trying to decide on a new table saw

[jeff oldham]

I have been looking at the delta 36-725 that lowes sells for 599.00 and it has a lot of good reviews but it also has some bad ones on customer service,,i like the grizzly go771z but it is twice the price after shipping,,,but grizzly is famous for there customer service,,,can anyone share some input on what they would do,,,lol

[Al Weber]

I owned that Delta for a couple of years when I had just part of a garage to work in. Bad mistake as it just isn't a quality product. The rip fence moved each time I tried to lock it down, it was noisy and it seemed to go out of square vertically all the time. I'm not sure what your budget is or your space limitations but I'd look for a used cabinet saw or bite the bullet and go for a SawStop. I upgraded to a SawStop and even though I loved my USA built Unisaw from the 90's, the ease of adjustment and overall quality of the SawStop is heads and shoulders above it. Lots of choices out there so just decide on your course of action for your needs.

[Matt Day]

If I’m not mistaken NC has a big woodworking scene. You surely could find a decent used Unisaw for $600. Have you considered buying a used machine?

[Michael Alu]

If I’m not mistaken NC has a big woodworking scene. You surely could find a decent used Unisaw for $600. Have you considered buying a used machine?

I would second what Matt said and go used. You will just need to be patient, but a good used tablesaw will be better in the long run. Just my $.02

[Bill Lyman]

I had a Delta 36-650 10" Professional Table Saw Type 2 which is no longer made, to which I added 2 cast iron wings and other improvements. It sufficed well. I now have a Sawstop and wouldn't go back to anything else. The quality is superb. The splitter rises and falls and follows the blade at any angle.

[Robert Engel]

Probably the most commonly asked question on ww'ing forums.

It all boils down to your philosophy regarding tools, seriousness about the work, and budget.

I'll assume because you're looking at a $600 machine that a $2500 machine is not in your budget.

IMO you should be looking at minimum 1 3/4HP, cast iron trunnions, and trunnions attached to the top, not frame. I believe if you check, many of those machines would not fill that criteria.

That said, you'll need a budget of around $12-1500 for even an entry level machine.

I would check the Grizzly 2HP hybrid saw & I would keep a used older machine in the mix.

Good Luck!

[Mo Ghotbi]

Hi Jeff. I want to echo the "go used" chorus above. I recently went through the same decision process and ended up getting a used Grizzly g1023zx on Craigslist for about $400. The saw was in great condition and after some cleanup, performed flawlessly. I upgraded the old shop fox fence to a unifence I also got on craigslist for $70 and added the Shark Guard adjustable riving knife for another $100. Added a good quality full kerf blade for $80 and, at $650 all in, I have a beast of a saw, dead accurate and powerful. Check your local ads for used cabinet saws before you buy a new one.

[Frank Pratt]

Delta has such a sordid history over the last 10 or 15 years of being bought & sold multiple times, parts unavailability and terrible customer service that I wouldn't consider buying any of their products.

[Jak Kelly]

I would not be afraid of any of the older Delta machines, so long as they do not appear to be horribly abused or something. Definitely would not buy a basket case for any reason. That being said I'd think that the majority of the issues one would need to consider would be; Condition of the top - is it just surface rust, Fence system - are the rails in good order - fence systems can be replaced but do cost, Motor - a 1.75hp motor is going to be a lot less expensive than a 3hp or 5hp, The condition of the internal trunions - do they just need cleaned up and greased or could you be purchasing new parts.
That being said then there will be a host of brands that should easily fit the bill, from Jet, Grizzly, Delta, Powermatic.......I would not be afraid of an old Walker Turner machine either.
As some of the guys are saying there are going to be a lot of older, used machines out there that have PLENTY of good, use-able service life left in them!! Just don not be under the assumption that all old machines necessarily will have this in them either, as I have seen machines that appear to have been stored outside and grossly neglected.
I was in fact eyeing a second machine, Delta 12-14" table saw, here locally, the guy wanted $350 for it, but it looked a little rough, looked like someone had been playing with the wiring. I figured that if I could get it for $200, throw a 5hp 220V motor on it and get away from buying a VFD that it might leave me some room for a resale after I refurbished it.
Good luck......

[Robert Chapman]

Get a SawStop. They are very high quality and have their great safety feature. I have had one for about five years and would never get anything else that is available now.

[Rob Charles]

I have a number of different brand and era tools. The old "vintage" ones never disappoint me. The Grizzlys are a close second & I am always pleasantly surprised whenever I need support or replacement part. The recent vintage Deltas almost always disappoint in the terms of customer support and "NLA" parts (see the thread on the Delta 990X drill press). The various pacific rim tools of various names come & go as does their support & parts availability. I had always respected Powermatic. But, after spending a couple hours today trying to chase down parts for a current production series sander, I was very disappointed to learn the number of NLA, discontinued and out of stock parts. Certainly, the fit & finish is better than their non-name brand counterparts, but I now question if they are worth the extra price.

With that said, my suggestion is along the lines of others above. Keep your eye out for a well maintained vintage Unisaw or Powermatic 66, or a Grizzly. IMHO, they are worth the wait & effort. Good luck with the search & saw.

[Edward Dyas]

I don't know anything about the delta 36-725 but I bought a Unisaw 19 years ago that I've never been happy with. It wasn't near the quality I've come to expect from Delta over my career. Then Delta has a reputation of discontinuing parts for the equipment they sell. I bought a Delta planer that I had problems with it falling apart and I tried to get replacement parts before it was five years old and couldn't get them. The lack of quality and their parts attitude has caused me to suspend buying Delta at all.