# table saw help...buying used



## ajhagerman (Mar 3, 2011)

Hello all! I'm very new and need some assistance. I would like to purchase a table saw (new or used) and need to know what to look for. 

I'm no pro, but don't want to regret my choice and end up buying a second saw down the road.

My budget would be around $300ish. It's for general home use, but would ideally like to redesign my basement bar, so something that is going to be good enough to build cabinets with.

There is currently a Delta XL-10 (model 36-380) on Craigslist for $325, it looks nice but how do I know if something like that is a good deal....Help!

Andy


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## mickit (Oct 5, 2009)

Hi Andy,
IMO you can do better. The 36-380 is a direct drive machine. That is the arbor is the motor armature shaft, not an ideal arrangement. Sawdust and chips can be drawn into the motor. The "contractor" type saw, with the motor hanging off the back, and a belt driving the arbor, can be had for the same price, sometimes lower.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

Andy - If you can swing the space, you're best off going with a full size cast iron saw with a belt drive induction motor. The tables will be a standard 27" deep, and roughly 40"-44" wide with wings. They have many advantages over the smaller direct drive types with universal motors. For $300 you should be able to land a pretty nice full size contractor saw. Keep your eyes peeled for a Jet, Delta, Grizzly, PM, Craftsman, Ridgid, Hitachi, Shop Fox, Bridgewood, Woodtek, old Rockwell, etc. If your shop has standard 120v electrical circuits, you're limited to saws with a true hp rating of less than 2hp. (Claims for more than 2hp from a standard 120v circuit are misleading). If you've got 220v (aka 240v), you just might stumble into a deal on a true 3hp industrial cabinet saw. 

If you absolutely don't have the space, I'd look into one of the better portable jobsite saws like the Bosch 4100, DeWalt, or Ridgid TS4510 (formerly the TS2400/2410). 

This Rockler article should help explain a few basics.

Here's a few examples of full size cast iron saws:












































IMHO, you'd be better off avoiding saws like these:


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## ajhagerman (Mar 3, 2011)

Thanks for the help! exactly the type of info I was looking for.

Andy


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## mdcatro57 (Mar 4, 2011)

Hi Andy,
I agree with mickit, I would stay away from a direct drive table saw. When I first started out in woodworking 30 years ago, I purchased one the direct drive table saws and it lasted for about a year and the motor burned up in it. I now have an older Craftsman 10" table saw that I bought new about 20 years ago and I have it set up to cut large panels and it does a great job. 

I also have a Delta 10" that I bought used from a shop here in my home town that went out of business and I have had it for about 8 years now. I think that if you are going to buy used equipment if you can buy from someone that you know helps.

But if you are looking on Craigslist, I would definitely want to check out anything that you buy. Will they let you run the saw and maybe even rip a board with it. Listen for strange noises that the machine makes while it is running. Some things are cheap to fix, but if the motor is getting ready to go out, something that seemed like a good deal at the start may not be if you have to spend a lot of money repairing it.


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## mwhals (Apr 13, 2010)

I just sold a Craftsman 10" table saw like what is recommended here. I let the buyer cross cut a couple of my boards to allow him to evaluate it. If you don't get a chance to run the saw, I would be skeptical of buying it.


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## Pirate (Jul 23, 2009)

mwhals said:


> I just sold a Craftsman 10" table saw like what is recommended here. I let the buyer cross cut a couple of my boards to allow him to evaluate it. If you don't get a chance to run the saw, I would be skeptical of buying it.


I buy and sell tools now and then. I demo the saw. I make the cross cuts. I know what I'm doing. I don't know that the buyer does! And I don't like to see blood.


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## JoeCarpenter (Jun 13, 2013)

The Delta XL-10 is direct drive, but what you guys are missing is that it is well designed and most importantly it is an induction motor. I have this baby forever, and she is a workhorse with an iron top, and steel wing extensions. Like a baby unisaw, the lower legs can be enclosed and it becomes a dust box or you just put a large bucket underneath.

These delta induction motor just last forever, and unloaded, all you hear is the wind generated from the blad spinning ... No belt slack to deal with.

So no, the comparison to those universal motor just doesn't compare.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

If it were me I would buy used. For home shop use a table saw will probably last you the rest of your life. I would make sure you got one that was 2hp or more and the fence operated comfortably. The only brand I would be apprehensive about is Delta. They have had a problem with parts supply for some time and it doesn't seem like they care about their customers.


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## jvon191 (Jun 13, 2013)

Steve Neul said:


> If it were me I would buy used. For home shop use a table saw will probably last you the rest of your life. I would make sure you got one that was 2hp or more and the fence operated comfortably. The only brand I would be apprehensive about is Delta. They have had a problem with parts supply for some time and it doesn't seem like they care about their customers.


Are the table saws at Harbor Freight worth buying.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

The only one that looks acceptable there is more than the better quality Home Depot or sears contractor saws.


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## Steve Neul (Sep 2, 2011)

jvon191 said:


> Are the table saws at Harbor Freight worth buying.


To tell you the truth, I've never seen a table saw at the Harbor Freight I go to and didn't know they made one. I use a lot of their tools and wouldn't be apprehensive in buying a Harbor Freight saw. I went to their website and it looks like they've marked them down to $129.00. They call it an industral saw however the top is only 19"x 26" which is pretty little for a table saw. I have a little ryobi saw like that I carry to jobsites. It works well for ripping solid stock but it's too little to consider cutting sheet stock with it. For shop use I would get at least a contractor size saw. I had a Craftsman contractor saw I used professionally for 30 years until the motor quit and I couldn't find someone to repair it.


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## knotscott (Nov 8, 2007)

jvon191 said:


> Are the table saws at Harbor Freight worth buying.


It depends on the particular model, but not usually. Once upon a time they offered a full size 3hp industrial cabinet saw that got good reports, but it's long gone. Any of the others I've seen were unimpressive. A good used saw is usually a better option than a cheap new saw.


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## Oneal-Woodworking (Apr 14, 2013)

Powermatic -

Accept no substitute...

LOL!


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## toolguy1000 (Oct 4, 2012)

Powermatic (new units).....

long on promise, short on delivery, and expensive.


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

LOL.....here we go!!!


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## ryan50hrl (Jun 30, 2012)

jvon191 said:


> Are the table saws at Harbor Freight worth buying.



Where are you located....i've seen 3 used saws locally that i'd snap up in a heartbeat if I had room for another saw in the last week....many of the guys are on craigslist all the time watching and might be able to point you in the direction of a deal.


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## MORRIS76 (May 6, 2013)

A used Craftsman or Ridgid table saw would be my choice. The old Craftsman models are hard to wear out and they are fairly simple to repair. The fence is not the best on these saws and you'd likely want to buy better T clamp aftermarket replacement. The Ridgid 45 series are also excellent saws. Just be sure that you take a very close look at every thing on the saw and make some cuts. All of the motors on these saws are very simple to work on except that replacements for sleeve bearings can be hard to find. I've yet to have one of the Emerson motors fail.


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