Delta Tablesaws

Mark,

Yes the new hybrid would handle plywood very well. However, since you said "lifetime" I would look very serious at the Delta 3hp Unisaw USA made unit. Nothing says I love you...like the Delta Unisaw! I am a fan of the Biesemeyer fence and I prefer a left tilt, just what I am used to... no real advantage. This is the last saw you would ever need to buy. I am a big fan of Delta and have used Delta products for years. Let me know if I can be of any help.

Good luck and happy saw hunting, Mike from American Sycamore

Mark, If you will DAGS (Do a Google Search) you will find lots of information on these topics. Personally, I would walk, not run, from the new hybrid Delta - and I own many older Delta tools.

Click here:

Get the Unisaw. It is a full fledged cabinet saw. For good reason, it's one of the most common table saws in both hobby and professional shops. The 3 HP version is plenty strong, so you don't need to consider the 5 HP for hobby use.

Dave

X5 Unisaw

I'm just starting

I will have to say the unisaw is a great machine I bought one to build my kitchen cabinets over the winter.

I have done a good amount of wood working on many table saws and will say with the unisaw I can draw my plans and use the fence to measure and never need to "adjust" a measurement to make it fit. That is a tight machine for a guy used to using milling machines with a DRO to measure.

Wayne, That new unisaw look so out of place among all that old irn - I have a old

John, I'll add to the unanimous vote to go for the Unisaw if you want a saw that will last a lifetime. The hybrid saw is just a Contractor's saw with the motor moved inside an enclosed base. It's not in the same league as a Unisaw. It's probably a fairly decent saw for a carpenter or a beginning woodworker, but doesn't pass the "last saw I'll ever buy" test.

You'll probably want to do a little more research on fences before you take the plunge on your "first and last saw". The width of panel you can rip is determined by the length of the fence rails. Any full-size (as opposed to benchtop) saw can take a fence with at least 30" of rip capacity, which will get you past the center of a sheet of plywood. You can get fence rails 52" or longer, but they take up lots of room in your shop. There are several good fence brands out there, each with devoted fans. I have a Biesemier, and it's close enough to perfect for me.

Many of us who already have saws with plenty of rip capacity choose to cut plywood panels to rough size with a circular saw and straightedge then true them up on the table saw. It's just easier than wrestling a

DonkeyHody "Every man is my superior in that I can learn from him." - Thomas Carlyle

Wayne,

Have you made the splitter for it? Sent you a number of pics and a pdf manual for the Bies splitter which I guess you never received.

Bob S.

Was in a high-end tool store the other day, walked up to the hybrid. The owner of the store walked up to me and told me not to even think about it. He said he had to tap all new holes to get the damn thing together, and he assembles saws for a living. He said it was a bag of parts that just weren't well thought out.

He's a full-line Delta dealer, so he is pretty much expected to carry the saw.

But I bet he doesn't sell a single one to a customer he wants repeat business from.

Unisaw over the hybrid hands down. You will pay more but as they say "Darned well worth it!"

I think the hybrid is Delta's attempt to defend against the Asian attack against the Unisaw from firms like Grizzly. They failed.

RonB

=============== I have NOT read the other replies....BUT

Let me tell you that I own a Cabinet Saw..(not a Unisaw) .and you honestly can not compare a Hybrid to it.... the Unisaw wins hands down...

To answer your last question...Both the Unisaw and the Hybrid will handle sheets of plywood...the big question is just how big those sheets are, how strong you are and how good your fence locks down.....

I can (but sure as the devil do not like to) run a full 4x8 ft sheet of 3/4 in plywood thru my Cabibet saw..even with my 52 in Biesmeyer fence.and an outfeed table...... I normally cut them down to rough size using a circular saw with the plywood laying on the floor...

If you have the "few" extra bucks I would suggest you buy the unisaw...your grandchildren most likey will be thankful...

Bob G.