Irwin, but have not put them side by side. The Avanti blades are....not good..but what do you want for a $14.00 24 tooth rip blade...good enough for pallets...and the occasional nail you miss.
Your fence is MUCH better than mine.
Jay Bates has a nice simple router lift which fills that table top gap. Having just built his, ( search for Lever Router Lift Version 2 (XL) - 286 in UA-cam) I have to say it is both simple and looks like will work very well. if I recall, he gets the extension wing and the lift out of 1 sheet of 3/4" ply and 1 or 2 8 foot 2x4...I made mine from shop scrap and reclaimed pallet wood, so I can't confirm the materials list 100%
I also have the same saw. I had the same issue with the riving knife and found that I had a ton of saw dust built up in the bottom of the bracket that holds the knife. I blew the whole bottom out with my compressor and it seems to be working spot on now. Just another thought for you. Awesome channel by the way, keep up the great work.
Thanks.. I'm very much in the market to upgrade from my ancient crapsman (aluminum slotted top).. I make my living with my saw so it has to work well. I don't have dust collection at this point, but that's still temporary. The mess is pervasive to say the least. I'm strongly considering the 52" model and it does have cast iron wings as an option..
I am enjoying this saw for a couple of years! It's a major improvement over the direct drive Craftsman that I had. I looked at the Ridgid, but have read too many reviews saying that the blade angle changes while raising & lowering it. Plus the blue looks better than orange! One thing to do when assembling, is put the flip down caster inn the other side (left). This makes it much easier to use!
It took me a number of tries to get the riving knife right but since I did it hasn't needed adjustment for several years. Just a bit of saw dust can fall into the slot for the knife and throw it off. The sheet metal around the blade (aka dust collection) is crap. Mine argued with several small cutoffs that fell in and I had to tear parts of it out because it was so badly bent as to interfered with the blade. Finally, the throat plate is too thin and if you put and pressure on it, it will depress and throw off the accuracy of some cuts, especially miters. I've had my saw for abt. 5 years and would buy it again if needed. It gives you a lot for the money.
Will have it delivered Tuesday December 7th. I had a Ryobi 8 1/4" saw and for smaller projects it cut great but it was too small for my needs and had to rely on track guides and circular saws.
I'm interested in what you used on the cast iron top to reduce friction and protect the saw from rust? I live in coastal Virginia and it's killing me with rust on every tool I own that stays in my unheated garage. I even keep a cheap palm sander ready at all times to jump on it when I see it, then wipe it down and apply a coating of Glidecoat aerosol. Lasts a week or so then it seems to wear off. So... wondering if there is something better out there. Glidecoat runs $25 per can and that's pretty expensive when you use it frequently like I do. Thanks and keep up the great videos. Educational and entertaining!
I have the same saw and mostly agree. Dust collection however is awesome for me. No dust underneath ever, but it does throw it towards me/on top of the cast iron top.
The throat plate is not ideal. There are adjustment screws to align it with the cast iron top, however there isn't one at the back left. This causes that part of the throat plate to dip down, under the weight of the board, just enough so that the board catches the lip and prevents you from pushing it through. Huge occurrence for kick back...
Another issue is the power of the saw. 13amp motor is only as strong as, well a 13 amp motor. The saw struggles at times with thick hardwood or pine 2x4s with the equilibrium out of whack. When ripping 2x4s down the center if the two pieces decide two bend inward towards the blade, it effectively acts as brake calipers and brings the blade to a complete stop.
Yeah I should have expanded on the throat plate, it’s not the worst in the world but I’ve had it pop up before as well.
They call this a hybrid saw. Across between contractor and a cabinet saw. I have the same saw. I love it and would buy it again. I recommend it to everyone. Everything he said is true. Don't waste your money buying zero clearance inserts for it. They are only zero clearance about 4 inches.
I was able to improve dust collection by taping all of the gaps, removing the dust shroud around the blade, covering the back of where the dust port is with a magnetic sheet, covering the miter adjustment hole with another magnetic sheet that has a hole to cover the adjustment know (as you changer your miter, the sheet can slide with the knob), placing weather foam people use for AC units between the stand and the iron top, and then finally placing a dust cover underneath the table saw that has a 2 1/2" dust port. I had to reinforce the dust cover with sheet metal screws because the sticky backing wasn't strong enough. I also had to place a small frame within the dust cover because the shop vac would make it collapse within itself.
Afterwards, I made an easy over the head dust collection using a photography wall mount light stand/arm and a bosch router dust collection hood with a piece of plexiglass. The wall mount arm allows me to move the arm up/down/side-side.
It's not perfect but it works alright. Plus now that the metal dust shroud is gone, I can change my blades much easier! Great Video.
Here are the links for what I used:
Dust Cover/vacuum attachment: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HHN56HY/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Router Dust Hood: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00AEBSBG0/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Wall mount arm: www.amazon.com/Neewer-Photography-Monolights-Reflectors-Centimeters/dp/B06XWSFX6D
Y-connector for shop vac: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B06X957QMT/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Hose clamps for 2 1/2 shop vac: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M3JAR0O/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Magnetic sheets: smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B003XNAHMC/ref=oh_aui_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Nice! Thanks
@@ShopNation UPDATE: I added the Shark Guard riving knife dust collection and it works GREAT! I've been using it for about 8 months. Almost no dust gets past this combination. Or, I would try purchasing Sawstop's riving knife dust collector.
I just purchased their guard and riving knife mount:
www.thesharkguard.com/product/the-original-sharkguard-the-guard-that-started-it-all/
www.thesharkguard.com/product/pm66-splitter-mount/
Got the latest T2 model of this saw a few months ago. Delta made better the dust collection; not great but better. That's the only minus really. Fence, miter, blade parallel, all dead on right out of the box. I checked out your review before I bought, so thanks!
Very good review. I also have the same saw and agree with all your points. You mentioned the 120/240 volt difference and I believe that when I was setting up my saw I had the option to convert the motor to 240.
Excellent review! Straight to the point, covered the issues, good and bad. Keep up the good work.
Thanks for the info, it’s time for an upgrade from my jobsite saw, and this one is at the top of my list!
Bro. That workshop is neat and tidy! Thanks for sharing. This saw is on the way to me. Looking forward to it
i just picked up this table saw. not even a month old. cuts good. needs a better blade. my one complaint. i went to remove the knife and as i lifted the handle up, it broke off in my hand, very little movement , hardly any resistance, basically loose, but i ended up with a broken part in less then a month. contacted delta customer service and typed in my complaint. i have not got a response yet. ill call there toll free number next . the store i purchased it at said to bring the table saw back and they would replace it. would be much easier to just replace the broken part. The Story Goes on. Lowes treated me great, they came out and picked up the other saw and dropped on a new one in the box. oh boy, i get to put another one together. got started, after a while it was time to check blade alignment. "Not Even Close". very close to a 16th out on back side of blade plus, i rotated the blade from 0 to about 22 1/2 degree's. then brought it back to 0. blade was still tilted on the plus side . not passed 0 it never got there. so me and a buddy spent a day with his dial indicator and got everything adjusted. Then i put the handle on the guide and set it on the saw to check for alignment. i tried to lock it into position. sounded like someone cracking walnuts. i removed the guide and turned it upside down to check a few things, the bolt went thru the cam and under side of cam was ruff like 45 grit sandpaper. nothing like the first saw, so i took the entire guide back to the store, they placed it on another saw they had for display and tried to lock it down, everyone , manager, assistant manager, tool area sales rep could hear the sound it made, so, they gave me another guide , went home and it worked like it was supposed to. So in short, ive gone thru 2 different saws, 3 table saw guides and hours of adjustment for a product that should of had some kind of quality control. sure others say, it was great out of the box, well, i was not as lucky as most of you. thought this report might help you prepare just in case you get a box like mine.
Excellent review! Well articulated, to the point and thorough! Thanks!
I just got into woodworking about 6 months ago and I picked up a jobsite saw. I've for sure already grown out of it though. I could really use a saw about that but the money situation is holding me back. Maybe some day soon though. Also the "riving" knife is bent to.
Wish i would have watched this a year ago, i could have told you how to align your riving knife, it is adjustable and very easy. Had the same issue and just dealt with it until i took a closer look and realized that it can be adjusted. I don't have mine anymore as my shop burned down two weeks ago.
Man your review was quick and to the point. Great job!!
I have the same saw.the riving knife has adjustments to align it with the blade. Great review.
Thanks for the video. Its great that you show how you can have a good working shop in a small space. Than
I just got mine and built the last two projects on it after building many things on a small contractor saw. I agree with you and love it. I do hate the dust collection and plan on modifying it to collect at the bottom. Also I had the same problem with the roving knife on my last saw (I think I bent it). I’d consider buying another one if you can’t adjust it straight because mine on this saw (36-725) is perfect.