Ok, my shop construction is nearly complete and now is the time to furnishit. I'm going batty trying to decide on which saw to buy, either a DeltaUnisaw with a 50" Biesmeyer fence or a Jet . The Delta saw is American made(for now) and sells for $1,799 everywhere, while the Jet is I hear Swiss butmade in Tiawan and sells for $1,699 and comes with a router lift and Boschrouter. So my question, which is the better saw?Jet = =

Both are good. What color do you like better?Seriously, that may be the swing feature. I don't think you will know whatsaw is under you when you are pushing a piece of wood through it. I've usedboth and they both perform very well.I'm partial to the Bies fence. The router in the extension table is nice attimes, but not as good as a real full featured router table. It comes downto cost and space for that decision. If my router is set up for anoperation, I don't want to have to change it to cut some wood.IMO, you will have good performance from either and will be happy witheither. I have both Delta and Jet tools so I'm not prejudice for one of theother. Be sure to get a good blade and look at the General 650 also.Ed

Help please - which saw is better?

Stephen M 22 years ago

3 things steared me to the Jet.

Backwards tilt (is it left or right? Depends on where you're standing!) availability: I wanted the dust to go out the correct side of the machine for my dust collection design.

When I touched the machines, the Unisaw had a lousy feel the the tilt and blade elevation wheels. The jet was smooth as silk. I *assume* that this is a not a function of sloppy showroom setup which is almost ubiquitous across brands. I could be all wet, but it left an impression

About $200.

In retrospect, it's still a coin flip.

-Steve

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Leon 22 years ago

I also think if you lift up the skirts on that Jet

May be inferior but you hear and I have seen Delta trunions being broken more often than all others combined. I seriously doubt you could see the difference.

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MN Guy 22 years ago

Would have to go with the General 650. Open the covers and you'd agree.

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Larry Blanchard 22 years ago

What, no General?

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Andrew Barss 22 years ago

I have the Jet, in the package you describe. It's a terrific saw, and the router and router lift are excellent. Jet has fine tech support. So, from my prspective, go Jet.

And check local dealers. I bought mine locally, and they delivered it free, helped me set it up, etc. And making a major purchase from a local dealer can enhance your relationship with them, leading to deals down the road.

-- Andy Barss

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