Delta Reviews

I purchased this tool through Amazon/Tool Crib. No problems in receiving the tool. The tool performs as advertised and was a very good price. The reason I gave it three stars was due to the difficulty I experienced in setting the grinder up. The grinder includes two spark deflector (plexi-glass) lenses. For some idiotic reason, Delta choose to adhere stickers (advertising) to these lenses. The stickers must be removed to see the grinding wheel through them. The stickers were not the easy to peel off type that you would expect, but must have been adhered to the lenses with superglue. It was very difficult removing these stickers and the spark deflectors were scratched in the process. This whole exercise was unnecessary and extremely frustrating. Now I am reminded everytime I look through the scratched lenses.

Do not be afraid of this one guys.In it's price range it's a real gem.Delta has stood in the shadows of some of the higher profile tool makers for too long.Dont let the lack of a fancy paint job or full page ad's fool you.this guy is quiet,powerful and affordable.with so many options and a little creativity you can do so much with a bench grinder.I would say it's a must have for any shop.I've been running mine for years and it's still going strong.Now get out there and grind something.

I purchased this grinder a few weeks ago and I'm very happy with it. It runs smoothly and quietly. I'll be replacing the medium gray wheel with a better quality white/fine grinding wheel at the recommendation of a couple of friends. Nothing wrong with the wheels provided if those are the grits you need though, ie., for lawnmower blades, etc.

The light is helpful. So far, I've been able to use the grinder without bolting it to the work bench. I'll do that soon, but it's heavy enough to remain in one place without bolting it down, at least for the light work I've been doing with it.

Changing the wheels seems simple enough. Haven't done it yet, but I don't expect any issues. Mine came with no stickers on the plexiglass eye shields. Maybe Delta read the previous users comments...??? ;-)

I give it 5 stars because I believe it does exactly what it's supposed to and I have zero complaints.

I have had this miter saw for about 8 or so years, and use it frequently for home repairs, rough carpentry and most recently woodworking projects. As a beginner it was a decent saw, I used it to frame out my entire basement and for many other projects too that didn't require a lot of precision. It is a workhorse, I've never had a problem with the motor or blade.

But as I've gone on to more difficult and demanding work, this saw has not kept up. It was never very good at miter cuts, the detents that should click when the blade is at 45* or 90* were never accurate, and it is very difficult to make fine adjustments when swinging the saw for miter cuts, especially if near a detent (the saw will roll into the detent instead of staying where you put it). The lack of a handle in front to rotate the saw is a big disadvantage when trying to adjust the angle. You can't get any leverage on the tool to make fine adjustments.

To add to that, it's lighty constructed and the blade wavers from side to side as you move the handle up and down by about a 16th of an inch making straight, clean cuts very difficult. Added to that, the 8.25" blade is too small to cut a 2x4 on edge against the fence, which is extremely frustrating the first time (and every time) you need to do that.

I can't recommend to anyone to buy this saw when for only a very few more $$$ you can get a 10" CMS that will be sturdier and more than likely more accurate too. That said, if you need it for rough carpentry and never need to cut a 2x4 on edge, and don't care much if the cut edge is a little wavy and is probably off by a couple of degrees, then go ahead. Otherwise look for a different saw.

I give it two stars instead of one because it has always been a reliable performer, even if it isn't the most precise tool I've ever owned.

I have had this saw for 3 years and have framed a portable building and many other small jobs and its great. If you want a saw which will handle trim, 2x4s, and other small widths this saw is great.

I do mean little, because of it's size you are greatly hindered on the maximum width you can cut. This saw is great for anything narrower the 5 inches and is perfect for molding, trim and 2X4. The saw has the power to cut through whatever you need it to (within its size). Bought mine as a trim saw and mild framing saw over 12 years ago and with only a replacement of its brushes (and many blades later) it is still going strong. For a while it had to fill in for full framing work after my 10" died. If capacity is an issue get a larger saw 10" or 12", if its capacity suits your needs...this saw will handle it.

I spent about 15 min. puting it on. The fit on the outside cude to say the least the inside is fine where it does matter.

made to fit the lathe... not much more you can say about it.

I just got this in and it's a really solid piece. I used Dennis' advice in another review to help align it, and it was setup in 5 minutes. (Thanks Dennis) You do have to prepare some extra space in the shop for it though, as when assembled it's pretty long, and disassembling/reassembling would be a pain.

I got it for free with the mail in rebate program they had last year, but even if I didn't get it then it'd be worth spending the money on now.

I do not recommend this dust connector in combination with Delta's mobile base. I had two issues: The dust port is too close to the swivel caster and interferes with the hose connection. The right side exit required a tight radius bend of flex hose to get to my left side duct collection pipe. I found rear exiting 50-224 (with 5" opening) to be better.

THIS IS THE ADAPTOR YOU WANT IF YOU HAVE A 4" DUST COLLECTOR. THE PICTURE IS MISLEADING BECAUSE THE DUST CHUTE IS NOW OFFSET TO CLEAR ANY MOBILE BASE PROBLEMS YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD. ITS A LITTLE OVER PRICED FOR A PIECE OF SHEET METAL AND A STANDARD PLASTIC DUST CHUTE ( PART # 406-12-026-0001). IT WOULD BE MORE REASONABLE FOR AROUND 20 BUCKS, BUT FOR WHAT DELTA WANTS FOR A NEW UNISAW IT SHOULD BE INCLUDED.

This works great, and with my mobile base. I would suggest a 90-degree adaptor with a 6" length of hose to make it a bit easier to hook up to the rest of the system.

Requires the removal of the lower shelf (at least so far), but I don't really use it anyway.

I purchased the insert with certainty from both Amazon.com and Delta that this is the right insert for my saw. There is only one problem, it is too large to fit in the saw. It is approximately 1/4" too long. In comparing it with the insert that came with the saw it is visibly larger. The only solution appears to be to grind it down as other reviewers have noted on the insert for the 8" Dado sets. While it can be done, it is disappointing for something that should simply drop in.

it does what it is suppose to do. but, i regret my purchase. if you have some 1/2" stock laying around make your own and save the money. either jig saw or use a router and trim bit and make a copy of your original insert. get some set screws, tap the holes(for leveling) and you are set. i made mine in about 5 minutes out of mdf. works great and i can make more for different size dado setups.

What can I say? I laughed. I cried. I cut dados.

I got this as a part of the kit that includes the contractors saw and beisemeyer fence. I put everything together and it works well enough, but I have these issues:

1) I ended up taking off the fence, since it is exclusive with the saw's guard. Now I just tie off the left anti-kickback pawl on the saw's gaurd and use it in place.
2) The thing is heavy and awkward. Kind of hard to store (ok, now I am just bellyaching)
3) It does not slide well. I have the track, which is adjustable, adjusted down to it's smallest size, and it still binds considerably. I have to push with a worrisome amount of pressure.

and worst:
4) The clamp is not designed well. The steel clamp is attached to the aluminum body of the jig with a steel bolt. On my pilot run, I stuck some scrap pine on the fence, and started cranking down. I had not put very much pressure on the wood at all, when the bolt had completely stripped the aluminum threads. The bolt just pulled out. Sure, I could have tightened too much, but I don't think so.

I am a novice woodworker and received this miter jig with my Delta CS. I've gotten a lot of use out the tool in a pretty short period of time, which is why I gave it 4 stars. However, I've had some of the same problems as others - unit is very heavy, so getting it on and off the table is a bit of pain. The weight should make for smooth travel, but I still get a fair amount of resistance - slot key is set to minimum width. BTW, first slot key I received was warped and I had to get a new one from Delta (who were very helpful). Also find you have to be careful with the stop because it moves 1/8" or more as you tighten it down. Those issues aside, the unit functions well - I've used it to crosscut plywood panels and hardwoods and have been happy with the results. This is the only sliding miter jig I've used, so I cannot judge how it compares to others.

I recently had trouble making square cuts on some bookcase sides. The stock miter gauge that came with the table saw didn't have enough contact area to get a good square cut.

I looked at the Incra miter guage at a local woodworking shop, when the clerk recommended this unit. It has given my saw new life! I recently had to make some dados on some 20" glued up panels, and this unit made it painless. Simply set the fence stop, and cut each piece... the result is perfectly bookmatched dados.

I can't imagine doing some of my recent work without this jig. As a matter of fact, my DeWalt 12" miter saw gets less use now that I can make such decent cuts with this jig!

although i haven't used my new chuck ,it looks like it is just the thing i need to do the kind of work i'm starting.

This chuck has been used in my hobby shop for a year and has performed as expected. Delivered without instructions prompted a call to Delta for help and learned that,"......no instructions are provided with Delta Chucks". Therefore, no attempt was made to reverse the jaws for inboard clamping. Thanks to Jake the Snake's review, the reversal of jaws 1 and 3 should make the jaw change a safe procedure. Delta should be admonished for not providing an instruction manual. Shame on Delta for not providing better support.
A word of caution, a work piece can and will shift in the jaws with heavy chisel pressure and this shifting is more pronounced if the end stock is removed and/or the work is out of balance. It is suggested that the work piece be refined before the end stock is removed and exercise caution in bringing the chisel in contact with the work.

I just got this and haven't used it yet--I will update later. In response to the below reviewer, he's right, there's absolutely no documentation, and the method of reversing the jaws is not obvious.

It took me about 15 minutes to figure this out: The slots are numbered 1, 2 & 3, and the jaws are numbered 1, 2 & 3 one one side, and 3-3225, 2-3225 & 1-3225 on the other side. i.e. jaw number 1 says 3-3225 on it's other side, and #3 says 1-3225 on it's other side. For the standard configuration, as shown in the picture, insert 1 into 1, 2 into 2 and 3 into 3 and engage them in that order. To reverse the jaws, insert 1-3225 (i.e. #3) into 1, 2-3225 into 2 and 3-3225 into 3 and again engage them in that order (slots 1, 2 then 3).

In short, to reverse the jaws, switch jaws 1 & 3.

It really would have helped if they even printed a paragraph on the box or showed an explanatory picture, much less a page of instructions. I tend to be pretty good at these things, and could see a lot of people struggling with this for a lot longer, or never figuring it out. Besides, it wasted fifteen minutes of my life....

Other than that, my only problem so far is the cost. I guess these things cost a lot, and this would cost even more at a store, but just after this shipped I found a similar item for $45, and wish I would have bought that instead. Of course, it would probably cost $25 to ship this monster back, and I'm sure this is of higher quality so I'll just keep it.

***Update***
I have used this chuck several times and am very happy with it. It's rock solid, holds tight, never loosens, has good concentricity, and leaves minimal markings. The design of the jaws allows you to hold just about anything. Make sure you put some rust inhibitor on it after use.

I have had my Delta 14" saw for about 15 years and never got a handle on dust control. This device fills the bill. It is unfortunate Delta never cast in a 5" port on the saw in the first place. As mentioned in another review, the OEM collector port surely had to have been designed by someone with a great sense of humor! My new connector fit perfectly, out of the box. I appreciate the reviewer's tip to slot the existing trunnion hole. Good catch! Also, Delta has sized the exhaust port for sheet metal apparently (why?). It would not fit my Jet hose utill I got the heat gun out to stretch the "5" tubing.
All in all, it is a good product. One last item; I build the majority of my DC fittings but did want to tackle this one, Delta has overpriced this unit by a large amount (must have about twenty cents in material investment). Does not seem fair since they are responsible for the mess in the first place!

I purchased this dust collector for my 28-280 band saw, manufactured ca. 1997. The Delta 14" band saw has been in production for a very long time, and I do not know if the attachment points have remained unchanged all that time, but the dust collector was reasonably easy to fit to my saw. An inner tab fits behind a screw and washer, and in order to tighten that screw (with my largest Robertson screwdriver) I had to enlarge a drilled hole. An exterior tab is held by one of the trunnion handles and that tab had to be bent to fit, and I cut a slot in the tab so it can be slid in place, rather than having to remove the trunnion handle completely every time the collector is taken off, which is necessary in order to change blades. The port is 5" in diameter and fits my old Delta dust collector, the drum-top model, but that is not now the industry standard. Dust control is not perfect, but vastly better than the original part afforded, which was a joke, and it is not perfect specifically because this collector is designed to function with the table tilted 45 deg. If a person were to resaw a very toxic species like ebony I believe it would be both possible and necessary to modify this collector to better capture the dust which is deflected by the arrowhead shape of the lower blade guide, the main source of the tramp dust generated by this machine. I gave four stars because the collector has to be removed to change blades and Delta should have long since enlarged the screw access hole and possibly optimized the geometry.

The collector worked good after I got it installed.Some simple instructions would have made it a lot easier.I had to drill out a hole and do some bending to make it fit,but it was worth it.

I received this saw for Chrismas. It arrived in good condition, but there are a number of very disconcerting aspects to it.

The saw is manufactured in Taiwan - not in the USA (like the unisaws). According to Jason Carpenter of Delta (1-800-368-1487x3143) it was designed for the Canadian market and brought down to the states to compete with Jet. Not being a unisaw, there are a number of changes.

First, the throat plate is different and unique from *all* of the Delta table saws (cabinet/contractor). At present, you cannot purchase a zero clearance throat plate for it.

Second, the base dimensions are different. I purchased a mobile base with extension (50-289) and it does not fit. Delta has the square section (50-729) which you can order for $121.01. It is not yet listed on their web site or any other site I've seen. The extension (50-284) is an extra $113.30. I plan to modify the 50-289 to fit my needs.

In the spec sheet, the max dado width is 15/16". They don't mention that you need a special arbor to cut this dado with - and you can't leave the special arbor on as it will hit the underside of the table for deep angled cuts.

Another complaint I had was that the cast iron extension wings were not perfectly flat. I had the front and back flush, and had a lit in the middle of about two sheets of paper. In the end I was able to flex it mostly flat at the recommendation of the Delta service center.

What has been most frustrating is the customer support on this saw. I've called Delta several times and the person on other end usually says, "Wow, this saw is brand new. I've never heard of it. Let me see what the manual says." On the mobile base, I called specifically to ask if the 50-289 would work - and was told yes.

I plan to keep this saw as I believe it is worth the money and I don't want the hassle or added cost of shipping it back in excange for a true unisaw; I would however stongly recommend getting a unisaw instead of this one.

I received my Delta 36-732 cabinet saw about a month ago and have used it for only a few projects. This was my transition from a Delta contractor's saw to a cabinet saw. Frankly, any cabinet saw would have been better than the contractor's saw that I had bought at Lowe's. Noise, vibration, lack of power and a small work area all added up to a new saw.

I researched table saws for almost a year, before purchasing the Delta 36-732. I had a list of what I wanted in a saw and began to narrow the field. I actually went as far as to order a General International cabinet hybrid, but cancelled the order after realizing that it is impossible to get 2 hp from the amps they speced, at the time.

Amazon's sale price on the Delta made it an easy choice. I was a little concerned because I had never actually seen the 36-732 before it arrived at my house. I was (and am) impressed. This is everything that I wanted, and would expect from a high-end saw, but at a low-end price.

Fit and finish is outstanding. Quality exceeded my expectaitons. Easy to assemble. Quite and imperceptible vibration (it passed the dime test). Exceptional power. The Biesemeyer fence is unbelievable

Cons: I had to flex both wings to get them flat. With a 2hp dust collector attached to the saw, the cabinet does not empty very well. I still need to vacuum out the cabinet to keep it clean.

Overall: This is one great saw. I would have given it 5 stars, but nothing is perfect.

Recently purchased this saw and mobile base.
Biesemeyer fence is excellent but had a few required washers missing (easily purchased at hardware store). You won't be disappointed with the use of it.
The blade guard requires wrench to remove\replace and one bolt 1" long to be removed completely. The supplied wrench is pretty much worthless for this purpose. I replaced both bolts with thread knobs, to hold it on and slotted the rear hole so guard slips on easily. Now I can remove and replace it with out wrenches.
The "shelf" for storage of fence won't hold Biesemeyer fence it keeps falling off. So find another place to keep it when not it use.
The crank handles and locks are plastic and seem light but function exactly as they should.
The miter gage is to light to be of real use, it seems to be made of stamped sheet metal or a thin wall casting. I removed the bar and trashed it. I had a better one anyway, but you should plan on replacing it with something better.
I have/had no problems the the main saw itself. Base, top and extention are good to excellent quality, with tilt and height adjustments working correctly.
Prior reviews talked about the extention table not being flat and the switch being not in the correct place. My table was flat and the switch comes with bracket to locate in correct spot " flush with front rail". So maybe Delta fixed these issues.
I am pleased with the saw "after about a month of use" and would recomend it to a friend, after pointing out these issues.

I took a chance and picked up the MM300 for $129 on closeout at one of the Big Box stores. I punched about a dozen 3/8" holes in some scrap pine - and then tried one 1/2" hole. Sheared the pin that holds the lever on, right off.

Had it repaired, under warranty, and had it back in about 10 days. After that - stuck with 3/8" bit and did another two dozen holes in some Mahoghany. For the price I paid, I'm OK with it. But if it was the MM300 for $200, then I'd consider the 651.

In either case - head on over to Lee Valley and pick up their conical hones to touch up the chisels before you use it.

I just last week received the mortiser, put it together. The instructions were clear, only took a few minutes to assemble. I was surprised at the quality. The quality of Delta products (and Jet) varies wildly. I got a good one, it seems. I punched a dozen holes with each of the chisels in some mahogany scrap I had lying around, all were quite satisfactory. I haven't tried it yet on any of the hard maple or oak I usually work with. I'll report back later if I have any problems. Menards wanted another [money]for their Jet model, without chisels. A set of 5 chisels is [money]. The Jet I checked out in the store wasn't fit for use, sloppy dovetail, sticky slide. Be sure to get the preservative grease off the dovetail and gears, and grease it all before you use it. So far, I'm having fun drilling square holes!

Gary

I've had this mortise machine for a little over a year now. It has worked perfectly giving me square true mortises every time. Setup is quite simple and with a few shop made supports drillling mortises in long rails has never been easier. I've only used the 3/8", 1/4" and 5/16 chisels to date but none of them faltered. Note: pick up a set of conical honing stones from Lee Valley. Sure makes life with a sharp bit simple! Great prodcuct from Delta. Not quite as fancy as the new replacement but works just as well for a few $$ less.