Which saw to keep? Rockwell 12/14 " vs Rockwell 34-450 10" Unisaw

[Joshua Richards]

So, I recently bid on a couple table saws which are coming out of business which is no longer... well, in business I guess you'd say. As luck would have it, they both went way cheaper than I'd been expecting and now I've ended up with two saws where I really just need the one.

First, the 10" Rockwell Unisaw.286422

And the beast : 286423

Granted, the Unisaw is in better condition... but I don't think it will take much effort the get the monster restored and working smoothly. I intend on selling one and keeping one for my personal use. My initial inclination is that 'bigger is better' but I am now wondering if I'd be better off selling the monstrosity and keeping the smaller saw for my own use. I'm a hobbyist / collector (I like old machines), so I probably wouldn't need a massive amount of power any time soon... but having a 12-14" blade just seems like an awesome thing.

[Myk Rian]

All depends on how much room you have to walk around it.
Those 12/14s are huge, and I can't see much need for me to cut 4x4s with a table saw.

[Jeff Duncan]

Big saws allow you more capacity and are certainly useful. I know a lot of guys will just automatically say "bigger is better" which can sometimes be true. However keep in mind there are potential downsides to bigger. For instance, all the little aftermarket gadgetry and whatnot for 10" saws will not work for you. Most of the commonly available miter gauges and other items are almost exclusively sized for 10" saws. Your blades will be more expensive and you'll need more power. Also the blade is located further back from the front which can be awkward for some folks. Plus they're just, well, bigger! If you have a small shop then the footprint of a bigger saw can eat up a whole lot of real estate.

Best thing to do if possible is use the both for a bit and see what your preference is. The 12"/14" is by far going to be a more robust machine in almost every way. It's just a matter of how much machine you need and can make use of;)

good luck,
JeffD

[Dick Mahany]

I think it would depend on what type of work one does most often in addition to space availability. Another consideration is blade cost, especially if you intend to outfit them with an assortment of high end carbide blades as they can get very pricey.

[Greg Hines, MD]

If I had the space, I would keep both, and position them back to back, one with a combination blade and the other with a dado blade, and use one for the outfeed support for the other.

Doc

[Judson Green]

I've worked on both in a commercial setting, both are fine saws.

But, and could have been a unique situation, the 12/14 was always more difficult to raise/lower the blade and tilt.

I keep the uni, unless you really need the capacity.

[Thomas Hotchkin]

Joshua
I use to use a 12/14 a lot in a small shop in the early 70. The one thing that I could not get over was how far I had to reach to push stock clear of 14" the blade. I started using the Unisaw more often, then the 12/14. Tom

[David Kumm]

I used a Rockwell 12 for years and liked it a lot. Way heavier build, better arbor, better power transmission, and the stock fence is surprisingly good. If you rip long lumber or want to be able to use a feeder the 12-14 is the one. Downside is the blade is farther back. Not relevant if you are over 5'10" or so but could be an issue. I preferred the larger blades and consider 12" to be small now. Heavier plate, thicker carbide. Depth of cut is close to 5" which is handy if you don't have a bandsaw. Lack of room is the only real reason to go smaller in my world but then my 12 is mothballed because I use the Whitney which is a little larger. Dave

[Matt Day]

The Tim the Tool man inside of me says to keep the bigger one, but it simply wouldn't work for my shop bc of space constraints. The comments about accessories not fitting and blade expense are good ones.
The real question is, how much did you steal them for!

[Joshua Richards]

The Tim the Tool man inside of me says to keep the bigger one, but it simply wouldn't work for my shop bc of space constraints. The comments about accessories not fitting and blade expense are good ones.
The real question is, how much did you steal them for!

Haha Matt. The steal wasn't the most epic in history... but I picked up the 10" for $250.00 and the 14" for $500.00.

This makes a total of 3 saws in my little garage... The third is my SCMI slider. Soon, only oompah-loompah's will be able to get anything done.

[Wayne Jolly]

I'm far from being an expert on this, but speaking of power . . .

It sounds like your shop may be on the "not big" side, so I would ask if you are sure you have the power to run the beast (3-phase???).

Wayne

[Rick Potter]

Wayne just asked the jackpot question. Are either one of these three phase, and is that a problem?

Since you have the slider, I would keep the Uni.

Rick Potter

[mark kosse]

It is sizable between the two saws. This is a 12/14 wing and a uni wing. I'm 6' and sometimes find it cumbersome to reach across the saw. It all being said, if I could keep one saw only I'd stay with a 12/14. I don't ever recall saying I wish I had a smaller saw. That and I really dislike peace signs...

[Doug Ladendorf]

Nice perspective Mark. I had the similar choice (beFORE buying them!) between a PM66 and PM72 and went with the 66. While I would have loved to have the big saw the practical side of me had to bow to the space in my garage. I guess the question for you will be what will compliment the SCMI better?

[Rod Sheridan]

Joshua, when I used a 14" saw I found it very difficult to crosscut with as I had to reach too far forward, same for clearing the blade when ripping.

If you use big timber go for it, however you have a slider already so I would go with the smaller saw.

Regards, Rod.

[Jim Andrew]

How big is your SCMi slider? I was thinking those are about 12 hp with 14" blades. Suppose it depends on the model, but if you have one huge saw, the uni would be a very good backup.

[Larry Edgerton]

I've owned both, get rid of the Unisaw. Currently I have a SCMI, Unisaw, and a 66. The Unisaw is a disappointment. It will soon be up for sale.

The 12/14 is an awesome saw to mount a powerfeed on, with a nice thick blade you can run it at a pretty fast speed and still get good cuts. Kind of sorry I sold mine really.

Larry

[jack forsberg]

haveing not used a 12/14 delta it is my understanding it really a 12" saw? meaning it will lower the 12" blade below the table but take a 14" blade. The rise and fall is for a 12" blade. so for a cabnet saw it most likly best to run it with a 12" blade.

I have 3 saw is the shop and i like them all. the 10" General 350 the 18" Wadkin and the 14" Poitras, all have there place. My Poitras is like the delta but is a true 14" saw. what i like about it is depth of cut 5.5" and the large table in front of the blade to get my big work set before it hits the blade. not a saw i would want to cut box joints on through.

i like the DOC


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0NqPUuuX4_Q

[Rick Potter]

Hey Jack,

Good idea, keeping that spare hand around.

Rick P

[jack forsberg]

Hey Jack,

Good idea, keeping that spare hand around.

Rick P

i use it as a push stick;)

[Curt Harms]

I don't know how much of a consideration this is but I'll bet the Uni would be easier to sell. A Uni can be moved to a basement pretty easily for instance, the 12/14 not so much - unless there is a commercial shop looking for a big table saw.

[Bill Dufour]

Almost ten years latter. The 12/14 saw may have an arbor that can be swapped out. Some are solid arbor some are two piece. Mine came with 1+1/8". I bought a 1" arbor from a guy on ebay who makes them and matching nuts. He also makes 5/8 arbors so you can use you existing blades. grizzly stopped selling their version and parts years ago.
Tip: much easier to mount the right hand wing while the main top is loose. Easy enough to adjust and tighten after.