used Unisaw purchase help

[tom blankenship]

Greetings,

I have found a used Unisaw, model 34-802 for sale. The saw seems to be in very good original condition.

3 hp, single phase motor (Delta). Delta fence, but is not a Unifence (does not look like a good fence). Delta miter gauge. Two cast iron wings, only a small amount of light rust where base touches floor. It has a plastic Delta motor cover.

The motor runs well and passes the nickel test, both on start-up and shut-down.

Can take it away for $500. Is this a good deal?

Thank you for any comments.

tom

[Cary Falk]

It's probably already gone. If the fence is the one with tube rails you probably want a different fence. You will be able to get into a cabinet saw for less then $1000. On the other hand the G1023RL is $1125 with a riving knife and better dust collection.

[David Christopher]

Tom, check the top for flatness...and turn the blade by hand to see if the bearing feels OK...if so I would think it would be a good deal

[Bob Aquino]

If the condition of the saw is good, that price is fair. Even if it's the older jet lock style fence, thats a very servicable design that was state of the art for many years. You could run it like that until you find an upgrade if you feel the need. An older Unisaw vs. a griz? I'll go with the delta any day.

[Paul McGaha]

Tom,

It is sounding to me like a pretty good deal yes. Just my $.02 but if it were me the saw would have to be very clean (can clean up to mint condition), would prefer one owner, and from a hobbiest type of shop. I would think I would probably put a Biesmeyer (or equal) Fence on it and factor that into the total cost of the saw.

I saw a similar saw on CL in my area today. It had a Unifence on it. Seller was asking $1,300. I'd say this saw was about 10 years old.

I'm thinking the saw your looking at is from the mid 1980's.

Good luck with your decision.

PHM

I see tools plus selling 50" Biesmeyer fences complete for $419.

[Stephen Cherry]

I would hold out until you find a saw with a fence that you like. Unisaws were made in large numbers, why not get a cream puff?

[ken gibbs]

It's probably already gone. If the fence is the one with tube rails you probably want a different fence. You will be able to get into a cabinet saw for less then $1000. On the other hand the G1023RL is $1125 with a riving knife and better dust collection.
Give that used Unisaw the "vibration" test. Stand a nickel up on edge on the table when you power her up. The coin should stand up perfectly straight under power which is an indication that the main bearings are not worn or wobley. If you suspect bad bearings, don't buy it. If it just hums along quietly without makeing any sort of whinning or singing noise, it should be OK.

[Pete Bradley]

Assuming nothing major broken, I'd call that a fair price, maybe a high if it's been wet or needs restoration.

The "nickel test" isn't a good indicator of condition. A mint saw with a bad belt will fail, and a saw that only has bad bearings will likely pass unless the bearings are horribly chewed up and if so they can be detected by other methods. If you want to check the bearings, you can slip the belt off and turn the arbor by hand to feel for roughness (still dubious), or just assume they're shot if the machine is over 20 years old. You can get new bearings for about $100 installed from Saw Center, much less if you can DIY.

Check for broken castings, especially teeth on the raise and tilt mechanisms. Make sure the lock knobs for the handwheels are present and working, or you should get a big price reduction.

[Kyle Iwamoto]

Since it passes the nickle test, I'd go out on a limb, and say it's in great shape, and 500 bucks is a good deal. Yes, you could hold out and try to get an awesome deal. Can you wait? It also may never come.. If you have the funds, and can live with the marginal fence, I'd buy it. Later on, you can upgrade the fence, should you choose to. The old style fence is okay, and many homes were built with that fence.........

[Chip Lindley]

Yep, probably already gone! Even if a Unisaw needs a little TLC, or another style of fence, For $500, you are almost home free! It already has a 3hp, single-phase motor! That's half the battle.