Used Cabinet Shop Table Saw

[Jacob Lundmark]

What are the general thoughts on buying large used saws from cabinet shops...I think I could get a Delta Model # 36-L352 for less than $700 and it appears to be in good condition. I currently have a Ridgid 4512 and have been watching to upgrade. I am concerned it might have been used really hard.

Thank you much for your time.

[Alex Zeller]

As long as it raises and tilts as expected I wouldn't worry about hard use. At best you'll need to replace the bearings. Replacing the arbor bearings is a good time to tune up and calibrate the saw. Just check the runout on the arbor.

[Lee Schierer]

Be sure to check the motor voltage to make sure it will work in your shop. Depending on the condition I would offer $500 and see if they take it. Also make sure accessories like the miter gauge, fence and guard are included. Ask for any manuals and spare parts like belts they may have.

[Andrew Seemann]

Also check the top for wear. My first Unisaw came out of a cabinet shop where they must have run miles of particle board on it. The top was actually quite worn, there was about a 1/16" dip in the center of the top, and the miter slots were quite sloppy, too loose in the front, and too narrow towards the back.

[Matt Day]

There are a lot of threads on here about what to inspect on a used saw, so do some searching on that.

Without pictures and knowing condition, motor phase, accessories, etc, it’s hard to give help on price.

[Patrick Kane]

Agreed with the others, check motor phase and voltage. The big items that are really hard/expensive to fix are an excessively worn top, scored arbor, and messed up worm/trunnion gear assembly. If the worm gear isn’t lubed or sawdust builds up and is used for long periods of time, the worm gear can eat into the trunnion gears. This is difficult to repair properly, and it means you will have a sloppy bevel or height adjustment. The height is one thing, but the bevel being worn would mean imprecise angles. Same for the top being worn, but I’ve never seen that on a 20ish year old saw. 1/16” wear is quite a lot of material. The only fix is to grind or plane the tables flat again. I don’t know how thick those unisaw castings are to then go planing 1/16” off. Are the 1/18-1/4” thick? I remember them being thin and light.

[Jacob Lundmark]

Agreed with the others, check motor phase and voltage. The big items that are really hard/expensive to fix are an excessively worn top, scored arbor, and messed up worm/trunnion gear assembly. If the worm gear isn’t lubed or sawdust builds up and is used for long periods of time, the worm gear can eat into the trunnion gears. This is difficult to repair properly, and it means you will have a sloppy bevel or height adjustment. The height is one thing, but the bevel being worn would mean imprecise angles. Same for the top being worn, but I’ve never seen that on a 20ish year old saw. 1/16” wear is quite a lot of material. The only fix is to grind or plane the tables flat again. I don’t know how thick those unisaw castings are to then go planing 1/16” off. Are the 1/18-1/4” thick? I remember them being thin and light.

I really appreciate all the suggestions. Several things I had not thought of. I was going to have to buy without seeing so I passed.

[Richard Coers]

In addition to the other thoughts, tilt the blade a few degrees and then see if there is any play between the rack and pinion gears. I bought an old unisaw about 35 years ago that had a pinion that was worn to a point where the teeth came to points. Incredibly easy to buy parts back then, not so much today!

[Matt Day]

It’s actually pretty easy to buy parts today too. There are always used parts on Ebay and OWWM.

[Andrew More]

I think there's also the trade off of safety. I'd make sure that any old saw at a minimum had a riving knife. Then it's a personal question of whether or not you think the SawStop safety feature is worth the extra money, vs the gamble of personal injury. At one point I was willing to gamble, and had a Grizzly G1023, which was a fine saw. Lately I've changed my mind, and decided that I want the safety, so I bought a SawStop. YMMV.

[Myk Rian]

Hey, Dudes. He passed on it.

[Andrew Pitonyak]

This might seem obvious, but you should also decide how "handy" you are in case things break. If the fact that you might need to replace bearings scares you, then you might want to lean towards new. If you tear things down and put them back together, you can save a bunch of money and get some great stuff for much less money.

I was going to replace some bearings in a router, but I needed a press to do it. Sure, might have been some work arounds, but I noped out of that since it was still usable.