Delta vs Steel City Table Saw

[Adam]

Hello,

I have asked a few questions on here before and have been impressed with the wealth of knowledge you all have. I am currently in the market for a new table saw (my first actually) and have been shopping around. I have narrowed it down to two different saws, a Delta and a Steel City.

It seems every store I go into that sells Steel City and other brands HEAVILY recommends the Steel City. I just want to know what you guys think of them and maybe get any pros or cons you know of.

The Delta model is: 36-716B The Steel City is: 35670

Both have the same size motor and I feel the fences are somewhat comperable. I just don't know what I am missing...

The Delta saw is looking like it will be $999 - no rebates The Steel City is looking like it will be $949 - after $100 mail in rebate.

Both will require mobile bases.

Thanks for your time!

Adam

[Lee K]

You can get the Delta for 949 +6.50 shipping (yes, 6.50!) here:

The Steel City is looking like it will be $949 - after $100 mail in > rebate.

It's 849.99 (??shipping??) after rebate here:

[Swingman]

"Adam" wrote

Go somewhere you can compare them side by side, even if you have to take a trip. If you've used a table saw much at all, you probably won't even have to do any cutting to make a decision.

[George]

As noted, you have more places to search for pricing.

If you want one. Depends on shop size.

I have a Steel City drillpress, got a good look through their line at the distributer, and they all look pretty good. Guess I was impressed enough, because I bought the oldest kid a planer and jointer with his "grandma" money. He loves 'em.

I like my Mississippi Delta saw, but if in the market, I'd probably buy S.C.

What else to do in this weather?

[mac davis]

You snowed in again, George? Just think of all that spalting going on under the snow!

(I won't mention that it's 60f here this morning) damn, did I say that out loud?

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

[Adam]

I'd love to have a Mississippi Delta saw too, but sadly only the TOP of the line saws are still made here in the good ol' US of A. The Delta I am comparing with the SC are both made over in China...

I want to go American, but can not afford more than around $1000 for a TS.

Adam

[George]

Nope, remember this?

there's no real degrade going on, either.

[Tanus]

Pfft!. 7" of snow on Friday, -29 on Friday nite, and freezing rain forecast for tonite.

The Gatineaus, Quebec. Where men are men and even the cows are a bit nervous. The sheep are in therapy.

[Jim Weisgram]

Steel City is a relatively new outfit, it has been getting a lot of good press; Delta and Powermatic cabinet saws have been the gold standard that other saws are compared to for a long time.

The saws you mention are not really cabinet saws, despite appearances.

That dynamite tool site lists a steel city cabinet saw with a 3 hp motor for for $950. In my opinion the extra hp makes a huge difference. You would need 220V to connect it, but I do think a "real" cabinet saw at that price difference should not go overlooked.

[J. Clarke]

>>>> Steel City is a relatively new outfit, it has been getting a lot of

In what way is the Steel City not a "cabinet saw"?

[The Davenport's]

>>>>>>> Steel City is a relatively new outfit, it has been getting a lot of

The SteelCity saw is a hybrid. One of the distinctive differences between a cabinet saw and a contractors is that the trunions on a contractors saw is hung from the bottom of the table where on the cabinet saw, the trunions are mounted to the cabinet and not connected to the top. SO...the hybrids have a cabinet like the cabinet saws but mount the trunions to the table.

Mike

[Upscale]

That's interesting information to know. It makes me think that if I ever have to move a cabinet saw, hopefully it would make it easier to remove the table from a cabinet saw to reduce weight as well as overall size.

As far as you know, is there any practical or beneficial reasons to not have the trunions attached to the table but instead attached to the cabinet?

[Father Haskell]

The table will remain flatter, since it's not supporting the entire drive train.

[Frank Boettcher]

Yes, It allows you to expand the trunnion brackets to the four corners of the cabinet, giving you the opportunity to place a beefier yoke/trunion assembly and motor bracket in the mechanism. Hybrids that have a contractor saw style tie rod carriage assembly tend to be less robust.

Frank

[J. Clarke]

>>>>>>>>>> Steel City is a relatively new outfit, it has been getting a lot >>> of

Uh, what leads you to believe that the Steel City 35670 has table mounted trunions? Steel City thinks that they are cabinet-mounted. Most reviews comment on their being cabinet mounted. The web site linked above states specifically that "The precision-machined cast iron trunions are mounted to the cabinet". So I repeat my question. In what way is it not a "cabinet saw"?

[Adam]

>>>>>>>>>>>>> Steel City is a relatively new outfit, it has been getting a lot >>>> of

Thank you for posting that as I was just thinking about the fact that the salesman has made such a big deal about it when speaking with him. Being new to this I didn't really understand why he was making such a big deal about it. So it seems like a pretty big deal :-)

This is the products main page:

say this:

"Cabinet Mounted Trunion System: The precision-machined cast iron trunions are mounted to the cabinet to ensure perfect blade alignment, increased stability and to eliminate vibration. "

[LRod]

everyone knows, although your relative newness suggests you might not, is that Steel City is run by a bunch of old Delta people. Frank probably knows them all. While that by itself doesn't assure anything about the product, it at least suggests where the design has its roots.

One thing I found curious when I went to the link and saw the picture, is that the motor cover is on the right, as is usual with all the old right tilt Unisaws. Every left tilt cabinet saw I've seen (Delta's, Powermatic's, Jet's, etc.) have the motor cover on the left on a left tilt saw.

The arc on the front of the cabinet is left tilt-like, but the cover (and the tilt wheel, also on the left, as on a right tilt)) is throwing me off. At the very least that suggests some departure from just staid old Delta-ware (not that there was anything wrong with that). I hope someone can come up with the answer to that.

You do know they're built offshore, right? If that matters. Hard to avoid, in any event.

[The Davenport's]

I stand corrected...the comments that I made were based on the difference between a cabinet saw and a contractors saw, forgetting to check with the SteelCity website as to the saw in question.

I will say, however, that other than that the SteelCity ISN'T one, what makes a hybrid a hybrid was correct. Small point, but a point none the less.

Still wrong, but...oh well

My bad.

Mike

[J. Clarke]

Just so you know, the Sears 22124 is a rebadged Steel City and also has cabinet-mounted trunions. Their OR35505 is based on the same mechanism--it's kind of a hybrid saw in reverse--a cabinet saw that looks like a contractor's saw.

[JDH]

Having compared the Delta and Steel Cuty hybrids side by side (literaly, at Tool King) I was impressed by the Steel City, clean castings, heavily built, positive controls and the details made it for me. That and a review of their respective owners manuals, amazing what you can glean from them. The Delta looks to be a pain to adjust. JDH