Wondering about the Oliver 4045.

[Kyle Brooks]

Just wondering what the general consensus is on a new Oliver 12" table saw model 4045. Is the machining good? Is it accurate? Does it hold up to the Oliver name? Does anyone have one? Thanks for the input and happy woodworking.

[Van Huskey]

First, I don't think any of the old names that have been transformed into Asian importers instead of manufacturers hold up to their legacy.

I have poured over the Oliver line in print and in person and there are some bright stars but not really in the TS lineup. The PM2000, new Uni and Sawstop ICS and to a lesser extent the PCS are THE 10" cabinet saws to buy. The 12" appears to be a very similar saw in person but NOT powered up. But hard to truely compare.

The Oliver machines I think are really standouts are the 12/16" jointers and the OSS. The OSS is marginally better than its peers such as the Jet and is priced marginally more. The 12 and 16 inch jointers are a sight to behold for Asian machines and built REALLY heavy. They are priced somewhat better then the PM and Delta offerings but well above the entry priced Grizzly jointer.

I guess the Oliver 10" TS could be seen as value priced compared to the PM, SS and Delta saws but if I was looking right at that price point I would wait to catch the PM on a good sale and grab it instead. If you need a 12" saw I would try to see the Oliver in person, which may be difficult depending on where you live, it seems to be priced well for a 12".

[Andrew Joiner]

I haven't seen one. The Oliver website kinda glosses over the fact that they bought the brand name and now are an importer of Asian machines.

If I was in the market for that saw I would compare it to the Grizzly 12''saw and go for the company with the best customer service.

[Neil Brooks]

To the extent that you can generalize, from this stuff ....

When FWW tested a number of 10" cabinet saws, they put the PM and the SawStop out front. The Grizzly was their best value pick.

Everything else, including the 10" Oliver, was pretty much third place.

If you're a member (or get a 2wk free trial), you can access the whole report.

Again, though, testing ONE model doesn't guarantee that the results translate into another model.

I just found them interesting.