New Table Saw Time, I Think

[honesttjohn]

The old (model 13) Craftsman table saw is acting up again, pulleys won't stay lined up, vibrations, and heat. I've about had it so started looking at new ones. Don't need anything fancy or expensive ($1200 +/-). I do have a Vega fence that hopefully can be transferred if needed. Was looking at the Laguna F1, Grizz 0962, Delta from Lowes, and Jet. They all seem to have their own particular problems. I also have to be able to get it down the basement stairs through a 29 inch wide doorway. Any advice or ideas?

[Stick486]

BOSCH 4100

[smitty10101]

If you are going for the Delta:

There is/was 2 versions. One was a 13amp & the other a 15amp.

Also check the flatness of the main table. And the run out on the spindle

I had purchased my first one that had a significant run out. Returned it.
Lowes was NOT HAPPY. They wanted me to return it to Delta & Delta INSISTED that I return it to Lowes, even though I was willing to drive it up to the factory in SC.

The 2nd one has a dip in the main table to the right of the blade.
I kept it b/c of the hassle involved in returning it & I normally don't cut on the right side of the blade.

Also while you are in Lowes checking out the display-- see if you can live with the fence. It doesn't lock down parallel to the blade EVERY time.
The trick is to pull the fence handle back toward you as you lock it down.
Speaking of the fence---mine doesn't lock down perpendicular to the table, I have to lean on it to make it so. Supposedly you can adjust the fence but I have never been successful in getting it done. I can make it perpendicular when it isn't locked, but as soon as I try to lock it the fence tilts.

IIRC--- the Ridgid is the same saw, just a different color & I think only a 13amp version.

[Stick486]

If you are going for the Delta:

How many times to I have to tell you?.. BOSCH...

[honesttjohn]

I want something a little more robust than a job site saw. Otherwise the Bosch looks good.

If I got a Shop Fox, could I switch out their lousy fence with my Vega?

[Cherryville Chuck]

Avoid anything with an aluminum top. Cast iron is heavy but it is also very stable. I have two saws, had three. I gave the aluminum top Craftsman to my inlaws so they'd leave my other two alone. The Unisaw is much bigger and heavier than what you are looking for but they are hard to beat. The other is an old Rockwell that a friend sold me for $100 when he decided to upgrade. It is wired 220 which I think most weren't. It will do almost anything the Unisaw will do. They came with a decent fence but I had an Accusquare (aka Mule) that I put on it. You should be able to mount your Vega. I've seen Rockwells sell for as cheap as $50. They were a very well made saw.

For a new one I'd probably go with Grizzly. Probably the best bang for buck. Lower end Deltas were also made in Taiwan, possibly the same factory. As someone who was selling me my jointer from Taiwan told me, their factories go from making junk to making some fairly high quality tools too. I started noticing years ago that a bunch of machines look very similar regardless of brand. Lunchbox planers, stationary planers, etc. If two saws sold as different brands look very similar they probably were both made in the same factory.

[honesttjohn]

I found a Delta Platinum Edition. Tag says Delta Pittsburgh PA - Made in USA - Manual is dated right around 1999. Anybody know anything about these. I know the newer Delta's are crappy.

[Cherryville Chuck]

The lower end Deltra's were made in Taiwan. My Unisaw was supposed to be made in Tennessee. When I got it I had trouble leveling the table extension that goes with the Unifence. I found the problem was that the cabinet wasn't an even height on all sides. The side the table ext went on was shorter that the other side. I had to take it to a repair depot and they replaced the defective cabinet. All has been good since. I purchased it around '92 and have never needed any other servicing on it. The Unisaws have a well deserved reputation. I don't know if the contractor type saws were as reliable. The Rockwells had a very good reputation and they were all the same company once. Cabinet saws tend to be more solid as you adjust trueness between the blade and miter slots by shifting the table around. Contractor saws get adjusted by moving the arbor and trunnion relative to the rest of the saw.

[honesttjohn]

Dug into the Craftsman 113 a little more. The arbor pulley had the hidden side 1/2 broke off. I had a kit that had 2 new pulleys and instead of a belt it's a linked fiber chain. After a couple scraped knuckles and a few choice words I think I got the new pulleys and linkbelt on. Runs quieter for sure, and little or no vibration. This is probably the third or forth set of pulleys I've put on it over the past few years, as well as a couple new belts and countless motor adjustments. Still would like a new saw, but will see if this works for now.

[Cherryville Chuck]

Aluminum or iron pulleys? Iron should last the life of the saw. The link belts are supposed to run with less vibration. I've seen the keyway groove on the aluminum ones damaged too, especially on machines with high start torque like table saws.

[Cherryville Chuck]

John I did a search earlier to see which Sears saw that was and what I found was interesting. The saw was made by Emerson Electric and all the references to it claimed that it was a robust, very well made saw. It sounds like it is worth keeping and just the maintence on it like pulleys and bearings.

I just recalled you said the side of one pulley was worn off. What can cause that is the motor and arbor pulleys not being in the same plane. You should be able to hold a straight edge across both of them and it sit dead flat on them. I've had set screws on the pulleys loosen off before and then get out of alignment.

[honesttjohn]

When I caught it the pulleys were way off with mad vibrations. The arbor pully had 1/2 of the inner side broken off. Mind you, these were cheap Ace Hardware Chicago pulleys, bought cause I needed them right away when the other cheap ones failed. I then ordered the "good" kit with the linkbelt and pulleys that were marked specifically for what shaft they went on. It is a decent saw, specially since I added a Vega fence - that cost more than the saw did. I'm not a hard user so we'll see what happens.