11 Year Old Delta Unisaw

[Pat Walsh]

I have a chance to purchase a 11 year old 3-hp unisaw with Biesemeyer 52" fence and Biesemeyer blade gaurd. Saw is in like-new condition with very little use. Seller is asking $1400 for saw, mobile base and a few extras. Is this a fair price? Also, have any important improvements been made to the newer models that I would be missing out on?

[David Kumm]

It's fair if like new. The mobile base and extras are worth a couple hundred. You can find cheaper but if close that helps. Unisaw guys will know if there is a build difference between the older blue ones and the newer Chinese X versions. There are improvements but not worth $1500 IMO. Dave

[Kent A Bathurst]

Price seems fair to me - not a steal, but definitely a fair deal. I'd say go for it.

My 3HP Uni w/52" biese and mobile base is 11-12 years old. Would not call it "like new, very little use" by any stretch - it has run a beejeeezus amount of wood. But, it is a horse. Great shape, perfectly reliable.

I will tell you this bit, though: Delta's interpretation of "dust collection" in that era was almost laughable - the dust don't want to go where you want it to go. But - it is very simple to take care of:

> foil tape over all the extraneous bolt/mounting holes in the cabinet,
> put a magnetic sheet over the height wheel travel slot,
> expandable foam to seal the gaps between the cabinet and the top
> basically, block off all the air infiltration points you can find, and then -

> cut slots into the cabinet to direct the inbound air flow
> I put a couple 6" x 1/2" horizontal slots in the motor cover - this directs airflow across the motor to keep dust from accumulating on teh motor and trunnion
> I put a slot in the cabinet opposite to the dust pickup, just above the level of the sloped floor, to direct air across the floor into the dust pickup.
> I oversized these slots, then monkeyed around with tape to close them down to what seemed right to me.

Took an hour or two, and a couple bucks for the foam. Works great.

I have never been able to come up with a remotely plausible excuse to get a new TS. Wouldn't sell mine for $1,500, I can tell you that much.

[Cary Falk]

$1400 will get you a new Grizzly G1023xx with better dust collection, warranty, and a riving knife. I traded my Uni in for the Grizly. I liked my Uni. I love my Grizzly. A splitter will do what a riving knife will do but a riving knife is much nicer.

[Carroll Courtney]

I think that its top dollar but sounds like its ready to go which is a plus,really its what its worth to you.I would take alook at the motor and make sure that the motor is not one of those after market motors(foreign made vs american made) is an added value.If its truly all American made then you can use it for several yrs,pass it down,etc and still get your money back if you choose to sell it----Carroll
Added though: there is a Unisaw here in my area on CL's and seller wants 2800.00,so maybe the 1400 is cheap

[Matt Day]

$1400 would be way too high for me for a saw that age. I echo Cary's comment regarding a new Griz or the like.

[David Kumm]

I'll be the contrarian here. That saw sold for 2000-2200 eleven years ago and similar saws, although more refined, with the same overall build quality now sell for about 3K. The age is irrelevant to me as my stuff that is 75 years old still operate like new. I agree that a riving knife is important but I'm OK with after market alternatives. If you were talking a 12-14 it wouldn't be a close call. Dave

[Erik Tofstad]

If it is USA made and not Chinese or Taiwanese then its a bargain. I have a 20 year old PC 690 that I bought used - it was built in TN and is still running like a champ!

[scott spencer]

Fair price, yes, but not a steal... I do see them go for less. I'd inclined to offer a bit less just to test the waters....you can always pay the $1400 if so moved.

[Greg Portland]

I have the same saw. The price could be fair depending on the extras. The Bies blade guard is > $100 as well as the mobile base. If the "extras" are a few nice shop jigs, zero clearance inserts, or saw blades I think it's a decent deal. IMO, a great price on that saw with zero extras is $1k. Calculate the extras accordingly and make the person an offer...

[Jeff Duncan]

Too expensive for me, but as the others said if it's in great condition and you think it's fair, then it's not crazy expensive either. I'd try to get him to shave a few bucks off....but I'm a self-confessed bottom feeder so...???

The Unisaw remained relatively unchanged for many decades, my 54' Uni was not identical but pretty close to my mid 70's version. The new edition is completely revised but that's only in the last....several years or so? So whether you have a 50's Uni or a 90's Uni, they are going to be pretty similar in ways important to using them. Having the Beis guards and fence is a plus!

good luck,
jeffD

[Chris Rosenberger]

I have a chance to purchase a 11 year old 3-hp unisaw with Biesemeyer 52" fence and Biesemeyer blade gaurd. Saw is in like-new condition with very little use. Seller is asking $1400 for saw, mobile base and a few extras. Is this a fair price? Also, have any important improvements been made to the newer models that I would be missing out on?

That is a very fair price for that package if it is in excellent condition.

The improvements you would be missing out on from a current Unisaw are the riving knife, great dust collection, a larger table & the blade tilt handwheel being on the front of the saw. But that saw costs over $3,000.

[Steve Rozmiarek]

I started a thread about the street value of used tablesaws a couple weeks ago. Could be interesting to you. I got a 1996 model with the unifence, five blades, two actually useful, a pile of jigs, on a THC mobile base, in good shape for $750. Single phase machine too. Yours sounds a bit high by comparison, but if its the saw you want, go for it!

[Bruce Page]

I have the same saw of about the same age. I paid ~$2200 with the mobile base, out the door. I have never had any regrets with it.

[Pat Walsh]

Thanks everyone. Lots of good info for me to mull over.

[Will Rowland]

I bought the exact same saw sans blade guard 3 years ago in "new" condition for $1200 and still feel like it was a good deal. Several guys were lined up behind me to buy it. I added a Biesemeyer splitter (and recently a SharkGuard), which took it from a good saw to a very good saw. I wouldn't own an older unisaw now without the Biese splitter.

[Rich Riddle]

I bought the exact same saw this summer for $1000 and it came with many extras including a folding back extension table and table to the right of the saw, mobile stand, splitters, blades, lots of cherry and cabinet grade plywood, etc. The seller wanted far more than that, so I waited two months for him to lower it. $1400 is top dollar in my opinion. Saying that, that model saw is a work horse.

[Paul McGaha]

I have a chance to purchase a 11 year old 3-hp unisaw with Biesemeyer 52" fence and Biesemeyer blade gaurd. Saw is in like-new condition with very little use. Seller is asking $1400 for saw, mobile base and a few extras. Is this a fair price? Also, have any important improvements been made to the newer models that I would be missing out on?

I wonder if this is supposed to be a Biesmeyer Overarm Blade Guard. If so, That's like $400 for a new one, and used ones are kind of hard to find.

The overarm guard is the only blade guard from Biesmeyer that I know of ??

Would help justify the price.

PHM