Since that last review went over so well... :-\
I'm breaking this up into sections so that I may assimilate the backlash in bite-sized nuggets. And for you who missed it - Great!
Agree or disagree, but as Sergeant Friday says, Just the Facts, Ma'am. If in error, you may call me on it, but it's a report, not brand debate. I have found other's "real world" assessments of tools very helpful in selecting a product from the myriad available. I have read reviews in the rags that, upon viewing the object of their glowing affection, have provoked the question, "Are we talking about the same widget here? And just what criteria are they using?" Sarcasm and humor may (or may not?) accompany this information. This is as much for entertainment's sake as for information. Benchmarks have long been a part of my life in the electronics and computer biz, so...
A salesman once told me, "I hate those magazines. I just can't make their readers happy." And as I pondered his dilemma, I considered the variabilities between machines, potential mis-interpretation of the data, and the "Slick Willy" factor and came to the conclusion that he may or may not be right.
So, here we are...
Came close to just selling it all - too much aggravation and expense. And there is no point in having this stuff if the primary tool of use is such a POS that you don't want to use it, or go deaf from trying.
So, I again went in quest of the "Ultimate Affordable Cabinet Saw." Decided to look around at other brands - I looked at Lobo's, General's, Jets, Powermatics. I looked in the paper for gnused. And came to the conclusion that, for me, the Delta Unisaw refurb unit was worth another shot. Wasn't about to wait on delivery trucks, freight damage claims, or shipment of missing and broken parts. I wasn't going to spend $2200 on a cabinet saw. And like the kid in the candy store, I wanted it NOW. So please, spare me the web referrals and the "Here's what I got". I appreciate the gesture, but it's not germane. Everything in life is a collection of compromises.
And since the results are being held to a higher standard, I'll briefly touch upon the methodology used to obtain the sample.
I like simple, durable, uncomplicated machines. No gilmer belt driven height adjusters, no plastic internals, no off-the-wall imported parts you can't find replacements for in 3 years. No parts that have been re-engineered every season in concert with marketing hyperbola.
Just Big, Dumb, and Strong. Like my women. And that about sums up the Delta Unisaw - so far. (And if anyone wants an Old Chicago 16", 3HP for $400, let me know.)
The requirements were : Left tilt, 2-5 HP, long, sturdy fence with cursor on the right side of the fence and 36" or greater ripping capacity. Ease of obtaining replacement parts. Durabil... Oh, we covered that already.
Anyone who has read my other longwinded, bombastic reviews knows that I generally check a few pertinent characteristics with basic measuring instruments. In this case, a replacement Delta Unisaw was obtained on the chance that I simply "got a bad one", and this is my assessment of that replacement. My critiques of Delta's Q.C. are still applicable, and I still feel that a multistage Q.C. is a necessity when working with beings as inconsistent as humans, and that a unit in that condition should have been caught. It's far too expensive to ship defective products around the country, especially in light of current fuel costs, and is simply a good business model. So it costs you a round of golf. JMHO.
Unit had been demo'd. But the top was apparently re-ground. You guys should really wash the grinding dust out of the extension table holes before re-assembling the unit. Grey grit makes an annoying job, well... annoying. So, boys and girls, clean those threads and make your life much easier. I used solvent and a rag, rolled into a point to probe out what I could. An air-nozzle finished off the rest. It would be much easier to do this before assembling the table to the base, as the backs of several holes are blocked by the cabinet and trunnion mounts. FYI.
The foamed in place packing was a real PITA. The guy that did this was definitely intent on filling this sucker up. I had to cut portions out with a handheld sheetrock hole saw. But considering the handling freight can receive, I didn't mind too much. All of the foam was contained in bags, until I attacked it with a jagged saw blade.
Runout of the arbor - .0005" (Yes, this is acceptable.) Cleaned and lightly oiled flange and dial indicator. (No, it's not from Harbor Freight.) Average of two points on the flange.
Arbor seems cast, but the grain structure looks tight. Canadian General claims a forged arbor (and the only forge in the business) on their better saws, but to be honest, I've never heard of a broken arbor that wasn't accompanied by abuse. Bent blades, impact, big hammers, and bad bearings all come to mind.
They call it a GPE switch, but that is an acronym for it's vendor, not it's name. And it's neither, anymore. Now it's an NHD switch, so jot that down in your acronym handbook for when you go shopping. And that represents NHD Industrial Co., Ltd. And as you can tell from their own company description:
We are professional manufacturer of magnetic switch.
They are also Taiwanese.
The NHD magnetic/overload switches are classic Taiwanese electronics items - well made, well spec'd, but slightly on the delicate side. Tight control over costs is what makes them so competitive. So kiss off another US company...
Table surface quality is far better than the original unit. The grind is clean. It's no Powermatic, but if a polish job is worth $900, then I'm in the wrong business.
However, the table flatness is not as good as the original unit. For some reason, and I'm no metallurgist, the area around the throat plate opening is problematic. This is one factor that made my old saw so irritating. There is a hump on the left side of the throat. Seems to be a common ailment in cast-iron tables from Delta and others. Cast-iron table located by it's mounting points on a jig, ground in a matter of seconds by a huge grinding wheel. Under those conditions, the malleability of iron is prominent. I hope you guys have a support under that throat, 'cause it's moving on ya.
Table Flatness: Within .003 across most of the table. .035 Front Left to Right Rear .028 Front Right to Left Rear. Varying between .006" and .012" across the throat.
If it weren't for the hump around the throat, we'd be there. It runs in a narrow band along the trailing edge of the grinder, assuming the setup I envision is used. (It's on the left...)
It's far better than what I've been using, but seems a little lax to me. The proof of the pudding is in the cuts, however.
Clearance between the miter T-track bottom and the table surface is .418 in the rear, and .424 in the front - even within .006" and identical on both sides. Clearance between an "average" miter gauge and table top is considerably more than the .001" of the last unit at a more conventional .018-.020".
I'll finish off this sucker next time I sit down to eat a bagel. So look forward to Part 2 - at an Internet Cafe near you.
Greg G.