Good Deal on Delta?

[Geoff Potter]

I just looked at the Delta hybrid saw with a 50" Biesmeyer fence. Brand new for $998. Is this a good deal? I have been looking at the Grizzly saws but with shipping, lift gat service etc. it comes out about the same. Thank you in advance for your comments.

[David Weaver]

I have the exact same saw, except I had to buy 50" rails for the biesemeyer (it came with 30" rails). It's an OK deal. It won't overwhelm you with its power, but it's a decent enough imitation of a cabinet saw.

You're gambling with accuracy with probably any table saw made now. Mine is 0.002" runout at the arbor flange (so each direction is 0.001" off from center), and 0.0025" is spec, so you have a chance of better or worse.

Aside from the power, it does "feel" like a cabinet saw when you use it, and if you get it aligned properly, you'll be able to get good results from it.

Not surprisingly, I'd say - better than most contractors saws that I've used, not as nice as the full-blown cabinet saws.

With that size fence, you're not likely to get it much cheaper.

I have seen some complaints about setup because you have to get to a bolt (or two) on the other side of the motor and trunnion to align the saw. This isn't an issue if you have a decent small ratchet and extension, but it would be very hard to do if you don't. You can get away with not loosening one of them and still move the trunnion with a rubber mallet or something, but it's worth noting before you get the saw and begin to set it up. Alignment probably took me 20 minutes - some people have given some exorbitant times for it, probably because they didn't have the right tools.

The jury is out on how much the cabinet mounted trunnions may make the cabinet sag over time. If I recall, the bolts mounting the trunnion to the top are pretty close to the edge of the cabinet, so they shouldn't make it sag much.

It's probably about as good as any other hybrid, and the biesemeyer fence is nice because you know you can get all kinds of aftermarket accesories to use with it, and because it's the big biesemeyer and not the short one. Not to mention, it doesn't deflect easily.

[Jeff Sudmeier]

I bought a Unisaw from Amazon on sale with 50 inch unifence from ~780ish...

Never been exposed to the hybrids though...

[scott spencer]

You can get a Grizzly 1023SL 3hp industrial cabinet saw for $989 shipped....I think that offer ends tonight, but it's substantially more saw than any hybrid if you have 220v.

If you don't have 220v, I don't see $1k for the Delta hybrid as a great deal. Decent enough saw, but that's a fairly normal price, and there are loads of choices in that price range... some with design advantages. In that price range, I'd look hard at Steel City, Jet, Craftsman, and GI before deciding.

[Richard Niemiec]

Just my view, but if space is not an issue, go with the Grizzly cabinet saw and don't look back. The hybrid saws are, as someone noted, a step up from the contractors saws, and for someone with a space or access (e.g., basement with no exterior door) issue, fit the bill. But if I could not afford a PM 66 or a unisaw, I would go with the Grizzly cabinet saw; sometimes the 3hp comes in handy. YMMV. RN

[Matt Meiser]

I was going to suggest as Scott said--go for the Grizzly cabinet saw in that price range. I made the decision 7 years ago between the 1023 and a Delta contractor saw choosing the latter. In retrospect I should have gotten the 1023. Not that the Delta is a bad saw, but the Griz is good too and I would have gotten more saw for my money.

Also, my Delta dealer is really scaling back their Delta stuff for other brands like Steel City and Powermatic because they are having more and more trouble with Delta, especially getting parts.