Decent for beginners, better than most, but not without faults
Written: Jan 03 '05 (Updated Apr 13 '06)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sturdy, cast iron top, steel extensions, won't tip, price
Cons: Switch location, blade guard/anti-kickback device is abysmal, motor may be short-lived if overworked
The Bottom Line: Beginner's table saw that is sturdily built and gets the job done, but not without some hiccups along the way. The on/off switch alone makes this saw worth avoiding.
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| heres2u's Full Review: Delta 10" Table Saw 36-600 |
I am reviewing the Delta 36-600 10" table saw, which is still available from Amazon.com, and which folks may still be considering purchasing. Delta's current equivalent replacement of the 36-600 is the newer Delta Shopmaster Model TS300 which I believe is essentially a change in name more so than features.
My problem with tools, and this tool is no exception, is that I am not a professional, but rather I do the typical around-the-house, finish-a-basement, build-a-deck, make-a-birdhouse type projects that occur at rather infrequent intervals in life. At the time of most of my projects, I am usually strapped for cash and I typically invest more in the quality of the materials with which I am building, rather than professional-grade tools that may just sit around in the long run once the project is complete.
Such was the case when I was considering purchasing the Delta 36-600 table saw. I was building a fireplace mantel and bookshelves for my basement and felt the cuts had to be more accurate than what I could achieve with a regular circular saw. I skipped considering your typical bench-top saws which were out of the question for my needs and I looked at the Craftsman, Ryobi, and SKIL table saws which were in my price range, but seemed cheaply constructed as most were a combination of plastic and cast aluminum construction. I was planning on ripping 3/4" oak plywood and various other solid oak boards and needed something that wasn't going to tip over. I finally decided on getting the Delta 36-600 table saw for $369 (on sale) at The Home Depot because of the heavy steel base and heavy cast iron top with metal extensions, and of course the affordable price. In short, the Delta seemed better constructed than it's entry level competitors for the price I paid. I guess that would probably put this saw at a mid-level grade... but compared to the top-of-the-line saws, it's still entry level. I cannot complain about the solidness of this saw. It feels sturdy. It looks sturdy. The cast iron top, when waxed, is as smooth as silk. The metal extensions are quite adequate. No complaints there. Other entry level table saws look and feel cheap. This saw is very solid.
But having used the saw now for 2 1/2 years on many, many more projects than what I originally envisioned, I'm slowly seeing many faults about this saw. Now I wish I'd spent the extra $200 to get into the category of "professional" grade. Unfortunately, once you have a tool, you're pretty much locked into it for a long while because the wife will always come back with, "Don't you already have one of those?... What's wrong with the one you've got???"
Well I'll tell you...
Although Amazon.com may state the Delta 36-600 10" table saw is a "professional" grade, it is definitely an entry level to mid-grade level table saw geared toward the occasional do-it-yourselfer and hobbyist and is manufactured in Taiwan for affordability.
Even though the box will say this saw is a belt drive (vs. a direct drive as on other entry-level saws) it is really a cog belt drive type with a universal motor. There is really only a short belt, encased inside the motor housing, which serves more as a speed reducer than as a drive belt. Therefore the motor sits right under the table, instead of at the rear like in true belt driven professional table saws, and takes the brunt of the dust that is generated. This can't possibly be very good for the motor. Nevertheless the motor has performed decently considering the number of board feet I have fed through this saw in two and a half years.
The 15 amp 1.5 horsepower universal motor combined with the whir of the blade is VERY loud, but I'm not sure how this compares to other table saws... I've always known them to be rather noisy. Universal motors in general are said to be loud because they run at a higher speed. They are also better at short bursts of power vs. continuous use. The motor on this saw is adequately powered and rarely bogs down even on solid hardwoods or on 45 degree cuts where more of the blade is in contact with the wood. There is a little bit of burn with a 60 tooth carbide tipped blade on solid oak 45 degree cuts, but burn is rare on 90 degree cuts with the same blade. Because heat is the detriment of universal motors, Delta has a thermal cutoff switch, which shuts the motor off automatically if the saw is being overworked and starts to get warm. There is a manual reset button on the saw that allows you to re-set the shutoff once the motor has cooled.
The switch for the Delta 36-600 table saw is probably the worst I've ever seen or used on a table saw. It is small... about twice the width of a typical house light switch... and located on the lower right-hand side of the table saw. Did a left hander design this saw? Let's just go through an example of how bad this is... you are ripping a board, using your push stick to guide it along between the fence and the blade with your right hand. Now the cut is finished, the blade is still spinning and there is a loose piece of wood still dangling on the left side of the turning blade. You have to bend over and somehow reach the switch with your fumbling left hand while not moving the finished cut piece with your push stick and fouling that up against the running blade, all the while avoiding getting hit square between the eyes with the loose cut-off piece which has now vibrated close to the teeth of the blade and it about to be launched right at you. Is there not a class for common sense at our engineering schools? Do the folks at Delta not do product testing before launching a product? Evidently not. Good table saws typically have a large, easily accessible button on the upper left side, just below the table top that you can't miss. I'm eventually going to buy, or make my own foot switch that I will plug-in between the table saw cord and my extension cord, so I don't have to fumble with delta's bad switch design, but rather can turn the saw on and off with a tap of the foot.
The blade guard/anti-kickback device is crude at best and should be left off completely. It is attached at the rear of the saw right behind the blade, but the attachment point is at least 1/8" inch off alignment from the blade, if not more. The attachment on my saw actually had to initially be set at an angle to avoid binding up the wood as you're running it past the blade. Unfortunately, this slight angle was still enough for wood to get bound up on when ripping, so I finally removed the entire blade guard/anti-kickback device for safety reasons. Leaving it on would have actually made the saw less safe.
The miter gauge, fence, and blade angle adjustment all have to be checked and double checked with a ruler, square, 45, or some other means by which you can accurately measure distances and angles. The fence can be fine-tuned with two bolts that can be turned to achieve near perfect parallel to the blade, but I always measure with an accurate ruler before cutting, regardless. Once the fence is set to your liking, it does maintain its accuracy very well. The blade angle adjustment has some issues and has to be checked after each cut as the saw will vibrate the blade slightly off from your desired 90 or 45 degree setting, but again it is better than most of the competition in that all adjustments are easily made with a crank handle... and all parts, the spindle and gears which tilt and raise the motor are made of steel. It seems my final rips and cross cuts are always slightly off 90 and my 45s rarely turn out perfect (maybe off 1/2 degree)... both requiring wood filler or putty if the project is furniture related. There has been times when I'm happily cutting along when I look down and realize that the blade angle setting has vibrated off a whole degree. Obviously if you are building birdhouses or planters or Adirondack chairs perfect cuts are unnecessary and you will have to settle for a degree of "tolerance".
Delta has made a pretty good miter gauge for this saw. It is a T-slot miter gage that holds the miter gauge beyond the table and there is very little play side to side... just enough for it to slide easily. The miter gauge has 45 and 90 degree left and right stops, which can be fine tuned for accurate cuts. These stop points should be double-checked and adjusted with a measuring tool of some sort because I've noticed that the preset factory settings can't be trusted unless you want to do a lot of wood filler on your projects. An after market miter gauge may be a good investment if you plan on using your table saw for miter cuts, but I don't think it is necessary. The main problem with miter cuts is holding your piece of wood steady when making the cut. If the wood moved slightly while pushing it forward you end up with a slightly rounded miter cut. An after market clamp that attaches to the miter gauge may be a good investment if you do a lot of miter cuts with your table saw. Rockler has an excellent aftermarket miter gauge with fence and clamps, but you'll pay for the quality and accuracy. I've seen some Craftsman hold down clamps for reasonable prices that may fit the Delta miter gage.
The main thing to remember with the fence, blade height and angle, and the miter gauge on this table saw is that they ALL can be fine-tuned... so if something is off a bit here or a degree there, you can easily adjust it. Sometimes my cuts are a bit off, but most are usually close to perfection. I'm a perfectionist, so like I've said... I've adopted a "degree of tolerance" for my projects. Most people would probably think that the cuts made with this saw are very near "perfect" and more than adequate.
I can't complain about the blade wobbling or side to side movement of the blade... what some people term "runnout". I detect no wobble whatsoever by simply eye-balling the running blade. When I set the fence to what I want the cut to be, the final width of the board is dead on or at least within 1/64 of an inch. Like I mentioned before the main thing that throws my cut off on this saw is when the angle setting vibrates slightly off 90 or 45 degrees.
The top of the Delta 36-600 is actually not as deep as your "standard" table saw, but is probably more like a bench top saw or just slightly deeper... so it could be difficult getting an aftermarket fence. I wouldn't let that concern you as it makes the table saw easier to store in tight shops and garages. Pick up one of those handy table saw roller stands and you'll be set for those longer cuts. Also the factory fence is quite accurate so I see no need for replacing it. I've found the width of the table top with its two steel extension wing has been more than adequate for my needs. The Delta 36-600 has a 27-inch maximum rip to the right of the blade so you can easily cut past the center of 4x8 plywood sheets.
I have built a fireplace mantel, bookshelves, and plant stands out of 3/4 inch oak plywood; planters and Adirondack chairs out of cedar; birdhouses and shelving out of pine. All of my finished products have turned out great, albeit with a little wood filler here and there, and receive many compliments. Most folks wouldn't guess that they were constructed with anything less than professional grade tools. So in that respect the Delta 36-600 has served me well. But sometimes the journey matters more than the destination. If you are frustrated along the way, the enjoyment of your final destination can be less than expected. Using good tools should be just as satisfying as finishing a worthy project.
If you are looking for an entry-level table saw that is all-steel, and heavier-built than what Craftsman, Ryobi, and Skil have to offer, this is a great option that should serve you well for the occasional project. Hopefully the newer Delta Shopmaster TS300 addresses the above issues of the Delta 36-600. Although recent reviews of the Delta Shopmaster TS300 indicate some of the same exact issues as I have outlined. If you foresee using your saw on a more regular, say a monthly basis as an avid wood working hobbyist... pay the extra couple hundred bucks to get the next level saw... maybe even one of Delta's Contractor belt driven table saws with an induction motor and improved fence system.
The Delta 36-600 10" table saw is an adequate table saw for beginners, probably much better than the plastic and cast aluminum competitors, but is not without some glitches. It has served me well, but if you can all afford it, take a step up to the next level. If you can't afford pro-grade, than this saw is much more solidly built than the competition, and should serve you well for occasional projects. It seems hard to find a mid-range table saw... the saws are either really expensive pro-grade or cheap plastic/aluminum entry-level junk. Delta does a good job of finding that middle ground with it's table saw offerings, particularly with this model.
One last thing... please don't pay what Amazon lists the 36-600 for: $401.95. The newer Delta TS300 is listed on Amazon for $379. The step up from the TS300, the Delta TS350, is listed on Amazon for $369!!! The Delta TS350 has better features and costs less! Go figure. Like I said, I paid $369 for the Delta 36-600 10" table saw on sale at Home Depot... regularly priced $399. Don't get fleeced. Shop around. The Delta 36-600 10" table saw is an older model. You should be able to get this saw on close-out somewhere for next to nothing.
UPDATE 1/9/06: I'm not one to glom onto a product and become an evangelist, ignoring things that go wrong, simply because I committed money to it. I will give honest reviews and post both the good and the bad. Such is the case now. The motor on my Delta 36-600 table saw started sparking wildly after 3 years of heavy use. I replaced brushes to no avail. Finally the motor died completely. Unfortunately, since the motor is a proprietary type, and the saw is not truely belt driven, I can't just run to my local Farm and Fleet store and pick up a stock motor. I have to order the exact motor again. The motor itself runs $215! With tax and shipping it's closer to $250!!! I've considered ditching the Delta for something else in the $250 range, but I just can't find anything with the metal and cast iron build like the Delta table saw. The new motor is a substitute for the OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) motor, so I'm hoping it may actually be better than the Delta factory motor. If the new motor gives me 5 years of good use, I will be happy. But, think about this if considering purchasing... $369 (what I originally paid) + $250 (for a new motor) = $619 (could've been a pretty darn nice table saw!). To be fair, I did work this saw REALLY hard, probably harder than the average home owner would do. So I'm left asking: Was it something I did, or simply a faulty motor?
(1/14/06) After receiving a replacement motor (from sears.com/parts) and installing it in the table, the saw works beautifully again. The replacement motor is not constructed quite as heavily as the original , but the motor starts up and stops more smoothly than the original, there is no wobble in the blade shaft whatsoever, and the motor is much quieter than the original! I'm looking forward to many more projects with my table saw again.
Recommended:
Yes
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heres2u
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