Power Saws Reviews

Because the table saw is so important in the workshop, I waited a year to write this review. You should inventory your needs and research available products on the market. I have had the saw for a year and am happy with its performance.
pros: I really like the on/off switch. It is very easy to slap off. I really like the T2 fence and find it similar to the Biesemeyer Home Shop Fence. It is very easy to change out blades.

cons: It has steel stamped wings. I would have prefered the cast iron wings that are available on the 36-680. (I got the saw on sale at Home depot for $250.) It has a 30" rip capacity. This is a step up from my old benchtop model, however, I would prefer 50" capacity. I truly feel the saw is underpowered and would much prefer the 1 3/4 HP that Delta now uses on their hybrid saws. Dust collection is possible only with the purchase of a dust hood and alot of rigging.

I recommend this saw. It is what it is - a contractor saw not a cabinet saw. It has served me well and I have made many projects on it. I found myself doing alot of add on's to make it more like a cabinet saw. It is serving me well, however, I would recommend looking at the new Delta hybrid saws. They are better powered and dust collection is simple.

If you purchase this saw you can do many things to make it better like I did. You MUST change the belt to the Power Twist Plus Belt. It makes a world of difference!!! Add an outfeed table. One advantage of the stamped steel wings is that they have holes on the side of them where the cast iron wings do not. You can use them for bolting on your outfeed table. I also made a hanging board on the left side of my saw. I store my extra Freud saw blades, miter gage, inserts and push sticks on it. I made it out of a sheet of 3/4" plywood and just bolted it to the steel wing and let it hang down. (works great)
I added a delta mobile base and boxed in the bottom to add primitive dust collection.

Just purchased this saw from Rockler for $399 + tax. For the price it's an outstanding saw. Almost everything was aligned right out of the box. The only thing that needed a little tweaking was the fence (adjustment to miter slot), the splitter (alignment with the blade), and the 90 degree stop on the blade. From previous posts I was concerned about the fence, but after using it I'm really happy with it. I haven't noticed and flex and I haven't had trouble setting it to the rule.

The stamped steel wings were a concern for me because I'm planning on replacing the right one with a router table. A plus is they are MUCH easier to align than cast iron. No shims needed. Just move them into place and tighten the bolts. I may eventually change out the left wing with a cast iron one, but right now I really don't see the need too.

The only thing that I can complain about is the milling on the cast iron top. It isn't nearly as smooth as the tops on more costly saws. It's more like the quality one sees on the TS200 model Delta makes. The top was flat. I didn't take a feeler gauge to it, but I couldn't see any light under my straight edges.

I put a dial indicator on the arbor and it wasn't as tight as I hoped but it was acceptable. The flange itself was .002 and the end of the arbor was .004. Where it was really tight was the blade seat next to the flange. That was .001.

I put a Freud F410 blade on it and the rip and crosscuts were very smooth. I used featherboards above and to the side of the on the rip cuts.

One other thing that I was apprehensive about was it being a right tilt saw. But after using it, I can hang with it. I really don't think it's as big a deal as a lot of threads on the web tend to make it.

I also put it on the Woodcraft mobile base (plywood version) which works well with the saw.

Overall, I'm very happy with the purchase. I had considered buying the new Delta hybrids, the Craftsman hybrids, the new Delta left-tilt contractors, the Ridgid 3650, General and Grizzly. They're all fine saws, but at $399 it seemed the best value to me. A close second was the Ridgid saw, but I wasn't too thrilled with the base (it seemed flimsy and 'tipsy' to me).

I just started using my model 36-675 saw, and so far, I am very pleased with its performance. The saw is built very solidly, and it has an easily replaceable motor in the rear. After I fine-tuned the fence and blade for squareness, wood cuts were right on the money. This would be a great saw for small to medium-sized wood shops.

I'M AN ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR AND USE THE HOLE HAWG ALMOST EVERY DAY...THE ONLY OTHER ONE I'VE USED ALOT IS THE MAKITA AND THO IT'S A GOOD TOOL, THE MILWAKEE JUST SEEMS TO BE TOUGHER. I DEFINATELY RECOMEND IT TO ANYONE THAT HAS TO DO SOME SERIOUS HOLE DRILLING, ESPECIALLY BIG HOLES...BUT PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOUR DOING, IT'LL HURT YOU IF YOUR CARELESS.....

This drill puts others to shame. Drilling through the toughest material, this one has enough torque to get the job done, and still more to spare. The limit to what you can get done with this tool is determined not by the torque that the drill puts out, but by your own strength--when the bit binds on you, the drill will literally wrench itself out of your hands. The warning that the Amazon review gives is apt; new users should be careful with this behemoth because it has more power than you might think. Screw on the secondary, perpendicular handle to keep a hold on this monster as it bores through wood, concrete, asphalt, metal--the tool can handle it all. But can you handle the tool?

In addition to being an outstanding tool for electrical and plumbing, mine survied 3" of water. I let it dry out, cleaned up the outside and it runs like new still. The self-feed bits pull it through the heaviest 2" solid, dry, and well aged oak -- without burning the wood. And its not just for pros. Anyone who has to do electrical, plumbing, or has to drill through studs or heavy wood, will benefit from this tool.

I've retired my 25 year old Bosch 1 578 1 jigsaw. This saw has given me excellent service for 25 years, it's only short comings are you need a special srewdriver to change the blade, it doesn't have a cut blower and you have to plug it in. The 52318 addresses all of these. It's a great saw goes anywhere and for me doing pickup work in unfinished house where sometimes the power isn't in that's important. The only thing I didn't like is the funny little wire guard right in front of the blade blocks my veiw of the cut, but a srewdriver popped it right out so everything is fine. Don't know if it will last 25 years but we'll see.

Out of all the cordless tools I own this one does the most on a battery. I own the bosch corded jig and have not used it once
since having this one.

The tool is made tough, the grip and balance is almost perfect.
The blade change system is phenominal. If you break a blade just pull the lever and the hot broken blade spits right out on its own!! The put a new blade in just push it in!!!

The 18v jig cuts anything with the right blade and really you can use it most of the day before the battery dies out.

I would NOT recomend replacing your circular saw with it the battery is not that, good but for jig saw work it is the best
and will impress the hardcore professional.

I must correct a previous reviewer however, the battery is not NMH(nickel metal hydride) it is NCAD, which is the standard battery used by all tool companies. He is growsly mistaken and readers should always double check reviewers statements I find
many mis- informations written by novice tool users on the Amazon tool rewiews.

What is cool is that when bosch puts out a battery upgrade it will work on this tool, I just dont know why you would need it.

Top of the line tool. Bosch is releasing a new corded Jig saw
that is just like this one and I will not evan consider it,
because once you have this you have no need for the cord!!!!!!!

This is a first class, quality tool, if I could give it more stars I would.

This saw is the same base unit as the other 3hp, right tilt. The only difference is the fence system.

Everyone knows that the Unisaw is the Holy Grail of all saws, and it lives up to this reputation. Out of the box it was flawless. It required almost no further adjustment. Even with the crappy blade that comes with the saw, the cuts are near perfect. The cuts become perfect after you throw that blade away and replace it with a better one. I recommend the Forrest Woodworker II.

The 30" fence that came with this saw was in service about 10 minutes before I decided to replace it with the 52". The saw was a gift (great gift, huh) and had I ordered it myself, I would have ordered it with the bigger fence. I got on the Biesemeyer web site and bought the replacement front and rear rails to convert it to the larger fence. You only need to replace these components, as the fence is compatable with both. I bought the new components and "factory seconds", but they were in perfect condition.

I looked at the "other" saws and came within inches of buying one based on price. I even drove five hours to a competitive product's showroom to see their saw hands on. I'm glad that I didn't buy it because it doesn't compare to this unit. The Unisaw is easy to use, easy to set up and adjust, and makes woodworking a religious experience.

Would I recommend this saw? Yes! Yes! Yes! The only drawback to this saw is that most people wait too long to buy it.

I've wanted a Unisaw since first using one years ago in high school shop class. It was a good saw then; it's even a better one now.

The saw arrived on the date ... said it would. The delivery driver not only unloaded it from the truck, but wheeled it around to my shop behind the house and into the shop. Only gripe about Delta's packaging is that extension table wiggled loose from box and suffered minor damage. Delta should rework packaging so damage in shipment is minimized.

Assembly of saw was straightforward, following Delta's directions in the owner's manual. The fence did not arrive with the saw as ... informed me it had been damanged, and would send a new one as soon as possible. So for about a week I could only use the miter gauge and dream about ripping boards.

All told, once completely assembled, this saw lives up to my years of dreaming and anticipation of ownership. I look for several things in a table saw; accuracy of saw and fence, quiet operation, fit and finish, easy and safe to use. The Unisaw never lags in any of these requirements. The saw and fence were dead-on accurate out of the box. The start/stop button mounted to the left of the saw's center is the ideal location for the saywer. The stop button protrudes from the switch face, allowing me to turn the saw off with my knee if necessary. Handy thing when the cut sometimes goes a little awry. The start button face is recessed, so accidental starting is minimized. The blade guard isn't the greatest, but what OEM guard is? Still, it is better than the one on my last saw, and I plan to keep it in place for all through cuts until I can go aftermarket for a better guard.

The saw has plenty of power. Dadoing operations that would practically stall my old table saw barely lowers the RPM of this saw. Ripping thick stock should be no problem. The fit and finish of this saw are adequate, though the plastic motor cover kept wanting to slide down till I figured out how to secure it properly. I'd prefer it to be hinged rather than the way it attaches.
The saw starts and runs quietly. My last saw was terribly loud; even with hearing protection on it was a major distraction and made using the saw unpleasant. With the Unisaw, I can pick up a board and buzz it through without hunting around the shop for my ear muffs. It's that quiet.

...P>You can't go wrong with this saw. This particular configuration must be "optioned" up a bit at this price; i.e. you'll want the 30" extension table and a mobile base if your saw isn't destined to live in one designated spot in your shop. I got both for my small shop; makes the saw the perfect addition for it.

I've used Grizzly, Jet and older Delta table saws and this is hands down the best I've used yet. This is one of the strongest 3hp units available on the market. At 220v this saw puts out 12 1/2 amps. This added power lets you use wide kerf blades which allows for smooth cuts and no bogging down. This saw is smooth and quite and is very compact too. The reason for getting this saw is because I have limited space available and with a moble base, you'll hardley notice that this is even in your basement. The miter slots are precise with no binding or sloppiness. If you're looking for a new saw shop around and ask questions but I guarantee you'll be back for this. Please do yourself a favor, and save yourself money in the long run buy this one now. I've gone through two different table saws and wish I had purchased this one first.

I was looking for a smaller portable powered saw that could be easily moved around to project locations. I have owned a lot of tools including a uni-saw which was not my favorite in terms of portability. I now have a portable 10" Bosch table saw (with the gravity-rise wheeled stand). I wanted the saw to be 10" so I could use my existing inventory of saw blades. A compound sliding saw was just too big for my purposes (I also have a radial arm saw). The dual bevel feature was a plus and the up front bevel and miter control lock was also a plus. The pull out side wings work well and when pushed in act as lifting handles when moving the saw. It cuts well and I appreciate the fact that the trigger does not have a safety lock so it is extremely easy use. It cuts 2x6 and 4x4 easily, and nearly cuts a 4x4 @ 45 deg. with only 1/4" left at one corner. So far it cuts are accurate and straight. Since I use the saw outside mostly, dust is not an issue so I do not use the dust bag. I am just begining to use the saw and find that for my ocasional projects it is the perfect compliment to my table saw and skill saw for being portable.

Several months ago I purchased the 10" dual bevel compound (industrial)miter saw. I have several Delta tools and have always considered it a professional tool. This saw had several features I liked and planed on using it when I did not need the 12" slider. After using it for a while I became discouraged with the very inadequate dust bag system. Most of the dust (90%) comes out the front of the blade guard and is all around the work table. Sawdust gets packed between the pinch guard and the spring to the point that the blade will not raise fully. In fact I have to remove the pinch guard and clean the sawdust from around the spring in order to raise the blade high enough to remove the screw on the blade guard to change the blade. I now leave the pinch guard off the machine. The next time I use the saw I will hook up my shop vac to try and get more sawdust away from the from of the machine and off the worktable.
Over all I like the saw and will work around the sawdust problem.

Dave

I was tired of using my circular saw and not getting "Dead on " cuts. Sure 90 degree cuts were easy but the others were time consuming. A project I started in the house convinced me now is the time to shoot the lock off my wallet and buy a compound miter saw. I didn't need the big 12" saw and I don't use the saw every day. As always I wanted a good quality saw. I looked around and did my research before heading to home depot. I was stuck between the Dewalt and the Delta. Both had many of the same features but the Delta had more. Dewalt had accessories I could buy, but the Delta already had them in the box. I didn't have to order anything or pay anything extra. Still I was going back and forth as to which was a better saw. DeWalt has a great reputation for a reason. I spoke with the very knowledgeable man in the tool corral and he spoke highly of both. Being I was a "weekend warrior" he suggested I opt for the saw that had the same power but came with more accessories. I bought the Delta and have no regrets. It was accurate right out of the box. The bevel adjustment is right up front. No reaching around the back like most saws. The slide out handles and clamp have been extremely useful. I might eventually get a better blade but the one included has worked just fine. It zips right through and does it accurately. I bought this saw to speed up my work and it has done just that. If I had to do it all over again I would again buy the Delta.

The hatchet is up to milwaukee's usual standards and is of excellent build quality. I see this reciprocating saw as being for someone who only needs it for small to medium jobs. Right now I have been using the saw for a demo project on a commercial building and my only complaint would be that saws gets extremely hot after long uses. Black handle grip gets hot enough to burn hands when used for long periods under heavy hand pressure and therefore gloves are needed. Even with gloves many breaks are needed as the saw even burns my hands while wearing gloves. Because of this heat problem I gave this tool four stars, but otherwise I would definitely recommend this tool to a DIY type person or someone who needs a sawzall occaisionally.

This is my first reciprocating saw so I don't have a lot to compare it with. I don't know how I lived without this saw for so long. I love it. The positionable handle is great for getting into awkward places. The saw is powerful enough to quickly get through all of the jobs I have used it for so far.
It is very easy and quick to switch blades.
It's also nice that it has the quick release power cord.
Sturdy but light weight enough to use easily.
An excellent saw.

I have used this saw for a few months now. As another reviewer mentioned this new handle feels more natural to hold and the way it folds down makes it really compact and with its 3/4 inch stroke its ideal for tight spaces. The quik change blade system is better than any I've used in the past(portercable,dewalt)its counter balanced mechanism works great very little vibration and plenty of power. I highly recommend this tool but for certain jobs I perfer a recepricating saw with more amps and a longer stroke [1"1/8 to 1"1/4]they are more aggressive not to say that this saw cant hold its own this is a great saw.2005 this is the last thing I will ever buy from amazon as there customer service is now being outsourced and they are snotty arogent and useless too bad there customer service was the best on the planet

As most US Craftsmen have noticed, nearly all woodworking manufactureres are off-shoring the manufacture of their machines. Powermatic (JET) is no exception; their PM 66 series tablesaw, their shapers, and a couple drill presses are all that remain of American made machinery. I picked up the 5HP saw with the Router Lift table and am very pleased with it. It won't be long before all of Powermatic will be made in Taiwan, so if you want an American made saw, you better act now. Your next best choice is General (not General International), which is made in Canada. General carries two lines one made in Canada and their General International which is the same Taiwan crap you find at Jet. Happy shopping. John - Knoxville, TN

The saw is great. Just do not buy this from AMAZON!!!! I have waited for over six weeks for my saw and finally gave up(I was told in the sixth week of waiting that it wasw being shipped to AMAZON from the manufacture in 3-5 weeks and AMAZON was going to take another 3-5 weeks on top of that to get me my saw for a grand total of 5 moths!) So, I went to southern tools and they shipped the saw that day. I had my saw within three days (not weeks or months like AMAZON!!!)
I received the saw in seven boxes but it was very easy to set up! The boxes they used for the saw was reinforced with 2x4's. They even test the saw before it leaves the factory (give you a readout of the test results, which is great to use as a reference.) I got the mobile base and set up the saw in the base. The table saw was square right out of the box. Just follow the directions and you will have a great saw that will last for years!
Thank You Southern Tool for my table saw!

dont order this product from amazon been waiting for three going on four weeks amazon says it will be two to three more weeks if they dont change it again ......can they really get this saw?????? steve

This saw works great! It's small and compact (folds up), but cuts almost like butter through branches 3 or 4 inches in diameter. When my ratchet pruners are not sufficient, the little saw does the job. I can put it in my pocket. I am really pleased with this purchase.

I purchase a saw to fit in a small toolbox on a small tractor / riding mower. I keep it with me to cut branches that grow low. (You know the kind that hit you in the head when out mowing the grass). Now I stop (hopefully before getting hit with an un-seen branch) and cut off the culprit. Its small enough with a tight enough blade pitch to cut small branches, and large enough to cut branches as large as about 1-3" before you'll want a bow saw or the like. It folds small enough to safely carry in your pocket while also hand carrying a large pruner or other tools.

I bought this because I mixed up the brand name of what I was actually looking for, but I found it to be excellent for what I need. It fits in my bucket with all my other garden tools and it's the only saw I have that I can stick in my back pocket. Great product, I would recommend it as a must have item.

I'm finding this blade tough to beat for the price. Crosscuts are easily as clean as my Forrest's at about half the price, and it rips better than other crosscut blades I've used. In fairness, my Forrest rips thick material better. The LU88 has large teeth, Frued's best carbide, anti-vibration slots, and teflon coating. Great for crosscutting and general purpose use on a TS, but I wouldn't recommend it for a CMS or RAS because of the aggressive hook angle.

Most crosscut blades cut cleanly but fall short in their ability to rip well or handle thick stock. The LU88 has some general purpose capabilities that many crosscut blades don't. It's tooth geometry features ATB carbide and a 15 degree hook angle that allow it to rip materials up to about 1" thick. Most crosscut blades have a very low or even a negative hook angle which provides a polished edge, but it also burns on almost any rip cuts. The LU88 is alot more versatile than most crosscut blades and cuts about as cleanly as my Forrest WWII. If you don't need to do alot of heavy ripping, I think you could do nicely using just this one blade. It's thin kerf design makes life pretty easy on my small saw. Very nice blade, and priced pretty reasonably too.

I've been an amateur woodworker for 25 years and in the last 5 or 6 years gotten into more and more projects that require the "right tools". I bought this blade 4 years ago when it first went on sale in our local area and I love it! Cuts whatever I feed into it with no difficulty and leaves a glass smooth edge. A little pricy in my local area to sharpen but that's life.

At this point all my blades are Freud and I'm a cheap SOB at heart so that's saying a lot.

Jim - a frugal New England woodworker

Yes, just like other customer has mentioned. I got the package that look like it has been repackaged. It doesn't look brand new but also it doesn't look like it has been used. However, mine has come with a broken leg so I have to RMA it.

I am interested in knowing if any others who ordered, got upon receipt of the box, a repackaged unit. Seems to work OK, but definately does not appear to be a new unopened item. Please post, and let me know. Thanks. I did not see where these were refurbs or "other than new", in the original itme listing.

I just mounted a 10" model to a Hitachi stand. Beware of the adjustable arms that come with the saw. Mine lifted the wood, making it uneven as I tighted the adjustable wood supporting arms. The stand helps, because you don't have to use the Makita supports. I have yet to contact Makita about the problem.

I would however reccommend the Home Depot Miter Saw stand for $200. It has very large wheels and it is very easy to move, and extremely stable.