What can you tell me about this Table Saw

[Matt Hardy]

I have the chance to be the first person to purchase this saw in the morning. I don't know anything about it other than these three pictures and that it has been used in a cabinet making shop. I currently have a Ridgid TS3650 in brand new shape. I bought it used but in the box. They want $300 for the Unisaw. I have not done a ton of research on table saws so could someone tell what year roughly it might be? Hopefully it's single phase. Anything else I should be concerned about? Is that the fence that would have come on the saw? It does not look normal to me. Do I want to take a brand new saw that I am used to and like and trade it for an older saw but with better bones?

[Rick Potter]

I have one that looks just like it. Mine is from the '80's and I paid $1600 for it fully loaded with outfeed table and mobile base. I cannot read the front sticker, but if it says Unisaw on it, it's a winner. They also made one that said Tilting Arbor Table Saw. This was the equivalent of today's hybrid saws, with a 1 1/2 horse motor.

It looks to me like a real Unisaw, and should be 3 HP, it is right tilt, the fence is Delta's Unifence, which is a great fence, though some prefer the Beisemeyer. The fences on most expensive sliders, like the Felder look like Unifence clones. This saw has the 52" long version of the Unifence. It also has a magnetic switch (good).

Looking at the dust collector sitting next to it, and the size of the compressor in the background, I would suspect it might be 3 phase, as it appears to be in a commercial shop.

If it's single phase and in good shape, it's a steal. Check the arbor for loose bearings and runout, along with running it.

Hope this helps.

Mine has never given me a bit of trouble, and I will probably keep it forever.


EDIT: I may have caused some confusion about the hybrid. I will try to clarify. In the '70's I had a 1 1/2HP Unisaw, which said Unisaw on the label. These were manufactured for people who needed a good saw, but only had 110V power. I owned one for 10 years before bumping up to the 3HP model in the '80's. So....they did make 1 1/2 HP UNISAWS, but in later years they made a 1 1/2HP TILTING ARBOR SAW, which did not say Unisaw on the sticker. It is this saw I compare to the current HYBRID saws sold today. It looked like a Unisaw, but wasn't called a Unisaw. I never looked 'under the hood', so I do not know anything about it's build quality.

[andy bessette]

Not much I can add to Rick's excellent post. That Unisaw should be worth a pickup truck full of Ridgid saws--no comparison. $300 is unheard of for one; they're often seen at 2 or 3 times that much. But condition is only everything. I have two of them, one with the Unifence and one with a Beismeyer, and am completely satisfied.

[scott spencer]

It'd great if its single phase, but still worth adding a converter of some sort. Heck of a saw, and a heck of a deal. Buy it, then choose....no money to be lost here....might even make some if you decide to resell the Unisaw. The added mass and power will be a good upgrade.

[Rich Riddle]

The plastic wheels and decals let you know this is a later model Unisaw. It's likely a Delta Unisaw 34-802 series if from the 1980's. You can still find many parts for the Unisaw models and they are worlds ahead of your current saw. It has a Unifence system on it. You can look up the pros and cons of a Unifence system, but there is a reason Delta transitioned to the Biesemeyer fence on their later revisions.

There are a few reasons a commercial shop might sell a table saw including transitioning toward a cabinet saw with flesh sensing technology or a European slider, closing a business, or wearing out the old saw and not wanting to take the time to rebuilt it because time is money, etc. Expect a commercially used saw to be used and abused. You will likely have to rebuild a commercially used saw, but it's not difficult and fair considering the price you're going to pay. Bearings aren't overly expensive or difficult to replace.

Here is a similar model:

Delta.jpg

[Frank Pratt]

Looks like there is a mag starter on the front, which means probably 3 phase.

[Charles Lent]

If you haven't used a Unifence before it will feel quite different at first, but once you learn it's features and how to use them, I doubt you will ever want a different fence. The extruded aluminum fence piece can be mounted on either side of the main casting and can also be rotated 90 deg to form either a high or low fence. You can also pull the fence extrusion back to make a short fence for use as a stop when cross cutting, all by loosening two T handle knobs, changing the fence extrusion position to the way that you want, and then tightening the T handle knobs. I use a Biesmeyer fence at work, but I far prefer my Unifence in my home shop over it. I've also used Powermatic, Jet, and Hitachi fences, but much prefer the Unifence over them.

If that saw says it's a Unisaw somewhere on the label, buy it. It will have a 3 or 5 hp motor and will have more power than you will ever need in a home shop table saw. You will not be able to connect it to 120 volt power, so expect to need run 240 volt power to it. If it's 3 phase, you can replace the motor with a single phase motorfor about $350, or use a VFD or rotary phase converter (also about $350) to make 3 phase power off your home power to run it without replacing the motor. Replacing the belts and arbor bearings is relatively quick and easy to do for a parts cost of less than $60 and best to do before the saw is fully assembled. I doubt it will need anything else unless something is broken. Test run the saw before you pay for it. Make certain that the blade has no visible wobble as it's starting up or stopping. Also make certain that you can tilt the blade to 45 deg and then bring it back to 90 deg without binding. If it binds and/or squeeks, it may be just a lack of lubrication, but it may also indicate damage, so a closer look at the internal parts through the blade opening may be necessary. A cracked trunnion casting is usually easily visible with the throat plate removed. A cracked casting to me = no sale. They can be replaced, but they are no longer available new and are expensive if you can find one. Since the cabinet has no lower front door, you will need a dust collector hooked to the port on the side to keep the cabinet from filling with sawdust.

If it doesn't say it's a Unisaw, it's what they called a "hybrid saw" and it only has a 1 1/2 hp motor. A good saw, but NOT a Unisaw. A model number search on the internet will also confirm if it's a Unisaw or not. A hybrid saw is basically a contractor grade saw, but with an enclosed cabinet. Almost nothing is the same inside the saw cabinet and they don't compare iat all to a Unisaw. I've owned 5 table saws in my lifetime, each one was a little better than the previous one, but purchasing my used Unisaw was a giant step up in quality and accuracy. I will likely never need or want a better table saw than my Unisaw for my home shop. I'm the third owner of my Unisaw, and the first owner was a commercial cabinet shop. When I got it home I cleaned it thoroughly and replaced the belts and arbor bearings. The motor bearings were still very tight and quiet, so I left them in. I adjusted the 90 and 45 deg stops, and lubricated the internal moving parts. Then cleaned and waxed the table, checked the alignment of the miter slots to the blade and then the fence to blade alignment, and then I began using it. I wax the table and re-lubricate it periodically, and check the alignments, but I have never needed to change a calibrated setting since I began using it 16 years ago.

I have since added a Wixey DRO to the Unifence and purchased Uni--T-Fences, both short and long length, for it from Peach Tree Woodworking. These fence extrusions are square, with T slots in them to make feather boards, jigs, and fixtures easier to attach. They slide in and attach to the Unifence casting the same way that the original fence does. I still use and prefer the original fence extrusion for most general cutting, but I switch to one of these fence extrusions if I want to attach a feather board or jig.

Charley

[Rick Lizek]

A mag starter doesn't guarantee that it's three phase. It just means it's 3 to 5 hp. My single phase PM 66 has a mag starter. I would say it's true unisaw and not the hybrid.

[andy bessette]

Charley--one correction to your otherwise excellent post--one of my Unisaws I purchased, new (decades ago), with a 1.5hp motor, which I have wired 220-volts and which is adequate. The other Unisaw has a 3hp motor. Both have magnetic switches. These machines were available in 1.5, 3 and 5hp single phase, as well as other 3-phase power, here in the US.

[Matt Day]

If it's 3 phase, you can replace the motor with a single phase motorfor about $350, or use a VFD or rotary phase converter (also about $350)

Charles, I just wanted to mention a VFD can cost as little as $115 for a 3hp motor.

[Frank Pratt]

Ah, right you are.

A mag starter doesn't guarantee that it's three phase. It just means it's 3 to 5 hp. My single phase PM 66 has a mag starter. I would say it's true unisaw and not the hybrid.

[Patrick Curry]

Matt,
Prices on used cabinet saws vary considerably from one area of the country to the next so it's not always easy to say what a fair price would be. But assuming there are no cracks in the trunion, if that were for sale at $300 around here I'd back my truck right up to the shop door and drop the tailgate before even saying hello.

The others have offered some really solid advise such as looking for blade wobble, minimal costs of replacing bearings, and what to do if it's a 3 phase (I'd replace the motor since I have some spare ones).

Let us us know how it turns out. There's a lot of knowledgeable folks on this site if you need repair help.

[Dave Cav]

The nice thing about Unisaws is there are a ton of used parts available, they can be rebuilt just about forever and there's a huge knowledge base on OWWM/Vintage Machinery. That's an excellent price and I can't see how you could get hurt even if you had to put another $300 into repairs, vfds, and so on. There's nothing wrong with the Unifence, either, they're just different.

[Alan Schaffter]

It would help if your photos were in focus, but as best as I can tell it says "Unisaw" on the label just below "Delta."

Two things I noticed. It only has one cast iron wing (I prefer 2) but many (most?) Unisaws came that way. The blade tilt handwheel seems to be WAY farther away from the left side of the cabinet than on my Unisaw and others I have seen- could be something wonky going on or someone just un-threaded the locking knob and attempted to remove the hand wheel.

[Mike Kees]

For that price I would just buy it and figure out what needs fixed later. The fence alone is worth the asking price. I would say it is definitely a Unisaw and would be a huge upgrade for you, good luck,Mike.