I bought this saw a week ago and it is still not running correctly. The front Biesmeyer fence bracket had one hole drilled incorrectly and had to be replaced. The back bracket interferes with the blade gaurd. The whole thing vibrates enough to put waves on the surface of a glass of water placed on the table. Delta says the belt just needs to be worn in. I think it's a faulty motor, but I have to humor them by running it for hours to convince them. There is no mobile base available for this saw yet.
br /If you want to troubleshoot and tinker with a saw that is still really just a prototype, you'll love this saw. If you want to actually use a saw though, forget it. I've lost a week of work screwing around with this dog. They make you assemble and adjust things they could have done just as easily at the factory. I don't want to work for Delta assembling saws. I want to USE the saw. I will never buy Delta again.

I purchased this to replace an 14 year old Craftsman that I had tricked out with a Vega fence, knee operated STOP switch, wheels, outfeed table and dust collector.
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br /The saw arrived in a slightly damaged crate but no damage to the product. I lifted it off the pallet with a come-along attached to the rafters in my garage/shop. The same technique was used to set it on the mobile base (more later).
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br /I used paper towels to remove most of the grease from the table top and wings before cleaning with paint thinner.
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br /Installing the belt is simplified by using the triangle shaped packing foam to block the motor up in position.
br /The arbor showed a runout of 0.00075", perfect. The table had a 0.008" dip in the center but was flat side to side. The wings were flat to within 0.005". Having said that I'm not sure what is really required to do quality work, but I believe this will do just fine.
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br /The trunnions were off with the blade out 0.014" back to front.
br /I found it a pain to align until I realized that by leaving one trunnion bolt somewhat tight I could pivot the whole assembly around that bolt. Then it was relatively easy and it settled at 0.0015" off. I detect no vibration except a tiny bit just before the motor stops; I can't imagine that will cause a problem.
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br /Using a workmate table to hold the wings in position for installation was a big help but shimming was required to make them flat to the top. The wooden extension table goes on easily and certainly does not seem to need the legs supplied with the saw.
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br /The blade guard pushes the (red) table insert foward making the holdown screw hard to install. I filed the guard a bit to improve the fit. Replacing the two bolts used to install the guard with wingnuts means I never have to use the poorly designed 'wrench' supplied with the saw to mount or remove the guard.
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br /The guard is designed so that it is not possible to keep it "open" (off and away from the blade) when you want to check the blade height or distance from the fence. I'm sure this is thought of as a safety feature but it made me want to work without the guard; not a good idea! I used my Dremel to notch the guard so that it can now 'lay back' out of the way.
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br /The miter guage was right on.
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br /The Biesemeyer fence installed easily with the included guage but the instructions are not completely accurate. The fence itself was defective in that the laminated wooden faceplates extended too far below the metal body of the fence so they dragged on the table and caught in the miter slot. You cannot adjust the faces but Biesemeyer replaced the fence and it is a solid, easily adjusted dream to work with. It's a shame Delta does not see fit to update this workhorse with easily adjustable/replaceable faces. It could also use some attachments similar to the Vega product. Oh well, it's a challange to dream up some jigs.
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br /I used the Delta mobile base (lot's cheaper from Hechingers), the same one that fits my bandsaw. It is very sturdy and works well. As noted by others it requires some shimming to keep the saw from sliding around in the oversized base. That was easy to do.
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br /The first project for this saw involves 9/4 steam dryed beech. I could not make long (7 foot) cuts because the wood 'closed up'on the blade after a couple of feet but the saw cuts well with my Forrest blade and has plenty of power at 120 volts. (I wound up making three shallower cuts to get through.) The beech makes a very 'stringy' sawdust and I found the stuff piled up behind the motor (even with a 4" dust collector) and had to be vacuumed out through the access door to keep from filling the cabinet. Interestingly it also wedged into the space in the trunnions that is normally occupied by the mechanism when the blade is dropped. After a time (100' of cut) I could no longer drop the blade below the table surface! I had to reach in through the door and poke out the shavings.
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br /With all of that I think it was easy to assemble. Probably took me eight careful hours of thinking and doing.
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br /It runs like a charm, seems to be very sturdily constructed, is accurate, easy to set up cuts (as modified). The Biesemeyer is solid, easy to align to the miter slot and impossible to budge once locked down. The cursor hairline is down on the tape to minimize parrallax(?) and is very accurate. The storage (racking)provisions for the wrenches, fence and miter are a plus. The two wrench approach to blade replacement makes it a lot simpler than having to wedge the blade and use a single wrench. The stop switch location is ideal for a 'No Hands' shutoff. I use a hex-key to 'lock' the switch in the off position preventing careless accidents.
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br /Overall, after a week of cutting, I think this will serve me well for many years. Only time will verify the quality but I am very happy using this saw.

I doubl if Delta's design engineer ever tried to put this saw together! Putting the belt on the motor is a half hour chore. The left extension wing on the table has a 20 thousands dip ground in. The right table mounting holes didn't line up. I had to elongate the holes to level the right wing with the saw table. It took 8 hrs to assemble the saw. The saw blade raising and lowering mechanism is difficult to turn.
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br / I used the saw for two months when the 1 3/4 hp motor quit. This is a cheap motor and the wrong application for this saw. It is a capacitor start, which is fine, but it also has a capacitor for run-which means it has an internal switch- which can go bad. A saw is frequently turned on and off and so this motor should not be used on a saw. I have a Delta contractor saw I bought 25 years ago which has a 1 1/2 hp capacitor start motor. It is still running fine. This is what Delta should have put on this so called "Industrial" saw.
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br /Well, it has been over two weeks since Delta said it would send a replacement motor - but they have no idea when! Just Great! What will they send? The same motor or one that fits the application? I will keep you informed, if Amazon permits.

I recently purchased the Delta 36-717 cabinet saw, and after sorting out a few issues, I am very happy with the performance of the saw. I would have given it 5 stars if the set-up had gone smoother.
br / My first concern was with the extension wings. One had a .010 dip in it; the other had a .021 dip. Delta told me that the tolerance for flatness on the table/wings is .012, and offered to replace the bad one. However, I wanted better than that, so I took them into work (I'm a machinist) and ground them myself - they are now both within .001. I should mention that the main table was very good - within .003, and the finish of the grinding on both wings and the main table was absolutely superb. Contrary to what the manual says, I decided to check the trunion alignment before installing the wings and fence rails because access to the undercarriage is a lot easier without them installed. Trunion alignment was off by .012, so I loosened the 4 bolts and adjusted it. The bolts are fairly easy to reach, and in about 20 minutes I had it within .001. It was not hard to do. While I was under there, I checked the drive belt pulley alignment, and discovered that it was out about 3/8". I tried to loosen the (small, metric) setscrew on the motor pulley, but the head immediately stripped! I had to remove the motor and drill out the setscrew. I then installed a larger ¼-28 setscrew in the pulley and re-assembled everything. At this point I decided to run the saw and see if there was anything else that might need tuning before installing the wings. The saw ran fine, but on shutdown the whole saw would develop a shaking motion before coming to a stop. The motor bolts to a cast iron plate, which pivots on 2 pins. I found there was excessive clearance between the holes in the plate and the pivot pins (.012 on one, .018 on the other). Delta tried to tell me the shaking is from the belt, and the clearance is there so the motor can rotate up and down freely! Freely is one thing - sloppy is another. Anyway, I removed the motor (again!), removed the plate and the pins and wrapped the appropriate size shim stock around each pin that would eliminate the play and still allow it to rotate. I carefully re-assembled everything and tried it again. WOW! What a difference. The saw was now rock solid. Now confident that everything was all right, I installed the extension wings and the Biesemeyer fence.
br / The miter gauge that came with this saw is very good. It has a locking finger (much like a miter saw) that engages at all the common angles each side of 90 degrees, and the engagement points are all adjustable. The saw is not noisy (as tablesaws go), and it has lots of power. On one of the woodworking forums someone was questioning the 3000 RPM blade speed as posted by Delta. All I can say is the label on my motor states 3450 RPM, and both pulleys are the same diameter (2"), so unless the motor is labeled incorrectly, the blade speed is 3450.
br / For the gentleman who found the blade raising mechanism to be stiff - the engagenent of the pinion in the rack is adjustable - it shows you how to make the adjustment in the owners nanual.
br / With the saw now running so smooth I decided to give it the nickel test. It was no problem at all to get the nickel on it's edge with the saw running. Feeling confident, I shut the saw off, and the nickel never even flinched! I then restarted the saw - no movement at all. In short, with a nickel standing on it's edge I've started and stopped the saw so many times I've lost count, and it won't topple over! Very impressive.
br / I don't know if any saw is 100% perfect out of the box, but I feel I had to do more fine tuning with mine than I should have. However, I now have a saw that is a joy to use - quiet, vibration free, accurate, great dust collection, an excellent fence, and I even like the paint color! I'm very happy with the saw.
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I worried over the reviews for this saw and the ones for a competing Jet model for weeks, maybe months. I finally decided to ask my local WoodCraft people which one's best. They helped me figure out that the Delta--at least, in the configuration with the best fence--cost less. Price wasn't my main consideration, but they also seemed slightly keener on the Delta.
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br /So, I bought the 36-717 (with the Biesemeyer fence) there, paying $950 plus sales tax; one of the guys at the store actually delivered it to my house in his personal truck--that was after he spent an hour helping me decide. I had planned on purchasing it from Amazon, because it usually offers the best price, no sales tax, and free shipping, but I see lately that it's playing games with the prices, and with the shipping charges. And the WoodCraft rep earned my business, no question.
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br /The crate that contained the saw was undamaged, and the saw itself had suffered no damage whatsoever; it even came with plenty of extra bolts. The wings are a pain to align correctly, but they did line up okay. Everything was perfectly aligned; measuring with a T-square from the miter slot to the front and back of the blade showed a slight discrepancy, but it turned out that stock blade was a little warped, and I wasn't going to use it anyway.
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br /Like someone else here, I decided on a hybrid because I have to rely on 115 volts--I rent a house in the San Francisco Bay Area, and buying is stupid right now. This (or the Jet) was the most powerful saw I could get.
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br /I was still worried that it might not have enough power, especially with a dado set, but I've had zero problems. I bought a Freud 8-inch dial-a-dado set, and it works wonderfully, even when set to a pretty aggressive depth and going through oak and bubinga. I do wish the arbor were a bit longer--the outside nut on a fully stacked dado set could be easy to strip if you get it on there wrong. But the motor is quiet (for a power saw), and very smooth, especially compared to my old benchtop model. Dust collection with a Delta dust collector is awesome, thanks to the enclosed cabinet.
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br /I bought an Incra miter gauge, which is fantastic; I never even unbagged the stock gauge. Oh, I also bought the Delta 50-941 mobile base, which works very well and fits the saw perfectly, except that it doesn't support the out-table included with this version. No problem; because I'm moving it often, I decided the legs on the out-table were just getting in the way, so I just removed them.
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br /I'm not wild about the blade guard; lumber fits very tightly between the guard and the fence when ripping, and that's with it adjusted as far away as I can get it. It's probably because I'm most often using a (Freud) thin-kerf blade, but there has to be a better way to prevent kickback. Yes, I would just take the thing off, but everyone--*everyone* will eventually have something flying back at them, and I need my eyes.
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br /Overall, I'm very happy with the saw. I'm more than satisfied with the quality of materials and construction. I keep thinking, this 400-pound animal cost half what my 3-pound laptop cost. I'll need to replace the laptop in a couple years; the saw will outlive me.

Sad to say, this latest Delta saw is junk. I own 9 other Delta products and I can say without a doubt this machine is inferior. I originally ordered this saw in 3/05 as an addition to my shops Unisaw and was told it would not be delivered until late June. By late August with no saw in sight, Amazon cancelled my order and told me Delta was having quality issues with the saw and probably would not import it. One month later it was still in the catalogue so I ordered it again and actually took delivery of it. The shipping crate showed no sign of being miss handled so I accepted it. Upon uncrating it in the shop I was amazed by the amount of damage to the motor cover/access door. A crow bar and small sledge were employed to open the door and beat the cabinet back into some shape. This damage most likely occurred in the factory, due to the undamaged condition of the packing crate, and it was still shipped! The assembly instructions are inaccurate and incomplete, as were the instructions for the Biesemeyer fence. You are left to guess if you got the drive belt on straight, the "factory aligned" arbor was out by 5/32nds of an inch and I was not able to get it closer than 1/32nd of an inch. You can gain access to the rear bolts thru the sliding panel for the splitter and the front left nut buy using a 10" extension on a ratchet. Do all of this before you install the fence. To install the fence itself requires some ingenuity and thought as the instructions are not very clear and the holes and hardware don't match. All in all POOR! Try a Powermatic saw. The quality is stunningly poor relative to what I was accustomed to from Delta. I would have to think hard about if I would ever order another saw from them. Lastly, power is adequate at best. I was not expecting it to give my Unisaw a run for the money, but I'm glad I was only planning on using it for sheet goods. Think hard friends, and have a complete set of tools, before you buy this LOSER.

Took delivery of this saw on 02/03/06. It shipped in four separate boxes, all of which arrived unscathed by ABF Freight. I encountered some of the "problems" mentioned in the other reviews but this saw assembled nicely and runs like a top.
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br /Before doing anything else, I installed the belt and started the machine. Belt installed in less than two minutes and pulleys were perfectly aligned. I then performed the nickel test, without the added benefit of the extension wings, and it failed 2 of 3 times on shutdown (which, as you are aware, would be after a cut has been made). However, while I am no expert (I am a beginner weekend woodworker and this is my first table saw), I believe most of the vibration was due to the belt. This is a heavy motor with a very thin, yet stiff, belt. After getting the machine completely assembled, the nickel remains standing. I believe the added weight (wings, biesemeyer fence and rails) helps significantly. Also, running the machine several times in the past three days has helped break the belt in.
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br /The wings were hard to get adjusted properly but keep in mind you are installing a significant amount of weight with only three bolts supporting the weight. It is also recommended to have someone help you with this step. I did it alone and that added to the difficulty. But still, given the task at hand, the wings went on without much difficulty. Follow the directions when installing the wings. Run the bolts up handy then make final adjustment and tighten.
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br /The directions for installing the fence are not really helpful but studying the product for a few minutes you quickly figure out there is only one way to install it. You should also note that the switch will be finally installed to the table and fence rail so don't overtighten if you mount the switch before adding the fence.
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br /After assembly, and a final check to make sure everything was aligned, I did a test cut. First piece was slightly out of square. I was worried that the blade was out of alignment. After confirming that the factory alignment did appear to be accurate I checked the miter gage. Turns out it was slightly out of alignment. The directions for adjusting the miter gage were very useful and was finished in about 5 minutes. That solved the problem and the saw now cuts beautifully. Note that I did install a Freud Diablo 80 T blade as opposed to the factory blade.
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br /The only probelem I found with the saw is the blade guard. I had no intention of installing the guard but decided to do it anyway to see how it went. After about an hour of adjustment, I finally had it close but I just do not like the "rinky dink" appearance and quality. I know it is safer to leave the guard on but I do not want it in the way. I still rate the saw 5 stars. Of all the machines I looked at, including the General International, I never saw any of the lower end saws with a decent guard.
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br /The bottom line is this saw was an incredible value and considering what it is, relatively easy to assemble. Take your time assembling, read the directions before and during assembly, and you will not be disappointed. Amazon has this saw at an incredibly cheap price and, for the money, there is no better value.
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I read reviews of this saw on other sites, and "hinted" to my wife that I wanted one for Christmas...she got it, then warned me that there were bad reviews on Amazon. Hmm...
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br /The saw arrived with the packing crate a little beat up, but no damage to either saw or the 3 Biesmeyer fence boxes. Uncrating and assembly were pretty straightforward, though the 2-3 hours assembly time they estimate are certainly on the mark if you take your time and are careful. I had none of the quality or assembly issues that others have mentioned (can't believe anybody's complaining about installing the belt, or that it took an hour -- you guys are kidding, right? Flip the motor up, seat the belt, let the motor down. Took all of 2 seconds, and had no trouble verifying the belt was properly seated...).
br /I'll admit the fence instructions weren't the clearest, but I really had no trouble getting everything correctly put together, squared flat, and accurately adjusted. It passes the nickel test with flying colors. Initial cuts are smooth, straight, square. No binding in the adjustment wheels (you guys do know about grease, right?).
br /I suspect that because this saw is in a cabinet, some buyers think they're going to get a $4000 saw for under $1000. Not the case. What you do get is a significant upgrade from a contractor-type saw, a solid, stable, accurate machine with a great fence that runs like a champ. Take your time putting it together, and you'll love it as much as I do!

Ordered this after getting back from Iraq in September. Then evacuated for Hurricane Rita, the went on vacation for three weeks, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. Now I'm finally making sawdust...Amazon delivery has been outstanding on everything I've ordered and returned.
br /Everything showed up in good shape at the same time. The fence rail assembly was a little confusing but everything went together per the instructions. The splitter and guard are rinky dink and in my opinion more of a liability to Delta than a safety feature. The fence is great although a little tight on the rails until you get it all waxed up. It was a piece of cake to get square. The index on the dimensions is a little tough to see and I have 20/15 vision near and far. I'll get one of those magnified index lines to solve that.
br /The big gripe I have is the "Factory Aligned" arbor.
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br /Bull$#!% !!
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br /Front to rear of the blade mine was off by at least 1/8 of an inch!!! Pretty obvious without even making the first cut. Just running a square along the edge of the miter groove binds on the rear half of the blade. Talk about a recipe for binding a piece of wood and wearing it around embedded in your forehead. Did I say anything about liability?
br /My ten year old could get a job at the factory aligning arbors to that accuracy. For that matter so could my 7 year old. Getting the thing into alignment that should have been done at the factory is no simple task. Certainly they a use a jig so I don't know what happened with mine. You have to break loose the four mounting bolts and tap the whole assembly into alignment. Then hope it stays true during the tightening, which it won't. I spent about 4-5 hours on it and I'm still not perfectly aligned- pretty close but not as accurate as I expected the thing to be.
br /If you have already installed the rear fence rail all the bolts are only accessible from under the table with creative combinations of socket extensions.
br /The rest of the saw in my opinion is well constructed and a good value for $1000 , free shipping and no TX sales tax. Maybe I just got the Friday afternoon or Monday morning shift aligning the arbor.

4/3/06 Update: I spoke with the Delta Rep at the WoodWorking show in Houston. He recommended setting the center bolt on the side wings FIRST! There is enough flex in the cast iron wings to bring the ends flush to the table if the center is tight. After setting up hundreds of saws for shows and dealer demos I'm inclined to believe him and attempt to reset mine using this method. Good Luck!
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br /I did not experience many of the set up issues that others have identified. The only problem I encountered was the left wing not mounting exactly flush with the main top. A little more custom fitting was required that I would have hoped for. The Biesemeyer fence mounted easily and was a breeze to set on "0". Assembly with a buddy took about 3 hours, again, as expected.
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br /This is not a Unisaw BUT neither is the price. I got more than I expected for the price. I expect this saw will provide years of excellent cuts for this weekend woodworker. By the way, do yourself a favor, get some high quality Freud blades as the general purpose blade shipped with the saw is only good for cutting rough stock. My first two projects utilized an ATB for the Birch plywood and a glue line rip blade for the solid stock, WOW what great cutting on this saw.

After reading some of the reviews I was a little concerned about this saw, however nothing in the reviews seemed like a show stopper. I placed the order with Amazon on Feb 24, 2005. The saw was delivered on the 3rd of March by ABF Freight.
br /There were 4 boxes and no apparent damage to any of them. Upon unpacking I found that the cover on the power switch was cracked, otherwise there was no concealed damage, well packed and good handling.
br /Setup was pretty simple, after reading the reviews I checked the blade alignment, it was out by 0.015". After loosening the 4 bolts a couple of gentle taps with a rubber mallet and retightening the bolts it was within 0.002", close enough.
br /Following the instructions about blocking the motor up with a wooden block is a good idea. The belt went right on with very little effort. The extension wings went on with no problem however it does take a little time to align them right. The left wing had a 0.008 droop to the outside. This was corrected by a couple of shims. The right was dead on.
br /The fence instructions worked well as long as you follow the section for the UniSaw. All the holes lined up and the only item that seemed incorrect was that the rear rail is supposed to be 1/16 inch below the miter slots, actually it is closer to 1/8 inch. The kit was short 2 5/16 inch hex bolts for the rear rail, otherwise every thing was supplied.
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The arbor was out by .012, bars not parallel, trunion washer were coned and not usable, but a pals system fixed all of this and the arbor is now within .001. no problems there now, thanks to all the great advice from othe reviews. definatly get the arbor aligned before putting on the extension tables and fence system. absolutly no problem w/ the belt, can't figure out what the glitch is there for others. Passed the nickel test and runs real quiet.
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br /Then there was the table top, the left wing is beveled on the wrong side (the back side), so now i have to decide between using amazon's great customer service or just taking it to a local machine shop. I think I wil opt for the latter.
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br /Shipping was fine except the fence was a little beat up and has some corrosion on it, nothing that can't be fixed.

After 15 years of working with a Rockwell 10" Contractor Saw, I treated myself to my own Xmas present. Upon receiving it, I was surprised at the weight and stability compared to the Contractor Saw. The precision with the Biesemeyer Fence is outstanding; coupled with a very "tunable" miter slide, "square and true" is easier than before. The 4" dustport and cabinet design make clean-up a piece of cake when used with my dust management equipment.
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br /Assembly was somewhat challenging to complete alone due to some of the cast iron weight, but with a "helper" it would most probably be a breeze. I substituted a cast iron BenchDog router mount with a Porter Cable 3.5HP router for the left table extension leaf. It mated easily, with but a few adjustments made to the washer/shims used in connecting it to the saw table.
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br /Finally, having a shop with limited space, the mobile base has proved to be super-useful.
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I just bought this saw after doing much research. I was a little cautious after reading some of the negative reviews here on amazon.com. I have done woodworking for nearly 20 years, and wanted to upgrade from a sears craftsman contractor saw. After speaking with another local woodworker who does period reproductions on commission and repairs furniture for a living, he told me he bought this same saw and was very happy with it. I purchased this saw from a local woodworking specialty and hardware vendor in our area for $1044.00.
br / The saw was in very good condition. One tiny mark on the table top that can be sanded down occurred during shipping. The saw was fairly easy to set up, and I have achieved less than .001 parallel on the Biesmeyer fence with the miter slot. The blade that comes with the saw is only fair. I replaced it with a Freud industrial blade and it runs great. The rails are just a bit confusing at first, but take your time and you will get them installed in the correct holes after a few moments. The belt was a breeze to put on the pulleys, with a block of 2x4 and a pry bar to lift the motor. The table extensions lined up very nicely.
br / The motor plainly says 3450 rpm, not the 3000 rpm in delta's literature. The 3450 rpm is industry standard for a 15 amp motor, so don't be worried about the misprint in the literature. The 1-3/4 horsepower motor is an upgrade over most contractor saws with 1-1/2 horsepower rating.
br / I think that Delta Machinery has corrected the "bugs" that some machines evidently had at the beginning of manufacture. I highly recommend this saw to serious woodworkers and believe it to be a good value and a good product.
br / This is not a Unisaw! However, it has many of the excellent features and quality workmanship of the unisaw, and if you do not use it commercially in a full time cabinet shop or similar business, the saw should give you many years of good service. I am a stickler for precision, and the saw required only minor adjustments to make it very accurate.
br / I did the "nickel" test, by standing a nickel on the table top. I started the saw, ran it for a few minutes, and turned the saw off and the nickel stayed standing! Once you break in the belt for a few minutes, the saw is very smooth. The longer I have the saw, the happier I am with my decision to purchase it!
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br / Update - after owning and using this saw for over 6 months, and having done most of a bathroom remodel, including new base cabinets, chimney closet, and medicine chest made from red oak, the saw has performed flawlessly, even with many dado cuts, and rabbit cuts. I still have a sink vanity to build, and look foward to getting back in the shop when the weather warms enough for glue to set up.
br / This saw is the real deal! For someone who does not have the electrical for a 220 volt hookup, and the room for a unisaw, this saw is on the same quality with the unisaw, just not as much horsepower. I have been very, very satisfied!!! This is a great saw!

After some initial delays in delivery, the saw and fence system arrived securely packaged and undamaged. Assembly of the saw required some patience and persistance, particularly in leveling the side wings and extension table. Once assembled and aligned as specified in the detailed written directions, the saw performs extremely well and is a welcomed addition to my woodworking shop; formerly known as a 1 1/2 car garage.

Delta 36_717 biesmeyer fence w extension table etc..
br /very poor instructions for assembly don't understand why a hybrid should even exist at all. They could have sold it as a entry level cabinet saw. What's the point anyway?
br /Spent hours trying to align the trunnions under the table everytime I tighten the bolts down the setting would change. It's been a real pain in the ***.
br /The blade guard/splitter is a joke... PIA to align I expect most people would not use it . The pulleys on the arbor and motor have no flanges so its by luck the ribs on the poly belt line up if it all because you can't take a straight edge and see.
br /the weight of the motor hangs off the belt which acts as a tightener, just try to lift that damn motor with one hand and try to put the belt on the pulleys with the other real fun!!
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br /I found the tightening knobs on the blade height/ angle crank wheels have different thread metric on the blade height shaft and sae on the blade angle shaft. One of the knobs is not going to fit on the shafts goodluck!
br /The beismeyer fence instruction set is the pits too almost nothing shown actually corresponds to the bolts and fasteners in the packaging. the thing may as well be written in Chinese.
br /I got the thing running but it makes a weird moaning sound not a constant moaning sound. like a sine wave it goes up and down..
br /don't know what to say. I would have expected Delta to be top of the food chain here. for 1000 bucks I would have expected better. Like the other reviewer said "it's apiece of junk"
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Absolutely love this table saw and very glad I decided to get the 30" Biesemeyer Fence with it. Had a little challenge with one part of the assembly, but customer service got right back to me and the problem was quickly resolved. Very good instructions. The saw itself is a workhorse and purrs like a kitten. If you're looking to upgrade from a contractors saw to a stationary saw that can handle professional projects - without going broke - this is an excellent choice.

After reading all the reviews on this saw I thought I had made a terrible purchase. So last night I took a nickel and stood it up on the table top and turned the saw on. The nickel did not move at all. This saw has no vibration to speak of. I have been extremely happy with the saw and its performance. The only difficulty I have had with it was putting it together. The directions are not correct and they are difficult to follow. I asked the vendor if they had the same trouble setting it up and they confirmed it was not just me.

I don't know why there are so many complaints here because, except for a misunderstanding about the how the fence rail and switch were mounted, I have been very impressed by this saw.
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br /I had read some of the negative reviews here and was pretty wary but I went ahead and purchased it from Woodcraft because the store salespeople and the manager were very enthusiastic about the saw. I later met two of their employees who have also purchased the same saw for their personal shops.
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br /Anyhow, they seemed suprprised by the reviews it had gotten here on Amazon.com. They had a running, fully set-up demo in the store and it ran like a champ and looked very nice and very high quality for the money and they assured me that they would stand behind the quality of the saw and with their assurances that I would be well happy with it I purchased it, loaded it up and took it home. I had a few small troubles with mine but nothing like what others have said here. As another reviewer pointed out the wooden crate that it was shipped in was kind of beat up but everything inside was fine. The only problem I had in assembling it was tath I had to cut a small peice off the back edge of the blade guard to get it to rest in the slot for holding it up and out of the way. I thought at one point that the rails for the Biesemeyer fence were cut wrong and I was really beginning to get upset about that so I called the store the next day and found out that the confusion was in the directions which showed the assembly for a table using the Uni-fence and not for a Biesemeyer. The Biesemeyer instructions are included but if you followed the Delta instructions up to that point you will have mounted the on/off switch improperly for use with the Biesemeyer. Once you understand this everything went together fine and the saw is now running beautifully with not even the slightest bit of adjustment to the blade. It also looks wonderful and to tell you the truth I couldn't be prouder than to see my very own Delta Industrial Table Saw setup in my home shop.

Positive - The Bies fence is great.
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br /Negative - The fence isn't any good if the saw doesn't work.
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br /I received the Delta Hybrid about a week after placing my order. Assembly and alignment took ~3/4 of a day; directions were adequate. I then ripped one 8' 2x6 in half and and the engine burned out.
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br /After about two hours on the phone with Delta Customer Service, I was told that I had two options: take the saw apart, repackage it, and send it back for a replacement saw or wait THREE months for a replacement engine as Delta hadn't any more in stock (wonder why?). In addition, although I was obviously upset, I stilled maintained a professional/polite demeanor (after all, it wasn't Customer Service's fault) only to be told "sorry" and that "... sometimes this happens. You can't expect everything you order to work properly." !!!!
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br /How is that for quality control?? I couldn't believe what I was hearing!! I wasn't even offered anything for my troubles or to retain my future business (not that I would have accepted, but still).
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br /No more Delta for me ever again. Off to buy my Powermatic 2000.. should have done it right the first time instead of wasting 30 hours of set up/tear down, repackaging, and sitting on the phone with disgruntled customer service members.
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br /Hope this helps.
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After reading the mixed reviews I was a bit hesitant to buy this saw. However, when I clicked add to cart, I found that the price had dropped to below $700 during some special sale on Amazon about 2 weeks ago. 3 days after ordering it I received a call from the shipping company and arranged for delivery. Everything was intact. Not a scratch. The only problem was the lack of the 1/4 inch hex head screws used to attach the fence to the rail. Other than that, I had no problems putting it together. I didn't put the blade guard and splitter on it because I use a crosscut sled a lot. The tabletop is dead flat. The cast iron wings, however, are not. There is a slight gap about the thichness of 3 sheets of paper ( I don't have a caliper to measure). Finally I was able do make some test cuts and found that I didn't have to make any adjustments to either the miter gauge or the blade. I was either very fortunate or Delta finally worked out the bugs that previous buyers had. I was, however, a little disappointed that my saw has failed the "nickel test".

The fence on this thing is pretty amazing....built like a tank and as precise as a laser. It has a wonderful feel of quality.
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br /It was pretty easy to setup. The fence installation is straight forward. The saw blade alignment was within 0.001 out of the box...good nuff for me! It cuts like a dream! With a good ripping blade, it'll cut through wood up to full blade height without bogging down. Very impressive. The switch has a leg kick off button that's really handy...safe too. It runs quietly, leaves all kinds of foot space, is very stable, has great dust collection, and it's easy to get the motor.
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br /Great improvement over a conventional contractor saw, and gives me alot of the plusses of a cabinet saw without requiring 220v....it also saved me a few hundred dollars!

My saw arrived a couple of days ago without the Biesemeyer fence system. My saw was shipped from Amazon inventory in Irving Texas, and I notified Amazon immediately that they hadn't shipped all the boxes. It took 5 days just to get a form letter response to my first email.
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br /After 9 days of run around, counteless emails, and conversations with managers, and a Amazon telling me it would take at least a month for them to ship the missing fence, which they admitted to having in stock, I canceled the order, am returning the saw, and bought a different saw locally.
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br /Now to the saw:
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br /The shipping crate was a little worse for wear, but still intact. The only visible damage to the saw was a slight dent on the motor cover, and a spot where the paint rubbed off the motor cover from something in the crate rubbing up against it.
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br /At first glance the saw looks very good. Delta has obviously put a lot of effort into a good finish, however he fit on this saw is poor.
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br /On my saw, the mating surfaces on the right side of the main table, and on the right extension table are not square, the result is that when the right-hand table is installed, it angles up resulting in a substantial gap when I lay a straight edge across the table top. I had to shim it with .012" shim stock to get it to bolt up flat.
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br /I would not recommend this saw and I really wouldn't recommend Amazon.

I had the saw for more than 6 months. It arrived OK and I had few problems assembling it. I read the other experiences so it was easier. The belt wouldn't go in, but then I noticed that the blade was not all the way down. The holes for the rear rail were of a smaller diameter and different thread so I drilled and tapped them. The Delta mobile base is bigger than the saw so it needs to be shimmed. I added a Rockler extension table putting the supports in the wings. I use a Forrest regular kerf blade without stiffener, a Freud 8" Super Dado and for melamine an Amana blade. They are very good. I am very sstisfied.
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I had to write a review to comment on some of the negative comments from other users who say that there is no mobile base, and had trouble assembling it. I purchased this with the mobile base, and found that there are many others out there that will work. (a comment from another was there is no mobile base).
br /I found the assembly easy to follow. Not the best documentation, but not a problem. The online manual is easier with the pictures as they are clearer.
br /The belt was in place in less than 2 minutes. Another reviewer stated it took a long time. I cant imagine why? It was packaged and delivered in several well protected boxes. No missing or broken parts. I am very happy.
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br /I think that some of the outrageous comments posted by some must be a sort of spam or some marketing strategy from competitors trying to smear a good product. I tend to toss out the outrageous negative reviews of this and other products because of this.
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br /Purchase this saw, be happy, and get free shipping when you can!
br /GF
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I bought this saw from Woodcraft 2 weeks ago and had no problems with the assembly, adjustment or operation of this machine. The only flaw was on the splitter. I had to remove 1/8" from the front edge where it goes in behind the throatplate. This saw replaced my TS350 which was fine but I needed more table top space and HP. Everything in my shop is Delta except my bandsaw (Central Machinery- what a mistake!) and have had none of the problems I've read in other reviews of other Delta products. Guess I'm just lucky!

I've been woodworking with Delta products for over 10 years. In my opinion, Delta's quality has gotten worse. I got an "excellent" deal on this saw ($775) but was pretty disappointed by the quality. For starters, this saw is made in China and, simply stated, it's obvious. Cheap cabinet, cheap screws. The fence is bolted on and if you have to remove the screws more than once (like I had to) the badly tapped threads become stripped.
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br /My friend bought this same saw (we got the same deal) and he's already had to take his to the shop because the tilt wouldn't go past 20 degrees. The instructions were OK but hardly what you'd expect for a $1,000 saw. It took a LOT longer than I expected to get the table saw assembled. It would seem that could make the assembly much easier - rather than expect the consumer to finish the manufactoring process (seriously, the extension table wasn't pre-drilled!).
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br /This 36-717 saw will be my last Delta product. I haven't really spent much time looking at Jet or Grizzly...that's my fault/regret.
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br /It appears Delta is no longer concerned about quality control. I'm sorry to see that Norm still uses Delta - they must be paying him big bucks.

I got this saw a few days ago and was dreading tuning it after reading some of the reviews below, but my fears were unfounded. There was very little I had to do to get this saw cutting straight. Total time for assembly and tuning was about 2 hours. The only issues I had is the wooden table extension off the right side of the saw has a slight dip in it, and the screw heads on that bottom of the miter guage are stripped so I can't adjust to get a perfect 90 degrees. All in all those are some pretty minor issues.
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br /I had been working with the Rigid contractors saw for the past few years and this is a huge leap in performance over that. I ripped a few 2x4's last night and they cut like butter with no chatter, bogging or burning. I put in an 80 tooth blade and cut some red oak and came up with nice clean edges with barely a saw mark.
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br /I would highly reccomend this saw to anyone wanting a good quality table saw that doesn't have the budget for a full blown cabinet saw.
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br /I purchaed this saw several months ago and actually had some problems with both the saw fence (biesmeyer) in that i needed replacement parts from both Delta Biesmeyer. I have to say both customer service departments are great. No hassel, sent the parts the fastest way, fast to get on the phone. I think that today you can expect problems, stuff happens, but good customer service goes a long way and is hard to come by these days.
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br /On the product side, it's great. Powerful, no vibration, accurate and pretty easy to put together. I got a mobile base (don't need the legs) with the mobility and the fact that the motor on a hybrid doesn't hang off the back its space efficient easily moved.
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br /you won't be sorry...
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When you've got four out of seven negative reviews, you've got a problem. I was planning on recommending this saw to my father in law based on my experience with my Delta Contractor's Saw, which is a great tool. In fact, I was thinking about selling him my saw and "upgrading" to the Hybrid. No way. A friend who's a tradesman and an excellent woodworker just took delivery of his. He reports that the shaft is misaligned or bent, giving the blade a serious wobble of up to 1/64th in. Terrible! He bought it online, so of course has to go through the hassle of getting Delta to make good on it. If I were to buy one, I'd get it at a local reputable dealer such as Berland's in Chicago so I can at least get parts and service ... or a whole new saw. It's a shame that what was once the premier woodworking brand has fallen down to the level of the other Chinese imports. I'll check out Powermatic to see how they're looking these days.

Just finished assembly. This is a 1.5 person job, meaning you'll need help for several steps. The table top slips out of alignment when you tighten the bolts. The tape measure was out of alignment, meaning I'll have to reinstall it. The directions refer to tapped holes in the back of the table top, which do not exist, so I had to dig through the grab bag for appropriate fasteners. The mobile base doesn't fit, the cam doesn't fully engage the wheels, and the auxilliary table legs do not fit in it, which doesn't make sense. I may make my own base in addition to a router table extension/fence. The belt was easy to install, and it purrs like a happy tiger. Can't wait to actually use it. The fence and blade are very accurate, but there are dips in the top's grind.

Sorry about the person who dislikes this saw so much but mine came well packed and complete. Yes, the instructions could have been a bit clearer in spots but I'd rank them 8 of 10 compared to others. Everything fit except I needed to file a bit off the splitter bracket as did another reviewer. Yes, Delta should have caught that but its not worring me too much.
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br /All adjustable items were spot on and the initial cuts seem fine.

Every new product goes through a shakedown period. All the early reviews for this saw seemed to reflect every problem in the book. So I waited until the reviews got better. I ordered, and the saw came in a sturdy, intact crate with the three fence boxes in perfect condition. The shipper put the pallet right in my garage. I unpacked everything, and all was in great shape. My only challenge was to get the saw base into the cellar. I stripped it down and using an appliance dolly it was soon in place in my workshop. I put the wings on one wing side at a time from an elevated position, and had no trouble tightening everything up and in alignmant. The motor was a challenge, as I had removed it to lighten the cabinet, but raising it up using the packing material guided it into position with no real trouble. I took off the base to mount on a movable frame, and then slid the whole thing in place from the pallet.
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br /The saw runs beautifully, with no vibration, and plenty of power. Quiet as a mouse with a dust collector in place. Who doesn't wear ear protectors? All in all, exactly what I wanted and expected from Delta and Amazon. They probably shipped 20,000 units and at first got 12 bad reviews. Not bad, considering. Time to order with confidence!

I took delivery of this saw a month ago, and I cant belive its the same saw that some reviewers have written about. It arrived in pristine condition and in my opinion, was very simple to assemble and set up. (I had the belt correctly installed in about 2 seconds) Vibration? None whatsoever. I did switch the wires at the motor cover plate to run 220. It sounds and runs great. The bottom line is that I think that it is a darn nice saw, and I am happy to own it.