Delta Industrial Unisaw

[Mike P Turner]

Hello:
I'm looking at a Delta Industrial Unisaw on Craigslist for $1,500. 3HP, left tilt, Biesmeyer fence, 30 inch rail/fence, with an integral mobile base. I've never seen an 'Industrial Unisaw' before so I'd appreciate any info someone might have. I'd also like to know if this is a one-off model with arbor, throat plate, etc. all being different than the traditional unisaw. The saw is in excellent condition, I just don't want to end up with something that will be a pain to find parts for in the future.

Here's a link to the saw --> harrisburg.craigslist.org/tls/5397197907.html


Thanks for the help.

[Tom M King]

The word "industrial" is a bit unusual inserted in there. It's a good saw, but price is at the high end of what I've seen them go for.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

It does look really clean, but I think $1200-$1300 would be a better price.

[jack duren]

If you wanted the saw I think I'd buy it. It looks to be in good shape.. Try $1350 cash on hand while looking at it....

[Robert LaPlaca]

Little hard to tell from the one photo, but it does look like a nice clean mid-90s unisaw, I don't think mine says industrial on the nameplate. I have a unisaw about the same vintage, with a 52" rail Beismeyer and mobile base, and if someone offered me $1500 it would be sold..

[Mike P Turner]

From the comments in the ad the saw was built in 2008. That's what confuses me a little. I thought the Delta's built in that time frame were 'X' series (i.e. X5, etc.). As for price, I won't pay more than $1,200 for the saw.

[jack duren]

From the comments in the ad the saw was built in 2008. That's what confuses me a little. I thought the Delta's built in that time frame were 'X' series (i.e. X5, etc.). As for price, I won't pay more than $1,200 for the saw.

I bought my saw in 1999 new for $1600 new. If the saw is 2008 how can $1500 be wrong. You can tell by the front rail if paints missing whether its been used a lot. If not I would buy it and be happy. The picture looks to be in really good shape. I wouldn't hesitate. Can't always wait till a bragging deal comes along. But I'm different I make a living with my tools....

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

My Unisaw is from right around 1998, and doesn't say industrial.

I would think that that saw cost somewhere between $1900-$2300 when new. I think I paid $1600 for mine new.

[Martin Wasner]

Industrial..... lol

I personally wouldn't pay over $1k. It's in nice shape, but nothing special. IRS Auctions has probably a dozen on their site right now.

[jack duren]

Industrial..... lol

I personally wouldn't pay over $1k. It's in nice shape, but nothing special. IRS Auctions has probably a dozen on their site right now.

I don't a $1000 Is going to get this saw in the shape it's in. It's worth the $1500 and forget the bragging rights. If it's coming out of a hobby shop it does have the hrs of use the IRS auctions saws generally do... Yes I'm always on those auctions...

[Jim Andrew]

I bought a new unisaw in '05, NOT an X5 model, with long rails for 1000. Got my local hardware store to order it, I even talked to the Delta rep on the phone while ordering, it had 30" rails, and she said it was the least expensive model they sold, and she included the long rails, so gave the short rails to a friend after I had it set up. Still have it in my shop. They had it delivered to my shop. It is 3hp, biesemeyer fence. Added a shark guard.

[David Kumm]

There are better saw out there for 1500 but probably not appropriate for you if you are looking for left tilt and single phase. Might be a tad high in price but looks like very light use and well cared for. If tables are flat and runout is low, the build is as good as any $3000 new saw so I'd take a look. IMO guys usually overpay for new and want to underpay for used so if it is what you want and need....... Dave

[Marty Schlosser]

I thought at first from the description that it may have been one of the Unisaws which came with a second arbor for the scoring blade... but it clearly isn't anything more than a common, every day Unisaw.

Based on the many Unisaws available on the used market place, I can't see paying that much for it. But I guess it all depends on where you live and what condition it's actually in. Like David Kumm suggested, it may be worth your while going over and taking a look at it. If after carefully looking it over, checking flatness of the table and the rounout on the arbor, the condition of the bearings and making sure there are no cracks in any of the castings, if your heart is still set on that Uni', then make him a reasonable offer and see where it all goes.

[Matt Day]

Nice saw, but too much. $1k tops.

[Frankie Hunt]

Its a regular left tilt Unisaw. Delta went thru a few years of changing the sticker/marketing logo stuff. I have two, one says industrial the other does not. They are exactly the same saw. Great saw btw.

It looks new/almost unused. That mobile base would cost around $100 or more. They come new with a crappy steel blade so if the blade is nice that's worth $50 to $100 new. Bringing the actual cost of the saw to $1350 ish.

$1500 is not unreasonable.

If that is the saw I wanted, I would go look at it taking cash, and offer $1300. All they can say is no. But perhaps they will negotiate some. Even at the asking price,with the accessories, it would be a fair price, at least it would be around my parts. Given time I could find better deals, but not on one that looks that nice. That one looks new!

They are not too hard to load if you take the top off. (4 allen head bolts hold the top, a couple of hex bolts hold the switch).
Two people can load into a truck that way. A rented appliance dolly would help if he has stairs.

[Art Mann]

I see Delta was doing what Harbor Freight does in calling its tools "industrial". That term means absolutely nothing. It is just another unisaw. You need to judge the saw by other merits. I think $1000 is too high.

[Bruce Page]

I see Delta was doing what Harbor Freight does in calling its tools "industrial". That term means absolutely nothing. It is just another unisaw. You need to judge the saw by other merits. I think $1000 is too high.
Not true! My 1998 Uni is a "Grand Edition". That makes it very special! ;):):rolleyes:

[Mike Chalmers]

This thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?72026-Info-on-this-Delta-Industrial-Saw) might help shed some light. It would seem that the Industrial is a name Delta used when it started getting their saws made in Asia.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

They are not too hard to load if you take the top off. (4 allen head bolts hold the top, a couple of hex bolts hold the switch).
Two people can load into a truck that way. A rented appliance dolly would help if he has stairs.

I'd leave the top on. I loaded mine by myself into the back of my pickup. Most of the weight is in the top, so if you get it next to the tailgate, with the top just over it, it's pretty easy to lean it into the truck, and lift the bottom of the cabinet and swing it into the back of a truck.

[Andrew DiLorenzo]

Do you have three phase power?

[Matt Day]

Do you have three phase power?

Doesn't matter in this case, as the saw is single phase. Check out the picture of the tag.

[Cary Falk]

No way would i pay $1500 for a Uni. Save some money and buy a Grizzly G0690 or G1023rl. Either will have a riving knife and warranty. The Uni has neither. Delta is like Keath Richards. Dead but nobody told them. You won't easily get parts if you nreed them. I sold my Uni about 5 years ago and bought a G1023rl and couldn't be happier. There is nothing special about a Uni.

[Mike Henderson]

Sounds high to me. I sold one for $1,200 a while back - 5HP, great shape.

Like some others have suggested, I'd try to get one with a riving knife for safety reasons.

Mike

[eugene thomas]

Ya know. Made he would take $1200 but I bet if he listed for $1200 would end up getting WAY less.

[Davis Young]

In the early 2000s, Delta separated their line into Industrial for bigger machines aimed at professionals and ShopMaster for smaller home shops. For the most part, machines including the Unisaw underwent no or minor changes under the new designation. The one change besides the "Industrial" badge was that the motor cover went from sheet metal to plastic. This rebranding was first
documented in the Delta 2002-2003 Full Line Catalog.

So the Unisaw in question is not a special one-off or anything like that. I believe in 2008 that Unisaws retailed in the low $2k range so like others have said, $1500 seems a little high using the rule of half. It does look clean and it has the miter gauge and blade guard. The mobile base (looks like the Delta 50-273) seems to be the only other accessory. It looks as if the seller modified it with a piece of plywood. The foot lever on that has been known to break off because of the force required to step down on it so you might want to check on that. The mobile base also looks like it is for the cabinet only though you might be able to get the 50-285 base extension for 30" fences if you were inclined. I think a reasonable price range would be around $1000 give or take.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

So the Unisaw in question is not a special one-off or anything like that.

If you follow the link in Post #18, then it's apparently not a standard Unisaw, and requires a special arbor to use dado blades. If that's the case, then I would say it's worth a lot less than if it was a standard unisaw.

[Cary Falk]

If you follow the link in Post #18, then it's apparently not a standard Unisaw, and requires a special arbor to use dado blades. If that's the case, then I would say it's worth a lot less than if it was a standard unisaw.

The Uni in question is not the same as the link in post #18 and does not require a special arbor for dado blades. Still way overpriced though.

[David Kumm]

One key to value- at least to me- would be where the bulk of the parts were sourced from. The old Taiwan based machines were pretty decent in build. When Delta switched to China it took some time for the quality to recover in comparison to the Taiwan stuff. I don't know how quickly or if that ever happened as 10", 5/8" arbor saws are not in my wheelhouse. I think the Delta 12-14 and the PM 72 are the real bargains used out there. Dave

[glenn bradley]

This thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?72026-Info-on-this-Delta-Industrial-Saw) might help shed some light. It would seem that the Industrial is a name Delta used when it started getting their saws made in Asia.


If you follow the link in Post #18, then it's apparently not a standard Unisaw, and requires a special arbor to use dado blades. If that's the case, then I would say it's worth a lot less than if it was a standard unisaw.

We all have opinions but, only you know your situation. If you have looked in vain for a 3HP cab saw and this one has finally come along, buy it and be happy. If you have time to shop I would keep shopping. The historical mantle aside this is just another imported cab saw of which there are many of near equal quality with no-where-near equal pricing.

$1500 for a nice, but used, Uni with special requirements versus a few dollars more for a Grizzly G0690? Gives one pause. I loved my Beisemeyer fence and despite its shortcomings in the adjustment department, it is still nicer (for me) in operation than my also-really-nice Saw Stop Bies-clone. Fortunately it is still attached to the saw I gave my dad when I got the Saw Stop so, I get to visit . . . .the point is that the price seems high without knowing your situation. If you have looked long and hard and $1500 is OK but, $1600 would break the bank, I would buy it and be happy. Given the arbor voo-doo I would keep looking (or just buy the Griz) but, for others this is not a show-stopper at all.

[Eric Weinheimer]

I have a 5 HP Delta. Bearings going out on shaft. Parts not available

[Cary Falk]

I have a 5 HP Delta. Bearings going out on shaft. Parts not available

Unless the shaft got screwed up, the bearings are just standard bearings. I believe they were 6203s if I remember correctly.

[Art Mann]

Although the correct size bearings can probably be sourced elsewhere, that is a very good point. As I understand it, the new owners of Delta Tools have decided not to supply parts for older machines. At some point, a part might fail that isn't an off-the-shelf item. That would give me pause for thought before buying an old machine. You can buy a Grizzly table saw brand new that is functionally very similar to the Unisaws for the same price. It comes with a warranty and Grizzly stocks parts for their older machines. I won't make any claims about Grizzly quality vs. Delta because I don't own either.


I have a 5 HP Delta. Bearings going out on shaft. Parts not available

[Davis Young]

If you follow the link in Post #18, then it's apparently not a standard Unisaw, and requires a special arbor to use dado blades. If that's the case, then I would say it's worth a lot less than if it was a standard unisaw.

I was referring to the saw linked by the original poster, which is a Unisaw. It clearly states that in the lower right of the nameplate. The saw in post #18 is a Delta cabinet saw made in Asia and I would agree with you that its value would be lower than a Unisaw.

[Gerry Grzadzinski]

Yes, I see that they are different saws. This one is a standard Unisaw.

[brett gallmeyer]

$1500 for a 3hp Cabinet saw without cast iron wings and only a 30" fence not to mention its in a basement?
Defiantly not worth it!

I would only give at max $800 for this saw. For $1500 you could buy a brand new saw with a warranty, better dust collection and riving knife! Possibly even a 50" fence if you wait for a sale.

But I like to buy used.. Much better value for you money and this saw doesn't have a used price..
For reference I was able to pick up a 1966 Powermatic 66 with a 50" fence, some blades and the cast iron right long extension piece for $900. Just keep you eyes out, a deal or steal will come along.

[Eric Weinheimer]

Unless the shaft got screwed up, the bearings are just standard bearings. I believe they were 6203s if I remember correctly.

The the threaded part of the shaft is worn where the blade sits. There's also pressed items on the shaft. When in goes out, I'll buy a grizzly or see what s machinest will charge to rebuild it

[Ray Newman]

Eric W: after Feb. 20, contact the Saw Center, now in the process of moving. Saw Center rebuilds Uni-saws and parts available. I purchased a few hard to find parts for the Uni-fence and the Uni-guard from the Saw Center.

At one time I believe that you could send them the arbor and they would rebuild it. On their old web site, Saw Center had instructions and photos showing how to replace the Uni-saw arbor bearings.

http://www.sawcenter.com/