Delta now builds Craftsman Saws

[Chad Young]

This may be old news but new to me so I will post.

I was at my local Sears today and talking to a friend of mine who workes in the tool department and he showed me the the new model of Crastsman table saws. He told me that Delta now makes the saws and they even have a great Biesemeyer fence. It also used a serpitine(sp ?) belt like most cars used. Not sure if this is good or bad yet But a good move for Craftsman I am sure.

Please give me feed back as I can sell my current Craftsman table saw(I know but I am pore) for the same thing it cost me a year ago. And get this for only about $300 more or should I save my money.


This is the saw I was talking about. I hope the link works. If not just cut and paste.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?BV_UseBVCookie=Yes&vertical=TOOL&fromAuto=YES&bidsite=CRAFT&pid=00922124000

[aurelio alarcon]

I'd go for it! Those new table saws are pretty nice! If you can get what you paid for the first one, why not?

[Chad Young]

To me thay look very nice but Can I get another Saw that is better for 1K my max after I sell my current. Or dose anyone own one I would love a chat.

[John Weber]

It doesn't really look like a Delta product, but truth is stranger then fiction. It would be interesting to check out in person. If it's as it says might be a good saw. Also there is some code in the item them that should tell the manufacturer, however I'm not sure where to find it. I might still lean toward a Unisaw for a few dollars more. Several resellers, such as Woodworker Supply have Uni's starting at $1299 or $1399 and up depending on features. WW Supply also has a 10% first time buyer discount that makes the price very attractive.

John

[Keith Zavodney]

I don't think it matters who makes them. Sears sets the specs. Chevy made the Chevette, but they also make the Corvette ... the specs define the end product. My advice is to forget who makes it, look at the saw itself.

Keith

[aurelio alarcon]

I don't think it matters who makes them. Sears sets the specs. Chevy made the Chevette, but they also make the Corvette ... the specs define the end product. My advice is to forget who makes it, look at the saw itself.

Keith
Excellent conclusion! Ford made the Pinto, but they also made the "Pony" (they also set the specs for both vehicles I would imagine). I have looked at the saw, and I have found it to be an excellent saw. But that is according to what I like. You may come to another conclusion. From what I understand, many products are made by the same factory with different specs and, therefore, different labels or same labels but different grades--industrial, professional and consumer grades. Just some things to go hmmm about.

[Tony Falotico]

I don't think it matters who makes them. Sears sets the specs. ........... the specs define the end product. Keith

I think Keith hits the nail on the head. Unfortunately, Sears sets the specs to keep the price competitive (low). My experiences over the years has been that Craftsman are basically OK tools until it comes to the details where shortcuts are taken to keep the cost down. I use a Craftsman Table Saw, vintage 1979 that I inherited. It was basically a functional machine when new. Since I've changed the 1.5 hp motor to 2 hp, threw away the totally crap (and dangerous) fence and replaced with a Beismeyer, replaced the plastic hand-wheels with cast metal ones, and replaced the cast pulleys with machined pulleys.

The C'man 6" belt / disc sander; the older belt driven model is basically a solid machine until you get to the table. It's to small, has a very cheap set mechanism (with plastic knobs that broke within days) and doesn't hold when under heavy work load. I wouldn't have the newer direct drive model.

So, as stated above, don't worry about who manufactured, inspect the machine .... look closely at the details. I believe that will tell the true story. BTW, if I ever get a new TS, I doubt it will be a Craftsman.

[larry merlau]

like john said unisaws are going for a good price. have also got a old crafstman and maybe older than 79. but the important things are, it got me threw till now and has many others as well. but if you are going to upgrade to a new saw, i wouldnt look in craftsman direction either. here are some of my choices to look at.//bridgewood,general.delta.powermatic is top line and dollars. but the others have good machines and followers they are alot of jet and grizzlys out there to. look close and get the best you can for the dollars. good luck hunting

[Chad Young]

Thanks for all the quick replies. Yall have given me a lot to think about and more than likely I will need to save up a few more dollars.

[Kelly C. Hanna]

There are a couple of saw manufacturers who can match your price point with 3hp cabinet saws that are all 3 belt drives and much bigger trunnions. A much better deal for the money if you ask me. I'd look at Grizzly, Shop Fox, Bridgewood and Delta before I went to Sears.

[Mike Circo]

If we assume the Delta/Sears connection is true...

The Delta origin does not imply "Unisaw" quality. Delta is now starting to manufacture in Red China. The Chinese made stuff is lower quality and lower price than the US and Taiwan made stuff. I'd bet that IF the Craftsman saw has some Delta link, it is coming out of China. (Infer what you may from that)

Just because it carries the Delta lineage, does not mean that it is the rock solid quality we remember from years past.

Caviet Emptor.

[Kent Cori]

I've seen the Craftstman saw and had a chance to play with it on the showroom floor. The Bies fence appears to be their typical industrial version and is quite nice. I also liked their on/off switch configuration with a larger off "paddle" that is easier to find. However, note that the motor is only 1 3/4 hp compared to the 3 hp units used on most other cabinet saws. I did not get a chance to peak under the hood so I have no idea how robust the trunnions and other castings are.

[Chad Young]

Thanks again for the feedback. Now I have another question. After looking around at most of the different mfg. that have been mentioned I notice that some are right and some are left tilt. What is the significance (sp?) of this and is one better than the other.

[Dennis Peacock]

I don't think it matters who makes them. Sears sets the specs. Chevy made the Chevette, but they also make the Corvette ... the specs define the end product. My advice is to forget who makes it, look at the saw itself.

Keith

I agree to a point...but then...after working with/for Sears at my current job (they were/are a client of ours) I haven't purchased anything from Sears since 1999. And I can honestly say that I will not buy from them again. Let's just say I have a very bad taste in my mouth from dealing with them. :)

If it's a good saw, go for it. You'll need to be the judge of that.

BTW Keith, I used to live just slightly south of Fayetteville, TN and have been through your part of the country a few times. Really nice country up your way.!!! :D

[Dennis Peacock]

Thanks again for the feedback. Now I have another question. After looking around at most of the different mfg. that have been mentioned I notice that some are right and some are left tilt. What is the significance (sp?) of this and is one better than the other.


I <b>love</b> my left tilt cabinet saw. I own both, a right tilt and a left tilt and I use the left tilt saw exclusively. Left or Right? That's a personal choice, but you only have my opinion on a left tilt saw. ;)

[Lou Morrissette]

I've seen the saw in the store and in my opinion it is more in line with the Jet and Dewalt hybrids. A cabinet saw it aint. It's dolled up with a Bies fence and fancy extension tables but IMHO, way overpriced. As mentioned before, you could do much better for less money going with Bridgewood, General or Grizzly.

[Bart Leetch]

Sears won't honor their hand tool warranty now days either. I took in a socket wrench that had the button release to release the socket from the wrench. They tried to give me a Shorter smaller sized wrench with no button release & said oh it's the same part number & wouldn't change it to the proper wrench. I told them to keep it that I would go out in town & purchase a good wrench from someone else. Do to this & other items namely 2 Double VCR's that were under warranty less than 1 year old that they didn't know how to repair & couldn't get parts for & a full sized 1997 contractors table-saw with a arbor that is less then 5/8" & the statement that all table-saws are made this way when I asked them how I was to use the dado blades with 5/8" arbor holes that they offered for use on their saws with less than a 5/8" arbor diameter they gave me lots of excuses & ya-da ya-da ya-da general abuse & stupidity from Sears & the fact that they don't stand behind their warranty I won't purchase anything from Sears anymore. This isn't a decision that I just made over night it's taken about 10 years to come to this point. The above has happened in just the last year.

The LOML read awhile ago about 2 big store chains namely Penney's & Sears although they didn't name the stores at this point in the article, where they said one was doing great & that they expect that the other would be going away before to many years, then went on to make several good comments about Penney's.
Draw your own opinion.

If it is labeled Sears or Craftsman the answer is no. I'll replace all my Sears & Craftsman a little at a time as they wear out with quality brand name products. I grew up around my Dad's cabinet shop that was mostly Craftsman tools & used to defend them but no more. Sears will have to make a major turn around before I'll defend them.

[aurelio alarcon]

Sears won't honor their hand tool warranty now days either. I took in a socket wrench that had the button release to release the socket from the wrench. They tried to give me a Shorter smaller sized wrench with no button release & said oh it's the same part number & wouldn't change it to the proper wrench. I told them to keep it that I would go out in town & purchase a good wrench from someone else. Do to this & other items namely 2 Double VCR's that were under warranty less than 1 year old that they didn't know how to repair & couldn't get parts for & a full sized 1997 contractors table-saw with a arbor that is less then 5/8" & the statement that all table-saws are made this way when I asked them how I was to use the dado blades with 5/8" arbor holes that they offered for use on their saws with less than a 5/8" arbor diameter they gave me lots of excuses & ya-da ya-da ya-da general abuse & stupidity from Sears & the fact that they don't stand behind their warranty I won't purchase anything from Sears anymore. This isn't a decision that I just made over night it's taken about 10 years to come to this point. The above has happened in just the last year.

The LOML read awhile ago about 2 big store chains namely Penney's & Sears although they didn't name the stores at this point in the article, where they said one was doing great & that they expect that the other would be going away before to many years, then went on to make several good comments about Penney's.
Draw your own opinion.

If it is labeled Sears or Craftsman the answer is no. I'll replace all my Sears & Craftsman a little at a time as they wear out with quality brand name products. I grew up around my Dad's cabinet shop that was mostly Craftsman tools & used to defend them but no more. Sears will have to make a major turn around before I'll defend them.
That's unfortunate. But I can truly say that I have had nothing but excellent service from Sears. And I do quite a lot of business with them when it comes to tools. I don't buy any of their consumer grade tools because I use my tools, in my opinion, harder than the average hobbiest. I do purchase their Pro grade tools and have had nothing but excellent response from them. As far as replacing any tools that malfunction, here again, I've had nothing but excellent and timely service. I have had little experience with this though because the tools that I purchase from them haven't really given me any problems (with the exception of a Skil saw that shorted out, and they replaced it on the spot). I find it odd when anyone working at Sears isn't responsive to a customer--I mean, its not like the cashiers have a great deal vested in the company. I'm not saying it doesn't happen. I just know that if I was working there, I would do whatever it took to keep the customer satisfied and comming back. And, fortunately for me, that is all that I have experienced. So I will continue to purchase tools from them as well as others. But it does concern me to see others have bad experiences. I wouldn't wish that upon any one much less a fellow woodworker!

[Mark Kenning]

I e-mailed Delta asking if they are making this saw and their reply was they are not. I also asked if they were going to make a US version of the Canada table saw 36-655. This saw is very similar to the Sears table saw. They said that they do not have plans to sell this saw in the US. I am in the market for a table saw that will run on 110 because I cannot run a 220 line. I like the small foot print of this saw. I have read good and bad about the Jet and DeWalt saws. I guess I will go with the Delta or Jet contractor.

[Herb Blair]

I have a Mechanical Engineer Friend who worked for Sears in Chicago many years ago. He was in an engineering group that looked a products from others and engineered them cheaper and also in a lot of cases made a failure mechanizm that would cause it to wear out (after the Warranty expired). He told me of one example which was a 35mm Slide projector made by GAF. The Sears product would fail by melting the fan blades after about 18 months of normal use. The GAF would last forever. I can testify to this as it was an exact product that I had just replaced. I still have the GAF version 35 years later.

BTW. I have a Sears table saw, but it is highly modified.....

[Michael Ballent]

I e-mailed Delta asking if they are making this saw and their reply was they are not. I also asked if they were going to make a US version of the Canada table saw 36-655. This saw is very similar to the Sears table saw. They said that they do not have plans to sell this saw in the US. I am in the market for a table saw that will run on 110 because I cannot run a 220 line. I like the small foot print of this saw. I have read good and bad about the Jet and DeWalt saws. I guess I will go with the Delta or Jet contractor.What bad things have you heard about the Dewalt Hybrid saw... I have heard a lot things being said about the Jet especially it's fence, but nothing ever bad regarding the Dewalt. Well actually some have said that for the price of the DeWalt you can buy the Griz cabinet saw but I will not go there. Just curious.

Oh and I do own the DeWalt Hybrid.