Purchasing a Delta Platinum Contractor Saw and Planer off of CL- Is this a good deal?

[Joel Turner]

Hi,

I appreciated all the good feedback I received from the community on a potential jointer purchase. I'm still in the process of outfitting my shop and I ran across two ads from a woodworker who is selling a Delta 36-475 Platinum addition contractor saw wired for 220V with a 30" Unifence, 2 Freud blades (50 and 80 tooth), outfeed table, Delta Tenoning jig, and homemade crosscut, tapering and mitering sleds. The pictures of the saw look immaculate. He's asking $475. He's also selling his lunchbox planer (Delta 22-580) with a mobile stand for $275.00. The size is not too much of a concern as I have a track saw and rail for sheet goods. I'm also thinking that a rip blade will help with dealing with hardwoods that may be difficult for the saw to handle otherwise.


As I'm relatively new to woodworking, I appreciate any feedback on whether purchasing these items seems like a wise investment or am I better off buying a new hybrid saw like a Grizzly 715 and a Dewalt 735. The extra $700 for the used machines buys a lot of other tools and wood.

Thanks,

--Joel

[Mike Circo]

That is an excellent saw and with the accessories a good deal too.
I have the predecessor to that saw that mostly varies in the stand. I'd consider it one of the best contractor style saws out there. My personal feeling is that you would gain nothing with a hybrid saw as this one is nearly at that level. The only difference and potential downside is having the motor external to the stand rather than enclosed. Mine holds settings forever. I check occasionally for a tuneup and rarely have to adjust anything. The Unifence is my all-time favorite. I never have to use a tape measure on the fence, I just use the fence measurements and cut. The short side fence is a great aid for ripping narrow strips and other times when it is too hard to get next to a tall fence. Wired for 220v it will act like a 2hp motor, even at 110v, it has never stalled or slowed down on me, even cutting thick maple.

Good, safe purchase.

[Cary Falk]

Joel,
I think the Contractor saw is a dead breed. Now that riving knives have come out on all the new saws I wouldn't buy a used saw unless it was fairly cheap. I had a version of that saw with a T2 fence a while back and it was a fine saw. I helped a friend buy that same saw a couple years ago on CL. I think we paid $300 for it. I perosnally don't like the Unifence, many do and would say it is a fine fence. The setup is plug and play so there is something to be said for that but I think the price is a little high. Consider that you can get the Ridgid or the Craftsman Hybrids for slightly. The fence will be worse but it will have a riving knife.

I also had a Delta 22-580 some years back. It was a fine planer but it has reports of the the speed changer not working. I found the fast speed left a good enough surface for me so I never flipped back and forth. My only is would be if I couldn't find blades now. They are indexed via pins ad are supper easy to change. I think I paid $400-450 new for mine. It is a ok deal but would be more confortable at $225-250. Be aware that all lunchbox planers are screamers.


Just my opinion
Cary

[Steve Rozmiarek]

My first tablesaw was one of those. I sold it long ago, but it was a great little saw. I made sure to get the cast iron extension to the left of the blade, not the stamped steel, and it made it seem like a more stable saw. The steel works fine to I suppose. Price seems pretty high, wonder if you could get it closer to 400. I guess with the accessories, it's not too bad. His accessories aren't worth much to him without the saw though.

[Matt Meiser]

That was my second table saw purchased around 2001. It replaced a Craftsman that really wasn't a very good saw and was eventually replaced by a restored Unisaw I bought from a friend (then another Unisaw I bought cheap and resto-modded just because, then a Sawstop for the obvious reason.) Mine had a Biesemeyer fence and it wasn't a bad saw, it just had terrible dust collection and the motor hanging off the back restricted what I could to do for an outfeed table. I bought it new and was trying to decide between that and a Grizzly cabinet saw both about the same price new at the time I took the advise of a local store and always regretted not getting a cabinet saw. I sold mine for a lot more than that but prices on any used table saw (other than a Sawstop) have taken a big dive in recent years. A year ago I got about double that for the Unisaw with a similarly valued collection of accessories. Accessories are a weird thing--seems like its better to split them up and sell them separately somewhere like here than include them where they add little value. I'd never buy something used without at least feeling out how firm the price is--seller may say prices are firm, they might immediately offer you a much lower price.

I don't think those would be bad machines to start out. They may suit your needs for a long time and if not they are (or were) a solid brand that shouldn't be hard to sell--but based on the past couple years don't be surprised if you have trouble getting a similar price back out of it in a few more years. Throat inserts are the same between this saw and a Unisaw so they are readily available. I liked the Unifence I had on my last Unisaw and kind of wish I'd kept it for the Sawstop. I had the Uni-T Fence from Peachtree which I loved and also found a Craigslist deal on a Unifence head where I was able to make 3 shorty fences, keep one, sell the others and the head at and come out even. I liked the ability of the stock fence to lay down when doing narrow rips and give me more room for a push stick.

I wouldn't buy as much as a pencil with the Craftsman name on it. Sears has been making serious cost-cutting moves the last several years and still Sears is a goner--then what for parts?

[Bradley Gray]

I would look first for old American iron on the sawmill classifieds and here:

http://vintagemachinery.org/classifieds/ads.aspx

[scott spencer]

Sounds like a decent deal with the Unifence and all the goodies included, but you will be giving up a riving knife, warranty, and you'll have the nuisance of an outboard motor. (the B0RK riving knife might fit that saw) Does the Delta have cast or steel wings? The G0715P is going to run close to double, but it does have a couple of advantages. You might make an offer of $400 on the saw....the money saved could indeed add quite a bit of capability to your shop.

[lowell holmes]

I have the 2000 version of the Delta Contractors saw. The arbor has undetectable run out. The saw with a Forrest blade will cut paper thin strips off and will be continuous. You can't do that if the arbor is wobbling. The Unifence is accurate, if it is set to a dimension, that is what the rip cut will be. I recommend adding a quality blade guard. It is cheaper than a trip to the emergency room. DAMHIK

I assume the saw your looking at has cast iron extensions.

[Matt Day]

Seems like an okay deal, but after going through the upgrade process before I'd recommend you but the big boy toys first so you don't have to worry about selling and buying again.
I'd recommend looking for a used cabinet saw and a 15" planer. They each can be had used (though some may need some work) for $400+ each.
But, if the items are plug and play and you don't want to fix an older machine, your finds might be a great deal!