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Thread: How much would you pay for a old Unisaw?

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
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    Spencer Ma
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    271

    How much would you pay for a old Unisaw?

    Hello,
    Here is a add on craigslist.....seems like a good deal....needs some TLC, maybe new brushes for motor...Think I could get him down some??

    http://worcester.craigslist.org/tls/3605801468.html
    Measure twice and cut once and swear three times

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
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    Northeast TN
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    There is NOTHING in that shop that says 'i take care of anything i own'.

    Caveat Emptor.

  3. #3
    It dosen't look too bad to me, but I would spend more and get a higher hp motor and a better fence. There are tons of old 3 hp, biesemeyer fence unisaws sitting in basements and garages, and they seem like a better place to start.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Camas, Wa
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    Been there done that. That saw has been abused. The fence sucks and you will want to replace. Ther is no motor cover. I paid $400 for mine and paid too much. I say $250 would be the max I would go. Buy the time you clean up and get a new fence, you get close to the cost of a new G1023RL with a riving knife and better dust collection. There is nothing magical about an old UNI now matter what the OWWM'ers say.

    Cary

  5. #5
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    I do believe that a 3 HP Motor can be attatched to this saw...They were basically the same framework and Trunions...but were sold with differant motors...I could be wrong.
    Quote Originally Posted by Stephen Cherry View Post
    It dosen't look too bad to me, but I would spend more and get a higher hp motor and a better fence. There are tons of old 3 hp, biesemeyer fence unisaws sitting in basements and garages, and they seem like a better place to start.
    Measure twice and cut once and swear three times

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Cache Valley, Utah
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    That's probably more than I would pay for it, but then again I already have one Uni and a PM 66 in the rathole awaiting restoration. Good: it appears to be largely intact; dust door, handwheels, lock knobs, two vintage miter gauges, rip fence, original switch, single phase bullet motor. Not so good: Old style rip fence; overall it appears a little rough, may have had a hard life in a cabinet shop, will probably need new bearings throughout, and bullet motors can be intimidating if you've never worked on one before. It's a decent, but not great price, and even if you double the price with new bearings, belts, wiring and so on, you will still have a great saw for much less than new, and you will know the saw inside and out.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    May 2012
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    Glenmoore Pa.
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    Is that dust or rust all over the saw?

    It's not worth what they're asking, but some poor schmuck will grab it anyway. I'm surprised it's still available.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Oct 2005
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marc Prudhomme View Post
    I do believe that a 3 HP Motor can be attatched to this saw...They were basically the same framework and Trunions...but were sold with differant motors...I could be wrong.
    A 3hp motor will not fit in the oval hole without cutting the cabinet. The trunnions are the same and can support it though.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by Marc Prudhomme View Post
    I do believe that a 3 HP Motor can be attatched to this saw...They were basically the same framework and Trunions...but were sold with differant motors...I could be wrong.
    Maybe so, but hobby saws come up that will be lightly used and ready to go for not a whole lot more money. If you like the history and want a project, it might be fine.

  10. #10
    Quote Originally Posted by Cary Falk View Post
    A 3hp motor will not fit in the oval hole without cutting the cabinet. The trunnions are the same and can support it though.
    The older 3hp 3phase motors will work with oval opening.

    The motor, switch cover & dust door are worth close to that price.

  11. #11
    Quote Originally Posted by Val Kosmider View Post
    There is NOTHING in that shop that says 'i take care of anything i own'.

    Caveat Emptor.
    Why not? Because it doesn't look like a shrine to power tools or a machine collectors showcase. Looks like a typical working shop to me. The sawdust on the floor and saw suggest to me that it's actually still cutting wood.

    Personally, I would be offering a little closer to $300.

  12. #12
    Join Date
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chris Rosenberger View Post
    The older 3hp 3phase motors will work with oval opening.

    The motor, switch cover & dust door are worth close to that price.
    Chris has a good point here.
    I'm not sure if you'll ever "make money" with this saw, but you won't lose money either.
    I am a little suspect of the stated motor hp in the Ad.Did Delta really offer a single phase, 220, 1 HP motor as the norm on their saws? It could be that the guy is reading the 1ph as 1hp. Worth a look.


    Johnny
    Love your comment .
    While my shop isn't quite that bad, it's usually pretty messy. But I guarantee you that every machine I own is working properly and tuned. ( Well maybe not my sander, because a tree just came through the roof and hit it. I'll find out when it warms up. )
    "The first thing you need to know, will likely be the last thing you learn." (Unknown)

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
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    Greenville, SC
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike Cutler View Post
    Chris has a good point here.
    I'm not sure if you'll ever "make money" with this saw, but you won't lose money either.
    I am a little suspect of the stated motor hp in the Ad.Did Delta really offer a single phase, 220, 1 HP motor as the norm on their saws? It could be that the guy is reading the 1ph as 1hp. Worth a look.
    The reply to that is usually "horses were a lot bigger back than"...

    My 40's Uni only had 3/4HP and it would cut through anything I would throw at it and never would bog down. But the way that motors were rated back than and now definitely was different.

    I agree with the comments about getting a VFD to run the saw, it will be become a gateway to 3PH tools. I have a long set of leads on my VFD and run all of my 3PH tools with it...

    Ben

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2008
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    Personally if I needed/wanted another saw I'd offer maybe $400, (or even a little less), and see what happens. If you part it out you should get about that in return. If it's running I wouldn't bother replacing the motor. If you get to a point where you find the 1 hp is not enough worry about it then. I used a Unisaw with a 1-1/2 hp for years before it gave up the ghost. I replaced it with a new 2 hp which didn't seem any more powerful, but did most of what I needed it to for years. The fence can be cleaned up and made to work though there are better aftermarket fences available. I would plan on replacing the belts and arbor bearings BUT only if needed. These saws use a 3 belts system which is so overkill the belts would literally have to be shredded before they stop working! (OK maybe a slight exaggeration). Arbor bearings are a very common tune up and as this is one of the most popular saws ever made, the instructions are literally all over the net.

    In short if I needed the saw and it's in working condition as described I'd buy it for $400 and use it. Around here these saws in similar condition fetch that at auction, so getting it for less is hit or miss. After I cleaned her up a bit and checked things out then I'd decide if any additional work was needed.

    good luck,
    jeffD

  15. #15
    I would not let the 1 HP part of it bother me. I have a 3HP Uni and used one with a 1HP bullet for several years. I couldn't discern any functional difference in power.

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