Unisaw dilemma

[Izzy Camire]

Hi Folks,
Just thought I would post this and see how the wind blows.

I have a line on a used mid 90s Unisaw listed for $500. It is advertised as a Unisaw with 10" tilting arbor, 3hp single phase. The current owner is the second owner and he says the saw is in good working order with one big drawback in that it does not have a plug on the power cord. He said his nephew cut it off. I thought of buying a plug and installing it for a test run but the owner says he does not have a 220 outlet.
Other than that he said it has a little rust from being left out in the rain overnight when he had it at a different location.

I am tempted to go over and have a good look at the saw see what it is all about. I figure the bearings on the arbor could be evaluated with a dial indicator.

Anyway what do you guys think? Is this something you would persue.

Thanks,
Izzy

[Mark Versprille]

How far do you have to drive? Does the motor smell like the magic smoke got out? Do all the other controls work?

[David DeCristoforo]

Don't buy it if you can't see (and hear) it run. For five hundred it would be a "good buy" even if you have to drive a "fur piece" to check it out. Why not ask the guy if he has a dryer plug or a neighbor with one that you could plug the saw into. It would only take a few minutes to put a plug on it and even if you have to load it in your truck and take it down the street to plug it in, it would already be in your truck if it turns out to be OK. Even if you had to get some extra wire, if the saw is in good working condition, it would be worth it.

[Fred Hargis]

I believe you can test that motor to see if it's good with a VOM, but darned if I know how. Maybe someone here can confirm (or dispute) that, as well as offer advice on how to do it if possible. But why would someone own a saw that he can't plug in?

[Richard McComas]

Take your own plug and a generator with you.;):D

[Izzy Camire]

It is about 15 mile drive so that is not an issue.

Richard I had thought of taking a generator with me. Mine is a PTO driven unit so that doesn't work.

[Jamie Buxton]

My bull**** detector is clanging. Why would anybody cut the plug off a saw, and why is there conveniently no 230 volt power available? And leaving a cabinet saw outside? Maybe a contractors saw, but a cabinet saw? They aren't exactly portable. I wouldn't think of buying the saw without running it.

[Robert Reece]

Only 15 miles away? I'd tell him that you will give him the full $500 if you can bring it home and it tests out to your satisfaction. The only caveat I would put on it is the condition of the top that got left out in the rain. You'll have to decide on that yourself when you see it.

If you offered me that deal, I'd follow you home for the 15 miles, let you spend 30 minutes testing it out, then get my $500 (assuming I knew the machine to be good).

He's kind of in a bad spot selling a tablesaw with no plug.

The guy that did my hardwood floor used jumper cables with a plug on the end to get power to his sander. You might be able to use that if he has a box near.

[Cary Falk]

At $500 it is worth a look. Something sounds a little fishy. Take a volt meter and ohm out the motor to check for shorts or opens. Check to make sure it is not 3 phase(no capacitor bumps).Spin the motor shaft to make sure it spins. The rusty top might be an issue if it is in too bad of shape. It is a shame how some people mistreat tools.:mad: If there are issues then adjust your offer downward appropiately if you are still interested. Saws can be rebuilt. It is just a matter how much you want to sink into it. I rebuilt a 1970 model.

[Bob Aquino]

If that saw has a fence, either a Bies or a Unifence, it is quite a deal at 500. I'm not sure how you would burn out a motor on one of these saws, so I dont quite smell fish when I read all the posts. Run, don't walk over there and look the saw over good. Get your head inside the cabinet and sniff the motor, you can smell any burnt windings a mile away. It may have electrical issues other than the motor, say the mag starter switch, but that isn't too bad to fix. If it is indeed mid ninety's, then its doubtful the bearings are bad. Might just need a good cleanup. If you wait long, somebody else is going to get it.

[Michael Flores]

i bought a used unisaw for the same price a few months ago. Let me tell you the issues i had with the saw i got. The saw was kept outside of a funiture makers store but it was in a metal shed that had a roof and only two walls, so it got a some moisture on it but no rain. They were using the saw when i bought it and i had to come back a few days later so they can finish thier project. Here are some of the parts that i had to replace. The extension table's top was made out of particle board and it had swelled up past the cast iron table. The saw was missing both locks on the lift and tilting wheels. The belts needed replacing (all 3 of them). The pully on the motor shaft was bent so i could only get two belts on before i replaced it. The cover of the on/off switch box was broken, and delta doesnt sell just the cover, they make you buy the whole switch mechanism for $350. There is a guild block made out of cast iron in the trunion system that keeps the tilting mechanism stable that was broken, everytime i tilted the saw to the right it would wobble. All in All i spent about $200 bringing the saw back up to normal. I would like to replace the biesmeyer fence that it came with but thats another $450. Delta charges alot for their parts.

[Izzy Camire]

Thanks to everyone for their input and suggestions. I think I will take a ride over and look the saw over.