Delta and Bies

[Mike O.]

A week or so I ordered a new Bies fence from a local Delta dealer. Since I had the day off today, I decided it was time to install it. I pulled the fence out of the box and found the bag of nuts and bolts, the knob and the plastic pointer but no instructions. I figured I could get them off the net so didn't think too much about it.

I then pulled out the rails (from a different box) and sighted down them. Sure enough there was about a 1/8" crown in the front rail. The face that bolts to the saw was good but the face that the tube bolts to has the crown. I kinda thought that it should be better than that so I gave Delta a call. I asked the woman on the phone if this was within tolerances and she said she didn't know but would send me a new rail.

I should get to try the install again in four or five days...assuming I get the correct part.

Mike O.

[Tom H]

Had the same expierence with the right fence on a Delta 12" Miter Saw. They sent me a new fence but it drove me crazy until I figured out what was wrong. Delta isn't what it used to be.

[David]

WHEN was Delta "what it used to be"? I'll say 4 years ago, it also wasn't "what it used to be", but that's as far back as I've dealt with them, so I know zip about their previous quality/support.

Dave

[wood_newbie]

I haven't been working wood long enough to answer. But allow me to offer-up a ray of hope:

B & D, although the leading maker of shit tools in the country, now owns them. BUT, B & D _just_ bought them. It looks like most of the damage was done on Pentair's watch. There hasn't been near enough time for B & D to get their designs/people in place. Maybe, just maybe, B & D will realize what they have in the Delta name, and can bring it back to its former self. They've got the deep pockets, let's give them a chance to perform. Afterall, Porter Cable was disentegrating under Pentair's "watchful" eye, too.

For an example, look at Jaguar automobiles. Ford bought them in 1990, at a time when Jaguar quality was on par with Yugo. ("Did you hear the new Yugo has a rear-window defroster? Yeah, it's to keep your hands warm while you're pushing the damn thing home.") What's happened since? Jaguar has some of the highest build quality in the industry. (Except for the early X-Types, so no flaming, gentlemen.) Ford is an "everymans" brand, but they resurrected a luxury brand from the grave.

Dare we hope?

I'm going to.