Power Saws Reviews

This was the first Saw I've had to use since Junior High and it worked great. The directions are easy to follow and the Orbial settings were a big help on the Hard Wood we were cutting. I can't give it 5 stars, because I have nothing to compare it to.

I finally upgraded to a real jig saw after the blade collet in my Skil saw decided to "jump" across the room whilst cutting through some 2" walnut. I never thought there would be much difference in jig saws until I got this one. Amazon had this to me the week following when I ordered it. They shipped the next day but, as usual, UPS is a little slow. The second I set this on the rest of the Walnut I had to cut, the difference was amazing. Nice clean cuts, no jumping and I can get straight cuts very easily. After getting through the 2" walnut, I had to cut some tight curves on 1/2" walnut slats for the chair I was making. I couldn't even feel any tension on the jig saw at all. This is definately a great jig saw and Kudos to Amazon for their pricematching policy. I found this cheaper elsewhere and Amazon did the price match in 2-3 minutes with no problem.

Makita jigsaw is so superior to most anything on the market.
It will cut oak like butter and never get hot. I use it all the time and it never fails me. I recommend it 100 per cent.

A very good saw with a nice, big table that runs smooth, BUT... spring the extra[money]for the next model up with the blade brake. I mistakenly assumed this model had one when I ordered it and I was wrong and I miss it badly. And what's the light for? You can't see it in anything less than dark conditions and should you be sawing in the dark? This is another superfluous marketing gimmick that drives the price up with no real benefit to the consumer. Too bad.

I bought the tool to use for removing my old kitchen floor.
To my surprise, I discovered five layers of flooring above the original
wood floor (felt-lenolium, plywood, vinyl, plywood, and vinyl). I guess
previous owners were lazy and didn't want the trouble of removing the
old flooring(s). This was the first time I used a circular saw, so I was
apprehensive. But as I continued to use it, I felt more comfortable with it.
I set the cutting depth at a 1/4 " since I didn't know what was below the
plywood/vinyl upper layer. The saw cut through the two layer nicely.
Sometimes it hit a screw in the inner layers and sparks would fly-
when this happened I stopped the saw and restarted in another spot.
The saw was very noisy so I used foam earplugs-it was nice not to hear
the annoying machine noise. I also didn't know that my project would
create so much saw dust that flew everywhere. I suggest sealing your
work area or room and using a good vacuum- I used a Rigid 5 horse power, wet +dry vac.
I liked using the circular saw so much that I decided to buy other
Makita tools for the kitchen renovation project. I have a 1/2" drill and a grinder. I also like using these tools.

If you are a novice user of power tools I would suggest that you
read the manuals completely, ask any questions even ones
that you think are dumb- talk with skilled tradespersons, hardware
store workers, and buy or borrow from the library "how to books".
Make sure the electric cord is away from your cutting spot.
And take your time- do not rush the power tools.

Do visit Home Depot or Lowe's or stores that have display models.
It's good to hold different tool brands so that you will know which one
feels comfortable and fits your hand better. I'm 5'2" and 100 pounds.
For me, the most comfortable tool was Makita.


Good luck to all newbees like myself.

I am NY framer and my number 1 tool on the job is my circular saw. That saw doesn't stop from 7:30am until 4:00pm. I've owned a Bosch which I despised and even the DeWalt 369CSK which was a great saw just TOO MUCH PLASTIC. The Makita weighs a bit more but for the love of GOD, I've never used a more powerful saw. This thing rips through CCA like it was 1/4 inch plywood. BUY IT...YOU WILL NOT BE DISSAPOINTED!!!

This is another quality product from the great people at Makita. This saw cuts through lumber like no other. Framing custom homes requires quality equipment, and this saw has not let me down. The only complaint I have is the weight (15lbs.), but this is not too bad when compared to other worm drives. If you need a quality framing saw, please do not overlook the Makita.

I bought this instead of the bosch/skil worm-drive and have not regretted it one bit. I have used the Hypoid for everything froming framing work to cutting window sills. Great control, power and precision. Highly recommended.

I've used mine daily for the past 4-5 years, and have not needed to do any maintainance, except replace cut cords. Amazingly it still runs like new. The saw has been through everything from cutting brick/concrete to all sorts of woods. I would highly recommend this saw to anyone who is looking for a dependable well balanced saw.

I bought this combo kit 4 years ago and have used it extensively. The first set of batteries lasted 2 years the replacement set again lasted 2 years. If you don't mind buying $150 worth of batteries every two years it's a great set. The saw cuts well but does not have quite as much power as a corded saw. You are somewhat limited in blade selection as well since there are not many 6 1/2 inch blades at the home centers. The hammer drill however is wonderful. I have nothing bad to say about this drill. It just drilled a half inch hole in granite last weekend with just a masonary bit. If I knew about the batteries before I bought this set I would not have bought it. There are many good alternatives with much better batteries.
FYI when I contacted Milwaukee about the battery life they offered to "look at them for warrantablity" I shipped them to Milwaukee at my cost and they told me they were worn out and offered to sell me new ones for twice the price I could buy them at the store. Great customer service.

I'm a home improvement contractor. I bought this combo kit because I needed to replace my 20-year-old half-inch hammer drill. I figured I'd get the combo with the 6 �" saw just so I wouldn't have to break out extensions for jus a couple of cuts. I've had the saw out of the case for more than three week already and I haven't put it down! This thing works great! My partner and I are both using it, so it's in constant operation. I've cut 100 year old nail imbedded oak (didn't see the nails), as well as more traditional spruce-pine-fir.

The drill works great too; not as difficult to handle as I thought an 18 volt would be, and it's the first drill with a chuck that I really holds what I put in it, even in the hammer mode.

This is a great package. The hammer drill has tons of torque and the clutch works well to match the power to the type of project your are doing. The 2.4 amp batteries provide excellent run time. I have drilled oak 4x4's with 2" forestner bits with no lack of power and the chuck grips very tight. The saw is balanced and powerful. I highly recommend this package to anyone who is looking for quality, reliabilty, and a good value.

What an awesome review! Actually I was looking for a tool that did something else, however I ALMOST bought your saw just because you gave such a great description of what this could do. I had no idea of the complexity and techniques to cut pipe --- clear, practical advice. Thanks!!

You've probably seen one of these Milwaukee portable band saws around on various job sites for years. The 6232-6 is Milwaukee's kit number for the 6230 variable-speed, deep-cut band saw with a blow molded plastic storage case.
I bought the 6230 band saw for the same reasons that everbody else does, to cut steel strut, pipe and conduit. Although it doesn't cut nearly as fast as a chop saw, this tool does have certain advantages over and above even the best chop saws. The most obvious being that you can bring this tool to the work as opposed to bringing the work to the tool. It also doesn't require dedicated space and the ampere draw is much lower for generator-powered job sites.
It has the capacity to handle up to 4" heavy-wall rigid conduit or black iron pipe and it's heck of a lot faster than a hacksaw or pipe cutter. It also makes a much cleaner, straighter cut. The variable-speed switch makes it easier to start a cut and to control the saw throughout the entire cut than with the older style two-speed models, especially when cutting thin wall material like EMT or softer materials like brass.
The 44-7/8" X �" X .020 blade runs at up to 350 FPM, and good quality bi-metal blades are relatively inexpensive at a little under six dollars apiece. They do last a fairly long time when cutting mild steel, but for cutting thicker material, stainless steel or hardened tool steel, it makes sense to spend a little extra and get a true cobalt blade such as the Morse cobalt varied-pitch 10-14 TPI or else you'll be replacing bi-metal blades every few minutes. The saw comes with one 14 TPI bi-metal blade installed. I wouldn't recommend buying regular carbon steel blades because they don't last very long at all and the better bi-metal blades are usually only a few cents more in price anyway.
A good dark cutting oil will help keep blades alive when cutting steel, but you probably don't want to use a wax based stick lubricant on the edges of the blade if you can avoid it because the build up can cause the tools rubber edged drive wheel to loose it's grip, letting the blade slip off right in the middle of a cut. This usually causes the blade to become kinked, requiring it to be discarded. You won't find any reference to this in the owners manual, but it has happened to me a few times over the years.
Blade changes are fast and easy, just release the tensioning lever, remove the old blade, feed the new blade through the guide and rollers, then move the tensioning lever back to the lock position. There is also a storage space for a few spare blades in the tools plastic storage case. I'm not sure why, but for some reason Milwaukee hasn't added the quick-lock cord to their portable band saws.
Overall, the 6230 is very well made and has always proven to be very durable. If you have a need to cut various metal materials in the field frequently, I would say that this tool pretty much recommends itself.

My experience with portable band saws started with an earlier version of the Milwaukee 6230 (the 6230 and the 6232-6 are the same model) and it was the two speed model. That two speed model worked very well in cutting Uni-Strut and rigid conduit. My only problem with the saw was that it had two speeds, low and high. The low speed was ok, but you could not "ease" into the cut or switch into high while cutting.

When my electrical job was done I sold that saw and used an abrasive chop saw for a long time for cutting conduit and Uni-Strut. While at a job site I saw a guy with a Milwaukee 6230 Deep Cut Band Saw. It was a variable speed saw and what appeared to be a slightly larger capacity cut. I tried it and it would start at a crawl and go to full speed (and any speed in between) by pulling the trigger. I was hooked! I had to get one.

The chop saw was fine except that it was loud, threw sparks everywhere and the cut often left a large sharp burr that had to be filed or ground down. The portable band saw could do everything I needed to do and then some. It was also quiet, did not pull a lot of power (current out of an electrical outlet) when cutting, did not leave a large burr after cutting, and it sliced through Uni-Strut, conduit, re-bar, all thread rod, and anything else metal, like a hot knife through butter.

The Milwaukee 6230 quickly became my favorite cut off tool. The name plate on the tool says 6230. The kit I bought was called the 6232-6 and the saw came with a 14 TPI (teeth per inch) bi-metal blade and a plastic carry case. The cutting capacity for round stock is 4-3/4" and square stock of 4-3/4" x 4-3/4". It operates on 120 volts AC only and has a range of 0-350 feet per minute (no load speed) on the blade and the motor draws 6 amps. This saw uses a 44-7/8" x 0.020" x �" blade.

Blades: A discussion about them is in order. In general you should try to have 6 to 12 teeth in contact with the material when using a bi-metal blade and cutting metal. More teeth per inch is required for thin, hard or if the finish is important. Blades with more teeth per inch are required when cutting soft or thick material. These are rules of thumb and you'll have to experiment a little to see what works best in your job.

A variable pitch blade has teeth that vary from (let's use a 14-18 TPI blade) 14 teeth per inch to 18 teeth per inch. The varying tooth sizes and gullet depth changes over a predetermined distance and then repeats. Teeth are set left and right with a single straight tooth called a "raker" tooth used to help maintain a straight cut. The design of the variable tooth pitch cuts down (no pun intended) on the "harmonic" frequency of the cut. In other words, the variable tooth blade design does not vibrate or chatter as much (or at all) while cutting when compared to a fixed pitch blade. Since a variable tooth blade has teeth at 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 TPI, it can handle a larger range of material thicknesses without having to change blades.

Milwaukee makes several fine blades and the one I use the most is a variable tooth blade 14-18 TPI bi-metal blade. This blade will handle just about any sort of sawing job around whether it may be a solid or hollow stock, or a combination material such as bonded electrical conduit with a plastic outer jacket and a steel/copper spiral wound tube in the middle.

Using the saw is a breeze. Align the blade where you want to make your cut, taking care to put the saw rest against the work and then squeeze the trigger. As the cuts progresses you can increase the saw speed. Changing blades is about a one minute job. You unplug the saw, flip the tension handle, remove the old blade, install the new blade with the teeth pointed to the back of the saw, guide the blade into the grooves and then flip the tension lever back. It's as easy as that.

While this saw is meant to be used free hand, it's not a scroll saw to cut out intricate patterns. It's also not nearly powerful enough to cut through some of the heavy wall materials but... it does have a place at your home or the jobsite. If you are cutting �" and smaller re-bar, Uni-strut, conduit, copper or steel tubing or shapes, and the like, this is the saw. I have only made a few cuts on 3" solid steel and it cut through it pretty quickly all things considered. Would I want to do that all day long? No. You'll need a bigger saw. But this is the saw I'll reach for when I need to made overhead cuts as it is light enough to do that. I did not weight the saw but I'll guess it weighs around 15 pounds.

The speed control is a small knob located on the trigger of the saw. Turning it will make the saw run from the slowest speed to the maximum speed of that setting. This saw does not have a "lock-on" switch. It would be handy for the longer cuts but it is not much of an issue for me.

Also, Milwaukee makes a stand for this saw with a clamp to make precise cuts and it works very well.

Warranty. Milwaukee is offering a 5 year warranty on the saw so ownership costs should be very low.

What would I change? I wish Milwaukee would go back to the "Quick Loc" cord they have used on their many other corded tools such as their Sawzall or Right Angle Drills. My cord has become damaged and you have to take the handle apart to change out the cord. Again a minor gripe on my part.

Would I buy another 6230 again? Yes!

The worm drive saw is geared (no pun intended) to a very specific customer, the pro. I've used several different worm drives, including Black & Decker (now DeWalt), Skil, and of course Milwaukee. This model, while a very good model, has a few flaws. I've never used one that didn't leak a little around the spindle lock button. This is ok as long as you remember to check the oil level, but that doesn't happen often enough in the real world. The start-up torque is excessive, compared to other models. And the shoe does not run parallel to the blade, making it difficult to use an edge guide for straight rips. With proper care, it is a very good saw. The 15 amp motor gives you more than enough power to cut through almost anything. But I would not buy this one again, I'd go with the Skil HD77M.

Just pick this bad boy up and you know you've got something heavy duty. Even the cord is huge! Easily twice as thick as any other saw I've used. At fifteen amps we are maxed out on power input. All this beef comes at a price. It's pretty heavy. But some times the extra weight comes in handy , like when you are cutting off rafter tails from above.Or stand a 2x12 on edge and cut down through it. The saw just walks itself across the board. The tough fiberglass reinforced nylon body really takes the abuse . The warranty is like no other. LIFETIME baby! If you run over it, you pay for the repair. If it ever fails due to parts or workmanship , Milwaukee pays. No body stands behind their power tools like that. No body. Now to be fair I have to say that warranty aside ,I prefer the Skil mag 77. First, it's a few pounds lighter. The worm gear is a little smoother. At 13 amps it is rated at less power. BUT! In toolpigs tool test The skil Whooped everything else in time trial ripping in 2x douglas fir by a couple of seconds.(Tools tested; This Milwaukee ,Skil mag 77 13A , Dewalts 378g hypoid framing saw 15A, Porter Cable 843 blade left framers saw 15A, Makita 5277B hypoid saw 14A We used brand new Marathon blades in all saws. At the time we were sure that the Milwaukee would take top honors. We were disappointed. Time after time the skil came out on top. Even after changing blades around and changing operators. What's a second or two ? We just had to know. Still this is a mean saw. If you need something that is over built this is your saw. You will never wear this tool out. Sure you might drop it off a roof or smash it with a fork lift but you're not going to wear it out.

WHEN YOU SEE A TOOL THAT'S RED AND GRAY YOU AUTOMATICALLY KNOW IT'S THE BEST, IT'S A MILWAUKEE. THE MILWAUKEE TOOL WILL REGULARLY HAVE MORE POWER, BE MORE EVENLY BALANCED WHICH MAKES THE JOB EASIER, AND LAST LONGER THAN OTHER COMPARABLE TOOLS MADE BY OTHER COMPANIES. THE THING I LIKE THE MOST ABOUT THE MILWAUKEE WORM DRIVE CIRCULAR SAW, COMPARED TO OTHER BRAND NAMES, IS THAT IT DOESN'T JERK WHEN YOU FIRST START CUTTING. IT HAS GREAT BALANCE AND MECHANICAL ENGINEERING. IT MAKES A SMOOTHER, MORE EVEN STARTING CUT. THE MILWALKEE WORM DRIVE CIRCULAR SAW IS ALSO MORE DEPENDABLE. WE AVERAGE BUILDING 12 - 14 HOUSES A YEAR. WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT BUYING A NEW SAW EVERY TWO OR THREE HOUSES WITH THIS ONE. BUYING DEPENDABILITY SEEMS A LITTLE HIGHER AT FIRST BUT REALLY ADDS UP TO BIG SAVINGS OVER THE YEAR. I'VE WORKED IN CONSTRUCTION FROM AGE 17 TO 57. IN THESE 40 YEARS I'VE FOUND MOST UNION AND NON UNION WORKERS USE THE RED AND GRAY BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT'S THE BEST.

I have owned this saw for just about two months now and have used it heavily in building finished stairs and installing trim in a new home. The saw has worked perfectly. I am very surprised at the amount of power the saw has and especially pleased with the rip fence. It works perfectly. The saw arrived in perfect condition and the packaging has been improved greatly since earlier reviews I have read. All accessories store neatly on the saw for easy transportation.
The only negative I could say about this saw is the soft start feature. When the saw is turned on it hesitates for a split second and then growls to a start. This hesitation is just enough to wonder if the saw is plugged in . I have adjusted to this, however, and would clearly buy this saw again.

I bought the saw after it first came out as I was wanting to upgrade. I was looking for an upgrade over my previous saw in the mitre gauge that I could read better and a fence that was more accurate than the one I had. This saw in the portable category did both of those things very well. It has plenty of power and since I work alone it is easy to handle as some of my work is done on the lake and I have to travel by boat. I have used it a lot and it is a pleasure to use. I am able to concentrate on the work and not the saw which means it is very high quality. Iam fortunate enough to have very good tools and this is one of them. Good job, PC. Tony Davis

The soft start and electric brake are nice features. The folding stand is stable and reasonbly solid. The 3812 uses a T slot for the miter gauge which is helpful in crosscutting wide stock- the miter gauge stays in the table instead of trying to fall to the ground and it's a feature the Bosch 4000 and DeWalt don't have. And it costs less too.

I just used my Bosch 3814 14" abrasive blade chop saw to cut some 1/4" by 2" steel, on edge, at 45 degrees. I had some problems with the blade walking enough that it cut a slot in the base. A replacement base is quite pricey. This blade walking issue is probably an issue with all abrasive saws with 14" blades. I'll be more watchful next time I try to cut someting this heavy this fast.

Then I tried a masonary blade on a bullet nosed edger. That worked good. Then I tried it on a 6" by 6" by 2 3/4" concrete paver and it cut so slow I gave up on it and went to buy a 7" diamond blade for the Skill saw. I cut about 50 pavers with that blade.

I also have a Bosch 4" grinder and a Bosch Hammer Drill (with the piston inside) and really like both tools.

I first used this saw as a rental from a local rental yard and if it can stand up to rental usage, it can take anything. I think this is what sold me on this particular saw when I went shopping. Having never owned a Bosch tool (plenty of Hitachi, Milwaukee and Makita) before, I was hesitant, however, I was pleasantly surprised by the features: all ball and needle bearing construction with metal gears and a sealed motor with overload protection. It has the largest blade guard of all the saws I looked at and the quick release clamp makes setup a little faster. It is well made and is constructed of metal except for the handle grip. If its heft is a sign of its quality, it's a good saw! At 42 pounds, she's a handful to lug around.

This saw has seen some pretty extensive use and it handles all jobs with relative ease. I've used it on angle iron, round tube, square stock and 2-inch induction hardened hydraulic cylinder shaft; hard stuff!

I've used many different brands of chop saws and in all honesty, there are only minor differences between the top models. A chop saws ability to cut efficiently is VERY dependant on the blade. Most new users simply use the blade the manufacturer supplied and consider the saw flawed if it doesn't meet their expectations. My advice, try different blades and don't go cheap! Not only will a good blade cut faster, it will last longer and will be easier on the saw's motor. The above reviewer mentioned that his blade "walked" and cut into the saw's base; not the saw's fault, the blade flexed under pressure. A good reinforced blade will not do this.

All in all, I'm pleased with its performance. To sweeten the deal, my dealer threw in a 5-inch Bosch angle grinder (1711A) free. Now I guess I own two Bosch tools.

The product itself is great. The delivery time and customer service from Amazon were horrible. Listed as in stock, ship in 24 hrs and deliver in 3-5 days. DID NOT ship for 7 DAYS or 168 hours with an estimated delivery of 9-13 days. Finally arrived 13 days after ordering.

This saw is fantastic ! It has plenty of power & is extreemely accurate. The 12" blade will allow cutting of fairly wide pieces & cuttting trim is a snap ! The only thing bad about this saw is its weight. I believe that if it were lighter though, it wouldn't perform as well. I often use it on the tailgate of my truck - & It DOESN'T MOVE !Bosch quality at an affordable price........What More Could You Want ? Lazer mabe ? That's a different saw but Bosch has that too !

What can one say about the Unisaw that has not already been said... well considering I'm the first person to review this model it looks like it's up to me. The Delta Unisaw (and it's predecessor the Rockwell Unisaw) is a standard piece of equipment in just about every shop I've ever seen, been in or worked in (including my own). Solid, well made and built to last and last and last. The mechanisms for raising, lowering and angling the blade are accurate and easy to use, but keep them clean and lubricated, the arbour is dead on and the table surfaces are as flat as required for woodworking.

If your looking into table saws here are a few recommendations:

1.) Never buy a table saw with a motor less than 3 HP unless it is going to be carted around and used on job sites (having said that, I have seen Unisaws used as job site saws!). 3 HP may seem like overkill, but this is a safety issue more than anything else. A gentleman I knew years ago had a horrible accident when a piece of lumber he was ripping got kicked back dragging his hand through the blade... he lost half his hand and mangled his thumb beyond recognition. The cause? By his own admission, a saw that didn't have enough power to cut through a piece of lumber that was distorting as he cut it, it just kicked back and his hand was in the wrong place at the wrong time. In 30 years of woodworking I have never had wood kickback; bog yes, smoke yes, pinch the blade many times, but never kick back and I attribute this to the power of the saw. If a 3 HP motor can't cut through a piece of wood, toss it out and move on. Thickness has nothing to do with this, some lumber just has too much internal stress and as the stress is released by a cut (usually when ripping) it distorts pinching the blade or jamming the wood between the fence and the blade. FYI, I don't use a saw guard, splitter or anti-kickback pawls; we were taught how to use saws without guards and to have a good healthy respect for the inherent danger in all woodworking machinery.

2.) Buy either the Unifence or the Beisemyer fence system. I can't believe that Delta still make and ship as "standard" the old two rail fence... it was junk on the first Rockwell Unisaw I purchased 30 years ago and is more than likely still junk. I own a Unifence (and have used these many times in other shops) and I am very pleased with it's performance even after 15 years of use on my current saw. My only complaint with the Unifence is the difficulty in attaching special hold-downs or guides to it.

3.) Take the standard mitre guide that ships with the saw and throw it away. This is another "I can't believe that Delta still makes..." statements. Ditto on this and the standard fence, junk then, junk now. Invest in a decent mitre guide or buy the Delta sliding table attachment for the Unisaw (I've also reviewed this item) you'll be glad you did. I have an old Accumitre which is very good and they have improved the way the bar fits in the table saw slot (and as an added bonus, you can buy the new bar for older versions of the guide). Precision mitre guides are all about how the bar fits in the table saw slot, the head of the guide could be machined to 1000th of an inch accuracy, but it all goes out the window if the bar wiggles in the table slot. The Osborne looks interesting, but Accumitre make a material hold down which I need for some of the work I do.

4.) Get the mobile base. I've never been overly happy with the mobile base that I have for my Unisaw with a 52" Unifence, it just doesn't seem to be designed to accommodate this configuration. However, I'll admit that I have a box of saw blades and a considerable number of glue batons sitting on the lower shelf... so in many ways I've compromised the functionality of the mobile base myself. I'd still get the mobile base even if you have the luxury of a permanent location for your saw, at the very least it makes clean up around and under the saw a breeze.

5.) Hook the saw up to a dust collector and get the motor cover (don't get the motor cover without dust collection or you will run into over-heating problems). Dust collection in the cabinet keeps the mess down (well duh!) but it also keep the mess off the worm gear mechanisms used to crank the blade up, down and to angles. I'm currently trying to find a suitable dust collection mechanism for above the blade for the well being of my lungs. Nowhere near 100% of all dust travels downwards in cutting operations especially with sheet stock.

Right tilt or left tilt is more-so related to the type of work you are planning to do. Mine is the right tilt version which is perfect for cutting mitres off the mitre guide positioned to the left of the saw, but tricky to rip angled cuts off the fence. This is because the second cut will always have the tip of the angle from the first cut trying to go under the fence. Ripping angles off the fence is simplified on left tilt saws; but I personally have never liked having the blade angled towards me when making mitre cuts with a mitre guide, and I've never liked using the right slot for this purpose (old dog, new trick kind of thing). There may come a day when Delta will make a saw that tilts both left and right, but until then you have to make a choice at the get go.

A table saw is perhaps the most important piece of equipment in your shop so get a good one, with the Unisaw you can't go wrong. If Delta shipped the saw with a decent mitre guide this would be a 5 star rating.

I've owned a Delta 34-829 10" 3 HP Tilting Arbor Unisaw with 52" Delta Unifence since 1989. The only differences I can see between my saw and this model, is this one has a better switch, and my fence guide-bar is black.

I've used my Delta table saw hundreds of times and have found it to be an outstanding tool. The cast-iron main table and two cast-iron side-wings are still perfectly flat (although not highly polished like the Powermatic model 66 table saw).

The 3 HP motor is a total powerhouse. When doing heavy-duty cutting, the motor never bogs down, or even slows down -- there are two V-belts to keep the blade turning. Tough work will go into the blade at a slower speed, but just push harder. Unless you run a production shop, there is no need to buy the 5-HP unit (which needs 3-phase service anyway). You'll need a 220-volt outlet for this tool.

If you can afford it and have the room in your shop, get a 52" cabinet grade table saw. With it, there's virtually no wood size you won't be able to handle. E.g., you can even rip a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood in half (at the 48" point) with this saw. The right hand table area is perfect to double as a router table. Not as good as a shaper, but less expensive and it takes no additional shop space. If you have less than a huge shop, put the table saw on a wheeled stand. I roll mine in place to use it, and then roll it back against the wall when done.

Getting the fence parallel to the blade took some time initially, as I recall, but I've never had to realign it in 16 years of use. E.g., wood never binds because the fence isn't parallel to the blade. The fence is so accurate and perfectly flat on all sides; there is no need to mark the wood to be cut. A ruler is adhered to the guide-rail and that's what you use to determine where to lock the fence. Simply put the red line from the fence locking assembly on the exact place on the ruler, and cut. The wood is the right width, every time.

I have no complaints with the Unifence. It's amazing that it has stayed in perfect alignment on my Unisaw for 16 years. It never warps, bends, or twists. Unlike other fence systems, you can slide the fence forward or backward on the fence locking assembly, before tightening the fence in place. I find that useful, for example, when an anti-kickback device is attached to the fence and it gets in the way of the blade guard. It's also useful if you want extra fence length forward or backward, for control purposes. Simply unscrew two knobs and slide the fence into the desired position, then tighten the knobs. The fence shape is ideal for attaching kickback devices that clamp on because the aluminum is 1/8" thick and there is a large flat area the length of the fence that is ideal for this purpose.

The fence can be attached vertically (normal), or horizontally (flat) to the locking mechanism. In the flat position, the fence part that touches the wood is only 1/2" high, versus 3 �", when the fence is vertical. This is advantageous if the blade is tilted towards the fence and you need the fence close to the blade (i.e., when a high fence would impede the saw guard or blade), or, if part of the side of the work to be cut pokes out, assuming that part will ride above the 1/2" high fence (e.g., as in laminate work). I don't use this often, but it's a nifty feature of the Unifence. To move the fence to the left of the blade, loosen those two knobs, flip the fence end over end, and mount it on the right (instead of the left) of the fence locking assembly. Pull up on the locking mechanism's handle and the fence is easily removable from the saw to move it to the left, or, to get it out of the way (e.g., if using the "router table"). Like all top-of-the-line fences, the Unifence firmly locks into place with a single handle and the fence mechanism rides on a single guide rail.

There is a Delta 34-878 Cut-Off Fence for Unifence Saw Guide accessory that is unique in the professional fence market. Check that out.

You cannot do precision table saw work without a perfectly accurate fence. The Unifence fills that bill.

My Unisaw's 4" dust port is connected to a 3 HP dust collection system. I don't use the Delta blade guard that came with the saw -- made my own out of 3/16" polycarbonate. Mine has three advantages over Delta (and most other) blade guards. My saw guard:

1.Is stronger, since it's thicker material
2.Prevents sawdust from flying out the front of it since it has piece of polycarbonate blocking that path
3.Has an airtight 3" hose port facing to the rear (tilted 11 degrees up from the table) on top of the guard. A 3" flexible hose is connected to the dust collection system. Between the 3" vacuum hose on top and the 4" vacuum hose underneath, almost all sawdust is sucked away.

About the only mechanical negative on the Delta, is that the blade raising/lowering and tilting mechanisms binds slightly at the end of their travel (unlike the Powermatic 66, which is better in this regard).

Table saws are amongst the most dangerous shop tools, along with radial arm saws. You can be seriously hurt, or even lose a body part if careless. In addition, on certain types of cuts, if you don't use an anti-kickback device, the blade can hurl a piece of wood backwards at great speed. To keep from being distracted, I always work alone, with no radio or TV going.

In spite of this being a professional grade cabinet saw, there are better saws, but they are more expensive. Two examples:

-- Saw Stop brand table saw, (Sawstop dot com). Probably the safest table saw made; the blade stops instantly if it contacts your hand or fingers.

-- The new Powermatic 2000. Seeing this machine on display at a recent woodworkers show made me envious.