Steel Creek's Reputation

[Tim Plantz]

I am new to this forum so excuse me if this has been addressed before. Currently I am in the market for upgrading my tablesaw and am considering the Steel Creek line of saws. Powermatic would be nice but is out of my price range and I'm concerned about their reputation now that they're built overseas. Where does Steel City rank among Delta, Grizzley, Jet, etc. Anybody???

[John Thompson]

I chose their 18" Bandsaw.. 8" jointer over the competitors you mentioned after viewing all at the International Wood-working Show in 2006. I would have their 17" Drill Press if I didn't already have a good press. I would have their 12" 5 HP Industrial TS if I hadn't run across a factory re-conditioned Uni-saw for $999.

How do they compare... best to look for yourself. Have a look at the massive trunnions and the cast iron mounts they sit on and then see how well they are attached to the steel body on the Steel City TS. Then compare the Industrial fence to a Biesemeyer which I have on the Uni-saw. It's even slicker operating than the Biesemeyer which is excellent. Compare the warranty at 5 Years.

Compare all that and more... then you will know which one you need to fit your needs! Life is simple..

Sarge..

[Bob Hallowell]

I have the 18" bandsaw and 10"deluxe tablesaw and they are very nice.

Bob

[Peter Quinn]

Looks like serious well made stuff in the showroom, rates well in all posts and magazines, have never used it, came out after my shop was already filled with blue and gold tools. I offered to take one home, park it next to my PM66, do some independent testing side by side...still no reply from them! Do any stores offer a test drive?

[Scott Long]

Steel City ranks right up there with all of the other big names in my book. I have had there 8" jointer for a little more than a year now. I have had no problems with it.

[Greg Muller]

I love their tools, and have been considering one of their bandsaws, but the company itself may not be doing too well. There were previous threads here that mentioned they shut down the Pittsburg manufacturing plant and were down to only the Tennessee plant.

Greg

[John Thompson]

BTW Tim..... Which saw.. what size.. hy-brid or cabinet are you considering. That is kinda pertinent as it is hard to compare and apple to a lemon. Both are fruits but are different as night and day.

Peter has a PM 66. I have run both with more time logged on the PM 66. You would not go wrong with that saw either as Peter definitely has no reason to up-grade. No reason what-so-ever. But you said the PM is out of your price range, which on after-thought made me realize you may be talking hybrid or a deal you have run across?

Sarge..

[Bob Hallowell]

I don't think they are in trouble I just think the Founder who lives here In Pittsburgh wants out of day to day operation and the other lives in tennessee. I think it just made more sense finacialy wise to combine the 2

Bob

[John Thompson]

I love their tools, and have been considering one of their bandsaws, but the company itself may not be doing too well. There were previous threads here that mentioned they shut down the Pittsburg manufacturing plant and were down to only the Tennessee plant.

Greg

I think that you would find that Steel City and Orion (owned by the Ceo of Steel City) are doing very well.. very well indeed Greg. The Corporate office was in Pittsburg. The machines and tech were in Murfreesboro, Tn.

The move to one location is just compary logistics as any company has to consider. Why operate and occur over-head from two facilities instead of putting All under one roof? Why pay more taxes and over-head in one place when it is cheaper somewhere else (the same reason most machines are made on the Pacific Rim now). Whey let your employess shovel snow in the winter to get out of their drive-way to get to work when they don't need a snow shovel at the other location with better climate year round?

If you consider these questions.. think you might find that moving to one location is not an act of desperation.. but simply a wise business decision on their part!

Regards...

Sarge..

[John Thompson]

I don't think they are in trouble I just think the Founder who lives here In Pittsburgh wants out of day to day operation and the other lives in tennessee. I think it just made more sense finacialy wise to combine the 2

Bob

You are a wise man Bob.. wise indeed!

Regards...

Sarge..

[Jason Beam]

Powermatic would be nice but is out of my price range and I'm concerned about their reputation now that they're built overseas. Where does Steel City rank among Delta, Grizzley, Jet, etc. Anybody???

This may be splitting hairs, but nothing Steel City makes is made here, either. Every company you list is an overseas company. I don't know if that plays on your decision at all. For me, it's the best tool, if it happens to be made here that's great.

[Greg Muller]

John and Bob,

I agree that consolidation is not necessarily the result of a company in trouble. Consolidation of operation can definitely lower overhead and reduce labor costs.

My apprehension is not unfounded however.

The Insight D & B Comprehensive Report on them shows high leverage and some weak predictive data. They could be in a very critical year for the company. On the good side, with the leverage, they are probably safe from takover.

At approx $9,000,000.00 in sales annually, they only show about 30 FTE's. Not bad, but I wish a higher proportion of their equipment was made by themselves in the good ol' US of A. It would be difficult to believe they are reducing labor costs with only 30 FTE's, especially if their tools are already made in the Far East anyway.

All this being said (before someone starts screaming at me), I LOVE their tool designs and would like to own more of them.


Greg

[John Thompson]

"My apprehension is not unfounded however.

The Insight D & B Comprehensive Report on them shows high leverage and some weak predictive data. They could be in a very critical year for the company. On the good side, with the leverage, they are probably safe from takover.

At approx $9,000,000.00 in sales annually, they only show about 30 FTE's. Not bad, but I wish a higher proportion of their equipment was made by themselves in the good ol' US of A. It would be difficult to believe they are reducing labor costs with only 30 FTE's, especially if their tools are already made in the Far East anyway"".. Greg
*************

I have a feeling Greg, that it is going to be a critical year for a lot of companies the coming year. It wasn't a banner year for retailers at Xmas nor a good year for sales in general for most. I worked at a company that had increased sales every year for the last 27 with 50 million gross sales. Not last year and they felt the crunch and lay-offs were in order.

A ton of long term, established builders have gone under in the last year in Atlanta and suspect all over. People realize it and money is tight.. very tight as usually they will loosen up for Xmas. But.. not this year as the records show.

I don't know for certain as nobody could, but I have a feeling that the young compamy is still laying ground-work for distributors dispersed all over the country for better coverage. They have set a high standard for who they will allow to carry the line and every Tom.. Dick and Harry retailer doesn't always meet those standards.

Once in place.. I think that they will be very strong if the economy improves. But.. until it does, I think every coimpany is going to be tightening belts. Or at least they better with current conditions.. as too much weight in the current economy could take you to the bottom quicker than a submarine designed just for that. :)

Regards...

Sarge..

[Tim Plantz]

BTW Tim..... Which saw.. what size.. hy-brid or cabinet are you considering. That is kinda pertinent as it is hard to compare and apple to a lemon. Both are fruits but are different as night and day.

Peter has a PM 66. I have run both with more time logged on the PM 66. You would not go wrong with that saw either as Peter definitely has no reason to up-grade. No reason what-so-ever. But you said the PM is out of your price range, which on after-thought made me realize you may be talking hybrid or a deal you have run across?

Sarge..
Sarge,

I'm considering the 10" deluxe 3HP Left-Tilt Titanium Saw from Steel City.

Tim

[Bob Hallowell]

You are a wise man Bob.. wise indeed!

Regards...

Sarge..

I only know that cause the Founder from Pittsburgh told me when I bought my saws in the last few weeks that he wanted out of the day to day operations but he was leaving his money in the company and would still be active. So that is straight from the Horse's mouth.

Bob

[John Thompson]

Excellent choice with the Ttanuim saw if you do go there Tim. That's the one I spent some time on at the Atlanta WW Show spring of 2007. We poured water on that table early one Saturday morning intentionally and didn't wipe it off till around 4 PM. No rust what-so-ever.

My son (teen-agers at the time) would sit his glass of ice-water on my Uni-saw and jointer top. And of course he had been told not to, but that is teens.. duh! Just the sweat from the cold inside and hot Atlanta weather produced rust within 30 minutes.

Well made.. excellent fence on that saw. Do some comparisons and see what you think. And good luck with the path you decide to travel. I gotta get back to my shop as the First Lady awaits a finished chest of drawers and the computer will not help me make up lost time. :)

Regards...

Sarge..

[Peter Quadarella]

I've never heard of Steel Creek, but I like their name better than the more well known and reputable Steel City brand. ;)

[George Lesniak]

Tim,

I've owned the 10" deluxe cabinet saw for just over a year and love it. I also have their 17" drill press and recently ordered an 18" band saw. I am very impressed with the quality of the machines compared to some of the other manufacturers you mentioned. I have used their tech support which is excellent. I wish I was able to afford the titanium top when I bought mine as it gets quite humid here and rust can be an issue.

George

[Peter Quinn]

Gotta tell you I don't know what type of iron PM uses, but if you breath to much near it it starts to rust. It stays very flat, but starts to rust. Sure would be nice to stop playing Karate Kid...wax on..wax off..

[Greg Pavlov]

I think that you would find that Steel City and Orion (owned by the Ceo of Steel City) are doing very well.. .............
If you consider these questions.. think you might find that moving to one location is not an act of desperation.. but simply a wise business decision on their part!
Regards...

Sarge..
That all makes sense, but then why did they set up the Pittsburgh operation in the first place, and what changed that casued them to shut it down? (I'm not looking for a conspiracy, just saying that something changed).