Glenn Howard
07-24-2008, 9:57 PM
Have you ever spent months researching a tool or piece of equipment, finally narrowed it down to what you wanted, only to find a great deal that changed your mind at the last minute? Happened to me this week (well, maybe not a great deal, but a good one and I'm happy!)
Some of you may remember from an earlier post of mine, that I was in the market for my first table saw. Based on my criteria, magazine/online reviews, and your feedback, I had narrowed down my options to either the Jet ProShop or a Craftsman "zip code" hybrid. (I had even almost pulled the trigger on a Rigid TS3660 because the price was less painful.)
I had 99% decided that I was ready to have my local Rockler store order the ProShop, when I stopped to visit the last place in my area that I had yet to check into. It's a "mom and pop" type place that my girlfriend's dad had told me about.
I ended up taking home a reconditioned Delta 36-715 with a T2 fence for $599 (mobile base included). This saw had been on my short list at one point, but had been scratched simply because the price exceeded the Jet and the Craftsman and didn't really offer any obvious advantages over either. It met all of my criteria except that the T2 fence is not quite the quality of a Beisemeyer. But it's still a good fence and I can easily upgrade later if I find the T2 to fall short.
They gave me a 6 month warranty (which I wouldn't have gotten by buying used). Since it had to be loaded into the back of my Honda Element, they uncrated it and the guys gave it a good once over. None of us could see any obvious signs that gave it away as reconditioned...good as new. I got it home and everything lined up true and square with no adjustments needed.
I couldn't be happier...only $50 more than the Rigid I almost bought, and about $300-$400 less than the other two hybrids I had been looking at. And since I came in at $400 under the budget I had given myself...I'm thinking...bandsaw???:rolleyes:
Some of you may remember from an earlier post of mine, that I was in the market for my first table saw. Based on my criteria, magazine/online reviews, and your feedback, I had narrowed down my options to either the Jet ProShop or a Craftsman "zip code" hybrid. (I had even almost pulled the trigger on a Rigid TS3660 because the price was less painful.)
I had 99% decided that I was ready to have my local Rockler store order the ProShop, when I stopped to visit the last place in my area that I had yet to check into. It's a "mom and pop" type place that my girlfriend's dad had told me about.
I ended up taking home a reconditioned Delta 36-715 with a T2 fence for $599 (mobile base included). This saw had been on my short list at one point, but had been scratched simply because the price exceeded the Jet and the Craftsman and didn't really offer any obvious advantages over either. It met all of my criteria except that the T2 fence is not quite the quality of a Beisemeyer. But it's still a good fence and I can easily upgrade later if I find the T2 to fall short.
They gave me a 6 month warranty (which I wouldn't have gotten by buying used). Since it had to be loaded into the back of my Honda Element, they uncrated it and the guys gave it a good once over. None of us could see any obvious signs that gave it away as reconditioned...good as new. I got it home and everything lined up true and square with no adjustments needed.
I couldn't be happier...only $50 more than the Rigid I almost bought, and about $300-$400 less than the other two hybrids I had been looking at. And since I came in at $400 under the budget I had given myself...I'm thinking...bandsaw???:rolleyes: